Celebrate the festive season like never before with La Galigo’s exclusive 12-day underwater expedition. Immerse yourself in the magic of Raja Ampat, where each dive is a breathtaking encounter with the diverse marine life that calls these waters home. La Galigo offers an exclusive 10% discount on a 12-day underwater odyssey from December 24, 2023, to January 4, 2024. Imagine spending Christmas and New Year surrounded by the unparalleled beauty of Raja Ampat, all from the comfort of a luxurious suite cabin. Hurry, as only 2 spots left!
Trip Details
- Departure: 24th December 2023 – 4th January 2024
- Trip Start/Finish: Sorong
- Duration: 12 days / 11 nights
- Dives: up to 36 dives
Cabin Available and Price
- Suite Cabin: USD 6,235 / Person instead of USD 6,925
Itinerary
- Day 1: Sorong to Waisai
- Day one starts with your pickup from either your hotel or the airport. Heading to Sorong Port. Enjoy welcome drink. After you have been shown to your rooms and unpacked your luggage, itʼs time for a welcome briefing before we have some lunch, then you have some time to relax, and then onwards to our first dive of the trip. Our ‘welcome diveʼ is usually conducted at the nearby island of Saonek Kecil. 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.
- Day 2: Dampier Strait
- 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. Next up is one of the Dampier Straitʼs highlights, Sardine Reef (or simply Sardine), where armies of various fish species take the coral reef by stormon a falling tide. After a hearty lunch, we will head to the nearby island of Mioskon, to dive its spectacularly colourful reef with an assortment of large bommies encrusted with hard and soft corals. In the evening we may get a chance to see nocturnal flying foxes leave Mioskon in large numbers as they begin their day, after which we will dive Mioskon once the sun has set, to look for the nocturnal Raja Ampat walking shark!
- Day 3: Dampier Strait
- 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 youʼre in an aquarium – only the fish are incredibly numerous, wild and free. After a hearty lunch, we will take you for another afternoon dive on Kriʼs south coast, in Yenbuba Villageʼs Jetty. And just to top off this (fish) action packed day, we will look for nocturnal marine critters on a night dive under Yenbuba Villageʼs Jetty after you soak in the stunning sunset views with the islands of Waigeo and Gam in the distant, fiery horizon.
- Day 4: Gam
- Our morning kicks off at a thrilling dive site named Manta Ridge, for an opportunity to dive with the Manta Ray population often located here. We then head to Gam Island. There are some great dive sites around this area with vibrant fish covered reefs and plenty of stunning macro subjects. Two sites we regularly visit in Gam are Citrus Ridge and Mayhem. In the late afternoon, we will take a land tour of the peaceful Arborek Island. The village itself is tranquil and surrounded by beautiful beaches. Arborek is also home to what we consider to be a fantastic night dive, Arborek Jetty*, where we have a chance to find Walking Sharks, Blueringed octopuses, and many other critters. As you enjoy a great nightʼs sleep, we will set sail for the northern islands of Raja Ampat.
- Day 5: Wayag
- Awake bright and early to witness sunrise on the equator, cruising between the limestone formations that make up the island of Wayag, in preparation for the morningʼs 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, we will endeavour 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 is where we plan to dive the legendary dive site, Cathedral, which is renowned for its spectacular topography and swim-throughs. Following the dive, we take a short trip to the Wayag Ranger station, which is also a Black Tip Reef Shark breeding area. Here we will get the chance to do some snorkelling with these baby sharks under the ranger jetty, and also conduct a night dive on the same stretch of reef.
- Day 6: Kawe + Aljuy Bay
- Kawe is an island located exactly on the equator and is one of our favourite islands to dive in north of Raja Ampat. Dive sites visited here are very heavily dependent on day-to-day unpredictable conditions such as swell, but one of our favourite sites in the area is a very colourful coral reef (somewhat ironically) known as Black Rock. Eagle Rock (which comprises 3 separate dive sites) is well known for its Pygmy Seahorse as well as its Manta populations, and we will dive these sites late morning and early afternoon. Around 4 pm, La Galigo will move into Aljui Bay, one of the worldʼs 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.
- Day 7: Pianemo (a.k.a Penemu)
- 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 behaviour). As you relax and later enjoy a great nightʼs sleep, we will set sail for the southern islands of Raja Ampat.
- Day 8: Goa Farondi – Misool
- 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 swim-throughs 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!
- Day 9: Wayil – Misool
- 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 Snapper are all often found here. The oddly shaped Wedding Cake is up next (you will see why itʼs called as 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.
- Day 10: Fiabacet/Boo – Misool
- 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 beachwalk all by yourself.
- Day 11: Warakaraket – Misool
- On the penultimate day of the trip, we 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 beatʼ 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! 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 youʼre comfortable while they prepare a night of food, song and dance toparty the night away with you while we set sail for Sorong.
- Day 12: Disembark in 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.
Note: All schedules are subject to changes according to weather, sea, diving, & local conditions.
What are you waiting for? Unwind the luxury and get ready to discover the magic beneath the waves and create long lasting memories in Raja Ampat!
