Route Description - Ultimate Raja Ampat
Observe the most biodiverse thriving coral reefs in full of colour, teeming with life, including sites such as Melissa's Garden and Cape Kri in the North, to Candy Store in Daram and Boo Windows to the south. ï Hike both Penemu and Mt. Pindito lookout points which have become synonymous with Raja Ampat. Take in the pristine reefs of Misool, to the action-packed Equatorial island of Kawe. Dive with Giant Oceanic Manta Rays and huge schools of pelagic fish through from the South to the North of Raja Ampat. Meet the locals in quaint and remote villages to get a taste of day-to-day life in paradise, and witness daily breath-taking sunsets from one of many of the idyllic beaches scattered throughout the area. Discover a diverse array of some of the most desirable macro subjects you've seen or read about, with world class muck diving on a multitude of sites throughout your journey with us. Bid farewell to your new buddies with an Al Fresco BBQ cooked up by our wonderful chefs.
DAY 1 SORONG TO WAISAI
Day one starts with your pickup from either your hotel or the airport. If we are picking you up from your hotel, it is generally around 07:30 – 08:00, if you are arriving on the day of departure, it is important that your arrival time is before 07:30. We will then head directly to Sorong Port, where you will be taken to the vessel.
Once onboard you will be met by the Cruise Director and a welcome drink. After you have been shown to your rooms and unpacked your luggage, it's time for a welcome briefing before we have some lunch, then you have some time to relax and soak up the amazing surroundings en route to our clearance point, and then onwards to our first dive of the trip.
Our ‘welcome dive' is usually conducted at the nearby island of Saonek Kecil. After the sun sets over the eastern Indonesian sky, we will go looking for unusual critters in Saonek Besar.
DAY 2 DAMPIER STRAIT
Whilst in the central Dampier Strait we will conduct 4 dives. Next up is one of the Dampier Strait's highlights.
After a hearty lunch, we will head to the nearby island of Mioskon. In the evening we may get a chance to see nocturnal flying foxes leave Mioskon in large numbers as they begin their day, after which we will dive Mioskon once the sun has set, to look for the nocturnal Raja Ampat walking shark!
DAY 3 DAMPIER STRAIT
Cape Kri, arguably the top house reef in the world, was made famous by Raja Ampat pioneer Max Ammer, and is next on the itinerary. Sawandarek Jetty, further down the southern coast of Kri island. After a hearty lunch, we will take you for another afternoon dive on Kri's south coast, in Yenbuba Village's Jetty.
And just to top off this (fish) action packed day, we will look for nocturnal marine critters on a night dive under Yenbuba Village's Jetty.
DAY 4 GAM
Our morning kicks off at a thrilling dive site named Manta Ridge. We then head to Gam Island. Two sites we regularly visit in Gam are Citrus Ridge and Mayhem.
In the late afternoon, we will take a land tour of the peaceful Arborek Island.
DAY 5 WAYAG
Awake bright and early to witness sunrise on the equator, cruising between the limestone formations that make up the island of Wayag, in preparation for the morning's hike.
After trekking, we will endeavour to dive Figure 8 Rock, a submerged pinnacle home to large pelagic fish, and the occasional passing Manta. While you have lunch, the boat will cruise to the eastern side of Wayag. Here is where we plan to dive the legendary dive site, Cathedral, which is renowned for its spectacular topography and swim-throughs. Following the dive, we take a short trip to the Wayag Ranger station, which is also a Black Tip Reef Shark breeding area. Here we will get the chance to do some snorkelling with these baby sharks under the ranger jetty, and also conduct a night dive on the same stretch of reef.
DAY 6 KAWE + ALJUY BAY
Kawe is an island located exactly on the equator and is one of our favourite islands to dive in north of Raja Ampat. Eagle Rock (which comprises 3 separate dive sites) is well known for its Pygmy Seahorse as well as its Manta populations, and we will dive these sites late morning and early afternoon.
Around 4 pm, La Galigo will move into Aljui Bay, one of the world's most spectacular bays to watch the sunset, and also do some great muck diving, the Cendana Pearl Farm Jetty.
DAY 7 PIANEMO (A.K.A. PENEMU)
The iconic limestone pinnacles have become synonymous with the Raja Ampat experience and Pianemo lagoon/lookout is just one of many such stunning formations. The best time to hike this hill is early morning, before temperatures rise, but the rewards for climbing are well worth it. Melissa's Garden is undoubtedly the top dive in this area, with a staggering number of coral and fish species packed into this small piece of marine real estate. Its beauty needs to be seen to be believed.
We will then head to a lesser-known corner of Raja Ampat, an area known as Dayang, at the western end of Batanta island. As you relax and later enjoy a great night's sleep, we will set sail for the southern islands of Raja Ampat.
DAY 8 GOA FARONDI – MISOOL
We begin the diving in Misool at No Contest. The second dive can be done at many sites located in the vicinity, including Pet Rock, Plateau, and Love Potion. For the third dive we will visit a popular site named Goa Farondi.
DAY 9 WAYIL – MISOOL
Next up we will show you the dive sites around Wayil, where you will undoubtedly experience the feeling of being far, far away from the rest of civilization … An outstanding selection of dive sites are located fairly close to each other in Wayil, and we will start with the blockbuster – Four Kings, a group of towering pinnacles which are almost too large to circumnavigate in a single dive, which also happens to attract giant Oceanic Manta Rays. Giant Trevally, Napoleon Wrasse, and large Snapper are all often found here.
The oddly shaped Wedding Cake is up next (you will see why it's called as such), which is home to some of Misool's Pygmy Seahorse community.
Finally we will dive into Barracuda Rock, a pinnacle with an unusual underwater cavern, which is also home to a patrolling tribe of schooling Barracuda. In the afternoon we will visit the famous “Love Lagoon”, a calm, isolated body of water which has been incredibly shaped by the hands of Mother Nature into the form of a heart.
DAY 10 FIABACET/BOO – MISOOL
The diving in this part of Misool is filled with the pristine coral life in the heart of Misool and Giant Manta Rays, close to the Eco Resort. Whale rock, Tank Rock and Nudi Rock are both abundant in beautiful soft coral and schools of fish, and conditions and logistics with Misool Eco Resort will decide which of the sites are dived.
The afternoon dive is at the dive site Boo West. Unique in topography, the reef is not to be missed, with excellent sea fan growth and stunning sloping reefs to explore while you anticipate the arrival of Oceanic Manta Rays. Yilliet Kecil is the night dive around here that is not to be missed, with excellent sea fan growth and stunning bommies to explore. There are also hidden beaches in this area if you fancy an evening beachwalk all by yourself.
DAY 11 WARAKARAKET – MISOOL
On the penultimate day of the trip, we will dive Shadow Reef (a.k.a. Karang Bayangan/Magic Mountain), undoubtedly the blockbuster dive site in this remote corner of Raja Ampat, located in the unprotected southern waters of Misool. You can often find huge Manta Rays gliding across this incredibly ‘hard to beat' dive site. The late morning dive is at the iconic dive site Boo Window. Unique in topography, the reef has window-like swim-throughs and a great chance for some wide-angle photos. Secret: the sea fans here often conceal Pygmy Seahorses!
Our journey to Sorong may take around 18 hours depending on currents and prevailing weather conditions. But after an incredible trip, our crew will make sure you're comfortable while they prepare a night of food, song and dance to party the night away with you while we set sail for Sorong.
DAY 12 DISEMBARK IN SORONG
La Galigo will be anchored up in the morning around 5:00 A.M. in Sorong, in preparation for you to catch your flight, or check in to your hotel.
Guests are welcome to stay onboard until 11:00 A.M., and our staff will assist you with transportation to your desired location.