Advice Kri/Mansuar/Misool please

[Trimtimtobabo]

I am planning a march 2025 trip to Raja Ampat, and am trying to figure out how to most effectively use my time and money while there.

My first thought was: 1 week Misool homestay (several homestays, was thinking Lalelkei for diving and either stay there or maybe another homestays nearby), 1 week Kri with Soul scuba & homestay, 1 week Mansuar with Mantastic and homestay nearby, 1 week liveaboard (this is where things get sketchy.. i found one doing south RA plus some of the islands out west that seems decent, but any suggestions would be welcome).

Then i started wondering if 2 weeks kri/mansuar is too much, or if i should just stay on either one or the other but not both. Does anyone know if Mantastic and Soul Scuba do more or less the same sites? And maybe i could stay around Misool a bit longer, even though the guide/dive shop situation down there is more unclear?


Also any liveaboard recs that cover regions that i wont be seeing from these shore based options would be most welcome!

Thanks!

 

[stepfen]

Welcome to Scubaboard.

I've commented on several similar threads recently, eg:

J

Thread 'A land-based mini-tour of Raja Ampat... itinerary assistance pls..'

Dec 23, 2024

I've had it in my mind for a while to do a land-based tour of Raja Ampat... and I think the time has come. I'm visiting Perth so I've already made the long trek from the US of A, and I have time on my hands. I finish in Perth at the end of Jan so it's prime RA4 season. I've just started to piece together specifics but mostly wondering how far and wide to go.

I've been to Raja 2X before, both on Mermaid LOB's... in 2015 and 2018... long overdue to return!

So far it seems basing myself on/near Kri for a bit is a must. And probably a bit on Arborek Island, and around the Pam...

• jeremyl
• Replies: 16
• Forum: Indonesia

Your plan generally doesn't look bad. Have you considered the hours/days needed to move from one place to the other eg from Misool to central ? Just keep in mind that moving around in the area is not as comfy and as punctual as traveling within say Switzerland.

Never been to Misool, so I can't comment. About central, I haven't dived with the particular operators you mention, but judging from their locations I'd guess Soul dive mainly in the area where most good dive sites are (Kri, Blue Magic, Sardine, Chicken, Mioskone Reef and several others) while Mantastic would dive (regularly) places like Manta Sandy etc. Don't get me wrong, distances are not that great and one operator can reach the sites the other one does, but usually they prefer to dive nearby sites. Also I think most operators from Kri & Gam avoid Manta Sandy all together as there are lot's of arrangements to be done (paper work, fees, potentially long waiting times, distance to travel), not to mention that mantas are not always there and apart from mantas, the site has not much else to see. Mantastic should be able to handle all these better, but apart from Manta Sandy, I think there are not as many good alternative diving sites near there, compared to the area around Cape Kri.

I've spend 4 weeks in total diving the area around Kri (2 times 1 week stay, 1 time 2 weeks stay), didn't get bored even for a second and I would happily stay there for more weeks any time. I'm not sure I would enjoy the area around Manta Sandy as much.

Based on these, 1 week in Mantastic sound a bit too much to me. I would probably prefer to spend some more days around cape Kri, than South Mansuar (say 10 vs 4 days or 9 vs 5 over 1 week).

Generally the further west you go, things get more primitive and finding good diving ops gets more difficult. Hence the most difficult to reach sites are around Piaynemo and Fam islands, so I wouldn't bother trying to dive them land based. If possible, try to get a LoB that focuses on this area instead of the area around Kri (since you will be diving there land based anyway).

 

[Trimtimtobabo]

Thanks for

Welcome to Scubaboard.

I've commented on several similar threads recently, eg:

J

Thread 'A land-based mini-tour of Raja Ampat... itinerary assistance pls..'

Dec 23, 2024

I've had it in my mind for a while to do a land-based tour of Raja Ampat... and I think the time has come. I'm visiting Perth so I've already made the long trek from the US of A, and I have time on my hands. I finish in Perth at the end of Jan so it's prime RA4 season. I've just started to piece together specifics but mostly wondering how far and wide to go.

I've been to Raja 2X before, both on Mermaid LOB's... in 2015 and 2018... long overdue to return!

So far it seems basing myself on/near Kri for a bit is a must. And probably a bit on Arborek Island, and around the Pam...

• jeremyl
• Replies: 16
• Forum: Indonesia

Your plan generally doesn't look bad. Have you considered the hours/days needed to move from one place to the other eg from Misool to central ? Just keep in mind that moving around in the area is not as comfy and as punctual as traveling within say Switzerland.

Never been to Misool, so I can't comment. About central, I haven't dived with the particular operators you mention, but judging from their locations I'd guess Soul dive mainly in the area where most good dive sites are (Kri, Blue Magic, Sardine, Chicken, Mioskone Reef and several others) while Mantastic would dive (regularly) places like Manta Sandy etc. Don't get me wrong, distances are not that great and one operator can reach the sites the other one does, but usually they prefer to dive nearby sites. Also I think most operators from Kri & Gam avoid Manta Sandy all together as there are lot's of arrangements to be done (paper work, fees, potentially long waiting times, distance to travel), not to mention that mantas are not always there and apart from mantas, the site has not much else to see. Mantastic should be able to handle all these better, but apart from Manta Sandy, I think there are not as many good alternative diving sites near there, compared to the area around Cape Kri.

I've spend 4 weeks in total diving the area around Kri (2 times 1 week stay, 1 time 2 weeks stay), didn't get bored even for a second and I would happily stay there for more weeks any time. I'm not sure I would enjoy the area around Manta Sandy as much.

Based on these, 1 week in Mantastic sound a bit too much to me. I would probably prefer to spend some more days around cape Kri, than South Mansuar (say 10 vs 4 days or 9 vs 5 over 1 week).

Generally the further west you go, things get more primitive and finding good diving ops gets more difficult. Hence the most difficult to reach sites are around Piaynemo and Fam islands, so I wouldn't bother trying to dive them land based. If possible, try to get a LoB that focuses on this area instead of the area around Kri (since you will be diving there land based anyway).

thanks for your input, much appreciated. Im now thinking 1 week Misool and 2 weeks Kri. But having slow doubts about whether i dhouldnt go to another place in indo altogether, seeing posts about bleaching, trash, and general overtourism and local freed in central raja ampat is disheartening.

If anyone can chime in with alternative, lesser known, but similarly beautiful diving destinations in indo that would be nice. Nothing with even crazier currents then raja though, Alor and Triton bat come to mind. Wakatobi? Other random small islands in the sulawrsi region? North Malukku/Halmahera region?

Theres just so much to this country, dont want to spend all the time and money just to be suckered into a tourist disneyland trashed by human greed.

Thanks (probably going to R4 anyway, just curious about alternatives)

 

[diveUAE]

Maybe stay longer time in Misool as the reports are saying that area is not hit as bad with bleaching as Dampier Strait,

 

[Trimtimtobabo]

I’m talking to someone at Lalelkei Nature Lodge in Misool, but am a little uncertain about how professinal the diving guide / rental equipment is there. Willing to do a week and see how it goes though, but i feel booking more is taking too much of a chance in case it isn’t that great.

 

[jeremyl]

I am 2 days away from stating my trip. I have only booked ~2 wks so far... Arborek and Gam (Tarzan). I am leaving it open-ended to see if I want to stay around Gam/Kri more or if trash/bleaching/tourism/rice-for-every-meal is too much or if I am enjoying that area or want to venture to Pam or Missol. I had tentative plans to book Big Blue LOB to focus on Misool area, but it booked up. If a decent deal on a LOB pops up I might do that. I think it's the best way for that area.

I am guessing I will have enough time in Kri/Gam (5 dive days, 15 dives) given the bleaching/tourism, but will see.
I've also thought of other areas after - RA4 has been my fav place ever, but it's been 7yrs+ and that was LOB... I went to Komodo in '23 and will never return - but it used to be one of my favs. Alor is off-season... I think most op's close until mid/late April. Otherwise I would go back there. Lembeh has gotten pretty spendy... I will probably dive a bit around Bali and then if my fix is not fixed I will probably go to Philippines. But I really hope to be happy in Raja and stay for a month. Everyones levels are different. Im not 20. Im not broke. But i value 'value'.