La Galigo 8D7N

Day one starts with your pickup from either your hotel or the airport. If we are picking you up from your hotel, it is generally around 07:30 – 08:00, if you are arriving on the day of departure, it is important that your arrival time is before 07:30. We will then head directly to Sorong Port, where you will be taken to the vessel. Once onboard you will be met by the Cruise Director and a welcome drink. After you have been shown to your rooms and unpacked your luggage, it is time for a welcome briefing before we have some lunch, you have some time to relax and soak up the amazing surroundings en route to our clearance point, and then onwards to our first dive of the trip.

Our ‘welcome diveʼ is usually conducted at the nearby island of Saonek Kecil. The waters are generally calm and are a perfect spot to get the diving going. After the sun sets over the eastern Indonesian sky, we will go looking for unusual critters in Saonek Besar, where you might also make your very first encounter with the iconic Tasselled Wobbegong Shark.

Whilst in the central Dampier Strait we will conduct 4 dives. The top dive sites in this area are Blue Magic, home to majestic Oceanic Manta Rays, and other large pelagics such as
Spanish Mackerel and Bigeye Trevally. Cape Kri, arguably the top house reef in the world, was made famous by Raja Ampat pioneer Max Ammer and is next on the itinerary.
Sawandarek Jetty, further down the southern coast of Kri island, is where you will probably feel like you are in an aquarium – only the fish are incredibly numerous, wild, and free. And just to top off this (fish) action-packed day, we will take you for a night dive on Kriʼs south coast, in Yenbuba Villageʼs Jetty after you soak in the stunning sunset views with the islands of Waigeo and Gam in the distant, fiery horizon.

The iconic limestone pinnacles have become synonymous with the Raja Ampat experience and Pianemo lagoon/lookout is just one of many such stunning formations. The best time to hike this hill is early morning before temperatures rise, but the rewards for climbing are well worth it. Melissaʼs 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.

We will then head to a lesser-known corner of Raja Ampat, an area known as Dayang, at the western end of Batanta Island. The dive in Dayang takes place over a shallow, sandy reef which is actually 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 our Cruise
Director to tell you about this fascinating aspect of their behavior). As you relax and later enjoy a great night’s sleep, we will set sail for the southern islands of Raja Ampat.

We begin the 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, including Pet Rock, Plateau, and Love Potion. For the third dive, we will visit a popular site named Goa Farondi, where there is a 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 in fact numerous “regions” within this area itself. If being surrounded by limestone pinnacles does not instill in you a sense of awe, doing a night dive amongst these towering peaks surely will!

Next up we will show you the dive sites around Wayil, where you will undoubtedly experience the feeling of being far, far away from the rest of civilization … An outstanding selection of dive sites are located fairly close to each other in Wayil and we will start with the blockbuster – Four Kings, a group of towering pinnacles which 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 Snappers are all often found here.
The oddly shaped Wedding Cake is up next (you will see why it is called such), which is home to some of Misoolʼs Pygmy Seahorse community. Finally, we 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 we 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.

The diving in this part of Misool is filled with the pristine coral life in the heart of Misool and Giant Manta Rays, close to the Eco Resort. Whale Rock, Tank Rock, and Nudi Rock are both 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. There are also, hidden beaches in this area if you fancy an evening beach walk all by yourself.

Eagleʼs Nest is a large, unusual pinnacle that is often visited by Manta Rays as well as schooling Barracuda. Shadow Reef(a.k.a. Karang Bayangan/Magic Mountain) is undoubtedly the blockbuster dive site in this remote corner of Raja Ampat, located in the unprotected southern waters of Misool, but you can often find huge Manta Rays gliding across
this incredibly ‘hard to beatʼ dive site. The afternoon 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! Romeo is the night dive around here where you will have a chance to meet the much-talked-about endemic species, the Raja Ampat walking shark!

On the penultimate day of the trip, we started the day by diving at Anchovy, a submerged reef surrounded by a host of towering pinnacles. Anchovy is often a colorful experience as it is home to many varieties of reef fish and it is also a prowling ground for schools of Devil Rays, which come here to feed. You might be in for a devilish feeding frenzy! Our journey to Sorong may take around 18 hours depending on currents and prevailing weather conditions. But after an incredible trip, our crew will make sure you are comfortable while they prepare a night of food, song, and dance to party the night away with you while we set sail for Sorong.

La Galigo will be anchored up in the morning around 5:00 A.M. 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 our staff will assist you with transportation to your desired location. After breakfast, guests may also take the time to exchange photos and swap contact details to keep in touch with new friends and dive buddies!