Raja Ampat dive sites

[Liberty01]

Hi!
I am planning my next trip to Indonesia in March / beginning of April and feel overwhelmed with choices. One option is a combination of Raja Ampat and Ambon. I read some of the reports about the superb diving around Misool and the poor vis in Kri, crowds of divers and no mantas at Sandy Manta etc..
I won´t be able to get to Misool on that trip. I find it difficult to understand where other good dive sites are and which resorts are close to them.
Resort options would be rather budget like Raja Ampat Dive Resort on Pulau Waigeo or Biodiversity resort on Gam. Both offer diving at Manta Sandy and around Kri. But are there also better sites close to one of them.
I wonder whether RA is worth the effort.
Other options would be Banda (with Ambon) or Halmahera?
Best regards,
Liberty

 

[Javieron]

Hi @Liberty01
Here you can find a list of the main site dives and their locations. Hope you find useful !
Raja Ampat Dive Sites - Raja Ampat Biodiversity Eco Resort

Happy new year 2017!

Best
Javier

 

[jcclink]

Ambon has great muck diving in the bay. Check out Maluku Divers. Also some good reef & dropoff sites along the south side of the island. Ambon has been at the top of my critter list for the past few years. I've photographed more species there than in Lembeh.

 

[Liberty01]

Thank you. Well, Ambon is certainly nice in combination with Banda or Raja Ampat.