Raja Ampat liveaboard - Shakti - Highly recommended!

[mpasula]

I have been diving on liveaboards quite frequently, but this one was clearly the best so far!


Home - Shakti Raja Ampat Liveaboard Adventures in Indonesia


- raja ampat is amazing, best, most diverse diving I have experienced anywhere
- the boat is awesome, and clearly optimized for diving
- awesome rooms with efficient A/C
- Dave, the owner/captain/dive guide is amazing. He has been doing this since diving began at Raja Ampat. He is still excited about every dive and does it from his heart. His knowledge is incredible and he knows well how tides/currents/fish/etc works. For each dive he goes first freediving to check the best spots and currents, radios the other boats about their plans and changes our plans all the time on the fly to make the best possible experience
- even there is tens of liveboards operating. We never saw another diver. We did see everything else we wanted and much more.
- the chef on the boat is just amazing. Some of the best food I have had in Indonesia.
- its very cheap compared to many of the other boats.
- all the other guests were also very nice people, 100% excited about diving and great divers.
- the dingy/small dive boat was the best and most practical I have ever seen.
- dave has a lot of interesting stories to tell
- very experienced crew. Some of which have stayed with dave in Raja Ampat for over 10 years.
- the non-diving activities / dingy tours / etc were also very nice.


I will very likely return to Raja Ampat and dive again with Shakti if possible. Many of the other divers on the boat had been there already before.


Shakti is operating in Raja Ampat all year around. And there is no bad season. Yet still its supposed to be at its best in november/april


I will upload my photos to flickr after I return to Helsinki. Before that a short trip to Bunaken.


-markus

 

[kittikat]

Hi,

May I ask how much you had paid for the trip? I plan to return end of this year.

Thanks,
Kat

 

[AlMitch]

Hi Markus

I'm super glad you had such a great trip, but seen as this was your very first post and it is such a glowing report with comments like "BEST EVER" it just sounds like a bit of an advertising pitch.
Is there anything negative you would like to say to keep your post a tad more realistic?
You said you were on other liveaboards, which ones have you been on and what made this one the "best"?
The Shakti does not have private en/suit bathrooms, how did you find this? My wife usually would insist on having her own loo!
Just a quick note that according to the Shakti website they do not operate year round and that they close shop during the South & North Monsoons.

Looking forward to seeing your pics. Post the Flikr link once you have them.
Also let us know how your time in Bunaken was.

RA is AMAZING!! You are dead right about that!

 

[Tippytoes12]

Glad you had a great time....which trip were you on ie which date ? What are the nationalities of the other diver ? Which other RA liveaboards have you been on and when ? It's a bit unusual for a diver with so much experience to suddenly just arrive on SB with such a glowing review.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Markus, how did you learn about this boat in the first place? Your review would be so much more helpful to your (new?) Friend Dave and his boat/liveaboard business if you were able to answer some of our questions.

Where else have you been diving to compare Raja Ampat to those other places? I've been on a very special boat in Raja Ampat and I selected it based on reviews from other divers right here on Scubaboard.

And Dave of the Shakti, if you are out there brother, checking to see how this review is working out for your boat


Well, I believe you must be smart enough to see what is happening here. Getting this review from Marcus could be doing you more harm than good.

So let's step this up OK,? Get Marcus back in here answering questions or come forward yourself and tell us straight from your heart about your boat and itinerary and why YOu believe in it.