Raja Ampat Resort Advice Needed

[Dan]

Check out Raja 4 Divers Resort too:
Pulau Pef - Little Raja Ampat Trip Report

 

[reubencahn]

There is not much to do at these resorts other than diving (was just at Papua Paradise). I would look at their unlimited diving package or diving three times a day however. Two a day does not really work for me - or the resort if you dive across the straight.

They offer two kinds of diving local diving and across the straight diving. Local diving returns you to the resort for lunch before going out for the third dive of the day. Across the straight sends you to the iconic dive sites of the straight. Sardine reef, cree, magic mountain etc. and you get a boxed lunch on shore somewhere before going out for the third dive. (The two dives a day package may not work for across the straight diving as you will want to do three dives)

If you want to go to Fam Islands there is an additional charge. I did not do that as I have been a couple of times already but it is worth doing.

I did three dives a day and never did do the house reef.

I did about half and half local and across the straight.

Across the straight was much busier with lots of divers at all of the sites. From liveaboards and the local resorts.

Local diving was as good and no other divers on the sites. The Mandarin Fish dive was very good. Finally got pictures I like. There are a couple of good local macro dives. They also have a local manta dive.

If I were to do it again I would still do half and half just for the variety.

I'm not sure if it's considered the house reef or not but we dove a site immediately behind the resort on the back side of the island once during the day and once at night. It was an amazing macro site. Saw everything from the tiniest painted frogfish I've ever seen (a couple of grains of sand) to large crocodile fish lying on top of each other, to bobtail squid, to flamboyant cuttlefish. Highly recommended. I would also book for unlimited diving unless you really want lots of relaxation time.

 

[Dan]

We coordinated our trip through Grand Komodo (grandkomodo.com) including 2 LOBs and the RA Dive Lodge. They did a great job with all of the domestic travel arrangements, including flights, ferry and hotel stays enroute. They were very easy to deal with via email. We found them through this forum (Thanks to all the forum posters!) and Undercurrent reviews.

We booked the Deluxe package with 16 dives including 5 nights accommodation in a Beach front double deluxe room, meals and transfer out : US$ 1,625 x 2 persons = US$ 3,250. We paid an additional $175 total for the one way transfer in (public ferry and speedboat) from Sorong. The Conservation/park fee was $80/person. I've attached the dive log sheet we were given at the end of the stay that shows the sites they visit.
.View attachment 523042

First time I was in Raja Ampat was 10 years ago went with Grand Komodo’s MV Temukira to Misool & stayed in Raja Ampat Dive Lodge. I got hooked on diving in Raja Ampat ever since.

Came back to Raja Ampat 6 more times since then. My 9th time will be with Amira in January 2020, Raja Ampat 14-25 Jan 2020 with Amira $837 off I think it’s still has a cabin for a couple available & a spot for a male diver to share if anyone is interested.

 

[divedog49]

Thanks again everyone.

We have thought about liveaboard, but as we just come off one after 11 nights, we prefer to spend some down time on a beach/ in the resort and dive less. Does seem like a high price for so few dives, will go back to Raja Lodge and ask if they can give better based upon @divedog49 comments. but maybe because it was packaged together with their liveaboard???
part of me says "lets go to lembeh again"!

I would try again with the dive lodge or email Grand Komodo. That has to be a typo in your quote or a language thing. We communicated via email easily with Nila at resa6@gkradl.com and Tian, Chief Reservation at chief-resa@gkradl.com, both located in Bali. Their English was very good. We were offered 2 packages at RADL: Standard package with 8 dives : US$ 1,425 per person or Deluxe package with 16 dives : US$ 1,625 per person. We really wanted 12 dives so we could relax a little since we were in-between LOBs, but ultimately were persuaded to take the 16 dive package since the 8 dive package plus an additional 4 dives cost more than the 16 dive package. We managed to complete 14 dives there, opting out of two night dives on the house reef.

 

[divedog49]

First time I was in Raja Ampat was 10 years ago went with Grand Komodo’s MV Temukira to Misool & stayed in Raja Ampat Dive Lodge. I got hooked on diving in Raja Ampat ever since.

@Dan_T, your experience with Grand Komodo, the Raja Ampat Dive Lodge, and their LOBs helped give us the courage to take the Indonesian plunge last year. Thank you! We were on the TemuKira last year and it was great. We hope to get back to Raja Ampat in late 2020 or 2021 to see more.

 

[Dan]

@Dan_T, your experience with Grand Komodo, the Raja Ampat Dive Lodge, and their LOBs helped give us the courage to take the Indonesian plunge last year. Thank you! We were on the TemuKira last year and it was great. We hope to get back to Raja Ampat in late 2020 or 2021 to see more.

Glad to hear that @divedog49 Misool Eco Resort is also a good one to visit if you haven’t been there.

 

[billt4sf]

Thanks for the advice everyone, great to have feedback from people who have stayed at these places.
I've been in touch with Herma from Raja Ampat Dive Lodge via facebook (their website is not great as mostly grand komodo liveabord info and not much about the resort)... We've been offered this package "5 days 4 nights diving package : Deluxe twin room at US$ 1,345 per person Deluxe single room at US$ 1,565 per person Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and 6x dives."
Also got info from Papua Paradise ... "6D5N with 4 days of diving (2 dives/day) Superior Over Water Bungalow: USD 1,888/person includes nitrox"

So now just waiting for the group to decide ;-)

To the woman from diving specials - i'm not interested in booking a trip through you, so please don't send me any more private messages. Thank you.

Do these places have air-con?

- Bill

 

[billt4sf]

I would try again with the dive lodge or email Grand Komodo. That has to be a typo in your quote or a language thing. We communicated via email easily with Nila at resa6@gkradl.com and Tian, Chief Reservation at chief-resa@gkradl.com, both located in Bali. Their English was very good. We were offered 2 packages at RADL: Standard package with 8 dives : US$ 1,425 per person or Deluxe package with 16 dives : US$ 1,625 per person. We really wanted 12 dives so we could relax a little since we were in-between LOBs, but ultimately were persuaded to take the 16 dive package since the 8 dive package plus an additional 4 dives cost more than the 16 dive package. We managed to complete 14 dives there, opting out of two night dives on the house reef.

16 dives for $1600 in RA? WOW.

- Bill

 

[Darnold9999]

Do these places have air-con?

- Bill

Papua Paradise does not (at least in the room I was in). However as the room was on stilts over the water facing the prevailing winds I didn't miss it at all. Would not have turned it on if it was there.

 

[Dan]

Do these places have air-con?

- Bill

RADL yes.