I'm not a diver, but when I sailed and snorkeled Indonesia's Eastern archipelago in 2022 with the same National Geographic Dive Maste who accompanies us on this trip, I discovered a world that even my imagination could not create until I was floating around in the midst of it.
Now you're invited to join me, together with two of the most experienced and passionate Raja Ampat explorers with a combined knowledge of nearly 50 years in this specific region, on a remote sailing adventure to discover some of the most phenomenal snorkeling destinations on the planet.
The Raja Ampat Sea Safari is a spectacular, 12-day/11-night cruise on a comfortable, 'liveaboard' Phinisi - Indonesian schooner - vessel.
This approximately 500-nautical mile journey takes you into the heart of the magnificent eastern Indonesian archipelago of extraordinarily beautiful, pristine 'castaway islands' offering you an underwater realm which holds the world record for the most species recorded in a single dive.
You'll explore shallow bays in local canoes, trailing beneath jungle-hung limestone outcrops and anchoring in very small, hidden locations offering unique biodiversity, snorkel direct from the main vessel.
In 2026, this sea safari will start on 27th May and complete on 7th June (to/from Bali or Jakarta)
We sail from Sorong in West Papua to Raja Ampat - 'the Four Kings', famed for their coral reefs, superlative snorkeling and diving on this private charter adventure expedition with Dive Master Graham Abbott, and Boat Captain Bob Brunskill, with Anna Kwiecinska, who accompanied Graham on an expedition two years ago.
There are just ten places on this journey, ensuring you receive the highest level of support, guidance and safety from the crew and its leaders.
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Why is Raja Ampat referred to as 'frontier diving'?
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It is one of the most phenomenal snorkeling destinations on the planet- you don't need to dive to experience the sheer wonder of this underwater wonderland - it's heaven for snorkelers!
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You are in the heart of the Coral Triangle - this area holds the world record for the most species recorded in a single dive
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Raja Ampat is home to more than 1,600 fish species, 75% of the world’s known coral species.
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You'll see an astonishing array of sea creatures and sea flora amidst pristine coral gardens in hidden lagoons and narrow channels just below the surface of turquoise waters, fringed by immaculate 'cast-away' white-sand beaches,
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You'll see turtles dolphins, manta rays - the region hosts 6 of the 7 known species of 'vulnerable to critically-endangered' sea turtles
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And Raja Ampat is a sanctuary to the 17 known species of marine mammals.
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Your hand-picked Phinisi - an Indonesian wooden schooner - also offers stand-up paddleboarding and diving facilities.
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Your dedicated crew are the most experienced in the region, with the boat owners operating specifically in the Raja Ampat region for the last 25 years
Your location consultants Graham and Bob genuinely delight in bringing you to remote and new locations - where you are on the only boat in the bay - for an absolutely unforgettable, perhaps even indescribable, Raja Ampat Experience.
Why come to Raja Ampat now?
Straddling the equator, Raja Ampat's climate as a whole, doesn't vary much, with a max. daytime temperature of 32oC (91oF) and at night 25oC (78oF), and average humidity around 83 %. Great underwater visibility and a comfortable water temperature make for a superb snorkeling adventure
Microclimates throughout the region mean that in any one day you can be experiencing idyllic conditions, at the same time seeing huge purple clouds blooming on the distant horizon.
Understanding these micro-climates is part of our guides' expertise, ensuring your experience is optimised each and every precious day of sailing.
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OUR ROUTE
STARTING THE CRUISE: From Bali or Jakarta (depending on you), we fly to SORONG, the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of Southwest Papua.
FLIGHT GARUDA o1.40 DPS to 05.45 SOQ OR LionAir 07:00 JT944 14:35
We board the Phinisi vessel after a short drive from the airport to the harbour and the sailing commences.
FINISHING THE CRUISE : Our destination is by return to SORONG, with flights that afternoon, and the possibility to stay longer if you wish
FLIGHTS These flights are separate to the cost of the cruise and once you have joined the group we will keep you informed of the flight possibilities and we will make a group booking, unless your individual pre/post-cruise travel plan requires cruise-only.
THE PHOTOS ON THIS PAGE: Graham and Anna made a voyage in 2022. The photos attributed to Anna and Graham are from this journey.
Graham specialises in finding and sharing - with the few lucky enough to sail with him - remote, pristine dive sites, avoiding those which succumb to their increasing fame by becoming over-dived.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
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Guided snorkeling some of the most outstanding shallow coral reefs on the planet.
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Anchoring in very small hidden, unique locations with snorkeling direct from the main vessel.
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Going on short tracks to view the legendary Birds of Paradise. Two different treks possible.
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Pristine white sand beaches for relaxing and possible sunset drinks.
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Great chances of viewing manta rays and reef sharks and hammerhead sharks
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Guided snorkeling to view other unique marine life like partner gobies, nudibranchs and so much more.
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Visiting very rarely visited remotes villages and dropping off essential school supplies.
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Cultural musical and dance performances.
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Beautiful tender boat rides in and round the most lush tropical scenery of Raja Ampat.
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Snorkeling in an inland lagoon with non stinging jellyfish.
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Being in very remote places with no other boats and tourists.
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art and craft visits where we can arrange them
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Please be aware that this itinerary is designed to be flexible. Although we will visit all the places listed on the itinerary, we rarely follow the schedule as described exactly due to weather, tides, preferences of trip members, and other factors. Come prepared to be flexible!
OUR ITINERARY
DAY 1
SORONG - voyage departure point
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FLIGHT : Garuda 01:40 DPS to 05:45 SOQ orLion 07:00 DPS JT944 14:35. The flight from Bali to Sorong is direct.
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SOQAirport pick up by the boat team, a 15 minute drive to board the vessel.
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Welcome drinks and snacks followed by a safety briefing and off we go.
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We start by heading to a small island nearby to relax and take our first snorkeling experience on a remote island with a lush tropical white sand beach.
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SNACKS and DINNER ON BOARD
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FIRST SNORKEL EXPERIENCE ON REMOTE ISLAND
DAY 2
BETANTA
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An overnight heading to the southern most area of Raja Ampat
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Here, we'll have a magnificent anchorage nestled tightly within the classic Raja Ampat island scenery with great snorkeling
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We will also take you on magnificient tender boat rides to view and photograph the island scenery.
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ALL MEALS
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TENDER BOAT EXPLORATION
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SNORKELLING
DAY 3
MISOOL - FULL MOON
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WE CRUISE FURTHER SOUTH and make a few stops for more really outstanding snorkeling on vibrantly rich and colourful coral reefs with outstanding fish life.
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There will be another great tender boat ride.
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Chances of seeing the Blyth's hornbill flying overhead
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Take a short trek to a viewpoint
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Possibly swim in a hidden lagoon where we can see hundreds of non stinging jellyfish.
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ALL MEALS
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TENDER BOAT EXPLORATION
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MOONLIGHT TENDER BOAT EXPLORATION under a full moon
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SNORKELLING
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SHORT TREK
DAY 4
MISOOL
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MOVING EAST we'll have the chance to take a 40-minute trek to view the really rare Lesser Bird of Paradise
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Take a walk with the local children around a very remote, rarely visited Papuan village.
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Here we'll have school supplies to drop off.
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In this area we have even more outstanding coral reefs with a great variety of coral reef fishes
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ALL MEALS
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SHORT TREKS
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SNORKELLING
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VISIT REMOTE PAPUAN SCHOOL and DELIVERY SCHOOL SUPPLIES
DAY 5
MISOOL
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Today we have a very different day where we can view ancient cave paintings and snorkel through a gigantic cave filled with great stalagmite and stalagmite formations.
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The boat rides through this island scenery is also some of the most outstanding in Raja Ampat.
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ALL MEALS
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CAVE TRIP with ANCIENT ARTWORKS
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OUTSTANDING SCENERY
DAY 6
PENEMUL
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After an OVERNIGHT CRUISE we arrive at another great island group known as Penemu.
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Here we can show you some of the richest hard coral reefs packed with fish and have chances to experience an exhilarating drift snorkel, where we allow the flow of the ocean to slowly drift us over lush coral reefs.
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There is another great tender boat ride and an outstanding scenic viewpoint trek here too.
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ALL MEALS
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HARD CORAL REEFS
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DRIFT SNORKELING
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TENDER BOAT EXPLORATION
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SCENIC CVIEW POINT TREK
DAY 7
WAIGEO - UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE REGION
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Another OVERNIGHT CRUISE and we awake in the UNESCO World Heritage site known as Waigeo
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Here we'll spend a few days to show you all the highlights including snorkeling
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See huge giant clams nestled with rich coral reefs
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There will be plenty of time to relax on beaches and even experience a beach BBQ one evening.
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Here there are a few treks to viewpoints where we can see truly magnificent panoramas.
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ALL MEALS
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BEACH BBQ
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SNORKELING
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BEACH RELAXATION
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SCENIC TREKS
DAY 8
WAIGEO
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Over the next few days we will be around the big island of Waigeo and the smaller island of Gam which is separated by a very narrow channel, staying in the Waigeo Area, to take advantage of our expert local knowledge to get us to remote spots with outstanding snorkeling opportunities
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Treks
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Boating
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ALL MEALS
DAY 9
WAIGEO - GAM REGIONS
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.Today we journey to view some coral reef regeneration projects along with a truly inspiring education project where children come from all around Raja Ampat to gain a free education and become ambassadors for their islands
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ALL MEALS
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CORAL REGENERATION PROJECTS
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SNORKELING
DAY 10
WAIGEO - GAM REGIONS
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Snorkel/dive
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Bird of Paradise Trek
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visiting villages and cultural performance
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ALL MEALS
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SNORKEL/ DIVE
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BIRD WATCHING TREKS
DAY 11
WAYAG - GAM REGIONS
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Indulge in the luxury of having 3 nights in this beautiful location with plenty to do
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We will also have another chance to see even more Birds of Paradise with possibilities here to view two species, the Wilson's and the Red Bird of Paradise.
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tender boats at your disposal for snorkeling
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ALL MEALS
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SNORKELING
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DISCOVERY TREKS
DAY 12
SORONG - BALI / JAKARTA
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FLIGHT LION 15:30 JT9445 arr 20.25 DENPASAR
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BREAKFAST and LUNCH
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SNORKELING
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FLIGHT
Our Vessel
SPECIFICATIONS
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Length of vessel 32m
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width of Vessel 7 m
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Hull/superstructure : ironwood, teak
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Cruising Speed :7-10 knots
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Fuel capacity: 7500 litres
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Water capacity: 7500 litres
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Maximum capacity: 12 guests
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Berth son this voyage : 10 guests
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Crew: 8 Indonesian crew
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Cruise Director and Guide
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Navigation: Furuno radar, AIS ICOM
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Communication: VHF, SSB, satellite
The boat we will sail on has been used by television teams such as the BBC’s Planet Earth team, as a base for producing nature documentaries.
Our 32-metre traditional Indonesian phinisi was launched in 2000 in Tanah Beru, a small village on the Island of Sulawesi, which has a long phinisi boat-building history, it was the first boat in the area and can draw from almost 2 decades of diving and exploring the Raja Ampat waters. The team’s knowledge about the area; its culture, people, mystical stories and marine life is outstanding and unparalleled.
The team’s knowledge about the area; its culture, people, mystical stories and marine life is outstanding and unparalleled.
AMENITIES for DIVING & SNORKELING
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Two tenders powered by 50Hp Yamaha
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Compressor: Bauer
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Regular Airfills of 200bar for each dive
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Tanks that fit for INT/DIN valves
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Weights and belts for diving available
CABINS
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Total of 5 guest cabins, each with en-suite
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separated wet and dry area for bathroom in Suites (2)
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Hot and cold showers
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Bathroom amenities
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All with Air-Condtioning
MAIN DECK
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2 A/C cabins
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double bed
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bunk bed
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Bathroom with all amenitis
LOWER DECK
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4 A/C cabins,
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each with double bed
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separate bunk bed
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Bathroom with all amenities and hot water
YOUR VESSEL IS A BEAUTIFUL PHINISI
You'll travel in full A/C comfort!
Each cabin is individually controlled, 24/7 A/C
With an experienced and skillful crew of 8 drawn from all parts of Indonesia,
The on-board catering is fabulous and will cater to all of your needs and requirements .
Our stunning Phinisi vessel is constructed by expert boat builders whose skills have passed from generation to generation since ancient times.
With meticulous detailing, and structured for great efficiency, phinisis are typically two years in the making from tropical hardwoods- ironwood and teak.
"My sailing and snorkeling adventure with Graham was one of the most life-affirming experiences of my life.
I took my sketchbook, and made page after page of drawings and watercolour impressions of what I'd seen underwater.
An endless joy, I didn't want to end"
Anna Kwiecinka 2022
Your
Our Expedition Consultant
Graham works internationally as a dive master with more than 25 years' experience guiding diving adventurers, explorers and film makers.
As our on-board Expedition Consultant with extensive experience leading photographic and filming projects with professionals such as BBC, National Geographic, IMAX 3D crews and science teams crews as well as directing adventures on super yachts,you're in expert hands.
He's "explored more of Indonesia than most" and his underwater photography features in this site.
From Anna's experience: "Graham is extraordinarily enthusiastic, precise-but-easy-going, and someone who, rather unusually, values the snorkeling side of underwater adventure as highly as hefting a tank and disappearing meters below - although, for those on our October 2022 trip who scuba dived, Graham led a tireless and exhilarating program !"
OUR EVENING PROGRAMS include:
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Spice islands history overviews by Graham and Anna
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underwater photography tutorials by Graham
Cuisine
Dining is one of the highlights of the journey, with special requirements catered for.
Fresh produce, delicious seafood in abundance prepared by our chefs, with 'first breakfasts' for those who wish to take advantage of an early morning snorkel/dive, a full hot breakfast post-dive, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea,
pre-dinner snacks and a full evening meals and beach BBQs. Tea, coffee, water and cold drinks are all provided.
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INCLUSIONS
✅ Transportation to and from the local airports
✅ Full accommodation in an air-conditioned double/twin cabin, in bathroom shampoo, shop, towel, etc. dinners with bottled water on the table for each meal
✅ the onshore activities/excursions organized by Anna, Graham and Bob
✅ All meals onboard, snack, barbeque party, soft drinks
✅ Services of Crew, Captain, Dive Guide and Boat Manager and Naturalist guides
✅ Stand Up Paddle, snorkeling, trekking and sightseeing and all equipment
✅ Diving for Certified Divers
✅ Escorted by Anna Kwiecinska, with pre-tour support & newsletter updates
ALL DIVER MUST HAVE VALID DIVE INSURANCE POLICY. NB: flight costs subject to change
Not Included:
❌ Port clearance & contribution (USD 150/pax) + Combined national park fees (IDR 2,000,000 per person)
❌ Diving Insurance/Travel Insurance - NOTE: ALL DIVER MUST HAVE VALID DIVE INSURANCE POLICY.
❌WE BOOK YOUR FLIGHTS FOR YOU. GARUDA 01.40 DPS to SOQ 05.45 OR LION 07.00 DPS JT944 14.35 SOQ
costs to be advised.
❌ Crew and guide tip
❌ NITROX (Euro 15/day) and Dive Equipment Rental (euro 20/day, full set)
❌ All activities not mentioned in the program
❌ Alcohols
COST of this JOURNEY
CABIN ALLOCATION IS ON A FIRST-COME BASIS. We have 4 places available.
PER PERSON FOR TWIN OCCUPANCY USD$ 6495
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT USD$ 2245
To reserve your place on this cruise requires a deposit of USD$1700 per person
This is non-refundable as it secures the boat for this cruise. However, if we can find a replacement for
your booking, then 75 % of the deposit is refundable to you. We will definitely endeavour to do this for you, but you are encouraged to take out trip insurance at the time of booking.
The final balance is due 15 February 2026