Raja Ampat or Komodo - and which boat?

[Diver Below]

Hi everyone
Glad to have met you all, and hopefully you can help me with my dilemma here:

I know very little about Indonesia, but I am planning a trip there in Jan 2014 maybe, and wanted to have some insights.
We are very experienced in liveaboards in different areas, but never before in Indonesia!

1. Conditions: In terms of season, water temp, vis - how are both area (RA and Komodo) in January, and in General throughout the year? I heard that Komodo can get real cold?!
2. UW wildlife: our interest is a bit more towards pelagics, combines with diversity and a chance for big surprises (Manta, whale sharks?) and not "just" critters, although we love the small stuff too!
3. Topside bonus: in Komodo I expect the dragons to be a major bonus, is there anything equivalent in RA?
4. Liveaboard: Can you recommend the Mermaid or Black Manta? Sea Safari's boats?

and on the bottom line, what would you choose for first and maybe only Indonesian experience?

Many many thanks

Diver Below

 

[highdesert]

Welcome to Scubaboard, DB -

All other factors aside, if you follow the liveaboard traffic, you'll see an exodus of boats somewhere around October, leaving Komodo and heading to Raja Ampat, where the good weather is just settling in. The weather in north Komodo is not very amenable to diving in January. If January is your month, RA is your place.

 

[Zippsy]

While both Raja Ampat and Komodo can be dived year round, Raja Ampat is definitely better from around October to April while Komodo is better from around April to September. If you are planning to go in January, RA would be our best bet. Expect mostly tropical warm waters 27°-30°C (80°-86°F), with visibility usually 10-20m. You will definitely see mantas and sharks but maybe not as many as in Komodo. Smaller critters are everywhere and the underwater scenery will likely blow you away. You will see more fish and more variety than most places on earth. Komodo does have the dragons that are definitely cool to see in the wild. RA has stunning topside scenery though and, if you are lucky, sightings of whales and rare birds. I'd be willing to bet that you will love RA. Finally, I am too biased to recommend a boat but one that you named is certainly my favorite.

 

[jake11]

Top side scenery is gorgeous in RA but no dragons!

 

[matt215]

The boat you want is the Arenui.

 

[scorpiofish]

Hi everyone

1. Conditions: In terms of season, water temp, vis - how are both area (RA and Komodo) in January, and in General throughout the year? I heard that Komodo can get real cold?!
2. UW wildlife: our interest is a bit more towards pelagics, combines with diversity and a chance for big surprises (Manta, whale sharks?) and not "just" critters, although we love the small stuff too!
3. Topside bonus: in Komodo I expect the dragons to be a major bonus, is there anything equivalent in RA?
4. Liveaboard: Can you recommend the Mermaid or Black Manta? Sea Safari's boats?

and on the bottom line, what would you choose for first and maybe only Indonesian experience?


Diver Below

1. You can dive Komodo any time. RA is seasonal. If January is set in stone (which isn't much lead time), then RA is a better choice. If Komodo in January, then you are limited in the number of available boats. The Komodo Dancer will be there, unlike the boats that move from RA and then back. You would also be in the rainy season in Komodo.

2. I like RA more than Komodo even though Komodo has more macro and muck sites. I say more, because you can still get macro in RA. You can see mantas in both locations.

3. No. RA has a pearl farm (take a pass), an early morning trek to maybe see a bird of paradise (we skipped it). We snorkeled through a cave with ancient writing on it. We took boat rides through some of the rock islands at sunset.

4. No first hand knowledge, but I know you could do a lot worse.

Again, I like Raja better than Komodo. Here's a partial list of RA boats. None of the Sea Safari boats are on the list because I don't know which ones are active. One column has a few "No's" by some of the boats. Those are boats I will not go on. There are more "No's" to be added, but I haven't gotten around to it. The total should be around 37, so I'm missing a few. Specifications can be very misleading, too.

LOA Beam Guest 1 Arenui 43 9 16 2 Damai I 40 8 12 3 Damai ii 47 9 12 4 Seven Seas 45 8 16 5 Dewi Nusantara 57 12 18 6 Pindito 37.6 9 16 7 Ocean Rover 30 8 16 No 8 Seahorse 33 8.5 16 9 Aurora 42 9 14 No 10 Indo Siren 40 16 11 Mermaid I 28 7 15 12 Mermaid II 33 7 16 13 Ondina 32 8 16 No 14 Pearl of Papua 30 7.5 14 No 15 Tambora 16 16 Ambai 32 7.5 16 No 17 Wellenreng 22 18 MatahariKu 38 8.5 14 New 2012 19 Citra Pelangi 37 20 Silolona 47.7 21 Raja Ampat Explorer 33.5 7.5 14 22 TimuKira 33.5 7.1 12 23 Putri Papua 26.2 5.5 9 24 Black Manta 32 7 20 25 Shakti 32 7 10 26 WAOW 58 18 27 Amira 52 18 28 Mutiara Laut 45 9.4 29 Bididari

 

[AlMitch]

WOW!! RA really is getting busy!!!
I'd vote for the Indo Siren because 1) its the only one I've been on and it was amazing, 2) it is very good value for money.

When I was doing my research in 2009 there was 20 boats in the water. 4 years later and its nearly doubled!

 

[Worldwide Dive and Sail]

Hi everyone
Glad to have met you all, and hopefully you can help me with my dilemma here:

I know very little about Indonesia, but I am planning a trip there in Jan 2014 maybe, and wanted to have some insights.
We are very experienced in liveaboards in different areas, but never before in Indonesia!

1. Conditions: In terms of season, water temp, vis - how are both area (RA and Komodo) in January, and in General throughout the year? I heard that Komodo can get real cold?!
2. UW wildlife: our interest is a bit more towards pelagics, combines with diversity and a chance for big surprises (Manta, whale sharks?) and not "just" critters, although we love the small stuff too!
3. Topside bonus: in Komodo I expect the dragons to be a major bonus, is there anything equivalent in RA?
4. Liveaboard: Can you recommend the Mermaid or Black Manta? Sea Safari's boats?

and on the bottom line, what would you choose for first and maybe only Indonesian experience?

Many many thanks

Diver Below

Hi Diver Below

We hope we are able to assist and answer some of your questions....

1- Water temp in RA in Jan is around 27-28C / 80-82F. Komodo is similar though during the summer months the temp in Nusa Kode, south of Rinca Island, can drop to just 21C / 70F. However in Dec & Jan this area is significantly warmer, so the thought of colder water should not put you off going there at that time.

2- RA is likely to appeal more if you have a greater interest in pelagics. In the Dampier Strait there are large schools of snappers barracudas, jacks, bumphead parrotfish and a wide variety of fish species. black tip, white tip & wobbegong sharks are seen frequently during dives in the north & south and Manta Sandy is always a winner in terms of manta ray action. For Komodo one of the best places for pelagic action is Gilli Lawa Laut - pinnacles of Castle & Crystal Rock, but this area is not readily accessible in January due to weather, though if you plan to travel at other times of year it is really stunning.

3-In RA you can go on nature walks to see the Red birds of paradise & snorkel / kayak in the mangroves around Waigeo

The Damai offers a Southern Komodo itinerary in January, however most liveaboards move to Raja Ampat in October/November so a trip space in RA is more likely to be available at that time and as you see from ScorpioFish's list there are plenty to choose from.

Either destination would give you an awesome introduction to diving in Indonesia and likely leave you wanting to come again! Enjoy

Best wishes from the Siren Fleet team

 

[frogfish]

I have been on Black Manta, Sea Safari 6 and Sea Safari 8. I would go back on the 2 first ones, but not on Sea Safari 8 which I felt was slightly less well maintained. You will find plenty of positive feedback on Black Manta on this board.

 

[highdesert]

WOW!! RA really is getting busy!!!
I'd vote for the Indo Siren because 1) its the only one I've been on and it was amazing, 2) it is very good value for money.
When I was doing my research in 2009 there was 20 boats in the water. 4 years later and its nearly doubled!

When we were in RA in March 2012 we were told there were 44 active boats at that time.