Yachts Asia

Clear water mangroves and extraordinary underwater landscapes make much of the Raja Ampat unique, whilst the area still holds every other type of tropical diving. Some sites boast enormous schools of fish and regular sightings of rare sharks species such as wobbegongs. Suffice to say the variety of marine life is staggering and dozens of new species are being discovered each year.

For the keen scuba diver, Raja Ampat has it all. However, in nearby Irian Jaya (West Papua) a whole other experience awaits.

Here the dense, mountainous forests are inhabited by some 300 ethnic Papuan tribes once infamous for head hunting and cannabalism. Today you can travel to Azmat territory quite safely. Guided visits can be arranged to Azmat village where you can see their fascinating ceremonies and cultures that are unchanged for millennia.

SAMPLE ITINERARY: RAJA AMPAT
Embarkation: Sorong
Disembarkation: Sorong
Duration: 7 days
Note: The Raja Ampat together with the Banda Sea are a year round cruising and diving destination which can be combined to form an extraordinary liveaboard adventure.
Recommended Yachts: Silolona, Raja Laut, El Aleph, Archipelago Adventurer 2

Day 1: Arriving at Sorong you will be met at the airport and transferred to the point of embarkation aboard your yacht or dive liveaboard. From the port of Sorong set sail for the islands of the 'Raja Ampat' and the adventure of a lifetime. The Raja Ampat islands are home to a 9.8-million acre marine reserve that the Nature Conservancy called "the world's bull's-eye for coral biodiversity."

Day 2: Sailing into Misool, one of the Rajah Ampats iconic sites, you will be blown away by the incredibly alluring coral fringed bays and clear, sheltered waters that remain calm nearly year round. Here there are world class sites you will want to dive again and again. Welcome to paradise!

Day 3: Continue exploring the Misool area. We cannot speak highly enough of this astoundingly beautiful, tightly clustered set of islands and islets that support thriving coral reefs and huge biodiversity. Some are characterised by strong currents and exciting diving and others more relaxed. Tasselled Wobbegongs and Epaulette Sharks accompany incredible macrodiving. We will depart from the Misool area at night for Pulau Salawati and it's accompanying islands. The glorious scenes at night, one of the few places in the world where you will see no lights, just stars, are a huge allure of this remote area.

Day 4: Sail to Salawati. In the Salawati area divers and snorkeller can expect to encounter large fish as well as the usually outstandingly healthy coral and abundance of macro life. Littered with 1500 tiny islands each adventure in the Raja Ampat is never the same as the last. In addition to world-class diving and snorkeling, the islands offer great opportunities for hiking, and the nearby coast is home to thickly forested mountains, inland lakes and tribal villages.

Day 5: Kri Island. The reefs in this area are protected by Max Ammer from the Papua Diving Resort. Kri has a beautiful Lagoon and also has the most fish and coral species accounted on a single divesite.

Day 6: Batanta will give the possibility of a refreshing two hour hike in search of the Red Bird of Paradise. A true jungle trek, you will hear giant hornbills, cockatoos flying by and perhaps if lucky, the mesmerizing song of the Bird of Paradise.

Day 7: Salawati / Sorong. Celebrating the last evening with a BBQ and fire on the beach before starting back to Sorong.

BEST TIME TO GO: Raja Ampat is a good year round destination, but October-November is the best time to go.

PORTS OF EMBARKATION/DISEMBARKATION: Banda, Ambon, Sorong, Fak Fak.

HOW TO GET THERE: Fly to Ambon or Sorong from Jakarta or Bali.