Where: Raja Ampat Islands – West Papua/Indonesia

When: November - April

6 or 10 night trips

Boat: MV Odyssea 1

The MV Odyssea1 is brand new wooden mono-hull boat, built in 2006 by the skilled craftsmen of Sangihe in northern Sulawesi. She has been equipped with modern marine machinery and computer systems and is redefining the presence of quality liveaboards in Indonesia.

The MV Odyssea 1 has a total of 2 staterooms and 6 deluxe cabins. Even though they are configured as double/twin cabins, they were designed to offer the chance to be converted to suit triple accommodation. All Cabins have en-suite bathrooms with hot & cold water shower. All enclosed areas such as the saloon, staterooms & cabins are air-conditioned. There is DVD/VCD/CD/XBox Audio-Video system with entertainment library, a Satellite phone and Email access (www.seawave.net), laundry and bar onboard.

Diving:

The Raja Ampat archipelago encompasses nearly ten million acres of land and sea off the north-western tip of Indonesia’s West Papua Province. Named after the four sultans who presided there, Raja Ampat is considered the world's bull's-eye for coral biodiversity. It is home to more than 1,000 species of fish, 101 of which were previously unknown in Raja Ampat and four that are new to all of Indonesia, 456 species of hard corals, which is more than half the world’s total, as well as about 700 species of molluscs.

Whether you prefer macro photography or big fish action, this area is for you. The big fish you can expect to see include giant mantas, Mobula rays, huge schools of surgeon fish and barracudas, along with Wobbegang sharks, giant tawny sharks and variety of others. Macro junkies will love the blue ringed octopus, numerous types of pygmy seahorse, ghost pipefish, frogfish, mandarin fish and a huge variety of strange and wonderful crustaceans.

One of the great things about this area is the variety of reefs and their topography. There are vertical walls, reef flats, slopes, ridges, sea mounds, mucky mangroves, lagoons and pinnacles, all of which are affected by a varying degree of current from none to very strong. The visibility is normally very good in the Raja Ampat Islands, ranging from 20 to more than 40m.

Sample Package (8 night trip)

Flights from London or Manchester to Manado via Singapore, UK airport taxes, 1 night stopover in Manado, return flight from Manado to Sorong with Lionair, 7 nights accommodation based on twin or double share onboard the MV Odyssea 1, roundtrip airport transfers, full board Meal Plan, non-alcoholic beverages (Hot & Cold) and up to 4 dives a day. Alcoholic beverages are available and may be purchased separately. Port & Marine Park fees are included.

Package Price: from £2,380 per person

Based on low season rates, double occupancy and subject to availability.