La Galigo 12D11N

Your pickup from either your hotel or the airport will be around 7:30-8:00 a.m. If you are arriving on the day of departure, please make sure to arrive before 7:30 a.m. The crew will take you directly to Sorong Port to embark on the boat.

Once onboard, you will be greeted by the Cruise Director and offered a welcome drink. After settling into your cabin, the crew will provide a welcome briefing before lunch. Following lunch, you will have some time to relax and enjoy the stunning surroundings as we head toward the clearance point and first dive site.

The ‘welcome dive’ will take place at Saonek Kecil, a nearby island known for calm waters and a perfect spot to start diving. After the sunset, we will search for unusual critters in Saonek Besar, where you might even encounter the iconic Tasselled Wobbegong Shark.

Today, we will conduct four dives in the central Dampier Strait. The top dive sites in this area include Blue Magic, home to majestic Oceanic Manta Rays, as well as other large pelagics like Spanish Mackerel and Bigeye Trevally. Another highlight of the Dampier Strait is the Sardine Reef, where a plethora of fish species take over the coral reef on a falling tide.

After a satisfying lunch, we will travel to the nearby island of Mioskon to dive into its vibrant and colorful reef, featuring large bommies encrusted with hard and soft corals. In the evening, we may witness large numbers of nocturnal flying foxes leaving Mioskon as they begin their day. Following this, we will dive into Mioskon once the sun has set to search for the nocturnal Raja Ampat walking shark!

The itinerary starts at Cape Kri, which is arguably the top house reef in the world and was made famous by Raja Ampat pioneer Max Ammer. Next, we will take you to Sawandarek Jetty, further down the southern coast of Kri Island, where you will probably feel like you’re in an aquarium – only the fish are incredibly numerous, wild, and free. After a hearty lunch, the crew will take you for another afternoon dive on Kri’s south coast, in Yenbuba Village’s Jetty.

To end this (fish) action-packed day, we will search for nocturnal marine critters on a night dive under Yenbuba Village’s Jetty after you enjoy the stunning sunset views with the islands of Waigeo and Gam in the distant, fiery horizon.

In the morning, you will visit a thrilling dive site named Manta Ridge for an opportunity to dive with the manta ray population often located there. Afterward, the crew will take you to Gam Island where there are many great dive sites around this area with vibrant fish-covered reefs and plenty of stunning macro subjects. Two sites that you will visit in Gam are Citrus Ridge and Mayhem.

In the late afternoon, you will go on a land tour of the peaceful Arborek Island. The village itself is tranquil and surrounded by beautiful beaches. Arborek is also home to what the crew considers a fantastic night dive, Arborek Jetty, where you have a chance to find walking sharks, blue-ringed octopuses, and many other critters. After enjoying a great night’s sleep, the boat will set sail for the northern islands of Raja Ampat.

Wake up early to witness the sunrise on the equator as you cruise between the limestone formations that make up the island of Wayag. You will prepare for the morning hike. These limestone islands and pinnacles have become synonymous with Raja Ampat, and the bay is also home to a Manta breeding station. The best time to hike this hill is early morning before temperatures rise. The rewards for climbing are well worth it. The beaches here are also pristine, with fine white sand and turquoise waters surrounding the limestone cliffs of the islands.

After trekking, the crew will take you to dive Figure 8 Rock, a submerged pinnacle home to large pelagic fish, and the occasional passing Manta. While you have lunch, the boat will cruise to the eastern side of Wayag. Here, you will visit the legendary dive site, Cathedral, which is renowned for its spectacular topography and swim-throughs. Following the dive, you will take a short trip to the Wayag Ranger station, which is also a Black Tip Reef Shark breeding area. Here, you will get the chance to snorkel with these baby sharks under the ranger jetty, and also conduct a night dive on the same stretch of reef.

You will start the day on Kawe Island, which is located exactly on the equator and is one of your favorite islands to dive in north of Raja Ampat. The dive sites visited here are very heavily dependent on day-to-day unpredictable conditions such as swell, but one of your favorite sites in the area is a very colorful coral reef, somewhat ironically known as Black Rock. Eagle Rock, which comprises three separate dive sites, is well known for its Pygmy Seahorse as well as its Manta populations, and you will dive into these sites late morning and early afternoon.

Around 4 pm, the boat will move into Aljui Bay, one of the world’s most spectacular bays to watch the sunset, and also do some great muck diving at arguably the best night dive site in all of Raja Ampat, the Cendana Pearl Farm Jetty.

You will start the day by hiking up the iconic limestone pinnacles that have become synonymous with the Raja Ampat experience. Pianemo Lagoon is just one of many such stunning formations. The best time to hike this hill is early morning before temperatures rise, and the rewards for climbing are well worth it. Melissa’s Garden is undoubtedly the top dive in this area, with a staggering number of coral and fish species packed into this small piece of marine real estate. Its beauty needs to be seen to be believed.

You will then head to a lesser-known corner of Raja Ampat, an area known as Dayang, at the western end of Batanta Island. Simply known as Dayang, this dive takes place over a shallow, sandy reef which is a magnet for Manta Rays, which come to this area to feed as well as conduct routine visits to their “cleaning stations” or “manta spa” (ask your Cruise Director to tell you about this fascinating aspect of their behavior). As the crew takes care of sailing for the southern islands of Raja Ampat, you can relax and enjoy a great night’s sleep.

You will begin diving in Misool at No Contest, a ridge that is home to an abundance of marine life, soft corals, and overhangs. The second dive can be done at many sites located in the vicinity, such as Pet Rock, Plateau, and Love Potion. For the third dive, you will visit a popular site named Goa Farondi, where you have the chance to do some swims and meet the Bumphead Parrotfish population.

Misool is a huge island, with an overwhelming multitude of smaller, satellite island clusters. There are numerous regions within this area itself. If being surrounded by limestone pinnacles does not instill in you a sense of awe, a night dive amongst these towering peaks surely will!

You will next visit the dive sites around Wayil, where you will undoubtedly experience the feeling of being far away from the rest of civilization. An outstanding selection of dive sites are located fairly close to each other in Wayil, and you will start with the blockbuster – Four Kings, a group of towering pinnacles that are almost too large to circumnavigate in a single dive, which also happens to attract giant Oceanic Manta Rays. Giant Trevally, Napoleon Wrasse, and large Snapper are all often found here. The oddly shaped Wedding Cake is up next (you will see why it’s called such), which is home to some of Misool’s Pygmy Seahorse community.

Finally, you will dive into Barracuda Rock, a pinnacle with an unusual underwater cavern, which is also home to a patrolling tribe of schooling Barracuda. In the afternoon, you will visit the famous “Love Lagoon”, a calm, isolated body of water which has been incredibly shaped by the hands of Mother Nature into the form of a heart.

You will be diving in the heart of Misool, where you will encounter pristine coral life and Giant Manta Rays close to the Eco Resort. Whale Rock, Tank Rock, and Nudi Rock are all abundant in beautiful soft coral and schools of fish, and conditions and logistics with Misool Eco Resort will decide which of the sites are dived.

The afternoon dive is at the dive site Boo West. Unique in topography, the reef is not to be missed, with excellent sea fan growth and stunning sloping reefs to explore while you anticipate the arrival of Oceanic Manta Rays. Yilliet Kecil is the night dive around here that is not to be missed, with excellent sea fan growth and stunning bommies to explore, where you have the chance to meet the much-talked-about endemic species, the Raja Ampat walking shark! There are also hidden beaches in this area if you fancy an evening beach walk all by yourself.

You will dive Shadow Reef (a.k.a. Karang Bayangan/Magic Mountain), undoubtedly the blockbuster dive site in this remote corner of Raja Ampat, located in the unprotected southern waters of Misool. You can often find huge Manta Rays gliding across this incredibly ‘hard to beat’ dive site. The late morning dive is at the iconic dive site Boo Window. Unique in topography, the reef has window-like swim-throughs and a great chance for some wide-angle photos. Secret: the sea fans here often conceal Pygmy Seahorses!

The journey to Sorong may take around 18 hours depending on currents and prevailing weather conditions. But after an incredible trip, the crew will make sure you’re comfortable while they prepare a night of food, song, and dance to party the night away with you while they set sail for Sorong.

La Galigo will be anchored in the morning around 05:00 am in Sorong, in preparation for you to catch your flight or check-in to your hotel.

Guests are welcome to stay onboard until 11:00 a.m., and the crew will assist you with transportation to your desired location. After breakfast, you may also take the time to exchange photos and swap contact details to keep in touch with new friends and dive buddies!