Raja Ampat
Jungle covered islands, hidden lagoons and idyllic white sandy beachesTucked away in a remote corner of Indonesia lies the jewel in Indonesia’s crown, Raja Ampat. Visually stunning above and below the water this island archipelago is made up of over 1500 jungle covered islands and islets with hidden lagoons and idyllic white sandy beaches. This is a remote wilderness of breathtaking scenery with some of the richest marine life to be found anywhere.
Situated off the north-western tip of West Papua, Raja Ampat isn’t the easiest place to get to in the world, but it is well worth the effort. The main point of entry into Raja Ampat is Sarong and there are a number of liveaboards and resorts available here that will showcase the region.
Diving in Raja Ampat is world class and often voted one of the world’s top diving destinations. There is an amazing array of marine diversity here that rivals anywhere on the planet. There is all manner of interesting seascapes with mangrove swamps, steep walls pristine coral reefs teaming with colour, and be prepared to experience quite a few moderate drift dives.
How to get there
The gateway to Raja Ampat is Sorong, which is the closest city to West Papua and where all of the liveaboards depart from. Direct flights operate out of Jakarta (4 hours), Manado (1 hour 15 mins) and Ambon (50 mins) to Sorong, giving you plenty of scope for stopovers and extensions. Getting to these destinations is fairly straightforward from the UK and usually involves one stop.
Stay a bit longer
The most popular routing is via Manado with overnight options in Manado as well as extensions at Lembeh Strait resorts or the Bunaken Islands. Flights tend to be late at night or early in the morning, so a stopover is highly recommended.
Many other parts of Asia and Australasia are accessed from Jakarta, so if you’re looking for somewhere further afield we can help you with that.
If you’d like to add on to your Raja Ampat trip we’ll be happy to guide you and assist with your travel needs.
Exploring Indonesia
Indonesia is vast and varied, with stunning scenery and superb diving. Visit our Indonesia section for an introduction on where to go throughout this country, including Bali, Manado (Lembeh Strait and the Bunaken Islands), Raja Ampat and Komodo National Park.
Quick Guide: Raja Ampat
- When to go: Oct – Apr
- Average air temp: Tropical 30°C
- Average water temp: 25°C – 27°C
- Recommended diver level: PADI Advanced (or equivalent) with minimum 50 dives
ALL STAR VELOCEAN
MERMAID I
MERMAID II
DEWI NUSANTARA
ALL STAR AURORA
INDO SIREN
Raja Ampat Resorts
DIVE INTO RAJA AMPAT
Indonesia by region
Bali
Rich culture, stunning mountain rice terraces and excellent shore diving
Komodo National Park
Critters, wall diving, mantas - and dragons!
Raja Ampat
Jungle covered islands, hidden lagoons and idyllic white sandy beaches
Manado
Reef walls of the Bunaken Islands and secret critters of Lembeh Strait
Ready for your next adventure?
Great Escapes Diving Holidays Ltd
Combs Tannery
Tannery Road
Combs
Stowmarket
Suffolk
IP14 2EN
United Kingdom
Office hours: Mondays to Fridays, 9am - 5pm
Tel: 01449 535010
Email: info@greatescapesdiving.com
All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLcertificate
FOLLOW US