Raja Ampat: You'd better go now because ...

[Travelnsj]

Hi there. Yes I have dived at Papua Diving too. Both are fantastic! It is always difficult to say whether one dive site is better than the other, I always it depends on the day, my mood and what inparticular you want to see. I will say that Misool has far more dive sites than Kri and I loved the fact you could just go down the steps of your cottage and be on the house reef!!!!

Fiabacet, Boo and MANY of the other divesites nearby are awesome! And Misool Eco have some really cool suprises up their sleeves not yet well publicised... check carefully their website for clues.

How long was the boat ride from Sorong? was the water calm or rough areas? and do they use one of those taxi boats?

Thanks for the info.

 

[Marvelle]

I'm hopefully heading there soon but they use fastboats to get you out to Sorido/Kri from Sorong. Apparently quite a wild ride and takes a little more than 2 hours in the fast boats. More traditional motor boats and it's about 3-4 hours. You have to be staying at Sorido/Kri to get free transfers but they are only on Sunday. If arriving on another day, it's about a thousand euros for two boats. Pretty pricey.

 

[Travelnsj]

I was woundering how rough and long of a boat ride it was from Sorong to Misool....been to Sorido and going back.

 

[Polpessa]

The transfer from Sorong to Misool Eco Resort takes 3 1/2 to 4 hours. It's quite an easy trip as they have a new boat.

 

[scottfiji]

I've heard many divers get eaten by salt-water crocodiles in Raja Ampat, another reason for the general public not to go.

 

[Stamatatou Amalia]

that s fine..i will dive palau also...:cool2:

 

[Allison Finch]

This is an old thread, but Raja Empat has seen many changes in the times I've been there. My first trip there I saw only one other dive boat on a 20 day trip. I just returned from a trip there and there are now 40 boats (and several land based resorts) operating there. There was constant negotiating with resorts, that have leased the waters, for sites to dive. What a mess!

I was on a trip scheduled to do exploratory diving from Triton Bay south along an island chain to Timor in search of new diving vistas. However, really rough weather prevented the necessary long crossings and we were relegated to RE. Good, but getting too crowded for my tastes.

 

[Bali Diver]

Raja Empat has seen many changes in the times I've been there. My first trip there I saw only one other dive boat on a 20 day trip. I just returned from a trip there and there are now 40 boats (and several land based resorts) operating there. There was constant negotiating with resorts, that have leased the waters, for sites to dive. What a mess!

40 BOATS WOW ! i covered the whole region in 2004 and 2005 and never saw another boat

 

[bittenbysharks]

Although the word 'empat' means four in indonesian language, the Raja Ampat is the actual correct word on all literarure, marine charts, etc. Raja Ampat (empat) means 4 kings, named after the 4 big islands in the region.What is the point of getting upset about 40 boats and 7 resorts in the Raja Ampat? It is there for everyone to visit, and stupid to try and keep it 'secret'. It is unquestionably the most magnificent diving destination on this planet, and every diver on this planet should visit it. It is up to us (divers) to manage it properly, and NGO's like Conservation International, under the brilliant leadership of Dr. Mark Erdmann, is doing a fantastic job trying to juggle the greedy government, some greedy dive operators, and an ever-growing number of divers, in order to keep everybody happy.Even with 40 boats and 7 resorts, it is big enough to swallow all of the boats, and never have a crowded dive-site. Believe it or not, with so many more divers, the quality of the reefs in some areas have actually improved. More divers means less fisherman, less bombing, more conservation, and most importantly, better living conditions for the dirt poor local communities.Don't be fooled, there are some heavily damaged areas in the RA. Mostly from bomb fishing, bagans, and long lining. The only thing that can possibly stamp out these destructive practises, is tourism, whether you like it or not. So quit whining, dont be selfish, and tell every one about this magnificent place.

 

[lionfish-eater]

Hi Bitten I am always looking for the ultimate dive trip, but there is usually a tremendous learning curve when traveling to new locations to find the few operators that can really make the trip fantastic. Reliable boats, clean accommodations, reasonable prices, etc. SO could you help convince me to come to RA and help with current who, what, when, where, etc. I have limited time and budget so I have to try to make the most of my trips. I don't need luxury, How many days are needed for a comfortable trip? Thanks in advance.
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