Jewels of Raja Ampat aboard Katharina

You will be greeted by your tour leader at Sorong airport (or hotel) in the morning and taken to the boat, and after settling into your new home for the next ten days we will set course for the southernmost islands, part of the Raja Ampat National Park. After an alfresco lunch, we will stop for our first swim and snorkel on a coral reef, before continuing on our way south. Pre-dinner cocktails will be served on the back deck as the sun goes down and brings an end to our first day as we cruise on through the night. NB* Due to the unpredictability of flight schedules we highly recommend arriving in Sorong the day before departure. Ask us about pre-tour accommodation options.

Meals:  L,D

Today we 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 snorkelling. We will spend the day exploring the many inlets and bays and beaches with some trekking, swimming and snorkelling. We will also break out the kayaks and paddle boards for some seaborne adventuring. After our full day of island-hopping we will spend a quiet night at anchor under the stars.

Meals:  B,L,D

After an early breakfast, our 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 areas most memorable experiences. We will then 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 our tenders, we will 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.

Meals:  B,L,D

Today we will try our best to see the Lesser Birds of Paradise in the wild, an unforgettable experience for anyone lucky enough to see them. We will 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 will take place as we snorkel around one of the best coral reefs in the world. School of fish hanging out in the deep and colourful sea fans sticking out of the wall. Late in the afternoon, we will be watching the sunset while sailing our way to Batanta island.

Meals:  B,L,D

Today, the island of Batanta offers us 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, our guides will lead us through the forest on a short walk to the first of two waterfalls, where we can swim and cool off. The fitter of the group can keep heading upriver where a second, larger cascade awaits. After getting back to the boat and having lunch, we will go snorkelling and get the paddle boards and kayaks in the water, before heading north later in the afternoon and overnight cruise to a beautiful group of islands.

Meals:  B,L,D

In the morning, we will 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. We will spend the afternoon snorkelling and kayaking amongst three small islands linked together by some pristine coral reefs, or you can simply choose to relax on the beach.

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning will explore a small group of limestone islands filled with coves and beautiful reefs. After breakfast, we will go ashore for a short climb to a vantage point where we can survey our beautiful surroundings, before heading out to snorkel on the beautiful reefs. During lunch we will 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.

Meals:  B,L,D

Central Raja Ampat stores many magical underwater gems. Today, we will be exploring some of them. Starting 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 practice through local community effort. Its house reef offers an abundance of marine life which is why we will spend the rest of our morning snorkelling here and if we’re lucky, maybe catch sight of a wobbegong shark. Another underwater adventure awaits in the afternoon as we make our way to the eastern point of Mansuar. Famous for its school of big fish, you can see humphead wrasse and school of giant trevalley swimming next to each other, maybe greeted by the resident hawksbill turtle. Tonight, we will have a beach BBQ and celebrate with the crew under the stars.

Meals:  B,L,D

Today sees 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 we arrive at the bird site at dawn, if we are lucky, we will 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. We will then walk through a colourful 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 we will head off for some more great snorkelling in the famous wall on the east of Gam Island before we sail overnight to an island nearby Sorong.

Meals:  B,L,D

We will wake up anchored in Sorong and have one last hearty breakfast on board before heading on our very last adventure to Doom Island with traditional transportation called Becak. During the First World War, the island served as an administrative centre of Dutch Empire administration in West Papua and continued to become the core of Sorong for some time before the city grew in mainland Papua. During the Second World War, Japanese forces occupied and fortified the island, building a network of tunnels and bunkers. The island was attacked by American and Australian aircraft throughout the war. Following the war, a fishing station was briefly established on the island before it was moved to Manokwari. After our little adventure, we will bid farewell to the ship and her crew. Our tenders will take you ashore for your transfer to the airport for your onward travel.

Meals:  B