Prices are per person per trip and based on 2 persons sharing a cabin.
Exact pricing is available on the schedule here as prices vary dependant on the time of year, destination and the length of the trip and sometimes special offers are available.

The trip price includes
The cruise, all scuba diving activities (up to 4 dives/day) and all group shore programs during the course of the cruise
Regular air fills, tanks, weights and weight belt
Professional dive guide
Full meals and snacks while on board the vessel
Water, tea, coffee, soft drinks while on board the vessel
Transfers to and from the vessel and the respective airports on the cruise departure and return dates

The trip price does not include:
Port handling fee and National park tag fee of $165 per person per trip for Raja Ampat ($150 per person per trip for the Cendrawasih bay trips).
International and domestic air transportation, hotels and meals ashore before and after the cruise
Dive insurance is mandatory as is your own personal dive computer (You can rent one for the trip if you do not have your own).
As well as the Mandatory Dive Insurance we highly recommend Trip and Travel Insurance on the off chance of missed or cancelled flights / lost baggage, documents, money or passport / Covid issues or any other unforeseen problems that could possibly occur.
Dive Assure Insurance offers cover for all these eventualities as well as complete Dive Insurance all in one package.
Private tours
On board telecommunications
On board alcoholic beverages
Crew gratuities
Nitrox use (USD 5/dive)
Dive equipment rental.
Please note: Unfortunately until further notice, a Fuel Surcharge of USD $40 for 7 nights has been applied to all itineraries by the boat due to the massive increase of fuel prices around the world, we apologise for this but it is beyond our control.

Booking and Cancellation Terms and Conditions.
Booking deposit: 30% of your invoice total is required within 7 days of booking to confirm your booking.
Final payment of 70% is due to 90 days prior to the departure date to complete your invoice payment.
Individual bookings made less than 90 days before the departure date will be payable in full upon booking to confirm your booking.
Cancellation at any stage involves forfeit of monies already payed.

Full charter:
Booking deposit:
10% - within 7 days of booking - non-refundable
Second deposit:
20% 180 days prior to departure - non-refundable
Balance due
90 days before departure - non-refundable

Pearl of Papua does not accept any legal liability for loss or damage to any luggage or dive equipment while being transferred to or from the vessel nor whilst on board. Pearl of Papua will offer any assistance possible to help with any insurance claims for lost or damaged property.

Lastly, Pearl of Papua does not offer refunds in the event of personal injury, airplane delay, mechanical breakdowns, weather, sickness, strikes, war, criminal acts, quarantine, acts of god or if another guest requires immediate evacuation and the vessel must return to port or any other event beyond its actual control. If Pearl of Papua cancels the trip prior to departure for any reason a full refund will be given.

Guests are strongly advised to have valid dive medical, travel and cancellation insurances.

The maximum amount of passengers on board is 14 pax sleeping in 7 cabins (15 pax is possible for a full charter with 3 persons in the suite).

• 

  Upper Deck Deluxe Twin Cabin
  There are 2 deluxe cabins, one with a double bed and one with two single beds on the upper deck.
  Both cabins have sea views, individually controlled air conditioning, toilet and hot water shower, hand basin, mirror and towels, round twin plug 220V mains outlet, reading lights, cabinet and shelves, fire warning system and life jackets.

• 

  Lower Deck Suite
  There is 1 Suite Cabin on the lower deck with one single bed and a double bed.
  All cabins on the lower deck have portholes, individually controlled air conditioning, toilet and hot water shower, hand basin, mirror and towels, round twin plug 220V mains outlet, reading lights, cabinet and shelves, fire warning system and life jackets.
  The Suite can accommodate 3 persons sharing with one double bed and one single bed on the cabin which would allow 15 persons on a full charter booking.

• 

  Upper Deck DeluxevDouble Cabin
  There are 2 deluxe cabins, one with a double bed and one with two single beds on the upper deck.
  Both cabins have sea views, individually controlled air conditioning, toilet and hot water shower, hand basin, mirror and towels, round twin plug 220V mains outlet, reading lights, cabinet and shelves, fire warning system and life jackets.

• 

  Lower Deck Standard Twin Cabin
  

  There are 4 standard cabins with single bunk beds on the lower deck.
  All cabins on the lower deck have portholes, individually controlled air conditioning, toilet and hot water shower, hand basin, mirror and towels, round twin plug 220V mains outlet, reading lights, cabinet and shelves, fire warning system and life jackets.

Raja Ampat diving

All our boats run fantastic Raja Ampat liveaboards of varying length visiting all the best places each with their own unique itinerary and features.
They are all different prices dependant on the length of the trip and standard of the liveaboard.
All our liveaboards are for people enthusiastic or serious about their diving but also welcome snorkellers and non-divers who will have their own separate itinerary.

Raja Ampat (or the Four Kings) is an archipelago consisting of the islands of Misoool, Salawati, Batanta, and Wiageo which are surrounded by over 1,500 small islands and cays. Formerly known as Irian Jaya, this area is now part of the newly named West Papua province of Indonesia and is located on the northwest tip of Bird's Head Peninsula, on the island of New Guinea.

Put simply, Raja Ampat could quite possibly be the best diving in the world. It certainly is the world's most bio diverse marine region with more recorded fish, coral and mollusc species than anywhere else on Earth. The variety of marine life can be staggering. Some areas boast enormous schools of fish and regular sightings of sharks, such as wobbegongs. In Mansuar, you may encounter large groups of manta rays and turtles. From the boat and often close to shore you may get the chance to don your snorkelling gear for some unforgettable interaction with resident pods of dolphins or even some passing whales. Other highlights include the innumerable war wrecks, both ships and planes (with new wrecks being discovered constantly).

The reefs of Raja Ampat are just as varied as the marine life. There are vertical walls, reef flats, slopes, sea mounts, mucky mangroves, lagoons and pinnacles. The reefs are in pristine condition with miles of perfect hard corals and many varied colourful species of soft corals. The diving is predominantly drift dives due to the moderate prevalent currents in the area which provide nutrients for the myriad fish and coral. Currents are average to moderate and vary from none to very strong. Visibility is normally very good but can vary and is normally at its best earlier in the day so your pre-breakfast dives are not to be slept through!

This is truly "Frontier Diving". Topside the beautiful islands stretch as far as you can see and are largely uninhabited. At night the lights of local fishing boats twinkle in the dark along the few inhabited shorelines while in more remote areas you may only see a distant spec of light over the entire horizon.

Raja Ampat has a high season from October to May and weirdly enough it is during their rainy season due to the winds in the dry season making parts of the park inaccessable.
The rainy season should not be mis-construed though. It is generally mostly a shower in the late afternoon and evening and most of the time the days are nice, wind is minimal and the skys are generally clear or slightly over cast.
The seas are calmer at this time of the year as the oppposite season has winds that kick up waves and make it very difficult to dive the more exposed sites in the Southern part of Raja Ampat.
The water temperature stays roughly the same around the 27-30 degrees celcius mark all year round.

Recently, due to the popularity of Raja Ampat, a lot of boats have been running trips in the so called low season (May to October) and this is also the dry season and so promotes nicer weather and better visibility but the trade off is that only the northern more sheltered part of the park is accessable due to higher winds and waves but as the area is so vast and there are so many quality dive sites the reports from these northern trips have been glowing so far and there are new dive sites being discovered all the time.

Sample itinerary for 7 nights in North Raja Ampat*

Day One : Sorong

Arrive in Sorong Airport. Our crew will be waiting outside the arrival hall and ready to escort you to the ship for immediate boarding. After 15 minutes driving you board the vessel and refresh with a welcome drink. Your official check in time is 1PM. Cabin allocation and ship orientation will take place before departure. Take this opportunity to familiarize yourselves with the vessel, make yourself comfortable. Lunch and dinner will be served while departing towards Raja Ampat National Park.

Day Two : Dampier Straits

Welcome to Dampier Straits areas. We will have check dive at Mioskon. Monitoring your buoyancy skill and make yourself comfortable with water and your gear. For some of you who has not dive for a long time, check dive is always a good way to refresh your skill.

We have many excellent dive spot around the area. Cape Kri is a great start of the day with most fish and coral species accounted on a single dive site. Truly dive sites like Cape Kri, of Dr. Allen’s 30-year lifetime record fish count. Cape Kri has probably the largest concentration of big fish of any sites in northern Raja Ampat. Mioskon, Cape Kri and Mike’s point are among the sites for day two.

Day Three : Wayag

We will be arriving in the morning in Wayag Island - one of “must see” itinerary for Raja Ampat cruise. We park the boat in the front of Mount Pindito where we make the famous “hike”. Bring your camera, your hat and your walking shoes. You will about to view the breath taking scenery over the island group here. After taking load of pictures from above we will have nice and easy picnic on the beach, having relax morning, swimming and snorkeling. Take our tender boat to marvel the spectacular hidden bay and little lagoon. We will make time to have couple of dives around northern part of Raja Ampat Aljui Bay or Gam.

Day Four : Sel Pele Bay

Sel Pele is a very large bay located on the western side of Waigeo Island, and is renowned as the best place in Raja Ampat for critter hunting. The bay has a large mouth with a small island in the centre. Sometimes between our dives we make tour and visit the pearl farms. Dinding Selatan; Kebung Kerang; and Pearl farm Pier (The Jetty) are among our selection for day and night dives in the area.

Day Five : Fam and Penemu Island

Spread over nearly 700 square kilometer of ocean just above the midway point on Raja Ampat’s north-south axis, Pam and Penemu vivid corals thrive while withstanding, indeed reveling in, some of Dampier’s strongest current. We will have fun drifting away with current at Melissa Garden, Barracuda and Angelina Passage.

Day Six Dampier Straits

We can’t get enough of Dampier Straits. It contain some of Raja Ampat’s most action packed dives. This times we dive Chicken Reef, Sardine, Blue Magic. The dive spot that offer an unforgettable diving experience where you could spot huge schools of fish parade by barracuda and pale or blue tail surgeonfish patrol the reef top, while below schools of trevally and fusiliers whiz past and encircle you. Manta is usually seen. Sheer numbers of fish here. Of course there are great schools of trevallies and tuna in numbers that practically block out the light. But you can also be enthralled by vast numbers of bumpheaded parrotfish as they charge around and devour the coral.

Day Seven : Arborek

On the way back to Sorong we will stop by at the famous Arborek, the dive spot selection in this area are abundant. Manta sandy and Manta Ridge will be among our dive spot selection where you can spot group of Mantas circling and swimming. For safety precautions we will have only two shallow dives in our last dives day.

Day Eight : Sorong

After breakfast, prepare for disembarkation. Your official check out time is 10 AM. Be ready to leave the boat and you will be transferred to Sorong Airport for you next destination. Your diving journey has ended and we shall look forward to welcoming you onboard again - how to get to Raja Ampat.

How to get to Raja Ampat

Sorong is the harbour town in West Papua and the normal departure point to dive Raja Ampat.
If you are unsure of how to get to Sorong to start your trip it will depend on where your international flight into Indonesia is landing.
We recommend flying to Jakarta or Bali to make your entry point into Indonesia and each has it's pros and cons as explained below.

From Jakarta to Sorong with Garuda air is an over night flight arriving in the morning perfect for a pick up by your liveaboard crew at the airport.
The downside of this is that you may be awake most of the night before your board the liveaboard depending on if you sleep on flights but most boats cruise only on the first day so you can catch up on your sleep during the day.
Garuda currenlty also offers a 23K sports bag allowance which includes diving equipment on top of the usual 20 Kilos and bearing in mind it is Indonesia's most reliable airline this is the one we recommend as you can also purchase the tickets yourself but there other airlines and options but generally Garuda is the most reliable being the national carrier airline.
(most other Indonesian airlines won't let you purchase tickets without an Indonesia creit card).
Garuda JAKARTA - SORONG GA682 etd 00.30am eta 06.35am direct.

Flights from Bali to Sorong are not quite so simple and can be done in one day but you will need a stop over on the way or to spend a night in Sorong before the trip as the flights arrive too late in the day to join a Liveaboard the same day if you do it in one day from Bali to Sorong.
You will need to fly from DPS (Bali) to UPG (Makassar) the day before your liveaboard and stay over night in Makassar in a hotel or guesthouse and then continue on with the UPG (Makassar) to SOQ (Sorong) flight early the following morning, arriving the day of your liveaboard departure early enough to go straight onto the boat.
This ends up being perfect timing to be picked up on your arrival in Sorong at the airport to then be taken to the boat.
The other option is going through UPG again in the same day and arriving after lunch in Sorong and then spending the night in Sorong before being picked up the next morning for your liveaboard.
This takes longer but you might arrive more refreshed than the Jakarta route and of course you could always factor in a stay in Bali before or after your trip, this flight is also by Garuda airlines.
Please ask us if you need advice on a local flight agent, we only advise but do not book the actual flights for you.

Recently Garuda, our recommended airline, has made it possible to purchase their tickets online and we recommend you take this approach if it is possible.
Other airlines are cheaper but are not so trustworthy or have such good luggage allowances.
Dive insurance is mandatory but as well as the Mandatory Dive Insurance we HIGHLY recommend Trip and Travel Insurance on the off chance of missed or cancelled flights / lost baggage / documents / money / passport or Covid issues or any other unforeseen problems that could possibly occur. Dive Assure Insurance offers cover for all these eventualities as well as complete Dive Insurance all in one package.

It is also possible to come throught Kuala Lumpur (KUL) in Malaysia to Denpasar (DPS) in Bali or Jakarta (JKT) with Malaysian Airlines and then join one of the above 2 options above to get to Sorong.
Please note: Flight times may vary and should always be double checked.

Sample itinerary for 10 nights in Raja Ampat

Day One : Sorong

Arrive in Sorong Airport. Our crew will be waiting outside the arrival hall and ready to escort you to the ship for immediate boarding. After 15 minutes driving you board the vessel and refresh with a welcome drink. Your official check in time is 1PM. Cabin allocation and ship orientation will take place before departure. Take this opportunity to familiarize yourselves with the vessel, make yourself comfortable. Lunch and dinner will be served while departing towards Raja Ampat National Park.

Day Two,Three, Four: Misool Island Group (B, L, D)

Welcome to a remote Island group, northeast of Misool, so pristine and untouched. This area offers a mesmerizing underwater scope which boasts walls and pinnacles where not an inch is left uncovered. This dive site has an unusual high concentration of huge, undisturbed, and giant clams. The Misool Island group sits at the entrance of the Seram Sea, two degrees from south of the equator. The islands, or islets, are uncountable. The larger ones, like Misool itself, have canyons and lagoons speckled with white sand beaches ideal for tender boat rides. One can spend hours exploring and enjoying the same bay. It really is a place of great beauty both above and below the water. It’s rightly being considered by the Indonesian government for national park status and by the United Nations as a world heritage site. In here, there are over 1100 species of fish and over 450 different species of corals making this area one of the most diverse marine habitats in the world. Famous Fiabacet and Farondi are also in the list.

Day Five : Dampier Straits

Welcome to Dampier Straits areas. We have many excellent dive spot around the area. Cape Kri is a great start of the day with most fish and coral species accounted on a single dive site. Truly dive sites like Cape Kri, of Dr. Allen’s 30-year lifetime record fish count. Cape Kri has probably the largest concentration of big fish of any sites in northern Raja Ampat. Mioskon, Cape Kri and Mike’s point are among the sites for day two.

Day Six : Wayag

We will be arriving in the morning in Wayag Island - one of “must see” itinerary for Raja Ampat cruise. We park the boat in the front of Mount Pindito where we make the famous “hike”. Bring your camera, your hat and your walking shoes. You will about to view the breath taking scenery over the island group here. After taking load of pictures from above we will have nice and easy picnic on the beach, having relax morning, swimming and snorkeling. Take our tender boat to marvel the spectacular hidden bay and little lagoon. We will make time to have couple of dives around northern part of Raja Ampat Aljui Bay or Gam.

Day Seven : Sel Pele Bay

Sel Pele is a very large bay located on the western side of Waigeo Island, and is renowned as the best place in Raja Ampat for critter hunting. The bay has a large mouth with a small island in the centre. Sometimes between our dives we make tour and visit the pearl farms. Dinding Selatan; Kebung Kerang; and Pearl farm Pier (The Jetty) are among our selection for day and night dives in the area.

Day Eight : Fam and Penemu Island

Spread over nearly 700 square kilometer of ocean just above the midway point on Raja Ampat’s north-south axis, Pam and Penemu vivid corals thrive while withstanding, indeed reveling in, some of Dampier’s strongest current. We will have fun drifting away with current at Melissa Garden, Barracuda and Angelina Passage.

Day Nine Dampier Straits

We can’t get enough of Dampier Straits. It contain some of Raja Ampat’s most action packed dives. This times we dive Chicken Reef, Sardine, Blue Magic. The dive spot that offer an unforgettable diving experience where you could spot huge schools of fish parade by barracuda and pale or blue tail surgeonfish patrol the reef top, while below schools of trevally and fusiliers whiz past and encircle you. Manta is usually seen. Sheer numbers of fish here. Of course there are great schools of trevallies and tuna in numbers that practically block out the light. But you can also be enthralled by vast numbers of bumpheaded parrotfish as they charge around and devour the coral.

Day Ten : Arborek

On the way back to Sorong we will stop by at the famous Arborek, the dive spot selection in this area are abundant. Manta sandy and Manta Ridge will be among our dive spot selection where you can spot group of Mantas circling and swimming. For safety precautions we will have only two shallow dives in our last dives day.

Day Eleven : Sorong

After breakfast, prepare for disembarkation. Your official check out time is 10 AM. Be ready to leave the boat and you will be transferred to Sorong Airport for you next destination. Your diving journey has ended and we shall look forward to welcoming you onboard again.

Sailing itineraries and daily program are subject to change due to weather and sea conditions, availability of safe anchorage, government regulations and other factors. Every effort will be made to carryout the program as planned. Program changes may take place during the cruise to take advantage of local cultural events, to adapt to sailing conditions, or in response to other factors - how to get to Raja Ampat.