Liveaboard Journey through Raja Ampat

Clink. Clink. There it is again: the sound of a fellow diver tapping on his aluminum tank. After a week of diving off Raja Ampat in Indonesia, I’ve learned to associate that noise with something special on the docket. What will it be this time? Another blue-ringed octopus? It could be a rare nudibranch, pygmy seahorse or maybe even a pelagic manta gliding by in the distance.

The answer is no down the line. But what awaits is something borderline magical, an amazing sight for this Raja rookie, and pure gold for my fellow divers who begin clicking away with their cameras. It’s the electric color display of a common octopus.

We watch, mesmerized as it moves from rock to sand to coral, shape shifting and transforming to blend into its surroundings with each new move. Enchanted, I forget to hit record on my camera. Back aboard Arenui, a fellow diver agrees to share her video.

The dining parlor aboard Arenui — just like the rest of the 141-foot luxury liveaboard — is beautifully hand-crafted and a meeting place throughout the day for swapping stories with fellow divers. And there’s plenty of stories to swap. Bubble blowers from around the world make their way to the Coral Triangle to dive this archipelago of more than 1,500 small islands. The big draw is Raja’s diverse underwater beauty. Being here is like diving in a snow globe, if the snow were scores of vibrant critters. I’m surrounded by so much color and marine life that I want to shake the globe all day.

In fact, Dr. Gerry Allen, a marine dive at Cape Kri alone, a site frequented by Arenui.

Arenui departs from the city of Sorong on West Papua and sails from south to north on a 12-day itinerary, spending multiple days in hot spots like Misool and Dampier Strait. Dive after dive, these sites leave nothing to the imagination, bringing more tank-clanging moments than I can count.

Trip Highlights

The Arenui makes its way through the Raja Ampat region of Western Papua from December through April. Next up is the Komodo National Park area, where you can see dragons on shore and much more underwater May through October. In November, the boat heads toward Ambon and the Spice Islands in the Banda Sea. Arenui also offers special excursions all year.

Day 1
Take the time to explore the luxurious wooden vessel — much of which was hand- crafted — and get to know the crew. By day two, they will already have your breakfast order memorized.

Day 3
Get up close — but not too close — to the manta rays at the Shadow Reef cleaning station. Mantas in Raja Ampat are not accustomed to divers’ bubbles, so they prefer you keep your distance.

Day 8
Make your way to Dampier Strait — where nutrient-rich currents support plenty of life — for a change of underwater scenery and the chance to spot blue-ringed octopuses and bearded wobbegongs.

Day 10
Gear up for a night dive to shine your light on the weird and wonderful — like flamboyant cuttlefish, decorator crabs, giant sea slugs and more — that awaits divers in the muck at Sanoek Jetty.

WHY WE LOVE THIS BOAT

Dinner with a View See the stars like never before while enjoying dinner on the top deck of Arenui in the appropriately named open-air Sky restaurant.

Relax to the Max Each Arenui itinerary includes a welcome massage that you can schedule at your leisure during your 12-day journey through a diver’s paradise.

Glad to Be Back Most divers never want to surface, but warm towels and hot cocoa waiting on deck after a night dive make coming back to the boat just as exciting as leaving for a dive.

Pampered Divers The crew helps make your diving experience as effortless as possible, even helping put your fins on before back-rolling off Arenui’s tender.

BOAT SPECS

Arenui
Total passengers: 16 max
Cabins: 8
Total crew: 22
Length: 141 feet
Beam: 30 feet
Number of decks: 2

Learn more about diving aboard the Arenui.

Top 10 Dive Sites in Raja Ampat, Indonesia