Raja Ampat means ‘Four Kings’. In an archipelago of over 1,500 small islands, there are four main islands, or ‘kings’: Waigeo, Salawati, Batanta, and Misool. While the area looks quite small on the map, it’s indeed quite a large area with a huge variety of options for diving. This trip is heading to Misool & Dampier Strait
Date
March 20-29, 2026
Duration
09 nights/10 days
Package Cost
$6300 pp. USD per person: Lower Deck Twin (2 twin beds)
$6500 pp. USD per person: Lower Deck Double and Twin
$7000 pp. USD per person: Main Deck Master Suites – SOLD OUT
$7300 pp. USD per person: Upper Deck Master Suites – SOLD OUT
Note: All costs are in American Dollars (USD) for this trip
Exclusions
- Dive gear rental
- Massages
- Alcoholic beverages
- Park Fees: $315 per person (paid on-board)
- Airfares: International and Domestic
- Travel Insurance / DAN dive Insurance
- Crew tips
- Hotel in Sorong or Jakarta trip if required
- Onboard purchases
Price Includes
- 9 nights/10 days onboard the beautiful vessel Coralia
- 3-4 dives a day (includes tanks and weights. Other equipment not included) Note: some days may be two dives depending on land excursion
- 3 meals a day plus snacks, water, tea, coffee and soft drinks
- Presentations on marine wildlife – manta rays, whales, sharks or coral
- Travel and explore with a marine biologist
- Photography and editing advice provided
- Friendly and fun atmosphere
- Certified dive guides and amazing cruise directors
- Limited to 8-16 including trip organiser
- Experience local culture
We had THE BEST TIME on the Coralia in 2023, 2024, 2025 and we’re doing it again in 2026!
Hop on board the beautiful Coralia liveaboard. The Coralia is a classic Phinisi. It was built in Bira, Sulawesi, by the Konjo tribe, who have been building cargo ships for centuries. Blending ancient techniques and wisdom with modern design and safety features, Coralia is one of the few Phinisi equipped with two engines.
Coralia’s name comes from the word ‘coral‘ and the Latin ending of ‘-ia’, so ‘Coral-ia‘ means ‘Nation of Corals’.
The Coralia has won the Dive Travel Awards “Best Liveaboard” in 2021 and 2024. (We now know WHY she and the crew won best liveaboard, because they ARE THE BEST)! We are venturing into Raja Ampat during what some would consider the off-season. What most don’t know, Raja IS diveable all year round, in certain areas.
Our itinerary will take us to dive sites in the Misool-Dampier area and the Dampier Strait. If the weather allows, we will try to head north towards Aljui Bay; however, we cannot guarantee we’ll be able to. To read more about our itinerary, click here.
How to secure your spot
Please note that this trip has limited spots, so you will need to get in quick to secure your booking. $1000 USD is required.
The following payments will be required:
- $1000 USD deposit to secure your spot
- First payment due Sept 05, 2025
- Second payment due Dec 05, 2025
We will be in touch via email for your payment and trip details. We would recommend purchasing your flights into Jakarta (CGK) and then onto Sorong (SOQ), as soon as possible to secure reasonably priced flights. To book and check for available spaces, email us at: amanda@amandadelaforce.com
How to Get There
To/From North America:
Travel to Indonesia is typically flown via Tokyo, Hong Kong, or other Asian gateway cities (depending on the airline) and connecting onward to Jakarta (CGK). Sometimes you’ll find routes from the east coast through the Middle East (Doha or Abu Dhabi, etc.).
Arrival in Jakarta by March 19, 2026 (late afternoon at the latest). It is recommended to arrive in Jakarta a day prior to your flight to Sorong.
To/From Australia:
Travel to Indonesia is typically flown nonstop (from SYD) or with connecting flights via Singapore or Malaysia and connecting onward to Jakarta (CGK).
It is recommended to arrive in Jakarta a day prior to your flight to Sorong. Arrival in Jakarta by March 19, 2026 (late afternoon at the latest).
Flights to Sorong:
Connect onward to Sorong (SOQ). Most of the flights to Sorong are typically red-eyes from Jakarta. To avoid an overnight stay in Sorong, the current suggested flights are:
TBD The flight schedule is not yet published for March 2026. We will let you know when it is.
You will be met by Coralia staff, who will bring you directly to the boat. If you’d like to arrive in Sorong a day before, you are more than welcome, and the suggested hotel is the Aston Sorong Hotel. The Coralia staff will pick you up from the hotel and bring you to the boat on March 20, 2026.
Departure on March 29, 2026, can be at any time. The Coralia staff will bring you back to the airport for your departing flight. If you are continuing onto another resort or elsewhere in Raja Ampat, just let us know so we can coordinate with the Coralia team.
Flights on Garuda still offer 23 kg extra per person for dive gear. Be ready to show your scuba certification cards at check-in and show that your extra baggage is made up of dive equipment.
Please keep in mind that flying on early morning flights departing from Sorong will restrict the number of dives you will be able to do on the last full day on board. Generally, there will be two morning dives on the last day, commencing around 12 p.m.
Note: The airline Air Asia is currently not recommended due to the frequent cancellations on Sorong flights.
Tentative Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Sorong, board the Coralia, settle into cabins, unpack dive gear/camera gear, boat briefing and dive briefing. Relax and enjoy the views as we head towards Misool.
Day 2-8:
- Sorong to Misool: Diving begins! Today, we’ll start with an easy checkout dive first thing in the morning. Return after diving for a big breakfast. Misool’s small surrounding islands are a soft-coral paradise and a famous part of Raja Ampat. With its abundance of stunning dive sites and the natural beauty of karst limestone and jungle-clad islands. In the iconic areas of Boo, Fiabecet and Yuliet, we may look through the iconic Boo Windows, with tonnes of fish surrounding us. If we are lucky, we see the majestic giant and/or reef manta rays around here. Admire large coral heads covered in soft corals, maybe spotting the famous Santa Claus pygmy seahorse, while schools of barracudas.
- Misool – Dayang – Fam Islands: It is a long crossing up to Dayang, so on the last day of diving in Misool, we will do two dives before heading north.
- Yeben & Yangeffo: We will then head down again towards Yeben area. Expect beautiful coral bommies dotted around a white-sand bottom, which creates a unique scenery. These healthy, shallow reefs attract an enormous amount of reef fish and give shelter to cuttlefish, blending in, with blacktip reef sharks patrolling around.
- Dampier Strait – Sorong. The remainder of our adventure will be spent diving in the famous Dampier Strait. Moving west to east in the Dampier Strait, we may visit dive sites around the islands of Arborek, Mansuar and Kri, where we hope to encounter schools of sweetlips, napoleon wrasse, bumphead parrotfish and the endemic tasselled wobbegong shark. Sawandarek village lies on Mansuar Island and offers a spectacular reef and jetty dive.
Day 9: Our last day of diving will offer 2 dives in the morning (pending flight schedules) and then begin our transit back to Sorong.
Day 10: We’ll say our “Good Byes” and disembark the Coralia for the Sorong Airport. You’ll be ready to book your next trip on Coralia after an amazing trip!
About Raja Ampat
- 600+ species of coral are found in Raja Ampat; the entire Caribbean Sea has only 58 species.
- 1,669 species of fish have been recorded to date (December 2019).
- 374 fish species were identified during one 90-minute dive at Cape Kri in Dampier Strait.
- 42 fish species are native to the region.
- 17 °C temperature range: the corals in Raja Ampat are regularly subjected to variations in temperatures from 19 (66 °F) to 36 (97 °F) degrees Celsius. The coral seems to be naturally adapted to massive fluctuations in temperature that are far higher than the ones predicted by climatologists over the next 50 years.
- Although there are over 300 different native languages spoken in Indonesia, the official language is Bahasa Indonesia.
Bookings, Payment, Cancellation Policy and Force Majeure in relation to the Tour
TERMS & CONDITIONS
These Terms & Conditions apply to all bookings made with Amanda Delaforce Photography and Travel Pty Ltd (ABN 26 661 237 734), trading as OceanLife Scuba Expeditions (“OceanLife Scuba Expeditions”, “we”, “us” or “our”).
1. Insurance
- OceanLife Scuba Expeditions highly recommends that all guests purchase comprehensive personal travel and dive insurance as soon as possible after confirming their travel plans. Your insurance policy should provide adequate cover for, at a minimum, trip cancellation, medical expenses, emergency medical evacuation, scuba diving activities, missed or delayed flights, baggage loss or delay, travel interruptions and personal liability. We recommend Dive Assure or DAN for dive insurance. Dive Assure offers both annual and short-term (per trip) Dive and Travel Insurance policies. You can purchase a policy here – https://app.diveassure.com/#/registration/main/process/0/int/0/18669/en-intl
- Evidence of adequate travel and dive insurance must be provided prior to departure.
- All diving, snorkelling and in-water activities are conducted by our appointed in-country operator(s), including liveaboard vessel operators and local dive centres, who maintain responsibility for their own operational procedures, safety standards and applicable insurance requirements. While participating in diving, snorkelling or swimming activities, you are required to comply with all instructions given by the Captain, Dive Instructor, Divemaster or other authorised crew members.
2. Bookings and Payments
- Bookings made more than 100 days before the commencement of the trip require a non-refundable deposit of USD $1000 per passenger.
- All deposits are non-refundable.
- Bookings made within 100 days of the commencement of the trip require payment in full to secure the booking.
- Final payment is due no later than 100 days before the commencement of the trip. A final payment reminder will be sent prior to the due date.
- Each guest is required to complete a Dive Trip Questionnaire (which may include a Dive Medical Assessment where applicable) before receiving final trip confirmation. The completed questionnaire must be returned to OceanLife Scuba Expeditions before final payment is made.
- Guests are required to disclose all relevant medical conditions honestly and completely. Failure to disclose relevant medical information, or providing false or misleading information, may result in OceanLife Scuba Expeditions refusing participation where the condition may affect the safety of the guest, other participants or the safe operation of the expedition.
- Guests are responsible for ensuring they hold valid passports, visas, permits, vaccinations and any other documentation required for entry into the destination country or countries. OceanLife Scuba Expeditions accepts no responsibility for denied boarding, refused entry or additional costs resulting from incomplete, expired or invalid travel documentation.
3. Amendment and Cancellation Policy
- All deposits are non-refundable.
- The total trip cost becomes 100% non-refundable within 100 days of the scheduled departure date. This applies to deposits and all subsequent payments, except where otherwise required by law.
- If you cancel your booking 100 days or more before departure, and your place can be resold, a trip credit equal to your remaining balance (less a USD $300 administration fee) will be issued. The credit must be used on another OceanLife Scuba Expeditions trip departing within two (2) years of the cancellation date.
- If you cancel your booking within 99 days of departure, no refund or trip credit will be issued.
- If a guest misses the commencement of the expedition or any part of the itinerary due to delayed or cancelled flights, missed connections, immigration delays, baggage delays, weather events or other travel disruptions, no refund, credit or alternative arrangements will be provided by OceanLife Scuba Expeditions. Any eligible costs should be claimed through the guest’s travel insurance policy, where covered.
- OceanLife Scuba Expeditions reserves the right to amend itineraries, accommodation, vessels, dive sites, schedules, guides or expedition leaders where reasonably necessary due to weather, sea conditions, safety considerations, wildlife activity, mechanical issues, operational requirements, government directives or other circumstances beyond our reasonable control. Such changes do not constitute grounds for compensation or refund.
4. Force Majeure
- OceanLife Scuba Expeditions shall not be liable for any delay, alteration, cancellation or failure to deliver a trip where such circumstances are caused by events beyond our reasonable control.
- A Force Majeure Event includes, but is not limited to, acts of God, war, terrorism, fire, flood, severe weather, natural disasters, epidemics or pandemics, industrial disputes, strikes, civil unrest, acts of government or regulatory authorities, the inability to obtain licences or permits, delays caused by subcontractors or suppliers, telecommunications failures, material shortages or any other event beyond our reasonable control.
5. Guest Responsibilities
- Guests participating in scuba diving must hold the minimum certification required for the expedition and provide proof of certification if requested.
- Guests agree to dive within the limits of their certification, experience and current medical fitness, and to follow all instructions provided by dive professionals, vessel crew and expedition staff.
- Guests are responsible for arriving at the designated departure location at the required time. OceanLife Scuba Expeditions is not responsible for missed departures resulting from delayed or cancelled flights, missed connections, immigration delays, baggage delays, weather events or other travel disruptions beyond our reasonable control. Any costs, losses or expenses incurred as a result of these disruptions are the responsibility of the guest and should be claimed through the guest’s travel insurance policy, where covered.
- Guests are responsible for the care and security of their own dive equipment, camera equipment, luggage and personal belongings throughout the expedition.
- Wildlife sightings are natural events and cannot be guaranteed. OceanLife Scuba Expeditions makes no representation or warranty that any particular marine species, wildlife encounter or photographic opportunity will occur during an expedition.
- OceanLife Scuba Expeditions reserves the right to refuse participation or remove any guest from an expedition, without refund, where their behaviour is considered unsafe, abusive, disruptive, illegal, intoxicated, or likely to place themselves, other guests, crew members or the expedition at risk.
6. Liability and Obligations
- OceanLife Scuba Expeditions acts as an expedition organiser and booking agent for accommodation providers, liveaboards, dive operators, transport providers and other third-party suppliers.
- We choose our in-country dive operators carefully. We check that they hold the correct permits, licences, vessel registrations and insurance before we work with them. Once you’re on the water, they’re responsible for running the trip safely under their own procedures, not ours.
- To the maximum extent permitted by law, OceanLife Scuba Expeditions accepts no responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, delay or expense arising from the acts, omissions or default of any third-party supplier involved in delivering any component of the expedition.
- Participation in scuba diving, snorkelling and other adventure activities involves inherent risks which may result in serious injury, permanent disability or death. These risks include, but are not limited to, decompression sickness, arterial gas embolism, hyperbaric injuries requiring recompression treatment, equipment failure, adverse weather, strong currents, remote locations where emergency medical assistance may be delayed, and encounters with wild marine life that may result in stings, bites or other injuries.
- Guests acknowledge these inherent risks and voluntarily participate in these activities at their own risk. Participants are responsible for ensuring they are medically fit to participate, exercising reasonable care, following all safety instructions and complying with directions provided by the vessel crew, dive professionals and expedition leaders.
- To the maximum extent permitted by law, OceanLife Scuba Expeditions shall not be liable for any personal injury, illness or death suffered directly or indirectly as a result of participation in the expedition or associated activities. We are also not liable for any consequential loss, including loss of income, profits, enjoyment or opportunity, nor for the loss, theft or damage of personal belongings before, during or after the expedition.
- Nothing in these Terms & Conditions excludes, restricts or modifies any rights or remedies that cannot lawfully be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law or any other applicable legislation.
7. Privacy & Data Collection Notice
OceanLife Scuba Expeditions collects personal information, including contact details, payment information and, where relevant to trip participation, health and medical information, in order to process bookings, arrange travel and diving activities, and communicate with guests. Health information collected through our Dive Trip Questionnaire is used solely to assess fitness to dive and may be shared with our appointed in-country dive operators for safety purposes. We do not sell personal information to third parties. By using this website or booking a trip, you consent to the collection and use of your information as described here.
8. Photography
During the expedition, OceanLife Scuba Expeditions and its representatives may capture photographs and video footage for promotional, educational and marketing purposes. Unless you notify us in writing before departure, you consent to the use of images or video in which you may appear on our website, social media channels, printed publications and other promotional material without compensation.
9. Governing Law
These Terms & Conditions are governed by the laws of Queensland, Australia. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms & Conditions shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Queensland, Australia.
By placing a booking with Amanda Delaforce Photography and Travel Pty Ltd (ABN 26 661 237 734), trading as OceanLife Scuba Expeditions, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and accepted these Terms & Conditions and the Cancellation Policy.
