La Galigo Itinerary

Raja Ampat North

Day 1: Sorong to Batanta

Your adventure with La Galigo kicks off with a crew member greeting you for the transfer from the airport or your Sorong hotel to the harbor between 7:30 A.M. and 8:00 A.M. For those arriving on the day of departure, please make sure your flight lands before 7:30 A.M. so we can get settled and ready for the journey ahead.

After a warm welcome aboard, you’ll have the chance to 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. Afterward, you’ll have time to relax and unwind and take in the scenery as we sail toward the check-dive point in Batanta.

This afternoon our ‘welcome dive’ is at the island of Pulau Ayemi, where the calm waters provide the perfect introduction to your diving experience. After your check-out dive, you’ll have time to get comfortable, settle into your surroundings, and start looking forward to an exciting full day of diving ahead tomorrow. 

Day 2: 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 3: Wayag

Start your day with an early morning trek to the stunning viewpoints of Wayag, where you’ll be rewarded with panoramic views of turquoise waters and lush green karst islands. After the trek, prepare for your first dive at Wayag Corner, a site known for its vibrant coral reefs, crystal-clear waters, and abundant marine life, including sharks and large schools of fish.

The dive sites here, with names like Two Hump Rock and Far Out Rock, offer diverse underwater landscapes and thrilling marine life encounters. You’ll be surrounded by schools of fish, and depending on the tides, you might experience some exciting currents. Stay alert for the occasional tuna gliding through the open blue for an unforgettable moment! The final dive of the day takes place at the Terserah dive site, filled with towering coral bommies and colorful reef species, offering a peaceful yet visually striking underwater experience to wrap up your adventure. 

Day 4: Kawe and Wofo

We will sail overnight, and today you will wake up on Kawe Island, situated right on the equator and one of our favorite spots to dive in northern Raja Ampat. The dive sites around Kawe are heavily influenced by changing conditions, but one of the standout sites is the vibrant Black Rock, with its colorful corals teeming with life. Later in the morning, we’ll explore Eagle Rock (which actually consists of 3 separate dive sites), a site renowned for its rich marine biodiversity, including pygmy seahorses and a healthy population of manta rays. It’s an exciting dive that will leave you in awe of the underwater wonders Raja Ampat has to offer.

After lunch, we will head to Wofoh North for a relaxing dive. Here, we will explore the 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 for the day. 

Day 5: Yeben Island and 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 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 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 blacktip reef sharks love this spot. After breakfast, we will take you to the Kerou Channel. A 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 Pianemo 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 gas off before your flight the next day.

In the afternoon, we head to land to trek Kali Biru, where the lush rainforest meets crystal-clear waters. The trek offers breathtaking viewpoints overlooking Raja Ampat’s stunning seascape, a perfect complement to your underwater exploration. 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 onboard 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!

Sample itineraries are for guidance only. Actual itineraries may differ slightly due to factors such as weather, wildlife, logistics, and local regulations.