2009 dates:
Sorong to Lembeh
Halmahera Liveaboard trips
| ~5 Star Dive Reviews ~ Divers from our 2005, 2006 & 2007 trips created reports on Undercurrent. If you would like a copy of their comments, please send us an email so we can tell you how to find them. Both gave our trips 5 stars in all appropriate categories. |
|
New!2009Schedule for Raja Ampat, Halmahera, Lembeh Liveaboard Charters |
|
| Nitrox available on SMY Ondina | |
|
2009 Raja Ampat - Halmahera - Lembeh Strait Trip | ||
2009 dates: |
|||
| May 8-20 Sorong to Lembeh |
|||
| Cost per person: $4095 | |||
| WHAT: | Liveaboard Dive Trip focused on underwater photography | ||
| WHERE: | Cruise through the islands of Raja Ampat, the islands west of Halmahera. Includes Lembeh Strait. | ||
| HOW: | Indonesian liveaboard "SMY Ondina" with extra dives, services, menu, and special itinerary | ||
| WHY: | These one-way dive trip visits some of the best areas for diving in Indonesia, including Raja Ampat's Dampier Strait, Kofiau, Banca and Halmahera's Gorachi islands, and Lembeh Strait. | ||
| COST: | $4095 per person, boat only. Inquire for air flights. more info | ||
| email us about Halmahera Liveaboard trips |
|||
| Images & Photo Galleries | |||
| Raja Ampat Liveaboard Pictures | |||
| 2008 Raja Ampat / Halmahera / Lembeh Liveaboard Trip | |
The trip will concentrate mostly on the diving around Halmahera. We start in Sorong and after diving around the Dampier Straits, take a different route than our normal Raja Ampat trips. We will dive Kofiau. Fish diversity is high throughout Raja Ampat. Kofiau consistently has one of the highest species counts per site (a remarkable average of 228 species as counted by Nature Conservancy’s REA in 2002). For underwater and above water beauty Kofiau ranks in the top 3 areas for Raja Ampat.
Halmahera is a fairly new destination. SMY Ondina will be explored the area with the Spanish Geological Society in 2007. The trip will finish up in Lembeh Strait with muck diving. As an add-on to this liveaboard trip, book some diving at Lembeh Strait. The ship can drop you at any resort in Lembeh, so no drying, packing or surface interval for flying required! We offer an add-on to this trip at a small resort on Lembeh Strait with exellent diving, private guides, 5 boats, 6 cottages for 11 divers, plus great views and food. This Lembeh Trip is limited to 9 guests. Please inquire even if you only want to join the group for the land-based Lembeh diving. If you are interested please email us about the Raja -Ampat - Halmahera - Lembeh Strait dive trip so that we can inform you of the exact details and answer any questions. The ship is spending some time in Halmahera in 2008, so we will have more information as the year progresses. |
|
| A few comments from the 2005 Raja Ampat group: | ||
|
Undercurrent: Two divers from our 2005 trips created reports on Undercurrent. If you would like a copy of their comments, please send us an email so we can tell you how to find them. Both gave our trips 5 stars in all appropriate categories. "I just wanted to thank you for a really great trip - one of the very best I have ever done and from a photographic viewpoint, the most productive ever!" "I've been on two of Deb's trips - one to St. Vincent and one the past few weeks with her in Raja Ampat. I organize charters myself, and the
reason I've gone with her (and expect to again in the future) is that
she simply constructs and runs outstanding uw photo trips. She goes out
of her way to think of every detail, and directs the dive operators she
uses so as to maximize photo opportunities for her groups. For example,
I saw far more critters in St. Vincent in a week with her than I did in
more than two weeks on a private charter I did in that area with my own
group. Likewise, I had far more and better photo opp's in Raja Ampat
on this trip last week than on a charter of the same length there that
I organized earlier this year. I realize that this makes it sound like
the trips I organize are crappy, and that's really not the case; it's just that Deb's trips are really a cut above. "I like Deb's trips because she doesn't have to be nice to anybody." "I have only good things to say about the trip you organised. The diving was even better than expected. The crew and the boat were excellent, the food was a joy. I had a lot of laughs with Ricard, David and Co. I'd go back any day. I would have liked to stay longer in Misool, maybe an extra day, but that's a personal preference, I had never seen coral like this before (even after 5 trips to the Maldives, and the Maldives is great believe me). I am very suprised we didn't see more sharks, you never said sharks was not on the menu <joke>" |
||
|
While we do not offer instruction (except for beginners and some assistance with intermediate composition, lighting, etc.) we do offer a well-organized trip with all the details worked out. We strive to include only compatible divers & photographers on our trips so that everyone has a great time as well as brings home great photos. Over the past 14 years of arranging dive trips for groups to Indonesia, the Caribbean and the Philippines, we've learned a great deal about what most photographers want from a dive trip... i.e. great diving, freedom to get that perfect shot, good tasty food, comfortable accommodations, stable electrical supplies and a congenial group to share the big finds and photo conversations. We do screen our guests, and require they behave themselves while on our trip... so if you are grumpy, want to hog photo subjects found by the guides and your desire is to be unhappy and let others know, .. please find another trip. We receive heaps of praise for our organized trips. References readily available from previous trip members!
Water Temp : The water temperature will be variable. Ranging from a possible 78°F to 86°F. A 3mm suit is recommended with layering (vest) and hood suggested. 1mm can be worn by most divers in Raja Ampat. Liveaboard Travel: Will be variable. Some islands are far apart, others very close together. Some days we will stay at anchor overnight, and a few nights will involve a long 10-14 hour cruise. Conditions: This trip covers long distances. For at least 3 nights we will be traveling overnight in open seas. Expect some rolling. The season should be relatively dry and calm. Wide Angle Photography: Raja Ampat and west Halmahera will provide ample wide angle possiblities with fabulous corals and fish. Macro Photography: This trip includes a variety of places for macro photography and concludes (or for April 30, begins) at Lembeh Strait, which is world-famous for its macro / muck diving. Current: While there is a lot of current on certain sites, we do NOT want or plan to drift and try to take photos. We do NOT want guests to be struggling with camera gear in strong currents. | ||
| About the Liveaboard: |
|
SMY Ondina is a 7 year old Indonesian traditional Pinisi ship specifically designed and outfitted exclusively for diving. It was upgraded in 2007. (BTW the sail color is traditional.. not dirty.)
We have separate webpages with medium size photos, boat specs and amenities.. be sure to look at the photo gallery and read the captions. SMY Ondina - Raja Ampat Liveaboard Details & Pictures
|
| Availability & Cost: |
|
2009: 12 night / 12 day Raja Ampat - Halmahera - Lembeh Resort Liveaboard Trip Trip full, but ask to be waitlisted. Ask about guaranteed single cabins (limited availabilty). May 8-20, 2009 Dive cruise includes:
Not included:
more about the Indonesia liveaboard ship
|
| How to Get to Indonesia for the Raja Ampat - Halmahera - Lembeh Strait Liveaboard trip |
|
These trips travel between Sorong and Lembeh Strait.. The best choice for an International flight is into Manado (MDC). Lembeh Strait (where we board the ship) is a 1 hour drive from Manado. Flights from Manado to Sorong are once or twice daily. International flights to Manado, Indonesia connect through Singapore, Hong Kong, and other countries. Usually an overnight in Manado is required before going on to Sorong to meet the ship. Two or three nights is recommended so that you are not tired for your liveaboard diving.. We will organize these flights for you, book any hotel overnights you require and arrange for you to be met at the airport in Manado and transferred to and from your hotel. Since people come from all over the world for our trips, we are not all traveling together but do tend to meet in Manado, Singapore, Bali, LAX, JFK, etc. on the inbound trip. It is normal for single travelers to meet others, share a room or a side trip before or after the liveaboard trip. Transfers between the airport and ship are included in the package price. Note any hotel overnights and air travel are not included in the trip price. We are not travel agents but will assist you organize your travel which you will purchase directly from an airline wholesaler or an agent in Indonesia (through us). You can use frequent flyer miles to Singapore (or other destinations) to decrease the cost of your dive trip. You should carefully check the cost of additional flights as its possible this might not be a good use of your frequent flier miles unless you can get all the way to Indonesia on them. We have an arrangement for air tickets with Singpore Airlines from the USA to Indonesia with very good prices and terms. TERMS & CONDITIONS FOR THIS TRIP: Please read our terms & conditions page prior to sending a deposit.
call us in Texas at 817-626-0636 for information or email us about Raja Ampat - Halmahera - Lembeh Strait trips
If you are interested in this trip we REALLY must speak with you about it to determine whether this trip will be suitable for you. So, please call or schedule for us to call you. 817.626.0636
Deb Fugitt |
Scuba Globe feature article on Raja Ampat Diving