Where do you start when planning a trip to the epicentre of marine biodiversity? Raja Ampat is on many a diver’s bucket list, for good reason, but it’s remote, takes an effort to get to, so for many it is a once in a lifetime experience. You really need to plan well to ensure this once in a lifetime experience is everything you hoped for.
Go with Raja Ampat experts.
In recent years there has been an explosion of new liveaboards in Raja Ampat, with many liveaboards only visiting in peak season before heading back to Komodo for the ‘Komodo Season’. The sheer number of boats makes the choice mind-boggling.
Look for the liveaboards that specialise in Raja Ampat, those with varied itineraries, and also consider those that pioneered dive tourism here. Liveaboards such as the Pindito and Dewi Nusantara have been specialising in Raja Ampat trips for decades, they have had, in the main, the same crew all that time, so have intimate knowledge of these reefs, where to go – and when – for the best conditions.
Likewise, resorts such as Misool Eco Resort, Papua Explorers and Papua Divers at Sorido Bay put Raja Ampat on the map and have decades of knowledge to share with you, making your trip even more special. Look at the ‘About Us’ page on their websites – likely those with a longer story to tell will provide a better experience.
Visit in shoulder season
The weather in Raja Ampat is best between October and April, but the region is visited most in December and January. This often means for rather crowded dive sites, especially in the Dampier Strait. To avoid the crowds, visit in Aug/Sep/Oct or Mar/Apr, when conditions are still great in many areas.
Get off the beaten path – Misool, Cenderawasih Bay, Triton Bay
Check the different itineraries offered by the liveaboards in this region and look for longer more interesting trips – north to Wayag, far north-east to Cenderawasih Bay, south to Misool, and east to the Bomberai Peninsula and beyond to Triton Bay.
Pulau Wayag
This remote island is roughly four hours boat ride from Waisai, so while some resorts including Papua Explorers offer day trips to dive these untouched reefs, it’s a long day, so best visited by liveaboard. Check liveaboard itineraries to see if they include Wayag – worth the trip also to climb one of the rock island peaks for a view that far surpasses the more well known Pianemo View Point.
Cenderawasih Bay
Cenderawasih Bay is best-known for its whale shark population, the largest in South East Asia. These gentle giants have been feeding opportunistically on the scraps of fishing bagans for many years. But there are also very interesting dive sites along the way, including several WWII wrecks.
Misool
In the south, Misool is a long commute south from Sorong and the resorts of Waigeo and Kri Islands, so it’s too far for a day trip, and even visiting liveaboards need permission from Misool Eco Resort, the stewards of this marine park, to dive here. The diving is very regulated, with time slots allotted to liveaboards that don’t clash with resort dives (or other liveaboards) so you will be diving this beautiful marine protected area with very few others.
Triton Bay
Even further south-west (and far more remote) is Triton Bay. A few liveaboards visit Triton Bay when weather conditions allow, usually in March, including Dewi Nusantara, Ambai and Blue Manta. For a land-based stay here, there are flights via Jakarta and Bali via Sorong and Makassar. Then it’s a two-hour speed boat from Kaimana to Triton Bay. Being so remote, you’ll be diving virgin reefs with a very small group of divers, in a very well managed boutique dive resort (there is only one: Triton Bay Dive Resort).
Another drawcard here is of course the whale sharks. Much like the better-known Cenderawasih Bay, whale sharks have followed the bagans in Triton Bay for years. Liveaboards such as the Dewi Nusantara have an open deck policy for this experience, so being in the shallows you can spend as little or as long as you like (diving or snorkelling) with these gentle giants.
Choose an environmentally responsible dive operator
Misool Eco Resort is often booked out years in advance, and there’s good reason for this. This resort has been responsibly managing and protecting its surrounding reefs for decades and they are some of the healthiest in Raja Ampat.
Papua Explorers is another great example, home to the Raja Ampat SEA Centre, a conservation initiative dedicated to conserving Raja Ampat’s unique marine ecology through Science, Education & Awareness. SEA Centre works with local community members and collaborating scientists, to conduct conservation and scientific research in the region, whilst supporting and improving marine park management, and developing sustainable livelihoods for local community members.
