Getting to Raja Ampat

[SteveM54]

I'm trying to plan a liveaboard trip (10-17 days on the "boats") to the Raja Ampat area for Jan. - Feb or March of '25.
My once in a life time trip !!!!

Starting in St. Louis, Mo.
Going through Seattle - Taipei -Jakarta - then Sorong.
That's 11,873 flight miles over 67 hours in airports - traveling alone.
Kind of "dicey" but do-able.
I'm concerned about being totally worn out from the ride just getting there (just hit 70) & then having to sleep for three days just to recover from the "jet lag".
So if anyone else has had this type of experience, please share your ideas with me as to:
1. Did you stop for a "day or three" somewhere & dive or tour or just rest or ????
2. What liveaboards did you like or not ? Found one that has a 7 day & then the next trip is 10 more days = 17 days back to back.
3. I have the time to add a week on the front end of this trip so ideas & comments would very much be appreciated.

I don't care about on the way home but on the to Raja Ampat - I'm worried about: delayed luggage, lost gear & just being wiped out.
Thanks

 

[cetacean]

Update:
Tiket.com is unable to whitelist my United Explorer credit card for some reason. So, for CGK-SOQ roundtrip flights I ended up purchasing it from Garuda, https://www.garuda-indonesia.com/other-countries/en/index as they accept my United Explorer credit card.

However Garuda do not fly to/from Kaimana (KNG). Only Wings Air (part of Lion Air group) fly to/from Kaimana and Lion Air also don’t accept my United Explorer credit card. Fortunately NusaTrip, Flights & Hotels - Online travel - domestic & international - Cheap Prices accept my United Explorer credit card. So I purchased the KNG-SOQ flight ticket from NusaTrip.

@Dan

We've booked directly with Garuda about 1/2 dozen times... never an issue (also easier to reconcile most issues if you book directly with the airline).

I also saw you booked straight through Houston to Jakarta on SIA - that's definitely a great way to go... I took that flight once when it transited Moscow - that was always a strange route.

Last - flying to Kaimana from Sorong on Wingz - I think we ended up using a friendly agent in Bali that we had used previously to book this for us (they were willing to take any of our cards - although a couple of US-based banks will block charges from Indonesia...)

 

[chillyinCanada]

@Dan

We've booked directly with Garuda about 1/2 dozen times... never an issue (also easier to reconcile most issues if you book directly with the airline).

I also saw you booked straight through Houston to Jakarta on SIA - that's definitely a great way to go... I took that flight once when it transited Moscow - that was always a strange route.

Last - flying to Kaimana from Sorong on Wingz - I think we ended up using a friendly agent in Bali that we had used previously to book this for us (they were willing to take any of our cards - although a couple of US-based banks will block charges from Indonesia...)

It can help if you advise your card company in advance . . .doesn't guarantee no problems but it can help.

 

[Dan]

I also saw you booked straight through Houston to Jakarta on SIA - that's definitely a great way to go... I took that flight once when it transited Moscow - that was always a strange route.

I flew that route a few times too 10-15 years ago. At one time I spent a few days in Moscow & St.Petersburg. Considering the current situation there, I’m glad I did it then.

 

[Dan]

It can help if you advise your card company in advance . . .doesn't guarantee no problems but it can help.

I did contact Chase and they approved it. The problem is on Tiket.com end.

 

[Kendall Raine]

I've stopped for a night in Jakarta. Wasn't brutal at all except for the exorbitant taxi fare from the airport to FM7 hotel.
I had a decent rest before carrying on my way the next day.

The FM7 has a 24hour free shuttle.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Kendall Raine: The FM7 has a 24hour free shuttle.

I found that out later but I'm not sure that I would have wanted to wait for it anyway. I was exhausted and just wanted to get to the hotel.

Oh, that reminds me! My credit card wouldn't work there. Fortunately, I had a wad of Indo cash on me!

 

[Kendall Raine]

My wife and I just came back from Raja. Other than being long travel was easy. We flew CGK-SOQ and SOQ-DPS nonstop on Garuda. I also flew DPS-CGK on Garuda. All flights were easy to book on Garuda's website and on time. SOQ-DPS nonstop is relatively new and only operates on Friday and Sunday at this point. We used the extra scuba bag exemption. Everything worked great (bags showed up) and on time.

Getting through CGK was super fast (we had the eVOA and customs forms in advance). DPS domestic was easy but really crowded.

My wife overnighted in Sorong at the Aston and liked it a lot.

The only snag was Singapore Airlines at LAX weighed and made us check one of our carry-on bags (we flew economy-limit one 7kg carry on). They also had someone in the boarding area checking passengers for excess carry-on.

When setting up the trip we tried to book Lion Air flights. The booking process proved to be a nightmare and we would never do that again.

 

[FishWatcher747]

I've done the Indo travel thing twice now from East Coast US. I get the crappy flights because I fly on miles.

On my recent trip I did a 6 hr transit hotel in Singapore on the way down and a 6 hr transit hotel in Tokyo Haneda on the way back. Got 3 solid hours of sleep each time. Stayed airside each time. It really made a big difference in making the travel marathon more tolerable.

 

[cetacean]

My wife and I just came back from Raja. Other than being long travel was easy. We flew CGK-SOQ and SOQ-DPS nonstop on Garuda. I also flew DPS-CGK on Garuda. All flights were easy to book on Garuda's website and on time. SOQ-DPS nonstop is relatively new and only operates on Friday and Sunday at this point. We used the extra scuba bag exemption. Everything worked great (bags showed up) and on time.

Getting through CGK was super fast (we had the eVOA and customs forms in advance). DPS domestic was easy but really crowded.

My wife overnighted in Sorong at the Aston and liked it a lot.

The only snag was Singapore Airlines at LAX weighed and made us check one of our carry-on bags (we flew economy-limit one 7kg carry on). They also had someone in the boarding area checking passengers for excess carry-on.

When setting up the trip we tried to book Lion Air flights. The booking process proved to be a nightmare and we would never do that again.

@Kendall Raine

Good to hear you took the SOQ-DPS Garuda flight. That's a relatively new route for them (I will stop in Bali every time on my way to Raja now that this route is available). Possibly stop on the way back as well....

"tried to book Lion Air..." -consider yourself lucky. Most folks will do everything they can to avoid LIon Air

 

[Dan]

tried to book Lion Air..." -consider yourself lucky. Most folks will do everything they can to avoid LIon Air

Including me, but sometimes you have no choice, as it’s the only flight available. For example, Kaimana-Sorong route, which is only offered by Wings Air (part of Lion Air group). Thank goodness that we can book it through NusaTrip.com and it accepts US credit cards (at least my United Explorer Visa card).