Sorry if this is a bit long, but I know I like to read detailed reports, so I have tried to mention everything...
We travelled to Raja Ampat to join Mermaid I for their 10 day /11night trip from 15th to 25th March. Travel to Sorong was with Garuda. We chose them, as they allow you to check your dive bag (up to 23kgs) in at no extra cost. Connecting flights were seamless and on time, even though our flight times were changed a few weeks before we left, meaning some very anti-social check in times and layovers.
We spent one night in Sorong at the Marina Mamberano hotel. It was clean and comfortable, with a reasonably priced restaurant, serving good food. It was fine for a stopover and was only moments from the harbour.
Transfer to the Mermaid I was quick and easy, via their tenders. We were welcomed on board by Harry, the trip director and handed a welcome drink. Paperwork was completed and we were shown to our cabins. The rest of the day was spent unpacking, setting up gear and waiting for all of our fellow divers to arrive. There is no diving on day one.
We had the master cabin, which was at the front of the boat on the same level as the dive deck. Huge (very comfortable) bed, spacious bathroom, small fridge and plenty of storage and hanging space. Each cabin has a flat screen TV, pre-loaded with hundreds of movies or to view the days photos/videos. We never turned our on. There is even a hairdryer. Towels were provided for both the shower and another for use on the sundeck. Another towel (numbered for your own use during the trip ) is provided on the dive deck after every dive. Towels were changed 3 times on our 10 day trip.
Also provided in the cabin were shampoo, mouthwash, ear buds and moisturiser. The bathroom had plenty of small baskets for storing smaller items, which is a great idea as it stops everything rolling around. They even provide a 4 way electrical extension, so charging various electrical items was never an issue.
Shower/toilet is a wet area but very roomy and we never ran out of hot water. Air con is controlled centrally, but you can close or open the individual vents in each cabin as you see fit. Each cabin (other than two lower cabins) opens out to the walkway down to the dive deck, so each benefit from the ever changing sea views.
Food was great. A mix of European and Indonesian and there was plenty of it. Eggs cooked to order at second breakfast and always a basket of fresh fruit and a cookie jar for those snack in between.Coffee machine for those who need their daily fix and a selection of teas, available 24/7
Water is provided by way of water coolers (two on the boat) and you are given plastic bottles to refill at the start of the trip. Soft drinks (canned and fruit juices good selection) were free. Alcohol is very reasonable. Beers are 3 euros and a bottle of wine was 25 euros . You are also welcome to take your own alcohol on board (fridge in your room). On-board massages are offered for a very reasonable sum. (and very good by all accounts) and laundry can be done at a cost of 1 euro per item. ( we got ours back within three hours -pressed and smelling gorgeous).
It was the usual schedule of eat/dive/eat/dive/eat/dive/eat/ dive. Some days three dives. Some days four dives. Dive briefings were 30mins prior to every dive and were excellent.
Dive time is usually unlimited (air dependent). Some dives were capped at 70 minutes if we were moving, but I struggle to do more than that anyway. We dived Nitrox and fills were always 32 or above. Tanks are analysed for you and % are written on a sheet to be signed off at the dive briefing, but you are very welcome to check your own tank if you so wish.
Gear is set up and your tank is numbered (along with your fins and your towel. You have a basket underneath for fins etc. . There were three dive-masters for our group of 15 and also a resident videographer. At each dive, two groups gears up and the third group is the lazy group, who go in once the first tender returns.(Each group takes it in turns to be lazy group.) This stops the dive deck from becoming crowded and chaotic and I thought it was an excellent system .
Diving is done from the tenders. You are helped into the boats wearing your gear and your fins are handed down and put onto your feet for you. Cameras are handed in afterwards. Gear can be put on in the tender if you have any issues.
After surfacing (deploy SMB tenders come and get you), you remove your bc/tank /weights/ fins and hand them to the tender drivers. You then use the metal ladder to get into the boats. No ungraceful hauling yourself over the side here!
On return to the mother-ship, you are helped from the tenders. Your gear is handled by the crew, who replace it at your dive station. They even wash your wetsuit out after every dive. A hot/ cold drink is waiting for you, along with your hot towel. The service is incredible.
Surface intervals were spent chilling out on the sofas in the outdoor lounge area or up on the partially covered, top deck sun lounge area (great for star gazing at night. Some folks slept up there on there odd night too)
Diving was spectacular. Some of the best we have ever done. Im not going to name every dive site, but we saw everything from wobbegongs, to pygmy seahorses, to frog fish to oceanic manta rays. We even saw the famous walking shark on a night dive. Corals are stunning and fish life is prolific. It was like being in fish soup on many of the dives. Black-tips, grey reef sharks, turtles, the list goes on and on. Some dives were challenging with regard to the current, but nothing too difficult. Reef hooks came in handy when we dived at Blue Magic with the mantas, (but that was more to have hands- free for photos)
We were very lucky with the weather and crossings were very calm. We had to cancel one afternoon excursion due to some rain, but the walk up the hill on the second last day more than made up for it. The view is spectacular. And you get the bonus of a swim at the most stunning beach when you make it back down.
After the last dive, the crew wash your gear out after the last dive and hang it out to dry. We spent the last night in Sorong harbour ready for transfers to hotels/airport the next day. We didn't have to leave the boat until 9 -30am (after another lovely breakfast) and then arrangements were made for a group of us to transfer to a local hotel to hang out in their lounge, until we were due at the airport. A much nicer option than hanging around at Sorong airport...
All in all, the best trip we have done to date. We are, without hesitation, booking the same boat to go to Komodo next year.
We travelled to Raja Ampat to join Mermaid I for their 10 day /11night trip from 15th to 25th March. Travel to Sorong was with Garuda. We chose them, as they allow you to check your dive bag (up to 23kgs) in at no extra cost. Connecting flights were seamless and on time, even though our flight times were changed a few weeks before we left, meaning some very anti-social check in times and layovers.
We spent one night in Sorong at the Marina Mamberano hotel. It was clean and comfortable, with a reasonably priced restaurant, serving good food. It was fine for a stopover and was only moments from the harbour.
Transfer to the Mermaid I was quick and easy, via their tenders. We were welcomed on board by Harry, the trip director and handed a welcome drink. Paperwork was completed and we were shown to our cabins. The rest of the day was spent unpacking, setting up gear and waiting for all of our fellow divers to arrive. There is no diving on day one.
We had the master cabin, which was at the front of the boat on the same level as the dive deck. Huge (very comfortable) bed, spacious bathroom, small fridge and plenty of storage and hanging space. Each cabin has a flat screen TV, pre-loaded with hundreds of movies or to view the days photos/videos. We never turned our on. There is even a hairdryer. Towels were provided for both the shower and another for use on the sundeck. Another towel (numbered for your own use during the trip ) is provided on the dive deck after every dive. Towels were changed 3 times on our 10 day trip.
Also provided in the cabin were shampoo, mouthwash, ear buds and moisturiser. The bathroom had plenty of small baskets for storing smaller items, which is a great idea as it stops everything rolling around. They even provide a 4 way electrical extension, so charging various electrical items was never an issue.
Shower/toilet is a wet area but very roomy and we never ran out of hot water. Air con is controlled centrally, but you can close or open the individual vents in each cabin as you see fit. Each cabin (other than two lower cabins) opens out to the walkway down to the dive deck, so each benefit from the ever changing sea views.
Food was great. A mix of European and Indonesian and there was plenty of it. Eggs cooked to order at second breakfast and always a basket of fresh fruit and a cookie jar for those snack in between.Coffee machine for those who need their daily fix and a selection of teas, available 24/7
Water is provided by way of water coolers (two on the boat) and you are given plastic bottles to refill at the start of the trip. Soft drinks (canned and fruit juices good selection) were free. Alcohol is very reasonable. Beers are 3 euros and a bottle of wine was 25 euros . You are also welcome to take your own alcohol on board (fridge in your room). On-board massages are offered for a very reasonable sum. (and very good by all accounts) and laundry can be done at a cost of 1 euro per item. ( we got ours back within three hours -pressed and smelling gorgeous).
It was the usual schedule of eat/dive/eat/dive/eat/dive/eat/ dive. Some days three dives. Some days four dives. Dive briefings were 30mins prior to every dive and were excellent.
Dive time is usually unlimited (air dependent). Some dives were capped at 70 minutes if we were moving, but I struggle to do more than that anyway. We dived Nitrox and fills were always 32 or above. Tanks are analysed for you and % are written on a sheet to be signed off at the dive briefing, but you are very welcome to check your own tank if you so wish.
Gear is set up and your tank is numbered (along with your fins and your towel. You have a basket underneath for fins etc. . There were three dive-masters for our group of 15 and also a resident videographer. At each dive, two groups gears up and the third group is the lazy group, who go in once the first tender returns.(Each group takes it in turns to be lazy group.) This stops the dive deck from becoming crowded and chaotic and I thought it was an excellent system .
Diving is done from the tenders. You are helped into the boats wearing your gear and your fins are handed down and put onto your feet for you. Cameras are handed in afterwards. Gear can be put on in the tender if you have any issues.
After surfacing (deploy SMB tenders come and get you), you remove your bc/tank /weights/ fins and hand them to the tender drivers. You then use the metal ladder to get into the boats. No ungraceful hauling yourself over the side here!
On return to the mother-ship, you are helped from the tenders. Your gear is handled by the crew, who replace it at your dive station. They even wash your wetsuit out after every dive. A hot/ cold drink is waiting for you, along with your hot towel. The service is incredible.
Surface intervals were spent chilling out on the sofas in the outdoor lounge area or up on the partially covered, top deck sun lounge area (great for star gazing at night. Some folks slept up there on there odd night too)
Diving was spectacular. Some of the best we have ever done. Im not going to name every dive site, but we saw everything from wobbegongs, to pygmy seahorses, to frog fish to oceanic manta rays. We even saw the famous walking shark on a night dive. Corals are stunning and fish life is prolific. It was like being in fish soup on many of the dives. Black-tips, grey reef sharks, turtles, the list goes on and on. Some dives were challenging with regard to the current, but nothing too difficult. Reef hooks came in handy when we dived at Blue Magic with the mantas, (but that was more to have hands- free for photos)
We were very lucky with the weather and crossings were very calm. We had to cancel one afternoon excursion due to some rain, but the walk up the hill on the second last day more than made up for it. The view is spectacular. And you get the bonus of a swim at the most stunning beach when you make it back down.
After the last dive, the crew wash your gear out after the last dive and hang it out to dry. We spent the last night in Sorong harbour ready for transfers to hotels/airport the next day. We didn't have to leave the boat until 9 -30am (after another lovely breakfast) and then arrangements were made for a group of us to transfer to a local hotel to hang out in their lounge, until we were due at the airport. A much nicer option than hanging around at Sorong airport...
All in all, the best trip we have done to date. We are, without hesitation, booking the same boat to go to Komodo next year.
but hubby assures me they were RIBs . They sat 6 divers comfortably.
