Last updated on August 27th, 2026 at 02:02 pm
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If you like looking at stuff underwater, there is no better place to do that than in Raja Ampat.
Diving and snorkelling in Raja Ampat is basically like dropping into the best aquarium ever, with hundreds of thousands of tropical fish, who are not shy, just enveloping you as one of the school. The coral is STUNNING, the reef teems with life, and if the ocean is kind to you, there are opportunistic chance encounters of orcas, dugongs, and whales.
This isn’t the location you go to have guaranteed encounters of that one thing, like Mantas in Komodo and Whale Sharks in Ari Atoll in the Maldives, but rather the abundance and variety of marine creatures is what is so special about Raja Ampat.
Raja Ampat is known as the ‘Last Paradise’, and it is the most diverse marine environment in the world! It is made up of 15,000 islands, cays and shoals, intertwined, with clear turquoise lagoons, vibrant coral reefs, lush forests and uninhabited islets with powdery white sand… it is quite literally a scuba diver’s heaven.
The best part? It is still relatively undiscovered, with 30,000 tourists visiting last year. (Compared to Bali’s 16 million).
Scientists have found that the coral reef here can only support 20,000 or so visitors a year, mainly due to the waste we vertical animals produce. Luckily, Raja Ampat is a pain in the ass to get to, which keeps the masses at bay. I have written a whole article on how to get to Raja Ampat, so head there if you want to know more about that. Otherwise, I’ll just skip to the good stuff!
CONTENTS
- Finally making it to Raja Ampat
- Where to Stay in Raja Ampat
- When to Dive in Raja Ampat
- Dive Sites we went to in Raja Ampat
- That Raja Ampat Photo
- Final Musings on Raja Ampat!
Finally Making it to Raja Ampat
Raja Ampat had long been on my diving bucket list, but I had been putting it off due to the perceived expense. What finally made me take the plunge this year was that I was lured in by an Instagram post!
The clincher was an aerial view of Nyande Raja Ampat. When I saw the long decking stretching into the ocean with the water bungalows, Bora-Bora style, each having its own ladder dropping straight into the house reef, I was sold.
I quickly scanned the comment section for the price, expecting it to be tens of thousands of dollars, and I was pleasantly surprised when I saw it was £60 a night!
This is above my normal backpacking budget, yes, but for a very special experience, I could pull it off. As I always say, I am 90% backpacker and 10% bougie – I normally travel on the cheap, but I do love a gourmet meal and a bottle of Krug every now and then!
Where to Stay in Raja Ampat
When I first looked into going to Raja Ampat about ten years ago, all the dive resorts were incredibly expensive, but nowadays you can find homestays that offer water bungalows and full board for 30 GBP a night, so there is quite a scope on budget.
Out of the 1500 blobs of sand and land in Raja Ampat, roughly 20 of them have accommodation for tourists. The most popular choices for stays are:
KRI
45 minutes from Waisai
Famous for incredible house reefs. It has the largest concentration of homestays, long beaches, and easy access to Dampier Strait dive sites.
MANSUAR
60 minutes from Waisai
Offers world-class reefs similar to Kri, but with a more laid-back vibe. Closest base to famous dive sites like Manta Sandy and Manta Point.
ARBOREK
.5 Hours from Waisai
A tiny, walkable island with authentic Papuan village culture. The snorkelling off the main pier is world-class, and the location is convenient for day trips to Piaynemo.
GAM
45 Minutes from Waisai
A massive, mountainous island best for jungle trekking and bird watching, with fewer tourists than the surrounding islands. It can take longer to reach some of the more iconic dive sites, though.
MISOOL
4 Hours by Speedboat from Waisai, or 9 Hours overnight in a public ferry from Sorong once per week
Located in the south, far from the central islands. Known for dramatic, hidden karst lagoons and incredibly healthy reefs. It’s also the only place in the world you can see Reef Mantas and Oceanic Mantas living together and interacting.
I didn’t stay in Misool, but this guy did, so if it piques your interest, I’ve shared their blog for more details on taking the overnight ferry and booking homestays.
Some accommodations can be found on Booking.com, as well as Stay Raja Ampat.
We stayed on Mansuar Island, only because we really wanted to stay at Nyande (the power of Instagram).
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We paid £360 for 6 days, including all food, unlimited drinking water, tea, coffee and fruit, but not including scuba. Nyande calls itself a resort but is technically a homestay, run by Andy and Esni. It is (rumour has it, can confirm) the nicest place on this part of Mansuar Island. There are other options that are cheaper, a similar style, but more basic.
One of the best parts about Nyande is the gorgeous House Reef, where you can go snorkelling in between dives. You’ll see sharks and turtles right off the jetty, dolphins at sunset, and you may even get adopted by a little Sergeant-major fish, who picks you up from your bungalow and swims under your belly like a best friend for two hours. I was sad to see him go.
Another amazing thing about staying at and diving with Nyande is that their equipment is all brand spanking new, and Julio, their resident Divemaster, is probably the best dive guide I have ever had.
His ability to find Pygmy Seahorses smaller than your fingernail at every turn is baffling. Sometimes, even when he was showing them to me, I couldn’t see them; I was just pretending I could because it had gone on too long and it was embarrassing.
We loved the dogs, Meg, Nero and JJ – who escort you on walks and are just super cute and lovely.
For me, two dives a day is really fine. The first dive of the day is followed by cookies, coffee and fruit at a different tiny paradise island each day.
My favourite ‘morning break’ island was Cat Island, an uninhabited little sandbar with wooden benches and a horde of ginger cats (how did they get there?) They like cake, by the way!
I feel like I keep overusing the word paradise while I am here, but what else can I say? It’s dreamlike, utopia, pinch-me, wonderland, eden, shangri-la. What do you want me to say? RAJA AMPAT IS UNREAL.
A few things to note…
They do tell you not to keep any food in your room, and you should listen. I had a bread roll in my bag from the plane I had forgotten about, and during the night, some jungle creature had nibbled its way through my backpack to reach it.
Luckily, one of the sweet staff members sewed heart-shaped patches on my bag to cover the holes. It was entirely my fault, but yeah, the bungalows are essentially open-air, so jungle furries can enter.
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When to Dive in Raja Ampat
The ideal time for scuba diving in Raja Ampat is from October to April, when seas are calmer, visibility is excellent, and water temperatures are warm, ranging between 27–30°C.
While diving is possible year-round (we went in May; it only rained one day), the October to April season provides better visibility for critter spotting and pelagic encounters.
If you prefer fewer people and don’t mind choppier seas and a thrilling drift, diving out of season will probably suit you better!
Dive Sites we went to in Raja Ampat (with my shorthand notes)
- Friwen Wall – Fish Hypnosis, Orangutan Crab (cool!), don’t know where to look so many fishies – no other boats
- Mioksun – Strong current, Wobbygong Shark, heaps of Blue Spotted Sting rays, Orangutan Crab, eensy-weensy octopus – no other boats
- Mayhem – Amazing dive! My best in Raja! Fish frenzy, white-tip, black-tip, Wobbygong Shark, massive-ass Turtle, active Octopus, Barracuda, Giant Trevally, mesmerising, exceptional. Busy, 4 other boats.
- Citrus Ridge – Fun current, had hooks just in case, but didn’t use them. Tiny Pygmy Seahorses and Pipefish. Not as much action as the others, but your worst dive at Raja Ampat is still better than your best dive at most dive sites in the world! – No other boats.
- House Reef Night Dive – Lots of Octopus who were all afraid and turned white, it made me sad. Lionfish, sleeping Wobbegong Shark, Weird Jellyfish community with electric sparks. What was that!?
- Cape Kri – Difficulties with ears and an unexpected change in current meant we were swimming against the very strong current – a very, very challenging dive. Julio hooked me onto rocks on the reef where I sat being blasted; it was as strong as the Komodo shotgun. Not for me. Lots of schools of fish, but couldn’t enjoy – no other boats.
- Melissa’s Garden – Amazing corals, the best I have ever seen. Poor visibility, so nothing in the blue. Occy, Mantis Shrimp (they are so funny!) Pygmy Seahorse. Corals were sensational – one other boat.
- Batu Rufus – Again, coral was the star. Also, turtles and sleeping sharks. Nice drift from the current. Terrible visibility, couldn’t see past 5m, rained heavily the night before – no other boats
- Fam Wall – Sleeping Occy, Moray Eels (so ugly!) Bad visibility. Nice to practice buoyancy and look for tiny stuff in the reef, as blue was opaque.
FOR TRAVEL INSURANCE for Raja Ampat, I used SafetyWing, as they let me open a policy partway through my travels, and they cover scuba diving in their adventure sports add-on!
They do a 4-week rolling one for nomads, and I have claimed several times with them, and the process has always been straightforward and efficient.
That Raja Ampat Photo
You know, that photo!
The desktop screensaver-type – can’t be real, iconic Raja Ampat photo?
That’s Piaynemo, a panoramic view of steep, tree-covered limestone rocks jutting out from sparkling turquoise water.
And it looks just like it does in the photos: gorgeous.
There are two viewpoints; the main one has tuck shops where you can get fresh coconut and snacks (so bring cash). Nyande made sure to take us there early so we could climb to the viewpoint without throngs of other tourists (As we were leaving, several full boats were showing up).
You can’t swim here because of crocodiles! Who’d have thought?
Final Musings on Raja Ampat
- Yes, Raja Ampat is as good as it is made out to be.
- Aside from a quick snap at Piaynemo, it’s really all about what’s underwater.
- Despite the rumours, it’s not too over-touristed, and beginners can learn to dive here, as long as they avoid the sites that have strong currents.
- If you don’t dive, Raja Ampat would be great for snorkelling, but only in the high-visibility months.
Raja Ampat has really set the bar so high for scuba diving. Is there anywhere in the world you think tops Raja Ampat? Let me know in the comments!
Thank you for reading my travel guide on diving in Raja Ampat, the underwater wonderland!
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Happy Travels! xx
