Raja Ampat Liveaboard Recommendations

[AdivingBel]

Walking up & down the side stairs from the liveaboard to skiff in full dive gears, 4x/day for 10 days are OK with your knees?

Geared up in the tenders. Only had to carry my mask and fins. Crew loaded/unloaded all the heavy stuff. It was easy peasy. We were really pampered by the very excellent crew. After dives they traded us a cup of tea for our "wet stuff" and it was all rinsed and hung up. It was nice.

 

[ontdiver]

One more for the bucket list....

 

[scubaNYC16]

If you had to pick a liveaboard/itinerary for a once in a lifetime trip to Raja Ampat, which would it be? I'd like to go ahead and book a trip for later this year. May be the only chance I get to go so I'd like to hit the best parts if I can...

I will likely be traveling solo and would probably have to share a cabin.

Thanks!

Blue Manta single supplement is only 10%. Best deal in town.

 

[tursiops]

Great boats are the Blue Manta and the White Manta, but for a once-in-a-lifetime trip I'd look at the Dewi Nusantara and the MV AMBAI Liveaboard - Official | Enjoy your Diving trip with Wallacea (because I know the Cruise Director).

 

[Darnold9999]

Damai I and II are another couple to add to the list of good boats at the upper end of the price spectrum. Be aware that most of what you are paying for at the upper end is a smaller number of guests on board, and the on board amenities like a larger cabin and better food. On a more mid range boat the diving is virtually identical but instead of possibly diving with 1 or 2 other people and a guide you will be diving with three others and a guide. For a first time diver in RA that IMHO is not worth paying for. You will be overwhelmed and so will make no difference. Have been on both steel and wooden boats in RA - prefer wood only because I like wooden boats. Sea conditions within RA are rarely an issue and even if there were to be a couple of rough days there are lots of islands to hide behind. For me the only reason to pay for a high end boat is because you want the "luxury" experience - or the boat is doing an itinerary you want to do at a time that you want to do it.

I would avoid a reposition trip. Those are the ones where the boats move from one location to another - from RA to Komodo for example. Did one from RA to Lembeh and the diving was not as good. Lots of reefs destroyed by dynamite fishing. Still some good diving, just not as good.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Great boats are the Blue Manta and the White Manta, but for a once-in-a-lifetime trip I'd look at the Dewi Nusantara and the MV AMBAI Liveaboard - Official | Enjoy your Diving trip with Wallacea (because I know the Cruise Director).

Which one?

 

[tursiops]

Which one?

Clement Berard.

 

[Blackcrusader]

Great boats are the Blue Manta and the White Manta, but for a once-in-a-lifetime trip I'd look at the Dewi Nusantara and the MV AMBAI Liveaboard - Official | Enjoy your Diving trip with Wallacea (because I know the Cruise Director).

I have a friend who has done a live aboard to Raja Ampat. We plan of doing a trip together for me use it as the once in a lifetime trip as so many other places to dive which are excellent as well. I'm 5 hours direct flight to Bali and 5 Hours direct flight to Palau so will do both places when life returns to normal.

 

[Dan]

I have a friend who has done a live aboard to Raja Ampat. We plan of doing a trip together for me use it as the once in a lifetime trip as so many other places to dive which are excellent as well. I'm 5 hours direct flight to Bali and 5 Hours direct flight to Palau so will do both places when life returns to normal.

Yes, Raja Ampat opening will be a while longer than many other excellent dive sites, which are already open, such as Galápagos, Cocos & Socorro. Cocos & Socorro are about 3-4 hour nonstop flights from Houston. I just came back from Cocos last week and plan to head out to Socorro in 3 weeks.

Flight to Galápagos is still a bit of a problem. I have to stop over in 2 places before going to the island with long layovers (> 8 hrs) and flight times (> 6 hrs), increasing the chances of pandemic exposure. So, I’m going to wait until they improve the flight itineraries.

Indonesia needs to learn from Mexico, Costa Rica & Ecuador in reopening the country for international tourism soon or suffers further.

 

[ontdiver]

Indonesia needs to learn from Mexico, Costa Rica & Ecuador in reopening the country for international tourism soon or suffers further.

For Indonesia, the risk may outweigh the reward.