Trip base · Indonesia
Raja Ampat
Eight sites around the Dampier Strait and Misool in West Papua. Cape Kri holds the record for the most fish species counted on one dive (374), and Blue Magic and Mike's Point are current-swept Advanced dives. Most trips start in Sorong, by resort speedboat or liveaboard.
Photo from the guide Snorkeling the Fam Islands, Raja Ampat, Indonesia
Strong fit for November
Coral reefs
- Strength: 8 of 8 sites are reefs
- Strength: 8 of 8 sites are in season in November
- Strength: Calm seas on almost every day
- Trade-off: Rain on most days
Pack a shorty or 3 mm wetsuit for November.
Why this match: Season 38 + Interests 31 + Your level 19 + Weather 6 = 94
- Season38 / 38
- 8 of 8 sites are in season in November; calm on almost every day.
- Interests31 / 31
- Coral reefs: 8 of 8 sites.
- Your level19 / 19
- No level picked, so all 8 sites count.
- Weather6 / 13
- Rain on most days; no real storm risk.
Month by month
Season: best October to April.
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | January: Best | February: Best | March: Best | April: Best | May: Off season | June: Off season | July: Off season | August: Off season | September: Off season | October: Best | November: Best | December: Best |
| Mantas | January: Reliable | February: Reliable | March: Reliable | April: Likely | May: Likely | June: Possible | July: Possible | August: Possible | September: Possible | October: Likely | November: Likely | December: Reliable |
| Whale sharks | Possible all year | |||||||||||
| Hammerheads | January: We don't know yet | February: We don't know yet | March: We don't know yet | April: We don't know yet | May: We don't know yet | June: We don't know yet | July: We don't know yet | August: We don't know yet | September: Possible | October: Possible | November: Possible | December: We don't know yet |
| Reef sharks | Likely all year | |||||||||||
| Turtles | Likely all year | |||||||||||
| Dolphins | Possible all year | |||||||||||
| Water | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° |
| Rain days | 25 | 22 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 25 | 27 |
| Calm days | 31 | 28 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 31 |
| Storm risk | Under 5% all year | |||||||||||
Dive sites here
8 sites on Divetip.
- Cape KriReef · Advanced · max 40 m
- Blue MagicReef · Advanced · max 40 m · strong current
- Sardine ReefReef · Advanced · max 30 m
- Melissa's GardenReef · Intermediate · max 25 m
- MisoolReef · Intermediate · max 30 m
- MioskonReef · Intermediate · max 25 m
- Mike's PointReef · Advanced · max 30 m · strong current
- Lau Lau ReefReef · Intermediate · max 25 m
Plan it with our guides
Getting there
Fly to Sorong (SOQ). Road to Sorong harbour, then resort speedboat (liveaboards leave from Sorong): about 2 h 30 min.
Liveaboard or day boat.
What diving costs
Expensive
About €120 for 2 dives, the cheapest current price below (sold per dive here, not by the day).
Single dives and add-ons
Raja Ampat Biodiversity Nature Resort: €45 a dive
Price per additional dive on top of a resort dive package (not sold as a standalone day); packages include weights, tank and guide (max 4 per guide); night dive +EUR 10; marine park tag not mentioned. Weekly packages with 2 dives/day and full board: EUR 1,941-2,057 pp for 7 nights.
Only on top of a resort package, so not used to compare.
Papua Diving (Kri Eco Resort, Kri Island): €60 a dive
'Rates 2026' sheet: EUR 60 per dive for 1-5 dives (6-10 EUR 56, 11-15 EUR 53, 16+ EUR 50), with tanks, weights, guide and nitrox; government taxes included, fuel surcharge may apply. Equipment extra (full set EUR 40 a dive). Marine park entry (IDR 2,000,000) not included. Read 10 Nov 2026.
Raja Ampat Biodiversity Nature Resort (a la carte): €62 a dive
A la carte fun dive for guests on accommodation only (guided house-reef dive EUR 25, night dive +EUR 10); equipment EUR 35 a day; Raja Ampat marine park fee EUR 110, listed separately. Read 10 Nov 2026.
Liveaboards
Mermaid Liveaboards (MV Mermaid I): €5,000 for 11 nights
Lower Deck cabin per person, 12 days / 11 nights, 37 dives, Sorong-Sorong, departures 28 Nov, 10 Dec and 22 Dec 2026 (Deluxe EUR 5,500, Master EUR 6,000). Inclusions not listed on the page; a fuel surcharge of EUR 20/day (EUR 240 for 11 nights) is published at https://www.mermaid-liveaboards.com/fuel-surcharge/ for Ring of Fire trips from Sept 2026, not clearly stated for Raja Ampat.
Emperor Divers (Emperor Raja Laut), via UK agent Oonas Divers: £4,032 for 9 nights (about €4,834)
'Best of Raja Ampat' 10 days / 9 nights from Sorong, boat only, per person in lower-deck double or twin, departures Jan 2027-Nov 2027. Includes full board, airport transfers, nitrox, national park fees and dive guides; flights and equipment not included/not stated.
Prices checked 8 November 2026; park fees and equipment often extra.
Non-divers: snorkeling by boat only
Resorts take non-divers snorkeling on their dive boats and on guided snorkel excursions to shallow reefs and jetties, but no source we opened confirms good snorkeling straight off the shore.
Latest news for Raja Ampat
Checked
In January 2026 Raja Ampat Regency raised its tourism levy to 300,000 rupiah for domestic and 1,000,000 rupiah for international visitors. On 20 May 2026 the Tourism Ministry announced a plan for 136 mooring buoys ahead of a UNESCO assessor visit planned for August 2026. Nickel mining continues on Gag Island after four other licences were revoked in June 2025, and UNESCO designated a biosphere reserve in September 2025.
- WildlifeOngoing
Bagaimana Perlindungan Dua Spesies Pari Manta di Raja Ampat?
Mongabay Indonesia · in Indonesian
Reef manta numbers in Raja Ampat passed 2,000 individuals in 2025, and Laguna Wayag is confirmed as a manta nursery. Manta Sandy limits dives to 20 divers at once under park procedures, with a code of conduct against chasing or touching mantas, and a 20-year manta conservation plan is due from 2029.
- ConservationOngoing
Dive instructor officially named as suspect in Raja Ampat turtle killing
DIVE Magazine
Police in Southwest Papua named a Chinese dive instructor as a suspect after a video allegedly showed a hawksbill turtle being speared in the Fam Islands; he denies it. Spearfishing is illegal in Raja Ampat's protected areas and the conservation law carries three to 15 years in prison.
- ConservationOngoing
Ocean protections clash with mining pressure in Indonesia's most diverse marine ecosystem
AP via WTOP
AP reports that Raja Ampat's marine protected areas have boosted fish stocks, but nickel mining, including a remaining concession on Gag Island, threatens reefs through sediment runoff. Anchor damage and waste from liveaboards are also concerns, and authorities are weighing mooring systems and boat limits.
- RulesOngoing
Raja Ampat raises tourism fees to support conservation and communities
TTG Asia
Raja Ampat's regency visitor levy rose to 1,000,000 rupiah for international visitors (300,000 for domestic), reportedly applied immediately. With provincial and national charges, international visitors pay about 1.7 million rupiah in total; children under 12 are exempt.
- ConservationOngoing
Just as Raja Ampat fetches UNESCO biosphere reserve title, nickel mining looms
Mongabay
On 27 September 2025 UNESCO designated Raja Ampat a biosphere reserve, covering about 13.5 million hectares and some 610 islands, adding to its Global Geopark status from 2023. Mongabay reported that nickel concessions of about 22,000 hectares remained in the area and that environmental groups were calling for the permits to be revoked.
- ConservationOngoing
Government revokes most mining permits in Raja Ampat
The Jakarta Post
On 10 June 2025 the Indonesian government announced it was revoking the mining licences of four of the five nickel companies in Raja Ampat after public outcry over damage. PT Gag Nikel resumed mining on Gag Island on 3 September 2025 after a suspension was lifted, and as of an August 2026 report it is the only one still operating, with three firms still pursuing projects on Waigeo Island.
- Wildlife
Chinese instructor arrested for allegedly killing and eating turtle in Raja Ampat
DIVE Magazine
On 14 September 2026 immigration officials at Makassar airport stopped a foreign dive instructor from leaving Indonesia at the request of Raja Ampat's local government, after a viral video allegedly showed a speargun aimed at a hawksbill turtle near Piaynemo. The person was to be taken to Sorong for investigation, reportedly denies involvement, and the allegations have not been tested.
- Conservation
As Many as 136 Buoys Deployed to Save Raja Ampat's UNESCO Status
RRI
On 20 May 2026 Indonesia's Tourism Ministry announced a plan to install 136 mooring buoys in Southwest Papua waters, mainly to stop dive and cruise boats anchoring on reefs, ahead of a UNESCO assessor visit planned for August 2026 to revalidate Raja Ampat's Global Geopark status. The article describes the buoys as planned, not yet installed.
Summaries are ours, written from the linked reports.
Book your Raja Ampat trip
- Find dive trips and snorkeling tours on Klook (partner link, opens in a new tab)
- Search flights on Aviasales (partner link, opens in a new tab)
Partner links: we may earn a commission.