Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat in Papua Indonesia consists of over 1,500 largely untouched islands and is today one of the world's most talked about destinations for diving trips. Here in the center of the so-called Coral Triangle is the greatest biodiversity on earth. As part of what is often called “The Bird's Head Peninsula”, in the western part of New Guinea lies this area. The diving here is fantastic and today it is one of the last outposts of the Indonesian archipelago to be discovered.

All the small islands here surround the four largest islands in the region, Misool, Salawati, Batanta and Waigeo. Very little human presence, minimal industrial development and the area's geographical isolation have all combined to keep this area largely untouched for many years. The region has grown a lot in recent years and more and more diving Tripsts and liveaboards are now coming here. West Papua is today perhaps the world's hottest diving destination because of its fantastic marine life.

Incredibly large number of fish species

The area attracted attention when it broke the world record for the most different fish species seen on a single dive and dive site. Here, Dr. Allen found a whopping 284 marine species on one dive. That record has now been broken by East Timor, but few people know about it.
64% of all the world's known coral species have been found in the waters here at Raja Ampat! It is also home to 75% of the world's total number of hard coral species.

Few places can compete with the unique and untouched environments of Raja Ampat. Here you can experience and dive in caves, mangrove swamps and fjords. At some dive sites, the rainforest hangs above you all the way down to the surface. All of these different environments are inhabited by strange marine species and exhibit a very rich and varied marine life. The coral reefs here are known, among other things, for being home to the amazing Wobbegong or carpet shark. Also for strange little epaulette sharks. They are often called bamboo sharks or walking sharks. If you are lucky, you can see and experience them hunting or “crawling” on the reefs, especially in the evenings and nights when they are active.
You will also find large numbers of invertebrates and Raja is a true paradise for underwater photographers. Octopuses, nudibranchs or nudibranchs, crustaceans and much, much more.

You can go and stay and dive here as well liveaboard like on Tripsts. The best diving is concentrated around a relatively small area but generally the diving is at such a high level that you will have a fantastic diving trip and holiday if you choose to go here.

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diving around Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat is considered one of the world's richest areas for marine diversity. It is also home to unique animal species that are found nowhere else. Here you will experience environments that are taken from storybooks and dive sites that will almost take your breath away. Papua Barat – West Papua – is the Indonesian part of New Guinea and offers unparalleled diving in many places. Read more about land-based diving in Raja Ampat at the various Tripsts.

The area of West Papua is huge so there are probably more interesting and good dive sites to discover. Some of the most famous in Papua today are Raja Ampat but Triton Bay and Misool also have fantastic diving to offer. Getting to these very remote places requires some planning and it is definitely recommended to make one or two stops along the way. Since there is a small risk that your luggage will not arrive or your flight may be delayed, these stops are necessary.

You are very far away from most things

To Misool, one of the world's most talked-about destinations for a diving trip, you come by boat and it takes half a day to get there from the airport. To Raja Ampat it takes "only" a couple of hours by boat and to Triton Bay you need an extra domestic flight and then a transfer by car and boat. This means that you are far from most things and especially from pressure chambers which can be up to two days' journey away. It is therefore important to also think about how you dive in this very remote region of Indonesia. You really are far away when you go on a holiday and diving trip here.

No matter which part of Papua in Indonesia you travel to on your diving trip, you will take amazing experiences home with you. Whether you stay at a dive Tripst or aboard a live board then you will experience fantastic diving. Papua and Raja Ampat are truly a magnificent destination for diving trips.