Discover Raja Ampat, a globally renowned biodiversity hotspot, one of the world's most breathtaking destinations to cruise. This special itinerary celebrates Alfred Russel Wallace, a renowned scientist who was one of the first to express worry over the environmental consequences of human activity over 150 years ago. In the presence of guest expert Alexander Reeuwijk, tour some of the regions that Wallace found so enthralling, and hopefully experience the enchantment of witnessing the bird of paradise in its native home, in all its splendor. In Triton Bay, snorkeling with whale sharks is possible.
Highlights
Swim under the beautiful Kitikiti waterfall and explore nearby reefs.
Follow in the footsteps of British naturalist and explorer, Alfred Russel Wallace.
Relax while watching for birds of paradise in their natural habitats.
Enjoy the sparkling white-sand beaches, clear waters, and vibrant reefs.
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
You will be met at the airport or your hotel by your SeaTrek tour leaders and taken directly to the boat. Once settled into your cabin, we will weigh anchor and head out on our adventure.
We will have lunch as we are under way and stop for your first snorkel and swim amongst the coral gardens in the afternoon.
After sunset drinks we will sit down together for dinner and then meet the crew. It’s an early start the next day, so an early night is recommended.
Before dawn we will be ferried to a local village, where local guides will take us on a trek through the jungle in the hope of finding the beautiful Wilson’s Bird of Paradise perform is mating dance ritual upon the forest floor. On our way back to the boat we will be accompanied by the sounds of the jungle coming to life and we will be sure to spot a number of bird species along the way.
After a well-earned late breakfast, we will spend the remainder of the day enjoying snorkeling, swimming and exploring the reefs and islands of the local area by kayak and paddle board.
Today is our second and final early morning wake up as we head off to see the Red Bird of Paradise, this time high in the canopy of the rainforest. Extremely extroverted show offs, these birds dance and squawk their way around the trees trying to impress the female of the species, making for an incredible show.
After returning to the ship and breakfast it will be time for some snorkeling on some of Raja Ampat’s most spectacular reefs in the Dampier Strait. If the tides are in our favor we might get to see some of the area’s larger species of marine life, which are attracted by the currents in these nutrient rich waters.
We will end the day at a local inhabited island, where the village kids will show us around their beautiful village and then perform some local folk dances for us.
We will weigh anchor before dinner, enjoying sunset cocktails on the back deck as we cruise south.
Today we wake up in southern Raja Ampat at the island of Misool, a picturesque archipelago of forest-covered limestone islets just teeming with coral reefs that has adventures aplenty on offer.
We will swim through a massive and ancient sea cave, adorned with giant stalagmites and stalactites. We will then journey to a small, secret lake inhabited by thousands of stingless jellyfish, where we will snorkel among them.
After lunch we will explore the area by ship’s tenders, going in and out of the many bays and inlets looking for birds, and also stopping to see some prehistoric cave paintings said to be between 3,000 and 5,000 years old.
Today we will have a relaxing day of snorkeling on the reefs, exploring the inlets and local areas by paddle board and kayak, or swimming and sunbathing from the white sand beaches of this beautiful piece of paradise.
After a full day of fun and relaxation we will head east for our overnight cruise to our next destination.
We will wake up off a small group of picture-perfect islands, where we will spend the morning exploring the beaches and crystal clear waters and vibrant reefs with our snorkels.
We will then cruise in the direction of the mainland of Papua, where we will visit a local village and meeting the residents, who will welcome us into their village, sharing with us their way of life which consists or fishing and growing nutmeg.
Back on the boat we will continue southeast overnight, enjoying dinner and sunset drinks along the way.
We wake up off the coast of Papua to a most serene and primal scene of a jungle waterfall where a roaring river surrounded by virgin rainforest pours into the sea.
Here we will swim and play in the waterfall and the sea as we take in this most tranquil tropical scenery. We will also have the chance to snorkel through the corals on a nearby reef.
Later in the day we will continue our journey east, stopping off late afternoon for another swim and snorkel on our way to see the whale sharks of Triton Bay.
Triton Bay is a place of unsurpassed natural splendor, where time and tides have sliced the limestone landscape into tall cliffs and numerous islands separated by lagoons and narrow channels. It is also home to fishermen who collect baitfish and keep them in nets attached to specially built platforms, also known as ‘bagans’. It is these and their fish that attract whale sharks.
We will head out in the tenders to see if the sharks are around, and if we are lucky, we will spend a couple of hours in the water with these magnificent creatures.
After lunch we will explore the bays and limestone outcrops aby tender, kayak, and paddle board as well as swim and snorkel from the beautiful white-sand beaches.
This evening we will have a beach BBQ with the crew, with singing and dancing late into the night.
We will spend the morning cruising through the undisturbed coves, caves, and lagoons before heading north through the Namatote Passage, where there is an impressive collection of ancient cave paintings high up on the cliffs.
The afternoon will be filled with more snorkeling, swimming, kayaking and paddling as we relax amidst the beauty of the surrounding jungle covered islands.
We will spend our final evening on the ship resting at anchor and enjoying a farewell dinner with our captain and crew.
In the morning, we will find ourselves at anchor in the harbor of Kaimana, and after an early breakfast our tenders will 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.
$7,550
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Cabin Deck
Cabin Deck. Spacious, air-conditioned twin-share cabins with twin bunks or double beds and private bathroom with toilet 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.
This was my first experience with Adventure Life - and I couldn't have been more pleased with the trip. The guides and local staff in both Buenos Aires and Uruguay were terrific - extremely helpful and accommodating. I really enjoyed meeting the friendly staff in Buenos Aires in person (I left my bags with them for the afternoon).
Karen Snider
TrustScore 4.8 | 174 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 174 reviews on
1 day ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
