From: Sorong (Indonesia)
Raja Ampat Sailing Cruise on a Liveaboard
Sailing tour introduction
Sailing Cruise Itinerary
**This is a sample itinerary. The actual itinerary may be adjusted by the captain or the service provider due to weather conditions or other reasons.
Day
1
Sorong
Pick up at your hotel or the airport in Sorong. Settling in onboard with a welcome drink and a brief introduction to the boat and safety on board. Cruise to Wasai, Waigeo a navigation of approximately 6 hours. This will allow time for you to get acquainted with the ship, set up your dive gear & cameras and to meet and socialize with the other guests and friendly crew. After arriving in Wasai we will head for our first check dive.
Day
2
Dampier Straight
This area houses world renown dive sites like “Blue Magic”, “Cape Kri”, “Manta Sandy” and “Manta ridge”. The topography of the Dampier allows the Indonesian throughflow to pass through, producing strong currents. As a result, you can see a diversity of marine life that you have never seen before. You will chill with graceful rays and feel like you are swimming around in a fish soup! A cultural on-land visit of Arborek Pier is also planned in this region.
Day
3
Gam
Day
4
Pulau Pisang
Day 5 &6. These are a pair of islands and two small rocks located between Raja Ampat and Halmahera. You will spend the entire day here. The diving is beautiful, with sloping reefs adorned with soft corals in the deeper areas and hard coral bommies in the shallows. When the currents are strong, the dive sites can be teeming with life, featuring schooling bumphead parrotfish, countless blue triggerfish, and dogtooth tunas passing by.
Day
5
Bacan
Bacan island region offers a wide array of activities above and below the water. Beautiful beaches, waterfalls and more. Dive sites like Batu Tajam offer: black tip, napoleon, big sweetlips. Ecuador: blacktip, big red scorpionfishes, Nudis, crabs, nice and quiet reef. Lilai jetty: hectic current, black manta passing by near the jetty, bamboo sharks. Pipefish, crabs.
Day
6
Patinti Strait
The region around Patinti Strait is well known for Saleh Island, home to Sali Bay Resort and its spectacular topography. It features castaway beaches and great dive sites. The area is rich in marine life, including giant trevallies, grey reef sharks, blacktip sharks, tunas, mackerels, schools of fusiliers, and surgeonfish. Truly spectacular.
Dive Sites:
- Selat Proco: Encounter blacktip sharks, grey reef sharks, mackerels, dogtooth tuna, mini canyons, and overhangs.
- Saleh Besar: Drift in the channel through a series of mini canyons and rock blocks. While there are fewer big pelagics, it’s a very fishy site.
- Jabu: Vibrant coral reefs inhabited by numerous small and larger marine species. The South/Southeast point is particularly spectacular.
- Kusu: A beautiful coral garden with millions of glassfish, pygmy seahorses, leaf fish, schools of sweetlips under a small rock, bamboo sharks, and hundreds of reef fish.
- Pulau Pokal: A high rock in the middle of the channel with a long plateau at approximately 30 meters.
- Saleh Kecil: Features splendid corals, dramatic topography, and big fish sightings.
- Pulau Nanas: A stunning spot with beautiful and colorful coral, schools of glassfish, various nudibranchs, blue hairy crabs, lobsters, scorpionfish, and crocodile fish.
Day
7
Ternate region
Diving in Ternate, particularly in North Ternate, offers an incredible experience at Hiri Island. Here, you can encounter large schools of barracuda, dugongs, dolphins, reef sharks, turtles, and walls with exceptional visibility ranging from 30 to 40 meters. However, Hiri Island is known for its relatively strong currents, which may not be ideal for those who prefer calmer conditions. For a more relaxed dive, consider exploring the black sands of Sulamadaha or the white sands of Jikomalamo. These sites boast dense coral gardens, soft corals, turtles, schooling bumphead parrotfish, and other pelagic species.
Day
8
Km Pari Wreck
The Km Pari Wreck is another fascinating dive site, lying at a depth of 12-20 meters. This wreck also features three buses that serve as artificial reefs, attracting a variety of marine life. At night, you might even spot the endemic Walking Shark (Hemiscyllium Halmahera). Further south, the seabed is uniquely structured with large pinnacles and a mini cave found at a depth of approximately 27 meters, exiting at 30 meters. Additionally, you'll find walls teeming with colorful small fish, as well as frequent sightings of sharks, stingrays, and nudibranchs.
Cruise Boat Details
Gulet 41m (2019)
Cruise Price Details
Price includes
- Transfers to / from the airport or hotel at the location of the respective port of embarkation. Accommodation on board in double bed or twin bed cabin with hot water shower, toilet and AC. National Marine Park fees All-inclusive board services including on board beverages (exclusive all beverages in cans, containers and/or bottles) Up to 4 accompanied dives per day (including one dawn or night dive, if location is suitable). Dive rental equipment (standard set) Nitrox All offered land excursions
Price does not include
- Spirits, alcoholic beverages, mocktails and smoothies (see onboard menu) Diving lessons Equipment rental Onboard massage and laundry service Purchase of merchandise or souvenirs on board Crew gratuities Cost for overweight luggage (international and national flights) Dive and Travel - trip insurance's (as DAN and travel guard) and/or Medical Insurance.
Good to Know
Read useful information about this charter
Location
The departure base depends on the sailing dates you select.
Check-in / Checkout
Check-in: Saturday from 09:00
Check-out: Saturday until 09:00
Accommodation
Private cabin
Private cabin for 2 guests. If the cabin is booked for 1 guest only, a single accommodation surcharge will apply.
Crew
The sailing tour from Sorong is operated by a professional crew of 11: captain, chef or hostess, and additional crew.
The captain of the Gaff Rigged Schoone is responsible for: the safety of guests during Raja Ampat Sailing Cruise on a Liveaboard, handling of the Gulet, navigation and adjusting the itinerary according to weather conditions.
Meal Plan
No Meal Plan
Meals are not included.
Guests may purchase groceries and store them in the shared refrigerator onboard.
Most meals during the sailing tour in Indonesia are enjoyed in cafes or restaurants ashore at the guest's own expense.
Options & Fees
Optional Extras
Available at additional cost:
- PREMIUM Full Scuba Kit (BCD, Regulator, Wetsuite, booties, fins ABC Kit + dive computer + dive light): $50
- Full Scuba Kit (BCD, regulator, wetuit, booties, fins, ABC kit): $35
- Dive Computer (Suunto, Tusa): $12
- BCD: $15
- Regulator: $15
- Full Body Wetsuit: $12
- 15L Tanks: $5
- Dive Light (for night dives): $0
- Safety Marker Buoy: $0
- PADI Open Water course: $730
- PADI Advanced Open Water course: $680
- PADI Rescue Diver course: $730
- PADI Nitrox course: $380
- PADI Speciality courses: $430
- Discover Scuba (incl. 2 dives + rental gear): $160
- Laundry (washed, dried, ironed, folded) - per kilo: $10
- Traditional Balinese Massage - 45 min: $40
- Nitrox Fills 15 L: $5
- Nitrox Fills 12L: $0
- Underwater Scooter: $50
- Underwater Video (GoPro for max. 30m): $50
- DJI Action (watersports camera for max. 5m): $50
- Sealife sport diver phone housing (max. 30m): $30
Sailing Itinerary & Weather Conditions
Raja Ampat Sailing Cruise on a Liveaboard is planned in advance; however, the itinerary may be adjusted depending on weather conditions, port availability, and the captain's safety decisions.
The captain may modify the route or change the order of stops to ensure a safe and comfortable sailing experience on board of Gaff Rigged Schoone.
Payment & Cancellation
No-obligation reservation (3 day hold).
No payment is required until the booking agreement is signed.
Payment terms:
- Down payment: 30%
- Balance: due 60 days before departure
- Extras: payable in advance, at least 60 days before the charter
Cancellation policy:
- 30% of the charter fee is retained for cancellations made 61 days before departure
- 100% of the total charter fee is non-refundable for cancellations made 60 days or less prior to the charter
Payment and cancellation terms are provided for reference only. Final terms are defined in the booking agreement.
Customer reviews
How customer reviews and ratings work
We use the Average with Prior (also known as Bayesian Average) to calculate the total rating for each sailing cruise
Since new cruises could have very few reviews, each review can significantly impact the average score, potentially leading to misleading representations of the total score (e.g., one very positive or very negative review skewing the overall rating). To mitigate this, we use a "prior" or "default" score.
This means that each cruise, by default, starts with a rating of 4, which is calculated from 5 hypothetical reviews, each rated 4. This assumption provides a baseline level of performance that is neutral-to-positive.
For example, if a new cruise receives a 5-star review, the total rating will be adjusted to 4.17. Here's how it is calculated: (4 × 5) + 5 = 25 and then divided by the total number of reviews 6 (5 default + 1 actual review), resulting in 4.17
As more reviews come in, the weight of the actual reviews increases, and the influence of the prior diminishes.