Raja Ampat Safari

A safari in Raja Ampat i Indonesia is absolutely amazing. Very few places can compete with the unique environments of Raja Ampat. The biodiversity is enormous and there are amazing and varied environments here. Underwater caves, mangrove swamps, rainforests and fjords and even the fabulous coral reef. Everywhere lives the most incredible marine life you can imagine. You will do 2-4 dives a day when you go on a safari to Raja Ampat and a liveaboard. During your diving trip you will be part of many unique experiences and encounters.

Raja Ampat consists of 1 mostly uninhabited islands and the four largest islands are Misool, Salawati, Batanta and Waigeo. Off the northwestern tip of New Guinea's Bird's Head Peninsula, Raja Ampat forms one of the last outposts of the Indonesian archipelago.

Raja Ampat's geographical isolation has contributed to the region being largely untouched. Today, it is home to by far the greatest biodiversity on Earth.

Raja Ampat became known for its incredible biodiversity and number of species of fish. In addition to all the fish, there are also about 64% of all the world's known coral species here. For hard corals specifically, the figure is even higher with 75% of the world's total species. Add in lots of invertebrates such as nudibranchs, octopus and colorful flatworms. In addition, strange crustaceans and echinoderms and you have perhaps the best diving in the world.

The coral reefs of Raja Ampat are also known to be home to the unique carpet shark or wobbegong and several species of epaulette sharks or walking sharks, a couple of which are endemic and only found here.

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diving around Raja Ampat Safari

Sample program for a Raja Ampat safari

Day 1
You leave Scandinavia and fly to Jakarta in Indonesia. It may happen that we find a flight that goes via another city, but usually it is via Jakarta.

Arrival Day 2
You land at Jakarta airport and get a transfer to a hotel near the airport. There you check in and stay for one to two nights. We recommend this stop to secure against possible baggage and flight delays. It's also nice to catch up on time and stretch your legs after your flight. You or the group spend the days in Jakarta on your own.

Day 3/4
Flights from Jakarta to New Guinea, as a rule, the flights are overnight. Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met and picked up by staff from your liveaboard. Transfer to your boat and then there is usually a safety briefing on board. You also have to show your diving certificate and the like and fill out paperwork that you are fit for diving. A preliminary plan of how the arrangement during the stay on board will look like is presented and which places are planned to be visited.

On board

Day 3/5 onwards
Depending on when the boat is ready for departure and all guests are on board. Your diving and Raja Ampat safari begins in earnest and you will start with a simple check-dive to make sure all the equipment is working. You also have the opportunity to see that cameras and the like are in place. After this, it is diving and relaxation that applies in the coming days. You are out with the liveaboard and go to different dive sites around Raja Ampat.

The days look roughly like this, but it can vary between different boats. Wake up and eat a light breakfast. You will then be briefed on the first dive site and jump in to dive. After the dive, you eat a proper breakfast and relax for a while. Time for the next review of the day's second dive and then you jump the plur.
After two dives, it's time for lunch, time to digest the food and relax for a while before the review of the third dive of the day. Relaxation and some snacks after that, take care of cameras and maybe end your day here. On the days night dives are planned, there will be a briefing again and then you will do an evening dive or night dive.

The day ends with dinner in good company. Dive sites you may visit during this safari are for example Batanta Island, Misool Islands, Gam and Yangeffo Island, Mansuar Island and the Dampier Strait. Which places there will be in the end is determined by the captain depending on the weather and wind.

Conclusion and journey home

Last day of diving
On your last day of diving, you usually only do two morning or early morning dives. This is so you can leave enough space between your final dives and your flight.

Check out
After breakfast, you check out of the liveaboard and get a transfer to Sorong airport to travel back to Jakarta or further in Indonesia. Once in Jakarta, you will be transferred to the same hotel as last time, where you will stay one night or, if the flight times allow, you can go back to Scandinavia already the same evening. We recommend a last night to secure against possible delays. The following day you get a transfer back to Jakarta airport and get on the plane home to Scandinavia.

Home-coming
By now you should be back in Scandinavia again with memories to last a lifetime as well as the memory card full of amazing photos.

please note
Our solid program is only a preliminary plan that is influenced based on the external conditions that the weather gods reward us with. This means that we may have to move activities and dive sites to other days and also replace planned activities with alternatives if required. Your expedition leader is there to ensure that you get the most out of your particular expedition.