Fall in love with Indonesia on this wonderful round-trip voyage from the enchanting city of Sorong. Indonesia can lay claim to such unsurpassed natural splendor as Raja Ampat’s Wayag Islands. Visit the Arefi Village and walk through its mangrove waters to the start point of an exceptional trek along the riverbed to the first of two jungle waterfalls, complete with a refreshing pool for cooling off. Discover the beauty of picturesque karst spires perhaps only equaled by the brilliant colors and vibrancy of the reefs and the marine life that flourishes below. Nature has carved these islands into a series of coves and lagoons, narrow channels and inlets, caves, jagged rocks, and shaded, sandy beaches.
Highlights
Swim through Tomolol’s mysterious dome-topped cave for a memorable view
Take an adventurous trek to explore the jungle-clad island of Batanta
Discover Wofoh, three island gems linked by stretches of pristine coral
Activity options vary depending on destination and operator. Activity level is determined by the range and intensity of activities you choose to participate in. Discuss with your Trip Planner which options are best for you.
Your SeaTrek tour leader greets you at the airport in the morning and takes you to the boat, and after you settle into your new home for the next ten days, set course for the southernmost islands part of the Raja Ampat National Park.
After an alfresco lunch, stop off for your first swim and snorkel of the voyage on a coral reef before continuing on your way south. Pre-dinner cocktails are served on the back deck as the sun goes down and brings an end to your first day as you cruise on through the night.
Today, wake up at the eastern end of the Misool archipelago, a picturesque chain of jungle-covered limestone islets with spectacular coral reefs offering some fantastic snorkeling.
Spend the day exploring the many inlets, bays, and beaches with some trekking, swimming, and snorkeling. Break out the kayaks and paddle boards for some seaborne adventuring.
After a full day of island-hopping, spend a quiet night at anchor under the stars.
After an early breakfast, your day starts with a swim and a snorkel through a giant dome-roofed sea cave filled with massive stalagmites and stalactites, undoubtedly one of the area's most memorable experiences.
Move on to the mysterious stingless jellyfish lake, one of only 20 in the world where these amazing creatures exist and swim amongst the many thousands of stingless animals.
Using tenders, visit some mysterious skull cairns in sea-cave cemeteries, and prehistoric cave paintings, estimated to be anything between 3,000 to 5,000 years old and depicting various human figures and huge human hands, fish, and flowers.
Today, try your best to see the Lesser Birds of Paradise in the wild, an unforgettable experience for anyone lucky enough to see them. Rise early and walk through the forest to hopefully see the birds as they dance around in their ‘lekking’ trees.
In the afternoon, an underwater exploration takes place as you snorkel around one of the best coral reefs in the world. Schools of fish hang out in the deep, and colorful sea fans stick out of the wall.
Late in the afternoon, watch the sunset while sailing your way to Batanta Island.
Today, the island of Batanta offers a change of scenery and a chance to stretch our legs with an adventurous jungle trek filled with birds, butterflies, and insects.
Starting at a local village, guides lead travellers through the forest on a short walk to the first of two waterfalls, where you can swim and cool off. The fitter members of the group can keep heading upriver where a second, larger cascade awaits.
After getting back to the boat and having lunch, go snorkeling and get the paddle boards and kayaks in the water before heading north later in the afternoon and overnight cruising to a beautiful group of islands.
In the morning, visit a pearl farm tucked away in a protected, deep-water cove and tour the facilities to learn how this precious commodity is produced and harvested. Pearling is an important industry and provides employment for many people in the local area.
Spend the afternoon snorkeling and kayaking amongst three small islands linked together by some pristine coral reefs, or you can simply choose to relax on the beach.
This morning, explore a small group of limestone islands filled with coves and beautiful reefs. After breakfast, go ashore for a short climb to a vantage point where you can survey the beautiful surroundings before heading out to snorkel on the beautiful reefs.
During lunch, head to a small island located between Gam and Mansuar where the currents bring rich nutrients to the coral reefs. The three famous jetties offer so much underwater life scenery – schools of fish, the shy black tip reef sharks, the elegant spadefish, and the magnificent giant clams.
Central Raja Ampat stores many magical underwater gems. Today, explore some of them.
Start with a visit to a local village in the central of Mansuar island, which promotes sustainability through their education centre, solar-powered street lights, and sustainable fishing practices through local community efforts. Its house reef offers an abundance of marine life, which is why you spend the rest of your morning snorkelling here, and if you’re lucky, maybe you'll sight a wobbegong shark.
Another underwater adventure awaits in the afternoon as you make your way to the eastern point of Mansuar. Famous for its school of big fish, you can see humphead wrasse and a school of giant trevally swimming next to each other, maybe greeted by the resident hawksbill turtle.
Tonight, we are having a beach BBQ and party with the crew under the stars.
Today, have a super early start as we head off into the forest in search of the incredible Red Bird of Paradise. The walk takes about 40 minutes, and as you arrive at the bird site at dawn, if you are lucky, see the incredible mating displays of these birds in the canopy of the rainforest. This is a David Attenborough moment if ever there was one.
Walk through a colorful local village and meet the people who call this wonderful corner of paradise home and see how they live their daily lives.
Back on the boat, head off for some more great snorkeling on the famous wall on the east of Gam island before you sail overnight to an island nearby Sorong.
Day 10: Sorong | Disembark
1 Breakfast
Wake up anchored in Sorong and have one last hearty breakfast on board the Katharina before venturing on our very last adventure on Doom Island with traditional transportation called Becak. During the First World War, the island serves as an administrative center of Dutch Empire administration in West Papua and continues to become the core of Sorong for some time before the city grows in mainland Papua. During the Second World War, Japanese forces occupy and fortify the island, building a network of tunnels and bunkers. The island is attacked by American and Australian aircraft throughout the war. Following the war, a fishing station is briefly established on the island before it is moved to Manokwari.
After your little adventure, bid farewell to the ship and her crew. Tenders take you ashore for your transfer to the airport for your onward travel.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
$7,5502-3 travelers
Cabin Deck
Cabin Deck. Spacious, air-conditioned twin-share cabins with twin bunks or double beds. Private bathroom with toilet, washbasin, and hot shower.
Notes
- All rates are quoted in USD and represent cost per person, based on double occupancy.
- Cabins are available for single occupancy at 1.75 times the published rate.
Beyond expectations! Then again we weren't sure what to expect. Lovely stay at the lodge, met other like-minded travelers (many had their trips planned by Adventure Life) and the owner was a gracious hostess. It felt like you were one happy family, visiting with a favorite aunt.
Nancy Sin
TrustScore 4.8 | 254 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 254 reviews on
3 days ago
The holiday of a lifetime. The company is Alaksa-owned and thhat makes a big difference to the experineces you get i.e. meet genuine First Nations tribes people. The amount of wildlife was beyond my expectation, and seeing everything on sucha small, intimate boat made it even more spoecial and unique.
Liz O
3 days ago
Adventure Life covered all the details in planning our trip to Ireland. Any questions we had were answered immediately. Any trip glitches, which always happen when traveling, were resolved immediately. There were no worries, just fun!
Kathleen Weller
3 days ago
It was an outstanding, up-close, educational vacation of nature, culture, history, animals and geology! It was everything they promised! Binoculars were plentiful on the boat, but I'm glad I brought my own. Food was excellent. Rooms had black-out shades. Pack/wear multiple layers of clothing (I carried a small backpack when off the ship). Crew were delightful and very accommodating! Remember to jump FEET FIRST first when taking the optional polar plunge! Spend as much time outdoors as you are able and ENJOY!!!
Janet Dutton
1 week ago
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
1 week ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.