RAJA AMPAT
ITINERARY
Join us to the heart of the Coral Triangle - the famed archipelago of Raja Ampat! Diving on our deluxe liveaboard The White Manta we will be exploring the remote islands of the coral hot spot. We will spend a time in the exciting south of Raja Ampat and then work our way to the center and North of the area.
Traveling with award-winning photographers Grant Thomas you will get the most out of your photography. However this is not a photography-dedicated trip, non-photographers will enjoy the perks of this diverse region even more!!
Check out the trip reports from our 2019 expedition and 2023 expedition.
DATES
26/01 to 02/02 2027
THE REGION
The territory within the islands of the Four Kings is enormous, covering 9.8 million acres of land and sea, home to 540 types of corals, more than 1,000 types of coral fish. This makes it the most diverse living library for world's coral reef and underwater biota. Around 75 percent of the world's species live here.
For divers the biodiversity is palpable from the first dive. Rich, multi-colored reefs are inhabited by clouds of reef fish and big schools of pelagics. There are sharks of all types including the famous wobbegong. Mobula Rays as well as both species of Manta Ray are encountered regularly. The variety of dive sites is mind-boggling.
This unique bio hotspot is one of the best places in the world to dive.
Check out the photos from our last trips to Raja Ampat
from our expeditions
THE SEASON
Winter is the best season for massive schools of silversides and hunting Mobula Rays. That is what we will look for first, in the south of Raja Ampat, an area called Misool. This is also where we find Pelagic Manta Rays - the really big ones!
Check out this amazing video about silversides by Thai Photographer/videographer Nu Parnupong. (see his portfolio here)
THE EXTRAS
On this trip we will have the entire boat to ourselves, which means we can decide on the itinerary outselves. The plan is to do South, Central and a bit of the North of Raja Ampat, but we can fine tune according to wishes of our guests.
Grant will give several talks on flora and fauna and for the photographers he will be offering photography training for macro and wide-angle. On this trip we will also aim to do several black water night dives, for the keen macro photographers.
THE BOAT
White Manta is a fast and luxurious dive boat that is known as one of the best liveaboards in Asia. Its spacious interior and exterior leaves space for everyone including their camera gear. Generously designed space to gear up with a fixed station for each diver, several rinse tanks, plenty of surface space and a large camera room. Also, she has 4 large tenders so we can split into small groups. She cruises at 10 knots and the steel hull makes her an ideal vessel for long haul cruises and blue water crossing trips allowing us to dive South and Center in one week.
Our boat
white manta
Very large Singapore-based sailing vessel with:
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Huge indoor and outdoor eating area - different local and international cuisine
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Experienced dive masters (over 15 years)
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Camera room
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Several sun decks
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Comfortable private room and bath
Your INSIDER ON THIS TRIP
Grant Thomas
Grant Thomas is an international award-winning photographer and videographer, travel guide and writer who has been travelling the globe for over 10 years, capturing some of mother nature's finest moments. He works as photographer and travel guide, leading a variety of tours and workshops to encounter and photograph animals such as humpback whales and orca. His work has taken him around the world from the warm tropical waters of Indonesia to the glacier covered landscape of the Arctic. In 2018 Grant was named British Underwater photographer of the Year. He is currently a brand ambassador for Ikelite underwater systems and Cressi.
DATES
The trip is from 1st March to 8th March 2025. You can arrive by plane on the 1st or, to be more safe arrive on the 28th February and spend the night in Bali or Sorong. The boat will depart at lunch time
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
MARINA
Couldn't have wished for a better first liveaboard. Give me all the reefs and fish and mantas! The organization in advance was great and Simon was very helpful and knowledgeable throughout the trip. Sharing his amazing photos with us including the best pics I've ever had of myself diving is a lovely addition. Crew and boat facilities were great as well. Had the best time in Raja Ampat, I'm so full of memories, impressions and experiences, I can't believe it was only 10 days because it certainly feels more like 100 in the best way possible 😍. Looking forward to go on more Insider Divers trips in the future.
JENNY
What stood out for me on this INSIDER DIVERS trip to Raja Ampat compared to other trips we've done, is all the extras and different types of diving on offer. For example the talks on photography, sharks and mantas, plus the personal portraits of each of us underwater. I enjoyed the new and different types of diving and snorkeling such as muck diving, diving under jetties, black water diving, snorkeling under the mangroves, with baby sharks and in a jellyfish lake. I also appreciated Simon's helpfulness and advice regarding my camera and how to improve my photography. Great value-add from INSIDER DIVERS!
GAUTAM
I've done a few trips with Insider Divers and they've all been amazing. Most recently I just came back from a liveaboard to Raja Ampat. The trip and diving was wonderful but the part that makes it a fantastic trip is all the attention to detail and support Insider Divers provides their guests. They go out of their way to make sure everyone is comfortable and enjoying themselves. They bring expert advice, and informative, relevant (and optional) talks about the the local sea-life, region, photography...really just about anything that the guests ask for. I've become a far better and informed diver and underwater photographer because of my trips with Insider Divers, and I've seen so much more than I ever would of marine life and of exotic destinations than I ever would on my own. Looking forward to my next trip!
This extension is for those who want to do some more diving - and see the world famous Birds of Paradise. We will set over to the island of Waigeo and stay in a beautiful barefoot luxury residence to enjoy some more pristine scuba dives and early morning birding sessions.
Extension Birds of Paradise & Diving
