The Samambaia liveaboard 12D11N Raja Ampat (Central, South, North) is the best way to see the Coral Triangle. It is a carefully planned trip that will show you the entire beauty of the three crown jewels of the archipelago. This 12-day trip on the luxurious Samambaia will take you on a complete underwater adventure, connecting the famous fish-filled channels of the Central Dampier Strait, the beautiful southern paradise of Misool with its complex blue-water mangroves, and the stunning northern karst seascapes of Wayag and the Fam Islands. You will dive famous places like Cape Kri, which is known all over the world, and Boo Windows, which has colorful soft coral walls. You will see beautiful mantas, wobbegong sharks, and colorful macro life in every environment. This 12-day Raja Ampat liveaboard is the best option for professional divers and underwater photographers who won’t settle for anything less than a trip that tells the whole story of the world’s richest reefs.
The Samambaia Liveaboard Raja Ampat (Central, South, North) itinerary is a lesson in how to plan a liveaboard trip. It takes 12 days to see Raja Ampat’s most famous areas in a calm and deep way. The longer time frame lets you explore at your own pace, dive numerous times at each top site, and go on famous land trips like the panoramic hike to the summit of Piaynemo and the quest for the rare Wilson’s Bird-of-Paradise. The Samambaia is known for its comfortable accommodations and excellent care, so you can be sure that your experience will be both exciting and relaxing. This 12-day trifecta expedition is the best liveaboard trip for the discerning diver who wants the most complete Raja Ampat liveaboard package. It takes you to the famous Central, the pristine South, and the majestic North, giving you a full and transformative connection with paradise.
More about Samambaia LiveaboardDives: Approximately 29 dives in total
Experience: Advanced Open Water – 30 minimum logged dives required.
The exact route and sites visited are subject to change based on local regulations, guest experience, weather, and logistics and are at the Captain’s discretion.
Day 1: Embarkation
Arrival by plane to Sorong. You will be picked up by crew members at the airport. Embarkation in the port of Sorong. A general orientation follows.
Day 2: Wagmab / Farondi
After an initial general dive briefing, we will do our check dive with you at an easy and protected dive site. Check dive in the sense of you checking your gear and weights, making sure the camera housings are properly sealed and our guides checking your buoyancy. No skill demonstrations are required. Thereafter we will do two more dives around Wagmab and Farondi. We’ve got a wide array of sites to pick from. There are five dive sites commonly dived, add our secret spots and you get to ten. You can expect impressive soft coral growth, big sea fans, a huge swim-through, a cavern and a superb macro life. For several months of the season, silversides are abundant and the modules come in to hunt.
Day 3: Wayil
Barracuda Rock, Wedding Cake and Dunia Kecil are the dive sites where we will spend this day. In the afternoon we offer a two-hour speedboat ride into hidden coves to let you enjoy the stunning topside of the limestone islands. At the end, we will get to a pristine white sand beach where you can cool off with a little swim.
Day 4: Fiabatjet
Right in the heart of the No-Take-Zone. ‘Tank Rock’, ‘Nudi Rock’ & ‘Whale Rock’ are the famous and commonly dived sites here. There are five more dive sites in the very proximity
which are as good, if not even better. We prefer to go a bit off the beaten track here. The reefs are covered in soft coral in all colours you can imagine. Surrounded by the most colourful reef fish. More Fusiliers than one could possibly count. Jacks, Trevallies, Barracudas, Sharks. And if you happen to dive here on a day with bad visibility. Just face the reef. It’s packed with macro life. Several species of Pygmy Seahorses, Nudibranchs, and tiny Crustaceans – every niche in these reefs is filled with life.
Day 5: Boo / Warakaraket
The swim-through at ‘Boo Windows’ is one of the signature dive sites of SE Misool. The surrounding reef is covered in sea fans. Even bigger sea fans you will see at our second dive here at ‘Hidung Boo’. We combine this impressive day of diving with at least one dive at ‘Magic Mountain’. Being a cleaning station for Oceanic Mantas makes this place truly magic.
Day 6: Daram
This island group is one of our favourite areas to dive in SE Misool. Since 2010 declared the second no-take zone in the area the marine life here is abundant and most colourful.
We will spend the whole day here and offer three world-class dives. No night dive today as we will head overnight to the north.
Day 7: Yanggelo
In the morning you will find yourself in the north of Raja Ampat. The main difference between Misool is the pristine hard coral, whilst the south is famous for the soft variation.
‘Mayhem’ is an action-packed dive which we will hit when there is enough current to keep the fish life going without being too challenging for the divers. Outside the mangroves of Yanggelo, we have three more very attractive dive sites to show you.
Day 8: Mansuar / Arborek
It’s time for more close encounters with the majestic Manta Rays of Raja Ampat. ‘Manta Sandy’ is one of the most popular dive sites out here and therefore we avoid it. Just because we know about even better spots where we will take you. In the afternoon we will dive into the jetty of the small island of Arborek. The pillars are covered in soft coral and all around we find very attractive macro life. Afterwards, we will go and visit the little village here on the island.
Day 9: Dampier Strait
The dive- and snorkel sites in the Dampier Strait stand for action-packed dives in our favourite kind of fish soup – the one that is still alive and surrounds us in the water. Encounters with Manta Rays are very common here. The reef of the island of Kri is the current world record holder with the highest number of fish species ever counted by a scientist in a single dive – Dr Gerry Allen came up with 374 different fish species counted. Again: in one single dive. Dive sites here are exposed to current so it’s all about the right timing to get the most out of it. And we know how to time it here. Popular dive sites here: ‘Kap Kri’, ‘Chicken’, ‘Sardine’, ‘Mike’s Point’ and ‘Blu Majik’.
Day 10: Dampier Strait
For the early birds, we offer optional trekking in the morning to go and see the Red Bird of Paradise. These birds do their mating dances up in the trees just when the sun rises.
Another day of action-packed diving in the Dampier Strait lies ahead of us.
Day 11: Dampier
Towards the end of the week and the end of the cruise for some other liveaboards, it can get a bit busy here. We don’t like that and therefore move away to some sites less dived yet very attractive. A WW 2 plane wreck. ‘Larry’s Promise’. Wruzwarez Slope. There are many possibilities. And to conclude our in-water activities we aim to snorkel with feeding Mantas. On our way back our crew will keep an eye out onto the ocean for you and alert you in time for whale and dolphin encounters. Which are quite common here. As long as you are on the watch out. And we are…
Day 12: Disembarkation in Sorong
Depending on your flight schedule, our crew will check your luggage in for you in advance so you can rest on board and let us shuttle you to the airport when your plane is ready to leave.
Dives: Approximately 30 dives in total
Experience: Advanced Open Water – 30 minimum logged dives required.
The exact route and sites visited are subject to change based on local regulations, guest experience, weather, and logistics and are at the Captain’s discretion.
Day 1: Embarkation
Arrival by plane to Sorong. You will be picked up by crew members at the airport. Embarkation in the port of Ambon. A general orientation follows.
Day 2: Dampier Strait
After an initial general dive briefing we take you on an easy check dive. To get used to the gear again, to get the weights right, to make sure your camera housings are not leaking. Two more relaxed dives will prepare you for the diverse and lush diving and snorkelling that lies ahead of you.
Day 3: Yanggelo
‘Mayhem’ is an action-packed dive which we will hit when there is enough current to keep the fish life going without being too challenging for the divers. Outside the mangroves of Yanggelo, we have three more very attractive dive sites to show you.
Day 4: Jef Fam
The hard coral heaven that expects us at ‘Batu Burung’ is one of a kind. Towards the end of the dive, our guides will introduce you to a huge Giant Clam, that is estimated to be more than 80 years old. We have several more dive sites to pick from over the day and in the afternoon we invite you to climb the 312 stairs that lead up to a stunning viewpoint. Around sunset, we will witness many hundred of Fregatte Birds returning to a little rock where they all sleep together.
Day 5: Wofoh
The diving around Wofoh is spectacular and yet hardly any liveaboard goes there. Which we appreciate a lot.
Day 6: Alyui
The bay of Alyui is home to some of the most spectacular macro diving in all of Raja Ampat. Be prepared for a magical experience. At some point during the day, we will visit the pearl farm of Atlas South Sea Pearls, which produces some of the world’s best pearls and get a tour.
Day 7: Kawe
Eagle Rocks is known for being a Manta Ray cleaning station. We do one or two dives here in the morning to head north afterwards. Right before crossing the equator, we do one more dive at another secret spot of ours. Again good potential for Manta Ray encounters but also beautiful coral and great fish life. After crossing the equator we enter the island group of Wayag. The view down from Mt. Pindito is probably the signature photo of Raja Ampat.
Day 8: Wayag
We spend one more day in paradise. Early in the morning, we climb Mt. Pindito to enjoy the breathtaking view. Afterwards, we will go diving. In the afternoon we take you on a speedboat ride through this maze of islands to end up at a perfect beach. A memorable experience for sure.
Day 9: Mansuar / Arborek
It’s time for more close encounters with the majestic Manta Rays of Raja Ampat. ‘Manta Sandy’ is one of the most popular dive sites out here and therefore we avoid it. Just
because we know about even better spots where we will take you. In the afternoon we will dive into the jetty of the small island of Arborek. The pillars are covered in soft coral and all around we find very attractive macro life. Afterwards, we will go and visit the little village here on the island.
Day 10: North Batanta
The northern coast of the island of Batanta gives us several opportunities for excellent dive sites to pick from. Beautiful coral reefs, more Manta opportunities or rather some critter diving? For sunset, we will pull into a bay where Hornbills come in to sleep.
Day 11: Dampier
Towards the end of the week and the end of the cruise for some other liveaboards, it can get a bit busy here. We don’t like that and therefore move away to some sites less dived yet very attractive. A WW 2 plane wreck. ‘Larry’s Promise’. Wruzwarez Slope. There are many possibilities. And to conclude our in-water activities we aim to snorkel with feeding Mantas. On our way back our crew will keep an eye out onto the ocean for you and alert you in time for whale and dolphin encounters. Which are quite common here. As long as you are on the watch out. and we are…
Day 12: Disembarkation in Sorong
Depending on your flight schedule, our crew will check your luggage in for you in advance so you can rest on board and let us shuttle you to the airport when your plane is ready to leave.
Included: VAT, Airport Transfer, Hotel Transfer, Drinking Water, Soft drinks, Tea & Coffee, Welcome Cocktails, Full-Board Meal Plan (All meals), Snacks, Diving Package, Nitrox Course, Scuba Diving Courses, Kayaks, Land Excursions, Snorkeling Guide, Wakeboarding, Beach Towels, Cabin Towels, Complimentary Toiletries, Deck Towels, WiFi internet.
Required Extras: Fuel Surcharge (150-250 USD per trip), National Park Fees (100-150 USD per trip), Port Fees (75 USD per trip).
Optional Extras: Gratuities (20 USD per day), Local Flights, Alcoholic Beverages, Private Dive Guide, Rental Gear, Snorkel Gear, Laundry / Pressing Services, Massage (500,000 IDR).
Ambon, Banda Island, Raja Ampat
30 Dives
Certificate: Open Water
30 minimum logged dives required
Triton Bay, Ambon, Banda Sea
30 Dives
Certificate: Open Water
30 minimum logged dives required
Raja Ampat North & Central
15 Dives
Certificate: Open Water
30 minimum logged dives required
Raja Ampat (North, Central, South)
29/30 dives
Certificate: Advanced Open Water
30 minimum logged dives required
Ambon, Banda Sea
24 Dives
Certificate: Advanced Open Water
50 minimum logged dives
Triton Bay, Raja Ampat
33 Dives
Certificate: Open Water
30 minimum logged dives
A little bit south and a little bit north of Sorong. Was not happy with how well the southern sites could be seen. And we lost the first day of our trip from Sorong to Misool without diving. I thought the schedule could have modified to incorporate a check-out dive on the first day and additional travel on the last day before flying. The dives from the fourth day on were great, though!
