Sailing Indonesia: Jewels of Raja Ampat

Before dawn, be ferried to a local village and follow the local guides on a trek through the jungle in the hope of finding the beautiful Wilson’s Bird of Paradise perform its mating dance ritual upon the forest floor. On the way back to the boat, be accompanied by the sounds of the jungle coming to life and we spot a number of bird species along the way. After a well-earned late breakfast, spend the remainder of the day enjoying snorkeling, swimming and exploring the reefs and islands of the local area by kayak and paddleboard.

Today is the second and final early morning wake up, this time to see the red bird of paradise high in the canopy of the rainforest. Extremely extroverted show-offs, these birds dance and squawk their way around the trees trying to impress the female of the species, making for an incredible show. Return to the ship for breakfast followed by snorkeling on some of Raja Ampat’s most spectacular reefs in the Dampier Strait. If the tides are favorable, see some of the area’s larger species of marine life, which are attracted by the currents in these nutrient rich waters.

End the day at a local inhabited island, where the village kids act as tour guides of their beautiful village and then perform some local folk dances. Weigh anchor before dinner, enjoying sunset cocktails on the back deck as the ship cruises south.

Today wake up in southern Raja Ampat at the island of Misool, a picturesque archipelago of forest-covered limestone islets just teeming with coral reefs that has adventures aplenty on offer. Swim through a massive and ancient sea cave, adorned with giant stalagmites and stalactites. Then journey to a small, secret lake inhabited by thousands of stingless jellyfish to snorkel among them. After lunch, explore the area by ship’s tenders, going in and out of the many bays and inlets looking for birds and also stopping to see some prehistoric cave paintings said to be 3,000-5,000 years old.

Today is a relaxing day of snorkeling on the reefs, exploring the inlets and local areas by paddleboard and kayak, or swimming and sunbathing from the white sand beaches of this beautiful piece of paradise. After a full day of fun and relaxation, head east for an overnight cruise to the next destination.

Wake up off a small group of picture-perfect islands. Spend the morning exploring the beaches and crystal clear waters and vibrant reefs with snorkels. Then cruise in the direction of the mainland of Papua to visit a local village and meet the welcoming residents, who share their way of life which consists of fishing and growing nutmeg. Back on the boat, continue southeast overnight, enjoying dinner and sunset drinks along the way.

Wake up off the coast of Papua to a most serene and primal scene of a jungle waterfall where a roaring river surrounded by virgin rainforest pours into the sea. Swim and play in the waterfall and the sea while taking in the tranquil tropical scenery. Also have the chance to snorkel through the corals on a nearby reef. Later in the day the ship continues her journey east, stopping off in the late afternoon for another swim and snorkel on her way to see the whale sharks of Triton Bay.

Triton Bay is a place of unsurpassed natural splendor, where time and tides have sliced the limestone landscape into tall cliffs and numerous islands separated by lagoons and narrow channels. It is also home to fishermen who collect baitfish and keep them in nets attached to specially built platforms to attract whale sharks. Head out in the tenders to see if the sharks are around and hope to spend a couple of hours in the water with these magnificent creatures.

After lunch, explore the bays and limestone outcrops by tender, kayak, and paddleboard as well as swim and snorkel from the beautiful white sand beaches. This evening, enjoy a beach barbecue with the crew, with singing and dancing late into the night.

Spend the morning cruising through the undisturbed coves, caves and lagoons before heading north through the Namatote Passage, where there is an impressive collection of ancient cave paintings high up on the cliffs. The afternoon is filled with more snorkeling, swimming, kayaking and paddling while relaxing amidst the beauty of the surrounding jungle-covered islands. Spend the final evening on the ship resting at anchor and enjoying a farewell dinner with the captain and crew.

In the morning, the ship is already at anchor in the harbor of Kaimana. After an early breakfast, be transferred ashore and then to the airport for your onward travel.

Spend the morning cruising through undisturbed coves, caves and lagoons before heading north through the Namatote Passage, where there is an impressive collection of ancient cave paintings high up on the cliffs. The afternoon is filled with more snorkeling, swimming, kayaking and paddling while relaxing amidst the beauty of the surrounding jungle-covered islands and cliffs.

Triton Bay is a place of unsurpassed natural splendor, where time and tides have sliced the limestone landscape into tall cliffs and numerous islands separated by lagoons and narrow channels. It is also home to fishermen who collect baitfish and keep them in nets attached to specially built platforms which attracts whale sharks. Head out in the tenders to see if the sharks are around and hope to spend a couple of hours in the water with these magnificent creatures.

After lunch, explore the bays and limestone outcrops by tender, kayak, and paddleboard as well as swim and snorkel from the beautiful white-sand beaches, before heading west later in the day for an overnight crossing.

Wake up off the coast of Papua to a most serene and primal scene of a jungle waterfall where a roaring river surrounded by virgin rainforest pours into the sea. Swim and play in the waterfall and the sea while taking in the tranquil tropical scenery. Also have the chance to snorkel through the corals on a nearby reef. Later in the day the ship continues her journey west, stopping in the late afternoon for another swim and snorkel on the way.

After breakfast, visit a local village and meet the welcoming residents, who share their way of life which consists of fishing and growing nutmeg. Cruise through the late morning and lunch to reach a small group of picture-perfect islands. Spend the afternoon exploring the beaches and crystal-clear waters and then top it off with a long snorkel over the vibrant reefs. In the late afternoon, the ship weighs anchor and heads west for the Raja Ampat National Park.

Wake up in southern Raja Ampat at the island of Misool, a picturesque archipelago of forest-covered limestone islets teeming with coral reefs that has adventures aplenty on offer. Swim through a massive and ancient sea cave adorned with giant stalagmites and stalactites. Then journey to a small, secret lake inhabited by thousands of stingless jellyfish to snorkel among them.

After lunch, explore the area by ship’s tenders, going in and out of the many bays and inlets looking for birds and also stopping to see some prehistoric cave paintings said to be 3,000-5,000 years old. Enjoy a beach barbecue with the crew as everyone dances and sings through the night before spending a quiet night at anchor.

Today enjoy a relaxing day of snorkeling on the reefs, exploring the inlets and local areas by paddleboard and kayak, or swimming and sunbathing from the white sand beaches of this beautiful piece of paradise. After a full day of fun and relaxation, head north for an overnight cruise to the island of Waigeo for the first of a couple bird of paradise encounters.

Wake before dawn and be ferried to a local village. Follow the local guides on a trek through the jungle in the hope of finding the beautiful Wilson’s Bird of Paradise performing its mating dance ritual upon the forest floor.  On the way back, be accompanied by the sounds of the jungle coming to life and spot a number of bird species along the way. After a well-earned late breakfast, spend the remainder of the day snorkeling, swimming and exploring the reefs and islands of the local area by kayak and paddleboard.

Today is the second and final early morning wake up, this time to see the red bird of paradise high in the canopy of the rainforest. Extremely extroverted show-offs, these birds dance and squawk their way around the trees trying to impress the female of the species, making for an incredible show. Return to the ship for breakfast followed by snorkeling on some of Raja Ampat’s most spectacular reefs in the Dampier Strait. If the tides are favorable, see some of the area’s larger species of marine life which are attracted by the currents in these nutrient rich waters.

End the day at a local inhabited island,where the village kids act as tour guides of their beautiful village and then perform some local folk dances. This evening during the journey south, enjoy a final night celebration dinner and party with the crew.

This morning finds the ship anchored off a white sand beach on a small tropical island, where all can swim, paddleboard and kayak. After lunch on board, say farewell to the crew and tour leaders and head to the airport for your onward journeys.