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Itinerary - 8 Days 7 Nights
The above rates are per person per trip and subject to change. Please note these fees are in line with third party supplier costs.
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, your arrival time must be before 07:30. We will then head directly to Sorong Port, where you will be taken to the vessel.
Director and a welcome drink. After you have been shown to your rooms and unpacked your luggage, it is time for a welcome briefing before we have some lunch, 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 diveʼ is usually conducted at the nearby island of Saonek Kecil. The waters are generally calm and are a perfect spot to get the diving going. After the check out dive, you can get nice and comfortable in your new surroundings and get excited about the first full day of diving tomorrow.
Whilst in the central Dampier Strait we will conduct 4 dives. This is what we typically aim for in a day throughout the trip, although some days are a little different as the number of dives may be reduced by doing a land tour or having to do a large crossing from one region to another (Raja Ampat is a big place!).
The typical schedule is morning dive, breakfast, mid-morning dive, lunch, afternoon dive, afternoon snack, night dive, and dinner….
DIVE, EAT, SLEEP REPEAT!
The top dive sites in this area are Blue Magic, home to majestic Oceanic Manta Rays, and other large pelagicʼs such as Spanish Mackerel and Bigeye Trevally. Chicken Reef, an amazing dive site filled with fish of all varieties and amazing colorful corals will dazzle you next.
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. And just to top off this (fish) action-packed day, we will take you for a night dive on Kriʼs south coast, in Yenbuba Villageʼs Jetty after you soak in the stunning sunset views with the islands of Waigeo and Gam in the distant, fiery horizon.
Melissaʼs Garden Dive Site 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. It gets its name from an amazing hard coral garden situated on a reef between 3 small islands. Its beauty needs to be seen to be believed.
Another one of the places we may visit today is the Keruo Channel Dive Site. A great gentle drift dive down a mini wall and slope on the edge of Keru Island. One of the other favorites we often visit in this area is the Batu Rufus Dive Site. This dramatic dive site has a 40m plus drop-off wall to the blue. Amazing views when you sit at 20 meters depth and look up and down at the stark landscape you are floating between. The iconic limestone pinnacles have become as much a part of the Raja Ampat experience as the diving has, and Pianemo lagoon/lookout is just one of many such stunning formations. The best time to hike this hill is late afternoon when the temperature has dropped and the lighting starts to turn golden, but the rewards for climbing are well worth it.
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 hike. These limestone islands and pinnacles have become synonymous with Raja Ampat and the bay is also home to the worldʼs first confirmed Manta breeding nursery. The best time to hike this hill is early morning before temperatures rise, but the rewards for climbing are well worth it.
The beaches here are also pristine, with fine white sand and turquoise waters surrounding the limestone cliffs of the islands. After trekking, we will endeavor to dive Wayag Corner if the conditions are right, this site is a manta cleaning station so fingers crossed they are in getting a spa treatment and we get to see them.
We will stick around the same area at the western end of the lagoon where we plan to dive another great dive site, which will be dependent on the conditions of the day, it could be Ridge Rock, Two Hump Rock, or Figure 8 Rock, there is quite a few Mantas around this area so we will try to choose whichever site has had the most manta action at the time of your trip.
While you have lunch, the boat will cruise to the eastern side of Wayag. After lunch, 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 chill out on the beach with these baby sharks in the shallows under the ranger jetty. If conditions are right we will conduct a night dive around the Eastern Wayag area too.
Kawe is an island located exactly on the equator and is one of our favorite islands to dive in north of Raja Ampat. Dive sites visited here are very heavily dependent on day-to-day unpredictable conditions such as swell, but one of our favorite sites in the area is a very colorful coral reef (somewhat ironically) known as Black Rock.
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 Alyui Bay, one of the worldʼs most spectacular bays to watch the sunset, and also do some great muck diving at arguably the best night dive site in all of Raja Ampat, the Cendana Pearl Farm Jetty.
We wake up just off the coast in Gam Island.
There are some great dive sites around this area with vibrant fish-covered reefs and plenty of stunning macro subjects. Two sites we regularly visit in Gam are Citrus Ridge and Mayhem.
As we have lunch we will cruise down to the Western Dampier Strait, after lunch, we take a land tour of the peaceful Arborek Island. The village itself is tranquil and surrounded by beautiful beaches. Our 3rd dive of the day will also be here at a dive site named Manta Ridge, for an opportunity to dive with the Manta Ray population often located here.
We will then take you on a land trip to one of Raja Ampatʼs hidden natural wonders, Kalibiru, a river with cool, clear blue fresh waters surrounded by lush tropical jungle. A wondrous sight to simply take in, it also makes a great spot for a swim in an unspoiled, remote plot of paradise. After an incredible trip, our crew will make sure you are comfortable, while they prepare a night of food, song, and dance to party the night away with for your last night in pristine Raja Ampat before we set sail for 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.
After breakfast, guests may also take the time to exchange photos and swap contact details to keep in touch with new friends and dive buddies!
La Galigo does not guarantee this outlined itinerary, and it is to be considered as a rough guideline. Information compiled here is based on past trips we have conducted, and includes common dive sites and routes we often visit. Weather and sea conditions in the area can be unpredictable, and La Galigo retains the right to alter an itinerary from advice of the shipʼs captain, cruise director, or owner for the safety of the vessel, its passenger and crew.
Discover unforgettable marine life and pristine landscapes with La Galigo Liveaboard!