Raja Ampat and Halmahera plus Lembeh Strait | Cruising Indonesia | The Liveaboard and Dive Specialists Raja Ampat and Halmahera plus Lembeh Strait | Cruising Indonesia | The Liveaboard and Dive Specialists

Raja Ampat and Halmahera plus Lembeh Strait

This trip takes us from Sorong in West Papua, through the Moluccas Sea for diving Raja Ampat, Halmahera and the best of Manado and Lembeh in North Sulawesi. The 700 nautical mile journey takes us through a range of different land and seascapes. The trip starts in the beautiful Misool Island Group in Raja Ampat. On the south coast of Halmahera we will dive walls and drop-offs with big fish action. The small islands off the west coast of Halmahera home great coral reefs. The end of the trip in North Sulawesi offers you pristine coral reefs, great fish life and spectacular critter diving in the famous black sand of the Lembeh Strait. A diverse trip with something for everybody!

GET IN TOUCH!

Last update: January 25, 2023

Map of dive cruise from Sorong to Bitung

RAJA AMPAT, HALMAHERA PLUS LEMBEH 

Papua, Moluccas and Sulawesi on a once-in-a-lifetime dive cruise

1. OUR LAST DIVE CRUISE SORONG-BITUNG

2. NEXT DEPARTURES 2023 & 2024

3. A MIX OF INDONESIA’S FINEST DIVE SITES

4. DIVING SEASON

5. HOW TO GET THERE

6. LUXURY CRUISES & CHARTERS


1. OUR LAST DIVE CRUISE SORONG-BITUNG

Blacktip reef shark and coral garden in Halmahera

Last year, Ondina Liveaboard ran the epic trip Raja Ampat, Halmahera and Lembeh Strait on from 15.MAY.22 to 25.MAY.22. The cruise went incredibly well, with good weather and lots of current induced action, large schools of Jackfish and barracudas, and an unusual sight of an Omura whale, a subspecies of Bryde’s whale that is only found in the waters between Philippines, Raja Ampat and Halmahera.

Many liveaboard across the Indonesian Archipelago, now are offering traversing Banda Sea or Molucca Sea while traveling as the seasons change, all these liveaboard cruises offer some of the most exciting diving in Indonesia, but the long trip proposed by Ondina from Sorong to Bitung, is one of the ultimate liveaboard experiences in Asia! Why? Because offers to the divers, the better of 3 diverse regions of Indonesia: Misool, the best wide-angle diving in the entire archipelago of Raja Ampat; Halmahera, actually also, Bacan and Goraici Island Group in Patinti Strait, a vast expanse of sea great to spot pelagic and photograph large schools of fish; and finally, Lembeh Strait in Sulawesi, promises top class macro and muck diving.

2. NEXT DEPARTURES 2023 - 2024 - 2025

Scuba diver and big sponge in Indonesia

Book in advance this special dive cruise that takes place only once a year in the changing seasons.

Only few yachts have the Raja Ampat and Halmahera plus Lembeh Strait (Sorong-Bitung and Sorong-Manado) or Raja Ampat-Halmahera (Sorong-Ternate) dive cruises in their scheduled departures 2023 and 2024.

Contact us for up dates on new routes and dates.

GET IN TOUCH!

Dives cruises departures 2023 - 2024 - 2025

Scuba diver on wall dive in Indonesia

Jul 01-12, 2023 - 11 nights - Bitung-Sorong - €4.235

May 12-23, 2024 - 11 nights - Sorong-Bitung - €4.235

Jun 24-05 Jul, 2024 - 11 nights - Bitung-Sorong - €4.235

Oct 1-12, 2024 - 11 nights - Sorong-Bitung - €4.235

Oct 14-25, 2024 - 11 nights - Bitung-Sorong - €4.235

Apr 29-10 May, 2025 - 11 nights - Sorong-Bitung - €4.345

Aug 17-28, 2023, 2025 - 11 nights - Bitung-Sorong - €4.345

Feb 20-Mar 02, 2024 - 11 nights - Manado-Sorong - US$5.435

Feb 25-Mar 07, 2024 - 11 nights - Sorong-Manado - US$5.109

Mar 07-19, 2024 - 11 nights - Manado-Sorong - US$5.109

You only need a small deposit to reserve your dive trip now!

GET IN TOUCH!

3. A MIX OF INDONESIA’S FINEST DIVE SITES

Big school of fish in Indonesia

Misool

The beauty of the Misool Island Group will carry you away. This entire region is one enormous ancient limestone basin and even has limestone as the seafloor. Those who have travelled to Palau can picture these little tropical islands covered of palms, with steep sided walls where wind and sea has worn the rock away.

The islands, or islets, are uncountable. The larger ones, like Misool itself, have canyons and lagoons speckled with white sand beaches ideal for tender boat rides. One can spend hours exploring and never see the same bay. It really is a place of great beauty both above and below the water. It's rightly being considered by the Indonesian government for national park status and by the United Nations as a world heritage site.

Misool is one of the places on earth where you´ll find the most various species of fish, hard and soft corals, sponges, worms, nudibranchs, shrimps and crabs and all kind of non-vertebrates, like cuttlefish and octopus. You will as well come across Wobbegong shark and Epaulette sharks, which you will only find in the region of “Raja Ampat“. Giant clams as well as fantastic tiny shells. Photographers as well as Videographers will have the dives of their lifetime.

Cruises for scuba divers in Indonesia

Marengarano Bay

Steep walls with excellent soft coral growth, sponges, sea fans and hard corals are the foreground to schools of barracuda, sharks, eagle rays and jacks. Humphead parrotfish, sweetlips and batfish and many other species can be seen here. Visibility is often 20m plus. For the night dive we move to a protected bay in southern Mandiolis.

Goraici Island Group

In the morning we reach the islands of Ado, Gafi and Siko – comprising the island group of Goraici. Here we will spend two days where you can expect diverse dive sites with excellent visibility. Amazing reeftops where hard and leather corals compete for space, submerged pinnacles, walls and slopes all with beautiful coral growth.

In the volcanic island of Makian a fantastic view awaits as we cruise closer to the volcano looms high with the sunrise behind. With an elevation of 600m and thick vegetation this will be a sunrise to remember. The natural beauty continues below the waterline. Under the pier we have a chance to do a great muck dive with frogfish, ghost pipefish, scorpion fish and all kinds of eels amongst the coral covered pillars. In the north of Makian, colorful coral contrasts beautifully with the black sand.

Cruises for divers in Indonesia: Crocodile fish

Tifore

Overnight the cruise continues to the remote island of Tifore which lies in between Halmahera and Sulawesi. We will dive in 3 different spots with big fish action guaranteed. On the submerged reef we have a chance to see a big school of barracuda, and with a bit of luck you will watch as they form a barrel above you. Also look out for bigeye trevally, humphead parrotfish, sweetlips and many more. A dive do not miss.

Bangka

Arrival in Bangka, North Sulawesi renowned for its diversity, coral growth and beautiful underwater scenery. Exciting dive sites with huge boulders and rocks overgrown with black coral. Rich coral gardens provide habitat for scores of fish. Pygmy seahorses, leaf scorpion fish, ghost pipefish and frogfish can also be found.

Cruises for divers in Indonesia: Blu-ringed octopus

Lembeh Strait

Here our journey will end, but not before we enjoy the special critter dives on offer here. The last dives will be on different dive sites in the Lembeh Strait. On the black sand you can find mimic octopus, hairy frogfish, flying gurnards, Pegasus sea moths and so many kinds of nudibranchs. Muck diving at its best.

GET IN TOUCH!

4. DIVING SEASON

Diving season: From May to June. The periods indicate are the best times for diving in this cruising route. 

Rainy season: From January to February and from June to August. 

Cruises for divers in Indonesia: coral reef

Water temperature: 26-30°C. A 3mm shorty should be sufficient. If you feel the cold easily a 5mm shorty is advisable. 

Visibility: 10-30m. 

Depths: 5- >40m. 

Currents: Usually gently but can be strong. 

Surface conditions: Calm. 

Experience level: Beginner – intermediate – advanced. 

Dive sites: >80. 

Length of stay: Recommended 11-16 days on liveaboard cruise.

GET IN TOUCH!

5. HOW TO GET THERE

Cruises for divers in Indonesia

Airports: Sorong Airport in West Papua and Manado Airport in Sulawesi, both airports are connected with domestic flights from Jakarta, Bali or Makassar, and all these are hub for international flights. 

Weather: 27-32ºC. 

Time zone: Sulawesi GMT +8, and Maluku and Papua GMT +9.

Transit night & connecting flight: You may need to spend one night in transit in Indonesia before and/or after your cruise, depending on your domestic and international flight schedules. We have the most competitive airfares with the most convenient flight timetables, and hotels for all budgets.

Does it seem complicated? Contact an operator who speaks your language and who can assist you in Indonesia. Feel free to contact us now!

Cruises for divers in Indonesia: clownfish with eggs in anemone

GET IN TOUCH!

6. LUXURY CRUISES & CHARTERS

Why you should rent a charter boat on the route from Raja Ampat to Halmahera plus Lembeh Strait? If you are a group of adventurous divers always looking for new diving emotions, new dives sites, new marine species, and the most important be off the beaten track, this is the route of a dive cruise for you! You and your group will be free to choose your own itinerary, certainly Cruising Indonesia will put its experience at your disposal to advise you on the best dive sites in each region. The team of cruise directors and dive masters will do the rest. Many of the initial potential dive sites now are consolidate dive sites where you can find what your experience liveaboard team offer in your briefing before each diving. 

GET IN TOUCH


Cruising Indonesia | The Liveaboard & Dive Specialists

Cruising Indonesia is committed to ensuring you not only a perfect diving holiday but also the best price guarantee. Contact us and we will arrange everything you need: every single details of your cruise reservation, the international & domestic flights, the ground services, an amazing tour extension...

Reserve a dive cruise now!

RESERVATIONS

18,307 islands
World-class scuba diving destinations
Cruising Indonesia - diving and liveaboards