Mari Itinerary
Raja Ampat: Central Region and Misool11 days / 10 nights
About Mari
- Spacious vessel accommodating non-divers and families
- Flexible cabin configurations with doubles, twins and bunks
- Up to four dives a day in Indonesia’s top destinations
- Enjoy al fresco dining set to panoramic views of the scenery
Crafted by master boat-builders from Sulawesi, Mari liveaboard offers safe, comfortable, and exciting dive safari voyages throughout the Indonesian Archipelago – including remote regions like Raja Ampat, Cenderawasih Bay, Banda Sea and Triton Bay. With low guest numbers, modest yet contemporary communal areas, and a range of itineraries and destinations, Mari’s remarkable liveaboard adventures represent incredible value for money.
Itinerary details
Length of trip 11 days / 10 nights
Number of dives 30
Experience Open Water - Minimum 30 dives
Insurance Required
Highlights
- Departing and returning to Sorong, this itinerary visits the must-see dive sites of Misool and Central Raja Ampat
- Encounter both reef and oceanic manta rays at renowned Raja Ampat dive sites
- Visit unspoiled hard and soft coral gardens
- Discover the dramatic underwater landscapes and stunning reefs of Misool
- Explore the swim-throughs and caves of Goa Farondi
- See the ancient rock paintings of Timolol
- Cruise through lagoons in Penemu
- Land visit to the lookout point on Piaynemo for that classic Raja Ampat photo
- Search for a walking shark (epaulette shark)
- Dive into the well-known and action-packed Dampier Strait
- Search for Pontoh's pygmy seahorse at Mioskon
- A night dive is included in the schedule
Day 1:
Guests are welcomed aboard KLM Mari at Sorong harbour following a short transfer from the airport or hotel. After a full safety briefing and cabin orientation, Mari sets course south toward Misool.
Dive sites:
Matam — Check dive. A gentle reef slope offering excellent visibility, healthy coral formations, and abundant reef fish. An ideal setting to fine-tune equipment and buoyancy before the expedition begins in earnest. Hawksbill turtles, schools of fusiliers, and sweetlips are common sightings.
Mari departs on her overnight crossing toward the Daram Islands, southern Misool.
Day 2:
By morning, the dramatic limestone islands of southern Misool emerge on the horizon. Protected through local conservation initiatives for over two decades, the reefs here support remarkable fish biomass and some of the most spectacular soft coral growth in the Coral Triangle.
Dive sites:
Andiamo — A series of coral-covered ridges draped in soft corals and sea fans. Currents attract large schools of fusiliers and snappers, with reef sharks regularly patrolling the deeper water beyond the reef edge.
Candy Store — A site that distills Misool's reputation for fish abundance. Strong currents deliver nutrient-rich water supporting dense schools of barracuda, giant trevallies, and tuna above a reef blanketed in vibrant soft corals.
Yillet Kecil — A well-balanced reef system of coral bommies and hard coral gardens with sheltered sections ideal for photography. Macro subjects, including pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs, and cryptic reef creatures, are well represented.
Yillet Jetty — Night dive. Walking sharks hunt across the seabed as octopuses, cuttlefish, decorator crabs, and nocturnal reef creatures become active beneath the lights.
Day 3:
The reefs that have made Misool famous worldwide. Nutrient-rich waters attract everything from sought-after macro subjects to manta rays and large pelagic fish.
Dive sites:
Magic Mountain — Misool's most iconic dive site. A submerged seamount that functions as a cleaning station for both reef and oceanic manta rays, with multiple individuals frequently encountered circling above the reef. Barracuda, giant trevallies, and tuna cruise the surrounding blue water.
Four Kings — A collection of submerged pinnacles covered in soft corals and sea fans. Converging currents create ideal conditions for large schools of fusiliers,snappers,s and surgeonfish, with reef sharks as regular visitors.
Warna Berwarna — Meaning "many colours," this site offers one of Misool's most concentrated displays of coral diversity. Brilliant soft corals in pink, orange, and purple blanket the reef above a dense community of reef fish.
Harapan Jetty — Night dive. A macro-rich jetty dive where patient observers may discover bobtail squid, pipefish, juvenile reef fish, and crustaceans.
Day 4:
The dramatic limestone landscapes of Farondi reveal another side of Misool. Above the surface, towering karst cliffs conceal hidden lagoons and narrow waterways. Below, ancient geological formations create some of Raja Ampat's most singular dive sites.
Dive sites:
Goa Farondi — A dive through caverns, tunnels and natural swim-throughs carved into limestone. Sunlight filtering through rock openings creates an extraordinary atmosphere for photography.
Farondi Wall — A vertical reef wall covered in sea fans, black corals and soft corals, with excellent opportunities for pygmy seahorses, leaf scorpionfish and other cryptic species.
Nudi Rock — One of Misool's premier macro sites, supporting a remarkable diversity of nudibranchs and small marine creatures alongside healthy coral growth and schooling reef fish.
Afternoon excursion through Farondi's hidden lagoons and limestone caves by tender.
Day 5:
Dive sites:
Fiabacet — Multiple coral-covered pinnacles rising from deep water and attracting immense schools of fusiliers, jacks and snappers. Reef sharks are frequently encountered hunting in the currents. Often considered among the finest dive sites in Raja Ampat.
Tank Rock — A dramatic reef structure known for both fish action and exceptional coral growth. Barracuda, trevallies, and surgeonfish gather around the site's exposed sections.
Whale Rock — Steep walls, overhangs, and flourishing coral gardens. Napoleon wrasse, turtles, and reef sharks are common visitors.
Nudi Rock — Night dive. Octopus, crustaceans, flatworms, and walking sharks become active across the reef after dark.
Guests visit the ancient rock paintings of Tomolol in the afternoon—cultural markings believed to have been created centuries ago by the region's earliest inhabitants, set among towering limestone cliffs and narrow waterways.
Day 6:
Our final day in Misool is spent on some of the region's most iconic reefs before Mari begins her overnight crossing north.
Dive sites:
Boo Windows — One of Raja Ampat's most photographed dive sites. Natural limestone "windows" carved through the island frame a reef of swim-throughs, overhangs, and coral-covered ridges blanketed in soft corals and sea fans, with clouds of anthias throughout.
Boo West — A continuation of the Boo Reef system with vibrant hard and soft corals, turtles, schooling fish, and regular reef shark sightings. The interplay of light through limestone formations creates excellent underwater scenery.
Romeo — A colorful ridge of sea fans and soft corals with anthias swarming above the reef and schools of fusiliers streaming through the current. An ideal final dive before leaving Misool behind.
Mari departs on her overnight crossing toward Central Raja Ampat.
Day 7:
After the dramatic limestone seascape of Misool, the Fam Islands offer a different face of Raja Ampat. Emerald islands rise above turquoise lagoons, and below the surface some of the most pristine hard coral gardens in the archipelago await.
Dive sites:
Melissa's Garden — Named by Raja Ampat dive pioneer Max Amer, widely considered one of the most beautiful shallow coral gardens in Indonesia. Vast fields of pristine hard corals stretch in every direction, with grey reef sharks, turtles, and Napoleon wrasse cruising above a reef of exceptional health. Outstanding for wide-angle photography and unhurried exploration.
Keruo Channel — A classic Raja Ampat drift dive through a narrow channel lined with colorful corals. Schools of fusiliers, surgeonfish, and snappers gather in the flow while reef sharks patrol the deeper sections.
My Reef — A fish-rich reef system with colorful coral formations, sea fans, and excellent visibility. Schools of sweetlips and fusiliers regularly gather around the coral bommies.
Rufas Lagoon — Night dive. A sheltered lagoon enclosed by limestone cliffs, offering opportunities to encounter crustaceans, juvenile fish, sleeping turtles, and nocturnal reef life.
Day 8:
Dive sites:
Barracuda Rock — A submerged pinnacle where converging currents attract dense schools of barracuda, giant trevallies and tuna. Soft corals and sea fans cover the reef while pelagic fish patrol the surrounding blue water.
Galaxy — Named for the immense clouds of fish that envelope the reef, with healthy corals, schooling fish and occasional shark encounters.
Batu Rufas — Set among the spectacular limestone formations of the Fam region, combining coral gardens, dramatic topography and strong macro photography opportunities.
Land excursion — Piaynemo Viewpoint. A climb to one of the most iconic viewpoints in Indonesia, looking out over countless limestone islets scattered through brilliant turquoise water.
Day 9:
We enter the legendary Dampier Strait — the narrow passage through which enormous volumes of nutrient-rich water from the Indonesian Throughflow are funneled. A full day taking in the Strait's most celebrated sites, from manta cleaning stations to record-breaking reef fish diversity.
Dive sites:
Manta Sandy — One of the region's most reliable manta cleaning stations. Reef mantas gather above coral bommies where cleaner wrasse remove parasites, with several individuals frequently observed simultaneously. Accessible for all experience levels.
Blue Magic — A submerged seamount drawing oceanic manta rays, giant trevallies, tuna, barracuda, and occasional eagle rays. One of the most anticipated dives in the Dampier Strait.
Cape Kri — Raja Ampat's most celebrated dive site. Renowned ichthyologist Dr. Gerald Allen established a world record fish count here during a single dive. Barracuda, sweetlips, snapper, trevallies, and reef sharks share a reef of staggering diversity.
Arborek Jetty — Night dive. Walking sharks emerge to hunt while octopuses, cuttlefish, and countless nocturnal creatures become active beneath the lights of the village. Guests may also have the opportunity to visit Arborek village and experience its Papuan community.
Day 10:
A final morning at two of the reefs surrounding Kri and Mansuar—widely recognized among marine biologists as some of the richest coral reef ecosystems on Earth, where sharks are sighted on most dives and every descent reveals schooling fish in numbers few destinations can rival.
Equipment is rinsed and stowed after the second dive, respecting recommended no-fly intervals before departure. Mari begins her return navigation to Sorong.
Dive sites:
Sawandarek Jetty — Massive schools of fish gather beneath the jetty, while turtles, sweetlips, and wobbegong sharks are frequently encountered nearby. Outstanding for wide-angle photography and relaxed fish observation.
Mioskon — A V-shaped reef surrounding Mioskon Island in the eastern Dampier Strait, with dense coral gardens teeming with snappers, Napoleon wrasse, groupers, and the endemic wobbegong shark. Known for Pontoh's pygmy seahorse sightings.
Day 11:
Following breakfast, guests disembark in Sorong with memories of one of the world's great marine expeditions — from the pristine reefs of Misool and the ancient rock art of Tomolol to the manta rays of Magic Mountain and the incomparable biodiversity of Kri and Mansuar.
Please prepare to leave the boat between approximately 05:00 and 11:00, depending on your onward travel schedule. Complimentary transfers are provided to Sorong Airport or your hotel.
Sample itineraries are for guidance only. Actual itineraries may differ slightly due to factors such as weather, wildlife, logistics, and local regulations.
Transfer details
Departure
12:00pm
Sorong
Sorong Airport: SOQ
Return
12:00pm
Sorong
Sorong Airport: SOQ
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11 days / 10 nights
•
30 dives
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03
Dec
2026
Raja Ampat: Central Region and Misool
from $3,886 /guest
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03Dec 26
Raja Ampat: Central Region and Misool
from $3,886 /guest
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11
Jan
2027
Raja Ampat: Central Region and Misool
from $3,886 /guest
11Jan 27
Raja Ampat: Central Region and Misool
from $3,886 /guest
13
Dec
2027
Raja Ampat: Central Region and Misool
from $3,886 /guest
13Dec 27
Raja Ampat: Central Region and Misool
from $3,886 /guest
09
Jan
2028
Raja Ampat: Central Region and Misool
from $4,080 /guest
09Jan 28
Raja Ampat: Central Region and Misool
from $4,080 /guest
Current availability and prices: https://www.zubludiving.com/itineraries/mari/itn-2506110407201-raja-ampat-central-region-and-misool