WHERE WE GO - OUR CRUISING DESTINATIONS AND ROUTES
On our ship, the GAYA BARU INDAH, we run cruises in the Papua and Malukku provinces of Indonesia. That is Raja Ampat, Triton Bay and the Banda Sea. Our cruises last from 7 to 12 days depending on the route. We change our routes frequently, so if you look for a long cruise, you can combine 2 cruises and enjoy 2 entirely different journeys. For example combine Raja Ampat to Triton Bay with Triton Bay to the Banda Sea and enjoy a great adventure for 24 days.
RAJA AMPAT
Diving in Raja Ampat is quickly gaining a worldwide reputation for its healthy coral reefs, an extreme biodiversity, big and small fish and all kinds of reef critters in abundance. Here divers find over three quarters of the worlds hard coral species and half of its known soft coral species. In 2010 Raja Ampat has been declared the first sanctuary for sharks in Indonesia and provides full protection for turtles, manta rays, mobulas and dugongs, all of which have been sighted more frequently within a few months of gaining protected status. With so many superlatives and a huge area to dive and explore, we offer 3 different routes in Raja Ampat:
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Raja Ampat Central & North including dive sites in the Dampier Straits (Blue Magic, Cape Kri, Manta Sandy...) West Waigeo (Citrus Ridge, Mayhem, Arborek ...) and Pianyemo (Keruo Channel, Melissa's Garden ...), for 7 days, accessible all year
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Raja Ampat North to Wayag including dive sites in the Dampier Straits and West Waigeo and then moving to the far North to explore Aljui Bay, Kawe and the Wayag Islands, for 8 days, accessible all year
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Raja Ampat South including dive sites in Batanta Island (Pulau Dayang ...) and the many small islands in the Misool group, for 10 days, accessible from October to May
Our trips in Raja Ampat start and end in the small town of Waisai on Waigeo Island. Waisai can be reached by fast ferry from Sorong City twice daily. See details here.
Please check our schedule for cruising dates and availability.
TRITON BAY
Triton Bay is located on the southern coast of West Papua province near the town of Kaimana. It is part of the Bird's Head Seascape which is considered to be the epicenter of marine biodiversity in the Indo-Pacific and the world.
Triton Bay is a pristine, wild place where liveaboards can anchor off deserted white sand beaches and divers find themselves hypnotized by great shoals of fish plying a primeval sea. It is still rarely visited and it's local population is small. The colorful hard and soft coral reefs of Triton Bay are full of fish and invertebrates. Divers find something for each and every taste here, from the tiniest nudibranch or pygmy seahorse to dolphins and whale sharks.
A marine protected area has been established here in 2008 to protect the waters from destructive fishing methods.
Our cruises to Triton Bay start in Sorong City and end in Kaimana or vice versa. Kaimana has a small airport with flights to and from Sorong. On these cruises we visit and dive the Daram Islands near Pulau Misool in Raja Ampat, Pisang Island and Momom with it's spectacular waterfall near the mouth of Sanggala Bay along the way. The major part of the cruise is then spent in Triton Bay itself.
Cruises to Triton Bay can be done from October to May.
Please check our schedule for cruising dates and availability.
The BANDA SEA
At the shift of the monsoon winds in October and in April large schools of Hammerhead sharks gather around the Ring of Fire in the Banda Sea. Whales and large pelagic fish such as Mola Mola, Dogtooth Tuna and Sailfish are frequently spotted, too.
These dive sites can only be visited by liveaboard due to their remote location.
Along the way lay the spice islands of Banda Neira with their rich and at times tragic history as well as many other beautiful small islands with their walls and coral gardens.
We combine this cruise with some of the best dives in southern Raja Ampat: the fantastic coral gardens with their extreme biodiversity east of Pulau Misool. From there we go island hopping to Pulau Pisang, Pulau Koon, Pulau Hatta, Banda Neira, Pulau Suanggi and finally reach Pulau Ambon.
These cruises run from Sorong City to Ambon City and vice versa. Please check our schedule for cruising dates and availability.
CENDERAWASIH BAY
In 2002 the Indonesian government declared 1.5 million hectares of the western Cenderawasih Bay a marine protected area (MPA). It is until today the country`s largest marine national park.
Cenderawasih Bay and its islands are becoming well known for its whale shark encounters. Divers can get close to these fish, the largest in the ocean when diving at the floating fishing platforms called Bagan, which were set up by local fishermen. Diving next to whale sharks is an experience no diver will ever forget.
But Cenderawasih Bay is not all about whale sharks. There are over 500 species of hard coral in the bay, nearly 10 times the number one finds in the entire Caribbean Sea. These healthy coral reefs are full of fish and other marine life. Many experienced divers and photographers claim that they have never seen coral gardens equal to Cenderawasih`s. Near the port town of Manokwari divers can visit some outstanding wrecks from World War II in recreational diving depths.
Cruises in Cenderawasih Bay can run from May to September.
NOTE: For the moment we have decided not to run any scheduled cruises in Cenderawasih Bay due to the high fees and the amount of red tape liveaboards have experienced there. We hope that the authorities in charge there will change their ways in the future and trips to this great place become more affordable again.
Private charters for cruises in Cenderawasih Bay are possible with our ship. Please inquire here if you wish to dive these beautiful waters.
