Raja Ampat is an archipelago of about 1,500 remote islands located in Indonesia’s West Papua province, and is known for the beautiful beaches, pristine coral reefs, and turquoise waters. It is part of the “Coral Triangle” which is considered the global center of marine biodiversity, and has the richest marine life I’ve ever seen while diving.
So, what better place to do my first diving liveaboard trip than Raja Ampat?!
Because of how remote the islands and reefs are, and with no airports close by, these islands are best discovered by boat.
I spent 12 magical days onboard the Samambaia Liveaboard and completed a whopping 28 dives throughout the 12 day cruise. If you love diving, this is a bucket list scuba diving destination!
In between dives, we had the opportunity to explore the beautiful lagoons of Raja Ampat and the protected Misool Marine Reserve which protects 300,000 acres of the world’s richest reefs. We hopped on a speedboat to snorkel some smaller reefs and admire the gorgeous, white sand beaches.
All of the islands are stunning, and I would love to have more time to explore them in the future. If you’re visiting anywhere in Southeast Asia, this is a great excursion to add onto your trip.
Seeing Raja Ampat by sea is something I will never forget!
What an absolutely stunning place to visit!
Kari
Looks like a beautiful part of Indonesia! I only made it as far east as Lombok – definitely want to head further into Indonesia next time! This live aboard trip sounds like a diver’s paradise too 🙂