Sample Itinerary
Dive more, Experience More
9 Days / 8 Nights
Please Note: La Galigo does not guarantee this outlined itinerary, and it is to be considered as a rough guideline. Information compiled here is based on past trips we have conducted, and includes common dive sites and routes we often visit. Weather and sea conditions in the area can be unpredictable, and La Galigo retains the right to alter an itinerary from advice of the shipʼs captain, cruise director, or owner for the safety of the vessel, its passenger and crew.
Explore Melissa’s Garden and its remarkable hard-coral landscape.
Travel south to Misool, home to some of Raja Ampat’s most biodiverse underwater scenery.
Look for manta rays alongside giant trevally, Napoleon wrasse and large snapper.
Experience night diving as nocturnal predators and smaller reef life emerge after dark.
Discover colourful sea fans, schools of fusiliers and the iconic bumphead parrotfish.
Dive Anchovies, where baitfish action can attract hunting predators and seasonal mobula rays.
Visit My Reef for chances to see barracuda, wobbegongs and blacktip reef sharks.
The above rates are per person per trip and subject to change. Please note these fees are in line with third party supplier costs.
The remote paradise of Raja Ampat lies in the far reaches of eastern Indonesia. So, how do you get there? Your journey begins with an international flight into Indonesia, followed by a domestic flight to Domine Eduard Osok Airport in Sorong (SOQ).
As the largest city and capital of Southwest Papua, Sorong serves as the main gateway for liveaboard dive boats exploring Raja Ampat. Though getting to this secluded paradise requires a bit of extra time and preparation, the rewards are well worth the effort.
Raja Ampat stands as Indonesia’s crown jewel, known for its remarkable biodiversity, awe-inspiring landscapes, and some of the finest dive sites on the planet.
Indonesia offers multiple international airports throughout its archipelago. Most international visitors typically arrive via Jakarta or Bali, as both airports provide direct domestic flights to Sorong.
Welcome aboard La Galigo in Sorong, where your Raja Ampat adventure begins. Settle into your cabin, meet the crew and explore the boat that will become your home for the next eight nights. Our orientation and dive briefing introduce the daily routine, with time to discuss your experience, equipment and particular underwater interests with the team.
Our check dive at Black Rock gives you an opportunity to fine-tune your weighting, buoyancy and camera setup before the days ahead. Getting comfortable now means you can spend more of the trip enjoying the reefs, whether you are travelling with a regular dive buddy or meeting your group for the first time.
Back onboard, gather over dinner as La Galigo heads south towards Misool. The conversation soon turns to favourite dives, hoped-for sightings and the adventures ahead. With your equipment ready and the bustle of Sorong slipping astern, find a comfortable spot on deck and settle into the liveaboard rhythm.
Misool makes a colourful first impression at Andiamo and Warna Berwarna, where coral-covered reef structures and schooling fish compete for your attention. These opening dives introduce the variety that makes the region so rewarding: broad reef scenes worth pausing over, followed by smaller details that emerge when you slow down and look closely.
At Anchovies, the pace can change dramatically. Dense baitfish shoals can attract hunting trevally and tuna, with seasonal chances of mobula rays joining the action. Watch how the school tightens, turns and breaks apart as predators approach. When the feeding activity comes together, it is a remarkable opportunity to observe the reef’s food chain in motion.
Pantai Kecil completes the day’s diving, adding another setting to your first full day in Misool. Between dives, limestone islands and sheltered blue water make the surface intervals part of the experience. Back aboard, there is time to compare photographs, identify unfamiliar fish with the team and decide which encounter deserves the first entry in your trip highlights.
From towering pinnacles to a heart-shaped lagoon, today reveals two very different sides of Misool. We explore Wedding Cake or Barracuda Rock before visiting Four Kings, where four submerged pinnacles support colourful soft corals and busy schools of fish. The changing contours offer different perspectives as we move around the reef, with our guides planning the exploration around the conditions.
At Neptune’s Sea Fan, magnificent gorgonians invite a closer look. Follow your guide’s lead as we search for tiny residents concealed among their branches. Spotting a pygmy seahorse can be every bit as satisfying as a larger encounter, particularly when you see how effectively its shape and colouring blend into its surroundings.
Ashore, we trade fins for shoes and climb to Love Lagoon’s viewpoint. The heart-shaped water, framed by limestone and greenery, is one of Misool’s signature sights. Take time to enjoy the panorama as well as photograph it. After exploring the reefs below, seeing the surrounding islands from above adds another dimension to the day’s adventures.
Magic Mountain is a bucket-list highlight: a submerged pinnacle where both reef and oceanic mantas visit cleaning stations. We watch for these magnificent visitors while enjoying the surrounding fish life. Our guides explain where to position yourself so visiting rays have room to approach naturally, giving you the opportunity to observe their behaviour without interrupting the cleaning activity.
Conditions guide our choice of Eagle Nest or Nudi Rock, followed by Boo Window or Boo West. If we visit Boo Window, its natural rock openings provide a distinctive photographic setting, framing the blue beyond. The surrounding reef deserves attention too, with coral formations and smaller fish offering plenty to explore beyond the best-known feature.
A visit to Sapenipnu Beach brings a welcome pause ashore, and Yillet Kecil completes the diving. Warm sand and island scenery balance a day rich in underwater possibilities. Mantas are never guaranteed, but the combination of dramatic reef structures, fish life and time on the beach gives this part of Misool a particularly broad appeal.
The pace changes today as we make an early start in search of dolphins and potentially the elusive whale shark. Watching for movement at the surface brings a different kind of anticipation after several days exploring the reefs. Dolphin encounters depend on the animals themselves, making any sighting a welcome addition to the morning rather than something we can promise. After the early morning dive, we then visit Misool’s remarkable Jellyfish Lake.
At Jellyfish Lake, snorkelling offers the chance to observe delicate animals in an extraordinary island setting. Slow down and notice the rhythm of their movements and the way their shapes change in the light. Moving gently and leaving the jellyfish untouched helps protect the experience while giving you time to appreciate details that are easily missed at a quicker pace.
Back aboard, settle in as La Galigo begins the crossing towards Piaynemo. Browse your photographs, share stories over a meal or enjoy the changing seascape from the deck. This relaxed interlude gives you time to absorb Misool’s highlights before the northern reefs bring a new chapter of diving.
Melissa’s Garden opens the day with an expansive spread of hard corals, where small reef fish shelter among branching colonies. Its appeal lies in both the scale of the coral garden and the details within it. Hover carefully above the reef and watch the smaller fish disappear into shelter, then emerge again as you pass.
Keruo Channel brings a change of scenery, while Batu Rufus combines a sheltered lagoon with coral-lined slopes and walls. These contrasting settings add variety to the day, with our guides taking the movement of the water into account as we explore. Keep looking between the larger formations, where smaller residents can be easy to overlook.
Above water, we climb to Piaynemo’s celebrated viewpoint. Turquoise lagoons and limestone islets make this one of Raja Ampat’s defining panoramas, and a highlight worth enjoying without the camera for a moment. Galaxy Jetty rounds out the diving. From intricate coral structures to the view across the islands, today brings together two very different reasons to visit this corner of the archipelago.
The world class dive site Mayhem introduces the day with schooling fish and a busy reef. Take time to watch the movement of the schools as well as individual animals: the way they gather, turn and spread out adds another layer to the dive. Our guides work with the conditions to help you appreciate the activity without overlooking the reef itself.
Manta Sandy offers another chance to encounter Raja Ampat’s celebrated rays. At this cleaning station, we give visiting mantas space to approach naturally and watch their interactions with the cleaner fish. The attraction is not simply seeing a large animal, but having time to observe its behaviour as it circles, hovers and moves away.
Sawandarek shifts the focus to turtles, colourful reef life, reef sharks and the shoreline community. A village visit adds a welcome glimpse of life above the water. Further exploration around Sawandarek Jetty then encourages us to slow down and notice the smaller residents beneath the wooden walkways, connecting the village we have just visited with the reef below.
Our final dives bring two Dampier Strait favourites: Cape Kri and Blue Magic. Cape Kri’s remarkable fish diversity rewards attention in every direction, from the coral itself to the schools gathering in the current. Spend time watching the reef edge, then look closer at the smaller life around you. There is often more happening than a first glance reveals.
Blue Magic’s offshore pinnacle offers another opportunity for big-fish encounters, with oceanic mantas among its possible visitors. Keep an eye on the blue as well as the reef: part of the appeal is the anticipation of what might appear beyond the schools. Our dive team plans each entry around the conditions so we can make the most of these lively sites.
Afterwards, a visit to Kali Biru, or Blue River, reveals another side of Raja Ampat. Exchange reef views for lush rainforest, where remarkably clear, turquoise water contrasts with the surrounding greenery. Take time to enjoy the peaceful setting and capture a few final photographs—a memorable change of scenery before the journey back to Sorong and our final night aboard.
Enjoy a final breakfast aboard La Galigo as we say our goodbyes in Sorong. Our crew will help with your luggage and transfers to the airport or your local hotel, making the journey ashore straightforward. Disembarkation begins at 07:00, with guests welcome to remain onboard until 11:00 if onward plans allow. There is time to exchange details with new dive buddies and share a few last stories before leaving. From Misool’s colourful reefs to the mantas and island views, you will have plenty to remember—and perhaps a favourite dive to return for.