Is RA worth it?

[billt4sf]

Raja Ampat seems like it is about 50% - 100% more than other sites in Indonesia. For example, Murex Madado (as one example) is about $2500 for a week for two people, whereas RA Dive Lodge (a mid-market lodge) is about $4200. There are other examples like Ambon, Bangka, and Lembeh.

Is RA worth the premium? Or is it better to spend the money diving longer at less expensive sites? Or maybe better to head for PNG if you're really going to lay down Big Bucks?

And by the way, is it better to dive RA from a LOB? (Probably even more cost for that).

Thanks,

Bill

 

[Lorenzoid]

I haven't been there, but I have an Indonesia trip on the horizon for next year, and I'm considering my options. I have already been to Komodo and North Sulawesi. Do you really expect someone to say "no, it's not worth the premium," and if they did, would you give that opinion enough weight that you wouldn't go? Seems to me Raja Ampat is one of those bucket list destinations, and each of us will have to decide for ourselves in hindsight whether it was worth the premium over other places.

If you're going to Indonesia for an extended time, I would hope you somehow manage to do the big three: Raja Ampat, North Sulawesi, and Komodo, as well as Bali (does that make it the big four?). Then YOU can tell us how you ranked them

 

[Luko]

Is RA worth it?

Naah... Completely overrated... BS : no fish, no corals at all .... isn't worth a penny... c'mon, who wants to go to RA?....



I wish I could write AND believe this.
But in fact I've been once and would like to return every year. it's just INCREDIBLE. The bests dive area I've seen so far, for fish mass, for coral colors, for nature... for almost everything.

Is it worth the price? I don't know, how much do you price amazingness? how do you quantify in bucks the utmost pleasure of diving? is it a linear or an exponential function?
the only thing i know for sure every diver in Asia HAS to go there.

you somehow manage to do the big three: Raja Ampat, North Sulawesi, and Komodo, as well as Bali (does that make it the big four?).

The big four is Raja Ampat, North Sulawesi, and Komodo, as well as Bali AND Alor, which makes it a big 5
knowing than the big five encompasses Raja Ampat, North Sulawesi, Komodo, as well as Bali AND Alor not forgetting Ambon, seems like a big 6...
(sounds like a "nobody expects the spanish inquisition" sketch )

 

[chillyinCanada]

I can't wait to get back there!! My experience with Raja Ampat on a liveaboard was extraordinary. That said,I'm not able to compare it to other Indonesian areas. My previous experience with Indonesian diving was limited to some Bali diving back when I was a brand new diver, ergo, not comparable in any event.

 

[WetPup]

How long is a piece of string?

I've been to "bucket list" places that people rave about and been disappointed. I've been to places that people say "why the f*** would you want to go there?" and had an awesome time.

This is the nature of travel. And this is the nature of diving. Getting the timing right and having good guides can make or break a trip.

 

[highdesert]

IMHO, Raja Ampat is a must-do trip if you're working your way through diving Indonesia. We've been to Raja Ampat twice on liveaboards, a total of 24 days, and are going back next month for two weeks, land-based, since the price of liveaboards is out of control, at least for divers of our means. But we feel that a recommemded resort on Dampier Strait gives access to plenty of first class diving. Granted, RA is 'the place' right now, and I agree that the prices are inflated when seen in comaprison to other dive destinations. But how many destinations offer over 1650 species of fish, and something like over 700 species each of corals and mollusks? Personally, I haven't seen more fish, or more fish species, before or since we visited Raja Ampat. But beware ... many, many people complain that RA diving is no better than other areas ... and if you dive with an operator that doesn't understand how to dive the sites, it's possible to come away with that opinion, to some degree.

I've always thought of Komodo as a kind of mini Raja Ampat... a wide spectrum sampling of excellent diving in a relatively confined area. And I say 'sampling' only because it's physically impossible for Komodo to offer diving on the scale of the vastly larger RA, but that's not to say the diving there is inferior. I would also second Luko's list, as well as adding the Wakatobi area of SE Sulawesi, which can be accessed in more ways than just the pricey but excellent Wakatobi Dive Resort.

Best of luck ... save your lunch money!

More about Komodo: I say what I do about Komodo ONLY if you do both the North and South. And if I had to choose one (unlikely) it would be the South.

 

[billt4sf]

Do you really expect someone to say "no, it's not worth the premium," and if they did, would you give that opinion enough weight that you wouldn't go?

I expect that someone may say "It's not twice as good as (say) Bangka. You might want to go to Bangka twice instead".

If one person said that, it might or might not make a difference. But if half the respondents who has been to both places said that, it definitely *would* make a difference.

I live near the Golden Gate bridge. Many people come from halfway across the world to see it -- I would not. But I REALLY like going over it in a bike, which I have done many times. That is a far more engaging experience than seeing it once. If that analogy makes any sense.

Someone might also say: "save your money for PNG" which is likely what we have in mind as an alternative.

In any case, I think it makes a lot of sense to ask!

- Bill

 

[WetPup]

But it's subjective. Personally I think Komodo is the one of the most overrated dive destinations around, but you only need to look at other posts on this thread alone to see how many disagree with me. You're never going to find a destination that everyone will agree on. For every 3 people that say "best place ever!", you'll find another one who will tell you how much it sucked.

Personally I prefer PNG to RA, but that's purely due to the cultural stuff in PNG and the fact that it's significantly easier to get to from Australia.

 

[AlMitch]

Simple answer, YES!!!

The big question for me is LOB vs resort. As you mentioned the resorts are considerably more expensive than the norm in Indo, and when you add everything up and do a cost per dive analysis (total cost of trip divided by number of dives) the LOB's quite often become pretty even with the resorts if not cheaper on a per dive basis.
The added bonus of a LOB is that you get to see way more of this amazing area. The N and S of RA are very different and each amazing in their own rights.

 

[Wingy]

YES! I have done 2 LOBS to Raja Ampat in 9 months - both focusing on the northern RA sites and one being an exploratory trip through Hamlahera, Morotai, Ternate and Raja. I also prefer PNG but RA has kept me coming back and im not a person who often dives the same sites, for that to happen the area has to be topnotch.

You would regret not doing some of RA while you are in Indo.