We know we love Raja Ampat. We know we can go back over and over again and not get bored, but we also like something new. So this live-aboard does the classic Raja Ampat then goes north to the Wayag Islands. Slightly less visited but still the wow that you expect from the Raja Ampat Region. 10 days because the itinerary is longer.

Good news on this trip is that Matt and Sheila got a deal on this boat at the scuba trade show and every space is $500 off. That means the trip starts at $5681 for a 10 day live-aboard which is an excellent value, especially as it is an Emperor boat, which means all the little add on fees are all included. Do not underestimate that last bit: other boats can charge port fees, fuel surcharges and nitrox leaving a pretty big bill at the end. Here the pricing is up front!

The boat is new in 2022, called the Emperor Harmoni

There are 4 kinds of cabins on this boat

2 lower deck double cabins

6 lower deck couple share cabins

2 upper deck twins

2 upper deck doubles

Contact me if you want a solo cabin. It is usually 20% off the second cabin. If you book as a single I will do my best to find you a room mate, but don't buy airfare until I do, it is possible to get bumped by a couple. If, you are booking single, it is much better to do this early. Of course you can book as a single and pick your own roomy.

Best is to fly into Jakarta CGK. From there you let local travel agents book domestic flights to Sorong (SOQ) and back. Sorong itself is not the best city. But there is a Swiss Bell Hotel there that is good. Come a day or two early and try and adjust. There is a Bird of Paradise tour you might want to check out if you build in an extra day.

Not really so much in the way of Add Ons with Emperor, as they include nitrox and fees. I will put a nitrox course up as an Add On so you can get that if you don't have it.

We love Raja Ampat, and so does everybody that goes. We have not been to the Wayag region, and this itinerary also goes there.

This boat, the Emperor Harmoni is new in 2022. We have now done 3 liveaboards with this company. They are exceed expectations and the mid level price point.

You can skip this section if you have been on a trip before, you know us already.

For those of you thinking about your first trip with this dive family, welcome! One of the best reasons to come along is the other people that will be there. Good people and fun - and mostly (but not all!) divers.

The only people that will be there for sure though are Matt and Sheila. While we do take input, the travel group is mostly "where do Matt and Sheila want to got, and let's invite our friends!". This leads us to the world's best diving destinations, and some non diving trips that are bucket list worthy!

Matt grew up in Friendswood outside of Houston, went to TexasA&M, got a Ph.D in molecular biology at UCSD, then started Island Divers Hawaii in Honolulu and ran it for 25 years and is retired except for this travel program. Sheila grew up in California, moved to HI at 19, worked in maritime industry with many hats (including boat captain at Island Divers) until she retired with Matt in 2024.

We welcome everyone to try traveling with our group of dive friends. Return invitation is curated, but all reasonable people are welcome back - be nice to local staff, hold off on political rants, dive reasonably and safe, no incessant complaining if things don't go your way. We call our return guests/friends Dive Travel Alumni and keep a special email list for them. Would love to put you on it!