Raja Ampat North Highlights:

• Melissa’s Garden Dive – Known for an incredible number of coral and fish species packed into a small piece of marine real estate.
• Mayhem – A dive site where you'll witness vibrant marine life in action.
• Manta Sandy – Watch graceful manta rays glide through the waters above.
• Kali Biru – Where lush rainforest meets crystal-clear waters.
• Wofoh North – A relaxing dive site with sloping reefs, healthy coral gardens, and schools of fish.
• Trek to Piaynemo Lookout – Enjoy breathtaking aerial views of stunning limestone rock formations.

Sample Itinerary

Day 1 – Embark: Sorong to Batanta

Your adventure with La Galigo kicks off with a crew member greeting you for transfer from the airport or your Sorong hotel to the harbor between 7:30 a.m. and 8:00 a.m.

If you're arriving on the day of departure, please ensure your flight lands before 7:30 a.m. so we can get you settled and ready for the journey ahead.

After a warm welcome aboard, you’ll meet the Cruise Director and our friendly crew. Once you’ve settled into your cabin, we’ll gather for a brief orientation before enjoying lunch. Then it’s time to relax and take in the scenery as we sail toward our check-dive point in Batanta.

This afternoon’s welcome dive is at Pulau Ayemi, where calm waters provide the perfect introduction to your diving experience. Afterward, take time to unwind, get comfortable, and prepare for an exciting full day of diving tomorrow.

Day 2 – Batanta

Wake up to the tranquil beauty of Batanta, one of Raja Ampat's jewels and home to some of the region's most vibrant macro life. Today, we dedicate a full day to uncovering the hidden gems of this lesser-traveled island. From critter-rich muck dives to stunning coral slopes, Batanta offers a unique contrast to the rest of the archipelago, perfect for underwater photographers and macro lovers alike.

Dive sites may include Black Beauty, Algae Patch, or Happy Ending, known for their mimic octopus, nudibranchs, seahorses, and occasional walking sharks. With calm waters and rich biodiversity, it's the ideal setting to dial in your buoyancy and camera settings for the days ahead.

As the sun sets, we begin our overnight journey north toward the lush island of GAM, setting the stage for another spectacular day of diving tomorrow.

Day 3 – Gam

Begin your day with an exciting dive at Manta Sandy, one of Raja Ampat's best-known cleaning stations for Manta Rays. Here, you'll have the chance to watch these graceful giants glide through the water as they come to be cleaned by smaller fish. After this awe-inspiring experience, head to Mayhem, where you'll witness vibrant marine life in action. Known for its pelagic feeding frenzies, this dive site offers a thrilling view of larger predators hunting among swirling schools of fish.

After a lunch break, we continue to Citrus Ridge, famous for its colorful orange and yellow soft corals that make for stunning underwater photography. The rich biodiversity at this site includes everything from small critters to larger pelagics cruising by.

Pretty Shallows is a relaxing dive where we will explore its sloping reefs covered with healthy coral gardens and teeming with schools of fish. The calm waters and striking beauty of this site make it the perfect way to end your diving adventure.

As we prepare to settle in for the night, take a moment to soak in the breathtaking sunset views over the islands of Waigeo and Gam, painting the horizon in stunning colors. It's the perfect way to end a fantastic day of diving!

Day 4 – Kawe & Wofoh

Wake up to Kawe Island, located on the equator and home to diverse dive sites like Black Rock, known for its colorful coral and rich marine life.

Later, dive Eagle Rock, which spans three sites and features everything from pygmy seahorses to manta rays.

In the afternoon, enjoy a more relaxed dive at Wofoh North, exploring coral-covered slopes full of fish. It’s a calm and beautiful end to the day.

Day 5 – Yeben Island & Piaynemo

Start your day with an early morning dive on Yeben Ridge; this dive site will guarantee an exciting start to the day with plenty of schooling fish and vibrant corals. After a hearty breakfast, we will head south to dive into the famed Islands of Piaynemo. Melissa's Garden Dive Site is undoubtedly the top dive site in this area, with a staggering number of coral and fish species packed into this small piece of marine real estate. It gets its name from an amazing hard coral garden situated on a reef between 3 small islands. Its beauty needs to be seen to be believed. Also on the dive schedule today are Barracuda Rock and Galaxy. Barracuda Rock is famous for, you guessed it, schools of Barracuda. But other than this, the site is also home to an amazing array of soft coral species. Our night dive for today will be at Galaxy. This site has a nice mini wall to explore that's exploding with soft corals and black coral.

Another highlight of today's schedule will be the hike. The iconic limestone pinnacles have become as much a part of the Raja Ampat experience as the diving has, and Piaynemo lagoon/lookout is just one of many such stunning formations. The best time to hike to this hill is late afternoon when the temperature has dropped, and the lighting is a golden hue.

Day 6 – Piaynemo

We wake up to Piaynemo island views for four more dives before we leave the area. First up will be My Reef. This site is always a very fishy dive; Barracuda, Wobbegongs, and Black Tip Reef Sharks love this spot. After breakfast, we will take you to the Kerou Channel. A great, gentle drift dive down a mini wall and slope on the edge of Kerou Island.

After lunch, we will take you to one of the other favorites we often visit in this area, called the Batu Rufus dive site. This dramatic dive site has a 40m plus drop-off wall to the blue with amazing views at 20 meters when you look up and down at the stark landscape you are floating between. We will finish up the day with a night dive critter hunting on Piaynemo Jetty, a great way to finish up the last night dive of the trip.

Day 7 – Eastern Dampier Strait & Kalibiru

We have an early start at Blue Magic, known for its dramatic underwater topography with an impressive submerged seamount. This site is teeming with life, from vibrant coral gardens to schools of fusiliers, snappers, and even reef sharks in the deeper areas. As you explore, you might spot Napoleon wrasses or turtles gliding by. Following breakfast, we head to Mioskon Island for a more relaxed beach visit, and give you time to get some rest before your flight the next day.

In the afternoon, we head to a land to trek Kali Biru, where the lush rainforest meets crystal-clear waters. It’s a refreshing way to cap off your adventure-packed day in the heart of this tropical paradise.

Day 8 – Disembark in Sorong

La Galigo will be anchored up in the morning around 5:00 A.M. in Sorong, in preparation for you to catch your flight or check in to your hotel. Guests are welcome to stay on board until 11:00 A.M., and our staff will assist you with transportation to your desired location.

After breakfast, guests may also take the time to exchange photos and swap contact details to keep in touch with new friends and dive buddies!

At least 75 percent of all coral species can be found in Raja Ampat. Divers can expect a range of topography from soft corals and sea fans to hard corals, seagrass beds, mangroves, shallow reefs, deep drop-offs, caves, black sand, and white sand. Giant manta rays, sea turtles, sharks, cuttlefish, pipefish, various seahorse species, and massive schools of reef fish are the norm, plus the delightful wobbegong sharks and epaulette sharks inhabit these waters, too.

The last dive will be on the penultimate day of the trip. Divers are recommended to wait for 24 hours before flying after the last dive.

(*) The itinerary description is provided by the boat operator. Sample itineraries and maps are for illustrative purposes only, and the exact route and sites visited may change based on local regulations, guest experience, weather, and logistics, at the Captain’s discretion.