Bucket list alert!  Does anybody want to combine a dive trip in Raja Ampat with a snorkel with whales? sperm or killer?  How about we finish up in Ambon for some of their famous macro diving?  This trip is the same at the Oct 5th to 16th trip except in the other direction from Ambon to Raja Ampat.

That is up to us.  Probably 2-3 days.  It is usually reef dives in the morning and following the pods in the afternoon.  We will get close to the whales on small boats and roll off the side to spend time in the water with a snorkel and camera.  When the whales move on, repeat.  We will probably do this all afternoon.  The big boat will be nearby, so keep going or quit when you want.  Sometimes, an evening reef dive.  The whale aggregations are not particularly close to either Raja Ampat or Ambon, and we are definitely doing some diving at each of those places, so that leaves the middle of the trip.  I imagine how much time we spend with the whales will depend on our encounters on the first couple of days trying. There will be a cetacean expert on board.

Ambon (AMQ) is the airport you will fly to to get onto the boat. There are flights from Jakarta (CGK), then use a local agent to get to AMQ.

We will be boarding the boat on the 19th of October.  You are probably coming a long why with the potential for flight delays and missed connections.  Maybe arrive a couple of days early.  The first trip (which Matt and Sheila are on) drops off in Ambon on the 16th of October, so we'll already be there.  There is a local dive operator, and Ambon is known for diving as a stand alone destination, so if you do get in early you can get a few pre trip dives in.  Let us know if you want to help us book you in.  

If you do miss the boat, don't panic and not fly to Ambon.  The chances are that the local crew can help you hire a speed boat and get caught up to the liveaboard, we dive in the area for two days.  

The trip drops off in the town of Sorong (airport code SOQ).  Sorong doesn't have much going for it.  That being said I we will have done a bird watching tour from there before the first trip, so if you want to stick around a day for that it might be worth it. Just let me know if you are interested in that.  If you want a hotel in Sorong Swiss Bel is a good bet.  

Domestic flights:  these are a real headache to set up online.  I suggest you just let us point you to a domestic agent and you can work directly with them.  

Agung Wiraputra has done this for our past couple of Indonesia trips, he is happy to help.  Email: agung@baliagungsolusi.com  He is based in Indonesia and works with our booking agent in the US on a regular basis.  

Political discussions are banded on this group trip.  We have diving in common, talk about that!