For my fifth diving trip to Raja Ampat, I cruised Misool and Raja Ampat with the Coralia liveaboard. Raja Ampat remains one of the best diving destinations in the world and a cruise on the Coralia is a splendid way to discover the area. Read on for my review of the Coralia boat, the best dive sites and places to visit in Raja Ampat, and plenty of practical tips to plan your trip to the Raja Ampat liveaboard.
Content of this article:
Flying to Sorong, the airport for Raja Ampat
The gateway to Raja Ampat is Sorong, a small town on the west side of Papua. The easiest way to get there is to fly. You have several transit airport options like Jakarta International Airport, Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado, Makassar, or the Pattimura Airport in Ambon. Most people who are flying internationally connect via Jakarta.
Which airline should one choose when flying with diving luggage in Indonesia?
Garuda Indonesia tends to be the most reliable airline when it comes to getting to Sorong.
TIP: At the time of writing this article, Garuda allows an extra 15 kg of luggage free of charge specifically for diving equipment. I flew back with Lionair and they charged 65000 Rp. per kilo for a flight from Sorong to Makassar!! So avoid this airline if you bring your diving equipment as your luggage will cost you more than the price of the flight.
TIP2: Citilink has a sports club that you can join for 450000 Rp. It gives you 20 kg of free diving equipment on all flights so you pay back the card with only one trip. To join, check here
Flights in Indonesia are frequently canceled or delayed, so you might want to spend a night in Sorong just to be safe. Nobody wants to miss their boat (especially this Raja Ampat liveaboard) because of an airport mix-up. If you do spend a night in Sorong, read my Sorong guide here
At the time of writing, all flights from Bali to Sorong require an overnight stop in Makasar. There is an Ibis hotel within the airport that is convenient to get a few hours of sleep.
TIP: if you have a garuda boarding pass, you can get a discount on the price of the room at Ibis Makassar Airport. I paid 350000 Rp. for the night.
Flying in Indonesia during Covid
The rules on flying change rapidly so make sure you check again shortly before your flight. Depending on where you fly, you need a rapid antigen test or a PCR. The most reliable info I found regarding the latest requirement by destination is the Garuda page which you can access here
Since February 2021, the ministry of transport allows low-cost airlines to fill up every seat in the plane again. So if you book a Lionair or Batik flight, there is a chance that your flight might be full and you won’t be able to socially distance. Garuda still keeps the middle seats empty and provide HEPA filters on all airplane so I think they are the best airline to prevent Covid in Indonesia at the moment.
My flight from Makassar to Sorong was almost empty. I had about 150 seats for myself. I had booked with Garuda as it allows 20 kg of extra diving luggage. My friend had booked the Batik flight as it was 50 percent cheaper. Her flight was totally full. Despite the Covid pandemic, they didn’t keep the middle row empty so social distancing was not possible.
My review of the Raja Ampat liveaboard: Coralia
Getting to the Coralia liveaboard from Sorong
A cruise on the Coralia Raja Ampat liveaboard includes airport transfers both ways. So as soon as you land in Sorong, you can relax as you are being taken care of.
We were picked up from the Sorong airport. Our luggage was also taken and delivered straight to the cabin.
The Coralia liveaboard departs from Wasai near the Papua Explorer Resort.
We were taken to the SwissBell hotel for breakfast while we waited for the other passengers. They also have a small gym which I used to stretch a bit after the night flight.
After about 40 minutes, we were taken to the port and onto a small speedboat that belongs to Papua Explorer resort. The boat is super fast and in less than 2 hours we were in Wasai ready to board the Coralia: the Raja Ampat liveaboard.
The captain was great at driving through the waves and the journey was very smooth.
TIP: there is no toilet on the speedboat but there is a toilet in the restaurant near the harbor that you can use just before boarding.
The first impression when getting near the Coralia Raja Ampat liveaboard is that it is huge and beautiful.
The Coralia liveaboard is one of the newest luxury diving liveaboards in Indonesia. It is huge with a length of 48 meters and a beam of 9 meters.
We were helped onto the boat and were greeted by Jerry and Debbie, the cruise directors.
Covid procedures on the Raja Ampat liveaboard.
Of course, all this hassle begs the question: Is it even safe to go on a cruise right now? In my experience, yes. Coralia liveaboard takes Covid seriously and they have implemented a series of measures to protect guests and the crew. Coralia Covid’s measures are the most comprehensive I have seen on any liveaboard so far.
All the guests had to take a Swab antigen test before flying into Sorong. The crew also all took a test at the beginning of the cruise.
We were asked to wash our hands before boarding the boat
We were offered hand sanitizer a few times during the trip on the Raja Ampat liveaboard.
Upon boarding, they took everyone’s temperature. That is a procedure that would be repeated every day while onboard.
The Coralia liveaboard is huge with lots of seating area so it is easy to be socially distant if you want to. There are also 4 dining tables.
The AC units are also individual so the air comes straight from outside into your cabins, avoiding the problem that the big cruise ships faced with the same air circulating through the boat (remember the Princess ship that was stuck in Japan)
They have placed hand sanitizer through the boat. Bottles were found not only in our cabins but also on every table and all the common areas.
Diving procedures were also made “covid friendly”. No shared rinsing tanks, tanks were provided but they would bring a bucket of fresh water to rinse our masks and dive computer on the tender boat.
They had a box system to dry the towels so that they would not touch each other.
We stayed socially distant, cruising through deserted areas, and avoided visiting local villages.
Thanks to all those measures, everyone stayed healthy.
TIP: At the time of writing, the best place to do a 24 hour PCR in Sorong is Rumah Sakit Angkatan Laut. It cost one million, six hundred rupees. They’re open Monday to Friday. Make sure you get the test by 11 am to get your results that evening.
If you just need an Antigen test, Coralia will prebook it for you and arrange a car to take you there on your way to the airport. They are open every day and it took us less than 30 minutes to get the test done.
Review of the cabins on the Coralia liveaboard.
The Coralia Raja Ampat liveaboard has 4 master cabins with private balconies and 4 regular cabins on the lower deck.
All are spacious and comfortable.
I stayed in the Master cabin on the main deck called Xenia.
It has convenient access to the restaurant and the front shaded area. It is located behind the kitchen but I was never bothered by noise. I could sometimes smell the bread baking in the morning.
The Coralia master suite is one of the finest cabins you can find on any liveaboard in Indonesia.
It is quite spacious for a boat with 30 square meters.
The cabin is well decorated with natural colors of beige and pastels. The combination of ethnic fabric ( ikat is a traditional fabric from Indonesia) and wood gives a warm feeling to the room.
The high ceilings and large panoramic windows covering two of the walls provide lots of light and boundless views.
The room is well insulated. I never heard anyone from the other cabins nearby. Cabin Xenia is also located above the motor but the noise, even when navigating, was limited.
I expected that the cabins upstairs would be even quieter.
The bed was super comfortable and I slept so well. Even on the day when we navigated through rough weather.
The Coralia: Raja Ampat liveaboard cabins
TIP: if navigating through a storm, make sure the cupboard doors are closed with the latch and that your personal belongings are stowed. It is not fun to wake up in the middle of the night to doors clapping and things flying through the cabin 😉
The Coralia liveaboard master suite is also functional with plenty of storage space and hooks.
There is a safety box, a hairdryer, and individual air conditioning.
TIP: There is no space to store a suitcase so you might be better off with a foldable bag that you can store in the drawer under the bed. However, if needed, the Coralia crew can store your hard cases elsewhere on the boat.
The bathroom is large with plenty of storage and convenient hooks.
There is a clothing line to dry your swimming suits in the shower.
The shower has a rain shower head. It was a bit too low as I am tall.
The water was always warm and with great pressure.
TIP: The Coralia Liveaboard provides Reef safe soap, shampoo, and conditioner so you don’t need to bring those. The normal shampoo has chemicals that can be toxic to the reef.
The private terras is a great place to relax even if it was sometimes a little noisy with the people talking on the dive deck just below.
I spent hours lounging on the terrace, watching the spectacular scenery of Raja Ampat go by.
I had a peek at the regular cabin on the lower deck. They also looked spacious and welcoming. The main difference is that the master suite has a private balcony and large panoramic windows.
TIP: The price difference between the standard cabins and the master suite is relatively small so I would recommend booking a master suite if you like to spend time in your cabin and they are still available.
Review of the common space on the Coralia Raja Ampat liveaboard
The Coralia liveaboard is one of the newest luxury liveaboards, it is simply gorgeous.
There is a sense of space with panoramic windows and high ceilings.
On the main deck, you will find an indoor space with a large table and generous lounging area. This is where the dive briefings are held. That space is airconditioned for people who want to avoid the tropical climate of Raja Ampat.
The area manages to be elegant and simple at the same time with natural wood, soft colors, and rich fabrics from Indonesia. Ikat and batik have a place of choice on this boat with cushions peppered through the boat.
In the front is a shaded outdoor area with 2 more tables for al fresco dining and 2 huge shaded lounging sofas.
Upstairs is another covered area with 2 more tables and some lounge chairs. This quickly became my favorite area for sunset.
The top deck, offering a 360 degrees view, is reserved for the sun lovers with a few more lounge chairs.
As you can see, there is plenty of lounging space through the boat.
Review of the food on the Coralia liveaboard
The food was simply delicious and was mostly European style.
We started with early breakfast before the first dive composed of bread, yogurts, fruits, and cheese.
We then enjoyed cooked breakfast. Eggs were on order but there was also a buffet with the most delicious pastries ever. They were made daily and were served still warm. The rolls with melted cheese inside were mouthwatering. The strudel had a caramelized bottom and just melted in your mouth.
Lunch and dinner were served buffet style.
Because of Covid, the buffet was protected by a glass, and Hamdi, the waiter onboard would serve us.
Every day, there were 4 or 5 vegetable dishes and 2 types of meat or fishes. Everything was fresh and tasty.
The food was more geared towards western travelers with pasta or french fries available most nights. Some of the pasta sauce was delightful and could have been found in fancy Italian restaurants.
The Coralia Raja Ampat liveaboard invests in buying quality ingredients and is blessed with an amazing chef! He could open a bakery in Bali.
Soft drinks, tea, and coffee were provided free of charge.
Alcohol drinks were available for an extra charge. (50000 Rp. for a beer ~ about 3 euros).
Review of the diving organization on the Coralia liveaboard
The boat and the food are fantastic but let’s be honest, what most divers who go on liveaboard care about most is the diving.
The diving service on Coralia is the best you can find. They simply do everything for you. The only thing you need to do is put your wetsuit on and jump into the tender boat.
The staff would prepare our tanks and load all our equipment into the tender boat (including fins, masks, camera,..)
They took care of rinsing and changing the tanks. They would even rinse and towel dry my camera after each dive.
We encountered a storm during the cruise and despite this, Jerry and Debbie, the cruise directors were able to change the itinerary to find protected yet interesting dive sites. In a case like this, it really pays to have cruise directors with years of experience in the diving area.
Maximum dive time is 70 minutes and they ask you to surface with 20 bars ( so compared to boats that ask you to surface with 50 bars, you get an extra 10 or 15 minutes of diving time on every dive).
Nitrox is free of charge and everyone in our group was diving Nitrox. Tanks were always well filled and the nitrox level was very consistent at 32 percent.
TIP: If you are not yet Nitrox certified, it is worth getting your certification as it makes a real difference when you do 3 or 4 dives a day. You can do the certification in a few hours onboard Coralia for a small fee.
We were only 4 divers, yet they organized 2 dive masters for us.
Debbie and Tobie were our divemasters. They have years of experience diving in those sites and it showed. Both were undeniably amazing. Guiding the dive with confidence and showing us the most spectacular small critters. You could also see that they enjoyed every moment of the dive.
Review of the service on the Coralia Raja Ampat liveaboard.
The service was above and beyond. The attention to detail was everywhere.
A cruise director is a key person on board and the Coralia is lucky to have two.
Husband and wife Jerry and Debbie are leading the trip and are fantastic. They have years of experience working on liveaboards and it shows.
The boat is very well run. They strike a great balance between running activities on time and keeping the ambiance relaxed and flexible.
They were observant of guests’ needs and didn’t hesitate to adjust the schedule based on the guests’ wishes. Any request was met with a smile and fast action.
They also shared great stories during diners and are truly splendid hosts.
Hamdi, the restaurant’s waiter was ever attentive. Wherever we would be on the boat, he would ask us if we needed something. He would often even carry our plates from the buffet to the outdoor table.
The boat is immaculate. Maintenance and cleaning are very solid.
The room cleaner was also super attentive. There is a morning clean but also an evening turndown when he would redo the bed and close the curtain. He would notice if I liked to keep a curtain open and replicate it for the turndown service like in the very best hotels.
After every rainy or night dive, we would be met with a hot towel and a hot chocolate.
After every excursion, we would be met with a mocktail and a cold towel.
You could see that the crew was used to working together. There is a great vibe onboard.
Internet access and 4G on the Coralia liveaboard
The Coralia liveaboard is one of the few liveaboards providing free internet access through the cruise. Their connection is a router based on 4G so it would only work if there is a 4G phone signal. It was located near the captain’s cabin so that is where the signal was the strongest.
TIP: If the internet is important for you, you might want to get your own Telkomcel Simpati Simcard as the boat router might get busy with 16 passengers. Those are available at most airports for less than 10 USD including a data plan. Note that other telecom providers will not work in Raja Ampat so make sure you get Telkomcel.
TIP: The higher you are on the boat, the better the signal so go to the sundeck to get a strong connection
Internet access and 4G in Raja Ampat.
You can essentially expect no or little internet in the Misool area and better internet in the central area of Raja Ampat ( Fam, Dampier,…)
Misool is one of the rare places in Indonesia with bad 4G coverage but it seems to be improving every year.
On this trip, we could get a very weak signal near the love lagoon and Neptune Fan Sea dive site and also near Yuliet island. It means we received a few emails and WhatsApp but I was unable to send messages.
There is also a weak connection near Daram and Farondi.
During our 11 night cruise, the longest we went without a 4G connection was 60 hours. So you should plan to stay without connection for 2 or 3 days at a time while in the Misool area
Things changed once we arrived in Central Raja Ampat. The connection in Penemu is good. Not enough for WhatsApp calls but good enough to receive and send emails or browse the internet.
The Dampier strait area has a great signal and I could even do calls on WhatsApp.
The cruise itinerary during our Raja Ampat trip with Coralia liveaboard.
We had booked a 7 nights cruise including Misool. However, by day 3, we were having such a good time that all the passengers asked if it was possible to extend the trip. So what started as a 7-night cruise ended up being an 11-night cruise.
It is worth noting that every cruise is weather dependant so each itinerary is somewhat unique as the Coralia team is dedicated to providing the best diving experience possible given the weather conditions but also the movement of the fishes ( For example, places with recent manta rays sighting would get prioritized as diving with them is always a highlight).
Day 1: Cruising to Misool
Our arrival day was very relaxed. Getting familiar with the boat, the diving procedures, and getting to know the passengers onboard.
We departed for Misool around 3 pm and navigated most of the night. It takes between 12 and 16 hours to reach Misool depending on the weather.
The sea was quiet. A highlight of the day was the sunset drinks on the upper deck by the sound of the waves.
Day 2: First day of Diving in Misool
Misool is considered by many as the best diving area in Raja Ampat as it typically has massive schools of fishes and beautiful soft corals.
This was my 5th trip to Misool and it seemed a lot less “fishy” than the previous years. This is purely based on my subjective impressions as I am not a marine biologist. I was however worried to see many more fishing boats than the previous years. Many beaches that used to be deserted were now covered by fisherman camps. Which could explain the reduction in numbers of bigger fishes like tunas, groupers, or Napoleons.
I am sure the local NGOs preserving the area are paying close attention to this. Nevertheless, the diving in Misool is still spectacular and we dove there for the first four days.
Puri pinnacle dive site ( or Antichovy) is a pinnacle with a plateau at 5 meters sloping down to 40 meters. There are 3 smaller pinnacles on the Eastside.
The mount is covered with beautiful soft corals. This site is famous as if you are very lucky, it can be covered by millions of anchovies, creating fishballs and predator hunting action.
During our dive, visibility was amazing ( above 40 meters) and we could see far into the blue. We saw a school of baracudas, a big napolean and a patato groupers. Don’t forget to look at the walls too as there are plenty of weird creatures. Our 2 dives masters were amazing at spotting them and showed us a lot of cool shrimps and crabs.
A candy crab had grown a soft coral on its back and used it to camouflage! On the shallow plateau, a baby shark was hiding underneath a table coral.
Overall it was an amazing check dive.
The diving experience from the Coralia Raja Ampat liveaboard was one of a kind.
The second dive of the day is Neptune Fan Sea near Wayilbatan.
It is a channel between 2 islands. It is a short wall that goes down to 20 meters. It is usually done as a drift dive.
It is covered with huge sea fans creating an incredible panorama.
Purple, pinks, and oranges soft corals are everywhere.
There was a third dive at the wedding cake dive site and then we took a boat ride through the lagoon and ended up on a perfect-looking beach for sunset. Amazing first day of diving!
Aerial photo by Debbie Arriaga
Aerial photo by Debbie Arriaga
Day 3: Soft corals paradise in Southern Misool
Today we started with the love lagoon. One of the most iconic ( and photogenic!) places in Raja Ampat.
Aerial photo by Debbie Arriaga
I already went up the viewpoint last month so this time I decided to kayak through it. The Coralia liveaboard has a few kayaks and paddleboards available for guests’ use.
What a special moment. I was alone in those splendid lagoons. There is a unique quietness in going with a Kayak. The water was crystal clear and I could see the fishes and corals. I saw a few stingrays, nemos, and some fishes hunting sardines. Birds were also hunting and would come down crashing into schools of sardines jumping as they were being hunted underwater. The sound of this spectacle was truly magical with no other humans in sight.
TIP: Even if you are here for diving, don’t miss a solo kayak tour of the lagoons. But bring a nautilus GPS tracker as it is easy to get lost through the lime karsts. I had to really concentrate to find my way back to the tender boat waiting for me.
We navigated back to the Fiabacet area near Misool resort and our first dive of the day was at Nudi Rock dive site
Nudi Rock is a small island that has the shape of a nudibranch, the tree on top creating the rhinophores and the gills of the nudibranch.
Underwater, there is a ridge surrounded by sandy bottom at about 40 meters, the plateau area is at 5 meters. At 10 meters, there is an amazing pink anemone garden.
We saw pygmy seahorses, pipefishes, napoleon wrasses, and many fusiliers.
The second dive of the day is at the Batu Kecil dive site. It is a small rock sticking out of the water. Underwater is a ridge that goes all the way to nudibranch rock.
It is a sloping reef with lots of sea fans.
The place was teaming with fusiliers and we saw a few grey sharks and giant trevally hunting.
A white tip shark sneaked up very close to us from behind while we were hooked watching the grey sharks. The reef is gorgeous. The middle underwater pinnacle between Batu Kecil and Whale rock is truly stunning with colorful sea fans and soft corals of all types. A splendid dive site.
Each dive site from the Coralia Raja Ampat liveaboard was amazing.
Whale Rock dive site is a group of 2 large islands connected by a reef located near Nudi Rock.
As people in our group are not really into night dive, we did a dusk dive instead of a night dive. We went down at 5:15 pm. The hard coral formations are spectacular but lacked a bit in color as the sun was coming down, providing less luminosity to the reef.
In between the 2 islands, in the middle of the ridge is a channel with a little rock that is completely covered with soft corals and sea fans.
Day 3: Meeting Manta rays at shadow reef
Today is a big day as we start by diving Shadow reef ( also known as Magic mountain). It is Misool’s most famous dive site for a reason.
I woke up refreshed after a peaceful night of sleep. As I looked out of the panoramic windows of my cabin, millions of small fishes were passing under the boat and being chased by a shark! I can’t think of a better way to wake up. You don’t even need to put your head underwater in Misool to see action 🙂
Shadow reef dive site is composed of 2 underwater peninsulas linked by a ridge. The first peninsula starts at 5 meters. The second peninsula starts at 20 meters.
It is a fantastic dive site that has everything you could wish for.
Beautiful topography, amazing corals and soft corals, little critters but the key attraction here are the manta rays.
It is one of the few places in the world that attracts both reef mantas and oceanic mantas on the same dive site.
We saw 3 reef mantas. As everyone in our group was well behaved and stayed away from the cleaning stations, they stayed with us for the whole 70 minutes dive. They even came to check us out a few times and swam right on top of us. Very impressive!
We saw an octopus, a few big grey sharks, and millions of fusiliers. The predators were there en masse and stayed close to the reef as there was a bit of current. We got lucky to witness a few giant trevallies, blue trevallies, napoleons, and barracudas hunting as a pack. Visibility was amazing. Probably 50 meters and the whole show was grandiose.
There was a school with about 500 oceanic triggerfish.
We heard dolphins towards the end of the dive but only one person in our group saw them underwater.
Boo windows is another iconic dive site in Raja Ampat.
It is a sloping reef with a ridge off a small island. The part below the tree is also a manta cleaning station but we didn’t see any mantas today.
It is usually very fishy, black tips reef sharks patrol the area.
A beautiful school of yellow snappers lives here. As well as a school of bat fishes. The soft corals are spectacular and the number of colorful fishes stunning. An absolutely beautiful dive site!
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We finished the day snorkeling with baby sharks at the Misool ranger station near Yuliet. The beach is beautiful and is also the perfect place for a sunset drink and some relaxation.
What an amazing day!
Day 4: Massive storm and changed plans.
We experienced a huge storm overnight as there is a big typhoon in the Philippines sending bad weather to Raja Ampat. The boat is very stable so I slept right through it.
We were planning to dive into the Daram area but given the storm and high waves, we changed the plan and decided to stay in the Misool Resort area for one more day.
The first dive of the day was the Yuliet dive site.
Yuliet is a small island surrounded by a sloping reef that goes down to 40 meters.
The main attraction here is the big schools of barracuda. We saw 2 schools of about 100 barracudas each. There was also a photogenic school of jacks. A big grey shark stayed with us hunting for about 15 minutes. But don’t forget to look at the reef too. Some sections are picturesque with enthralling soft corals, weird shrimps, and leaf fishes.
Boo ridge dive site is a large rock island surrounded by a wall reef. The wall is covered in soft corals and sea fans.
We saw a few sharks, the biggest nudibranch ever. It is not the fishiest dive site but it has nice colors.
Dive exploration. Our third dive was a dive exploration on a new dive site. It looked very promising as there were dolphins on the surface and an oceanic Manta ray.
Unfortunately, they left as we got into the water.
The dive site was still a beautiful ridge with soft corals and sea fans.
Day 5: Cave diving in Farondi
We were finally able to cruise overnight towards the Daram islands.
The first dive of the day was the Andiamo dive site. The weather was very stormy and visibility poor but despite that, it was an enjoyable dive. The Andiamo dive site is composed of 2 rocks connected by an underwater plateau coming down to a wall up to 30 meters.
There is another pinnacle at 30 meters. This dive site has a few areas with colorful soft corals and tunicates. We found a few pygmy seahorses. Some sections are very fishy with giant trevallies and a school of barracudas patrolling the area. I wish the visibility was better as I am sure there was a lot out there that we couldn’t see.
The shallow reef is full of nemos and anemones.
During the dive, the storm got worse to the point that it was hard getting back on the boat.
We had to leave Daram. The boat navigated towards Wagmab and Farondi island to seek shelter as the sea was very rough.
We arrived in Farondi mid-afternoon to a quieter sea.
The second dive of the day was the Eddy cave dive site.
Eddy means crazy current as this site can have a lot of up and down currents.
It is a wall starting at 5 meters going down to 40 meters. There is a huge cave 10 to 20 meters with fresh air inside the cave where you can surface for a break.
We found an electric clam and many nudibranchs by the entrance of the cave.
Day 6: A relaxing cruising day onboard escaping the storm
We woke up to a sunny sky and calm water :-). So the crew decided to take advantage of the calm weather to do the crossing to Penumu right after the first dive.
The first dive of the day was the Farondi cave dive site.
We started the dive entering a wide cave that went down to 28 meters. It was absolutely full of sardines and fusiliers. The topography was spectacular.
TIP: Watch your depth as you get out of the cave especially if you are on Nitrox. I reached my Nitrox depth limit.
We then followed along the wall. It looked very different from the south Misool dive sites. The soft corals were much smaller but with beautiful pastel colors. The tunicates were everywhere and it was full of fishes. We found many nudibranchs on the wall.
A truly mesmerizing dive.
We navigated the whole afternoon, enjoying the sundeck and the nice landscape passing by.
One of the passengers gave us a presentation on coral conservation and Debbie, the cruise director gave us a presentation on manta rays, their behavior, and how to help their conservation.
Coralia Liveaboard supports the Marine Mega Fauna Foundation and you can help them by uploading your Manta pictures to their website.
Today was also cocktail happy hour day. I sampled the Coraliapolitan and it was tasty.
Day 7: Hard Corals paradise in Central Raja Ampat
We arrived at Penemu Island in sunny weather which was a nice change after the last 2 days’ storm.
The first dive was Melissa’s garden dive site. It is a paradise for all corals lovers. The coral garden is huge and looks very healthy.
The side goes down to a sandy area at 20 to 30 meters and is surrounded by sand. It is a very large area and we could not cover all of it in a single dive.
There are wobbegong sharks in the sandy area and black tips sharks patrolling the area.
We saw a few nudibranchs and a crocodile fish but the real star of the shows are the hard corals and the millions of small colorful fishes swimming through it.
Keruo Wall was our second dive of the day.
It is a very steep slope of an island in Penemu and it is usually done as a drift dive. The coral starts at 2 or 3 meters.
There is a lot of beautiful hard corals on this site, especially around the plateau at 10 meters.
Blacktips and Napoleon swim by so don’t forget to look in the blue. We saw 3 sharks. The tip of the island was very fishy. Many fishes were hunting including 2 Mobula rays that passed by quickly. As soon as the sun shined, the colors of the reef came alive and the number of fishes was truly mind-blowing.
We then went to visit the Pyenemo lagoon. As I had already been to the viewpoint a few times, I decided to kayak the lagoon. It was splendid. The peacefulness and the gorgeousness of all the lime karst make it special. I found a small mangrove, landed on a small island, and discovered a beautiful hidden beach on the outside edge of the lagoon.
After, we went to the new viewpoint called Bintang lagoon. It is a short but steep way up. This lagoon is supposed to look like a 5 pointed star but you need a bit of imagination to see it.
TIP: Wear proper shoes for the Bintang lagoon viewpoint as the path is made of natural rocks.
It was an intense day. We came back to the boat to another welcome drink and cold towels and it was already time to go diving again.
The third dive of the day was Batu Rufus, a dive site very close to the lagoon.
It is a sloping reef off a small island. There is a scenic swim through at around 5 meters. There are some mushroom corals pipefishes near the swim through in the mushroom corals that look like an anemone.
We saw a huge toadfish. The dive site was very fishy but the visibility was not so good so the colors of the reef didn’t shine through when we dove it.
We surfaced on time for sunset. Everybody joined up for sunset drinks on the top deck and it was magnificent.
What a fulfilling and amazing day we just had!
Day 8: Looking for Mantas and sheltering in a mangrove
Bommie beach dive site is located by the gorgeous Yeben island with its picture-perfect beach.
Bommie beach is a dive site in the middle of the ocean and is composed of large corals bommies surrounded by white sand. This is one of Corlia’s liveaboard “secret” dive. This site often has manta rays as they use the bommies as cleaning stations and when they are there, you will have them all to yourself as few people know about those cleaning stations. The depth of the cleaning stations ranges from 10 to 17 meters.
The corals around the bommies are gorgeous and colorful. Reef sharks patrol the area and a very friendly group of batfishes were on the shallowest bommie.
The plan of the day had to change as the sea was still very strong and the dive sites that had been planned were too exposed. The Coralia team decided to go and shelter in a Mangrove area.
We navigated for 2 hours to get to the Citrus Ridge dive site
This site is in a scenic mangrove bay near gam island. Given the storm up North, it was a great location to shelter as the bay is totally protected and the sea was very quiet there.
Citrus ridge is completely covered in orange soft corals that open up when there is current. There was so much plankton in the water that we had the Impression it was snowing!
The ridge goes down to about 30 meters. There was a school of over 100 barracudas. We saw 2 wobbegongs sharks and a huge crocodile fish. The amount of fish was amazing with hundreds of fusiliers and a few black tips patrolling the area.
The corals are very picturesque with lots of corals mount creating fascinating shapes. A great dive!
Mangrove ridge, in the same bay, is our third dive site of the day.
It is a ridge that comes out of the mangrove and starts at 5 meters and goes down to 30 meters.
There are big bushes of black corals. It is a bit more inside the bay so there were less current and fewer fishes than on Citrus ridge but it was nevertheless a beautiful dive. We found a few nudibranchs and a decorator crab that looked like a tarantula!
TIP: Crocodiles have been sighted in that area so make sure you look up before surfacing and try to get on the boat quickly.
We then started to cruise towards Dampiers Strait and enjoyed another one of those majestic Raja Ampat sunsets on the top deck.
Day 9: Schools of fishes galore in the Dampier straight
The first dive of the day was Cape Kri. It is a wall at the tip of the Kri island.
It is a famous dive site as scientists counted almost 400 species of fishes in one 90 minutes dive. This is a world record.
The top of the reef is at 5 meters. The shallow end can have a lot of currents so it is better to go down quickly to 15 meters.
TIP: Currents can be ferocious on this dive site so bring your reef hook.
The site has many schools of fishes. Barracudas, jacks, blacktip, and grey reef sharks. The number of fishes was incredible. Schools of fishes were everywhere. Giant barracudas were not shy and came within centimeters of us.
A school of Mobula rays passed by. A large eagle ray and a turtle came by. We saw a few sharks
there must have been 5000 fishes hanging around during our safety stop.
We dove it at the end of the slack so there was little current but tons of fishes.
Sardine Reef dive site is a submerged reef that starts at around 5 meters. The top is mostly dead rocks.
it goes down to 20 meters where it becomes a sandy bottom.
You would expect to see sardines but the site got its name because people thought fishes were packed like in a sardine can. It was indeed very fishy with a few sharks hunting in the shallow.
Sharks often hang out in the bottom rock away from the reef.
There are many fishes and oceanic mantas that often visit this site but we didn’t see them today.
The third dive was at Friwin Bonda, a small island inside a bay surrounded by a reef.
We were supposed to dive Mioskon dive site but the waves were too big so we changed to the Friwin Bonda dive site.
There is a super cute beach at the beginning. The sloping sand goes down to 30 meters. There are pygmy seahorses on the sea fans so don’t forget to look. It then becomes a mini wall with lots of sea fans, sponges, and the most beautiful soft corals.
I then went to an unspoiled beach for sunset while the rest of the group did their night dive. I just sat on the beach, listening to the sound of the waves, the birds singing and the local fishing boat departing for night diving. So peaceful!
Day 10: Diving the Dampier’s straight famous and secrets submerged peninsulas
Blue Magic dive site is probably the most famous dive site in Raja Ampat. It is a submerged pinnacle by the island of Mioskon that is often visited by Oceanic mantas.
It starts at 7 meters. Along the edge is a sloping reef that goes down to 35 meters and is surrounded by sand.
The top of the pinnacle is a cleaning station for Oceanic Mantas. Unfortunately, they were not there and there were a lot of divers underwater. it was the first dive in 10 days that we saw other divers underwater.
TIP: Currents can be ferocious on this dive site so bring your reef hook.
Grey reef sharks and black tips were patrolling the area. The schools of jacks were creating interesting patterns sometimes interrupted by barracudas.
We also found 2 wobbegong sharks in the shallow rocks.
It was interesting to note that this was the only dive site in Raja Ampat where we saw other divers underwater. This trip took place during coronavirus when very few people were diving in Raja Ampat.
Lao Lao dive site is a secret underwater Peninsula not far from Blue Magic.
The submerged plateau starts at 12 meters. It goes down in a slope to 30 meters where it becomes a sandy bottom. There are 2 other pinnacles nearby. The site was incredibly fishy with schools of fusiliers, jacks, macros, surgeonfishes, batfishes,…
We found 2 wobbegongs and the biggest school in Barracudas we have seen in the last 2 weeks. There must have been over 200 of them and they started to do weird formations.
At some point, they came straight at us at full speed which was a bit scary…
As no one in the group had morning flights, we were able to do a third afternoon dive on the last day.
Otdima reef dive site is another submerged peninsula located near the Papua Explorer Resort.
Otdima is another peninsula in the channel that starts at 5 meters and goes down to 25 meters.
The top section has very healthy hard corals.
We saw lots of fusiliers fishes, turtles, and wobbegong. The most incredible moment was when we found a cave where a blowfish was sleeping on top of a wobbegong shark!
Today was our last diving day onboard the Coralia and it was a grand finale to what has been a superb trip. One of the guests was celebrating her birthday so the day ended at an extra festive feel. The crew sang a few songs after diner and everyone started dancing on the top deck!
In conclusion of my review of the Coralia liveaboard
The Coralia liveaboard is a superb new ship that hit all the boxes. Geat cabins, delicious food, friendly and attentive crew, and very experienced cruise directors. It is for sure one of the best luxury boats cruising the Indonesian waters.
Raja Ampat remains one of the best diving destinations in the world, especially now with few divers around. You can trust the Coralia team to figure out the best dive sites and itinerary given the weather conditions and offer you the best diving conditions.
I highly recommend the Coralia Raja Ampat liveaboard and look forward to cruise and dive with them again.
Make sure you book ahead as many trips for 2021 and 2022 are already fully booked.
You can find the availability and rates directly on the Coralia website.
For more info about diving in Raja Ampat, read my other articles about Papua Explorer Resort, Misool Resort, Neomi liveaboard trip to Misool, Ilike liveaboard trip from Ambon to Sorong ( with Banda islands and hammerheads sharks) and Ilike liveaboard trip from Sorong to Kaimana with Triton Bay and Whale Sharks)
