9 Day Raja Ampat Explorer
The trip will be for 9 days, 8 nights and would have 22 dives plus some land excursions planned as part of the adventure. The schedule below is obviously an example schedule and is subject to change based on weather conditions and other eventualities. Our Raja Ampat liveaboard specializes in the centre and west of Raja Ampat, taking in some of the most famous dive sites in the region but also some little known areas visited by few other boats. You can drop us note to learn more about these trips
Wicked Diving also offers this trip as a unique charter – Please contact our expedition charter department for further information, or pland@wickeddiving.com directly
Sample Schedule
Day One: Meet at 08:00am in Sorong, West Papua (directly opposite the airport). You will be met by our staff who will arrange check-in procedures and assist with any travel or accommodation needs you may have for after the trip. You will then be taken to the pier in Sorong where you will board the fast ferry to Waisai, the capital of Waigeo, one of the Four Kings that give Raja Ampat it’s name. Arrival in Waisai should be around 11.30am where you will be transferred directly to the KLM Jaya, your home for the next 9 nights. If you are staying at our Raja Ampat Dive Resort – we will depart directly from the jetty to the Jaya. After settling into your cabin we will help you with setting up your equipment and familiarizing you with the boat and our safety procedures before dinner..
Day Two: 3 day dives to welcome you to the heart of Raja Ampat, followed by an afternoon beach / village visit.
Day Three: We step up the diving today as we enjoy 4 dives, 3 by day and the 1st night dive of the trip.
Day Four: Three day dives followed by an afternoon land excursion, maybe a village visit or a jungle trek – or both combined! Possibly also a barbeque on the beach.
Day Five: Two dives in the eastern Dampier area as we explore the centre of Raja Ampat while restocking the boat.
Day Six: Three more dives and another beach / village excursion as you continue to see the best that this remote corner of the world has to offer.
Day Seven: The action never stops as we do 4 more dives, 3 day dives and another night dive to search for the many critters that make Raja their home.
Day Eight: 3 day dives to finish up the diving for the trip.
Day Nine: Wake up early for a walk to see the Birds of Paradise on Gam Island. After returning to the boat slowly cruise back to Waisai. Disembark in Waisai at 12pm for transfer to the Wicked Diving shop in Waisai town, where your adventure with us sadly comes to an end. If you are going to Sorong – we recommend this hotel.
Already interested? Drop us a note to learn more about these trips
a VERY tentative plan for the areas visited:
Arborek / Western Mansuar: Arborek is a picturesque island at the Western edge of the Dampier Strait, where we often go to play Frisbee on the beach or wander around the welcoming local village.
Dampier Strait / Eastern Mansuar: One of the most famous areas in Raja Ampat and home to many of it’s biggest name sites.
Fam / Penemu : In the west of the Raja Ampat lie a collection of small islands centered around the larger islands of Fam and Penemu.
East Waigeo : Off the beaten track even by Raja Ampat standards, East Waigeo truly feels remote. Vast tracts of virtually uninhabited island with pristine beaches and mile after mile of stunning jungle covered cliffs and only the wildlife for company.
Pulau Gam: Covered in mangroves forests that provide enormous nursery grounds for the life of Raja Ampat, Gam is another Raja gem.
What’s Included
This expedition includes almost all your expenses. All room and board. Alcohol and soft drinks become the responsibility of the individual (we can not guarantee that drinks can be kept cool). While we do supply 2 sheets, pillow and towel, we do not have laundry facilities on the boat, so please being your own sheet liner and/or sleeping bag if you feel that’s necessary.
Not included: flights either domestic or international (though we can help arrange these for you). Park fees are not included – though the park passes are good for one year! We do not include gratuities in our prices – not for the staff, but for the guides we hire or our crew. Alcohol or soft drinks are not included. We provide accommodation on the boat for the scheduled dates of the trip, but not land based. Other incidental expenses can not be covered by Wicked Diving – this can include souvenirs, snacks before/after trip at hotels and on tours.
Finally a note about insurance. As always, Wicked Diving and our staff make every effort to assure your safety but there is no way that we can prevent accidents and acts of God. This is not an ordinary trip, so please purchase travel insurance that covers you for remote locations and potential evacuations. We have continual contact with land and can arrange care for almost any accident or incident that happens – but we may not be near to a facility that can cater to our needs. We recommend Nomads as a very good company designed for these kind of expeditions.
Want to learn more about these trips? Do you have a question? Contact us
About the Boat
The Jaya will be your home during these trips. She is a traditional Phinisi sailing schooner, hand-crafted from local hardwoods like Teak and Ironwood. With her 6 jaunty sails, you cut across the remote seas in style and grace. Still, we also have satellite phone, international and local radios, life rafts, life jackets and a crew trained in emergency procedures. If you would like to read more about the Jaya…check out her page.
Safety and Medical Info
Please understand that this a very remote location and the medical facilities are limited. Prior to arrival we need any and all medical questions and concerns addressed and remedied. If you do not heed this advice and still attempt to join a trip – our policy is to err on the side of caution and safety for all guests – we will cancel your booking and issue no refund. Neither our staff or the local “doctors” are qualified to decide whether an individual is fit to dive. We will not risk anyone’s safety simply to join a diving trip (albeit an awesome diving trip).
Due to the remote nature of these trips, and the lack of medical facilities – in addition to the potentially erratic airlines – it is mandatory for all our guests to have travel insurance that covers trip cancellations AND evacuations as well as diving accidents. If you can not provide proof of insurance at time of check-in, you will be given opportunity to purchase insurance. If you choose to not do so, it may result in your not permitted aboard the trip. No refund will be issued for guests due to lack of insurance.
With the activities we undertake and, most importantly, the well-being of our guests – we have strict policies regarding health and safety on our liveaboards. If someone suffers from severe allergies or medical conditions – we must strongly urge you to re-consider your options for joining these trips. The medical facilities are minimal and evacuation to the nearest major hospital can take 12-24 hours in good conditions. Please learn more about these
Prerequisites/Experience Required
This Trip is not for beginning divers or those seeking luxury!!! This is remote travel with no phones, no radios and no news. Please understand that we must be selective and cautious in who joins these trips. You must be comfortable spending this much time in remote places, on a sailing schooner with like minded travelers. We ask that our guests be comfortable on boats (not prone to seasickness) as we will pass through many weather patterns. While this trip is not necessarily for hardcore divers – the conditions we encounter are totally unpredictable (did we mention unexplored dive sites?) and each guest should be prepared for such. As such we ask that each guest have 50 dives and feel comfortable in currents.
If you have not had a dive recently, want to do a course before your trip, or simply want some more diving before/after the trips – you should consider staying at our Raja Ampat Dive Resort!
