Liveaboards to Raja Ampat?

[Curious George 0]

Hi guys,

 

I'm in OZ for 6 months and I've got a lot of time off in December, so I want to take a trip up to Indonesia and do a liveaboard in Raja Ampat. I've heard the diving is incredible, and I've got the funds for one big trip like this.

 

If anyone has recommendations of liveaboard operators, particular regions they prefer, favorite dive sites, airline info, or anything else, I'd love to hear it!

 

I found two websites: www.divetheworldliveaboards.com and save-money-diving.com . I've heard that save-money-diving is reliable, but I haven't heard anything about the first one and don't know if I'd feel comfortable booking through them, even though their fares are pretty cheap. Has anyone had any experience with either of the two sites?

 

Thanks for the feedback!

 

Cheers,

Josh

[secretsea18 0]

Hi guys,

 

I'm in OZ for 6 months and I've got a lot of time off in December, so I want to take a trip up to Indonesia and do a liveaboard in Raja Ampat. I've heard the diving is incredible, and I've got the funds for one big trip like this.

 

If anyone has recommendations of liveaboard operators, particular regions they prefer, favorite dive sites, airline info, or anything else, I'd love to hear it!

 

I found two websites: www.divetheworldliveaboards.com and save-money-diving.com . I've heard that save-money-diving is reliable, but I haven't heard anything about the first one and don't know if I'd feel comfortable booking through them, even though their fares are pretty cheap. Has anyone had any experience with either of the two sites?

 

Thanks for the feedback!

 

Cheers,

Josh

 

Hi Josh,

I just sent you a PM, but you might want to consider using a dive travel specialist, travel agency. There are many that can help you to select locations that suit your diving interests, dive level and budget. Some are listed as wetpixel sponsors, such as Reef and Rainforest, Amazing Adventures and many others. It is important to have a person to talk with who can coordinate the payment, give advise about specific airlines and such. All that said, there are many excellent liveaboards that are in Indonesia, Raja Ampat and other locations within Indonesia.

You might also consider a trip up to PNG while you are in Australia. It has great diving, and the regions have much diversity.

 

Good luck,

Robin

[Drew 0]

George

Since you are in Oz, try the people at DiversionOz. They have great service and helped me with a lot of bookings when I was in Oz. Going through a US travel agent means you get US prices for many of the resorts which may have tier pricing based on origin of passport, esp in PNG.

There are at least 8 liveaboards doing Raja Empat. Search the forum for anecdotal reports on each of them. I've seen various reports on at least 4 of the liveaboards here.

Furthermore, decide on your budget and decide on the best boat you can afford. Things like EAN, length of trips etc. The better boats are probably all booked for Dec since it's peak season. You may want to approach the liveaboard operators themselves and ask to be put on a waitlist in case of cancellations.

Good luck in your search.

[AllisonFinch 7]

Unfortunately, the boat I know, Odyssea 1, was recently heavily damaged and may never be back in service.

 

I would e-mail Ernie at;

www.scubatravelventures.com

He knows that area extremely well. I use his service every time I'm in the Pacific. He not only saves me money, but makes great arrangements that take the hassels out of traveling there.

Edited August 5, 2008 by AllisonFinch

[Curious George 0]

Awesome guys, thanks for the advice.

 

Sounds like a travel agent is probably the way to go.. so I'll start looking into that (thanks for the two recommendations).

 

Cheers,

Josh

[okuma 64]

The "Sea horse" is good; we were on it last fall to Triton Bay.

[davichin 18]

Another vote for the Seahorse

 

http://www.indocruises.com/

 

and another one I tried and liked is the Ondina:

 

http://www.thebestdivingintheworld.com/

[reefseeker 0]

Hi guys,

 

I'm in OZ for 6 months and I've got a lot of time off in December, so I want to take a trip up to Indonesia and do a liveaboard in Raja Ampat. I've heard the diving is incredible, and I've got the funds for one big trip like this.

 

If anyone has recommendations of liveaboard operators, particular regions they prefer, favorite dive sites, airline info, or anything else, I'd love to hear it!

 

I found two websites: www.divetheworldliveaboards.com and save-money-diving.com . I've heard that save-money-diving is reliable, but I haven't heard anything about the first one and don't know if I'd feel comfortable booking through them, even though their fares are pretty cheap. Has anyone had any experience with either of the two sites?

 

Thanks for the feedback!

 

Cheers,

Josh

 

I have been there and around there over 20 times. December is raining season. Rains from end of November till end of February early March. FYI.... Never know the weather, you could get lucky but I wouldn't take the chance. I belong to a club there, if you send me your email if we have a spot I will let you know. Going with our club will save you more than half.

Edited August 7, 2008 by reefseeker

[Drew 0]

I have been there and around there over 20 times. December is raining season. Rains from end of November till end of February early March. FYI.... Never know the weather, you could get lucky but I wouldn't take the chance. I belong to a club there, if you send me your email if we have a spot I will let you know. Going with our club will save you more than half.

Reefseeker

I believe you have the seasons mixed up for Papua Barat, where the rainy season is actually flipped from the Greater Sunda islands in the south. Papua Barat (the Raja Empat area) has the most rain in June-July.

[Bill Macdonald 1]

Raja Ampat live-a-board:

 

This year my wife and I booked back to bak Raja-Ampat trips on the Pindito.

The owner operator has 15 years experience in this Raja Ampat region. It was my 4th

trip with them, and it was highly recommended by the late-great Larry Smith.

 

Pindito's cruise director/owner Edi Frommenwiler is alway filming HD, and has all the great

locations staked out in Misool and Waiego, the crew has been together for some 10

years (average). The Pindito is a Phinisi schooner. You can see clips on my YouTube site

under biodiversity (www.YouTube.com/007bmac) You know you are with the most savvy

Raja Ampat vessel, since others try to shadow the ship as it cruises to its sites.

 

Another option, if you are after fish photography, is The Sorido and Kri island resorts

some-what near Sorong by day boat. Here Australian biologist Gerry Allen recorded 284 species of

fish on a single tank dive of 60 minutes, on the "house reef". Not only diversity but quantities.

See "Fish Capital of the World" on my You Tube site, and the new live-a-board Antares which

will be equipped or some specialty technical diving. Seeing is believing. We were there for 2 weeks prior to

the back to back Pindito trips, and it was simply amazing. My video Raja Ampat will be shown at SDUFEX

HD Film Festival in San Diego, later this month, which is a way larger format than You Tube.

 

Good luck

 

Bill Macdonald

[Drew 0]

Bill

It is good that the Pindito has been rebuilt after the crash:

http://www.jens-kuhfs.com/blog/eintrag/arc...g/en/index.html

 

In fact, quite a few WP members were on that boat when it happened.

 

Yes, Larry was a special guy in that he'd support the Indonesian dive industry, even competitors by recommending them to people. A great loss to Indonesian diving.

[Graham Abbott 0]

I have been there and around there over 20 times. December is raining season. Rains from end of November till end of February early March. FYI.... Never know the weather, you could get lucky but I wouldn't take the chance. I belong to a club there, if you send me your email if we have a spot I will let you know. Going with our club will save you more than half.

I have been spending quite a lot of time in Irian Jaya in December and have found December to be an excellent time for diving there... From late September through to May has been fantastic for me! Weather patterns are changing so much that you may get unlucky anytime, anywhere nowadays!

[frogfish 5]

I just to make sure everyone reading this thread realizes that Drew and Graham are absolutely correct about the seasons in Raja Empat, which are more or less inverted relative to Bali / Komodo / Flores, etc. The "dry" season starts in October and ends in April, which this season is without question the best time to dive.

 

The source of Reefseeker's confusion might be that - unlike Bali and Komodo - it can and does rain a lot even during Raja Empat's so-called "dry season", including the months of December and January. Welcome to the tropics, welcome to New Guinea, welcome to nature and chaotic systems!

 

However, I've never heard of it raining non-stop from the end of November through March, as Reefseeker suggests. I've been to Raja Empat several times between the end of November and March during each of the past four years, though perhaps not as often as Graham has. Not one of my trips in that period was completely rained out, though a couple were wetter than I would have liked. If you want a 95% guarantee of sunny weather almost every day, forget R4 and just book your trip to Komodo in July or August.

 

I've seen the Indonesian meterological data for average volume and the number of days of precipitation at Raja Empat throughout the year. I can assure Reefseeker that the differences are quite marked. There is also a much higher likelihood of strong winds (and therefore very bumpy seas - and I mean very bumpy seas) in the Banda Sea and Raja Empat during the rainy season. Again, that does not mean that the seas will always be flat in the "dry" season, any more than it means you will necessarily have blue skies every day in Raja Empat in December. You probably won't. But it still makes sense to play the best odds.

 

Incidentally, recent cuts in fuel price subsidies here in Indonesia (and another is almost certainly on the way) are forcing some liveaboard operators to impose new fuel surcharges just to cover their operating costs. The increased costs, as well as general economic uncertainty around the globe, is leading to cancellations, and some believe this trend is likely to continue. As Drew suggests, it makes good sense to keep in touch with the operators regarding late cancellations of bookings even during the peak season, or to sign up for the waitlists.

 

Frogfish

Edited August 8, 2008 by frogfish

[m.eppoliti 0]

I just booked a trip on the TemuKira for January 09. The boat was recommended by friends who have been on her twice. I used Jen at Papua New Guinea Travel for the bookings. (jen@papuanewguineatravel.com)

[Bill Macdonald 1]

Bill

It is good that the Pindito has been rebuilt after the crash:

http://www.jens-kuhfs.com/blog/eintrag/arc...g/en/index.html

 

In fact, quite a few WP members were on that boat when it happened.

 

Yes, Larry was a special guy in that he'd support the Indonesian dive industry, even competitors by recommending them to people. A great loss to Indonesian diving.

 

 

Drew

 

Pindito re-fit included a dedicated camera room; Nice; bring converter for 110v if needed. They have a 42" HDTV, flat screen.

All guest cabins have been upgraded: wood and plumbing.

Pindito #2 is on its way (new vessel).

Pindito only operates out of Sorong in Raja Ampat during the best season (dry)

and Bali otherwise. Owner-operator Edi's home base is in Bali.

His brother Robbie oversees the bookings from Switzerland and attends DEMA.

 

Edi helped Larry Smith get established in Raja Ampat with dive sites on the Adventure H20 vessel. Susan and I were aboard

Pindito working with Edi when Adventure Komodo arrived to begin their Raja Ampat adventures, and we saw the collaboration first hand.

 

I knew Larry when he owned a dive shop in Texas in the early 70's, re-connected aboard Cehili (1993) and saw him develop "critter and muck diving" at KBR in Lembeh.

My You Tube channel (www.YouTube.com/007bmac) shows many of Larry's exploits ..... the most viewed is his sea snake wrangling ... with

bare hands (he never wore gloves!). There is also a clip of Larry in 1996 at KBR explaining the concept of Critter Diving in Lembeh.

He was quite a guy, and in my view belongs in the Diving Hall of Fame!

 

Cheers

 

Bill