Mermaid1 Biodiversity Super Special Raja Ampat

[scubadivingtom]

I am wanting to go on this trip on the Mermaid 1 in November 2020. It is a 16 day trip
Mermaid1 Biodiversity Super Special – Maumere – Alor – Banda Sea – Raja Ampat
Has anyone of you all been on this trip?
This will be my first trip to Indonesia. I will be moving to Southeast Asia in July 2019, so I plan on going on a lot of trips.

 

[Dan]

By golly, you like to start it with a bang, don't you?

That's the ultimate liveaboard trip in Indonesia. The rest of Indonesia or the world for that matter, would be hohum.

 

[outofofficebrb]

I have been on the Mermaid 1 for the Ring of Fire trip (just this Oct 4-15 for 12 days, so very recently) which is essentially the same trip minus the Raja Ampat section for a few days. I went from Ambon to Maumere. It is a fantastic boat with an excellent crew. Food is good. I've had better food on other liveaboards but every other aspect about it is great and I would rank it as one of my favorite liveaboards overall.

I have also been to Raja Ampat 2X, once for 7 days and the second for 11 days. My suggestion is to do just the Ring of Fire trip at 12 days and then do Raja Ampat separately because the 3-4 days for Raja Ampat in ther Super Bio trip is not enough and a total tease. You can do it back to back if you want but do yourself a favor and do at least a 7 or 10 day. I promise...You will thank me. I am returning a 3rd time to do a 12 day for good reason. While you could do the Super Bio then get off in Sorong and start another liveaboard, I feel like the premium paid for those 4 days on the Mermaid 1 is not the best use of your money. It's fine to take a wooden boat in Raja Ampat but I suggest not taking a wooden boat for the Banda crossing due to the weather issues I have heard from other people and in my own personal experience.

Get off in either Ambon or Maumere then fly to Sorong to start a separate liveaboard for Raja Ampat. There are some great boats and itineraries that you can pick from that are quite reasonable.

 

[scubadivingtom]

Sounds great! Thank you.
The one In November 2020 is already full. I do see one at the end of April 2021 that has space. I will be living in Thailand so I am hoping to catch last minute deals to any liveaboard within a 2, or 3 hour flight.
I will be living permanently in Southeast Asia in July 2021. I will go the Thailand in January, and the Philippines, in February 2020.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Sounds great! Thank you.
The one In November 2020 is already full. I do see one at the end of April 2021 that has space. I will be living in Thailand so I am hoping to catch last minute deals to any liveaboard within a 2, or 3 hour flight.
I will be living permanently in Southeast Asia in July 2021. I will go the Thailand in January, and the Philippines, in February 2020.

The Ring of Fire and Super Bio trips with the Mermaid book out far in advance. It is rare to have open space available close-in or last minute. I booked my Oct 2019 trip in January of 2018. My 5 friends followed within the next couple of months. The Spring sailings are less in demand as schooling hammerheads are known to travel the waters between Sept-Nov, hence the early bookings, especially for a steel hull boat like the Mermaid. Shoot for the last minute deals or the sales on other sailings in other parts of Indo or Asia but don't hold your breath for the Mermaid Ring of Fire/Super Bio ones. I'm jelly...I would love to be based in Singapore or something as that is a nice launch pad for some amazing diving!

 

[scubadivingtom]

When I said last minute, I was thinking anywhere in Southeast Asia.
I will look again for ring of Fire trips. I may need to look farther out.
Thanks

 

[chillyinCanada]

Never do less than a 10 day trip in Raja is my recommendation.

 

[Dan]

The biodiversity super special is still a good start to get the flavor of what Indonesia diving has to offer. Then you can focus on specific area of your interest in later visits.

I like schooling fish and saw plenty of them in Raja Ampat, back in January 2010. I have been back to Raja Ampat 6x after that. The 8th time will be in 2 months, Raja Ampat 14-25 Jan 2020 with Amira $837 off

Later on I was fascinated with seeing schooling hammerheads when I was in Galapagos. So I went to other places where I could see them, like Cocos, Socorro, and most recently, Banda Sea. With the Mermaid's Biodiversity Super Special, you will get a chance to taste how the diving with schooling hammerheads like. Here is their latest video of the last month Ring of Fire trip.

 

[Dan]

I am wanting to go on this trip on the Mermaid 1 in November 2020. It is a 16 day trip
Mermaid1 Biodiversity Super Special – Maumere – Alor – Banda Sea – Raja Ampat
Has anyone of you all been on this trip?
This will be my first trip to Indonesia. I will be moving to Southeast Asia in July 2019, so I plan on going on a lot of trips.

I was with Mermaid 1, in August 2014 for Bali-Komodo-Bali trip. One of the best liveaboard trip I ever did. Good boat. Great food. Great crew & dive guides.

I have been to Maumere, Alor, Banda Sea and Raja Ampat in separate trips, not in one swoop. I have been wanting to go on that Biodiversity Super Special, but 16-day trip + traveling half way around the world is just too much of a vacation to take while I'm still busy working. May be later on when I retire with having 6 Saturdays and a Sunday in every week.

 

[scubadivingtom]

The November 2020 biodiversity super special is full. The April 2021 trip has space, but I want to see the hammerheads.
I am not sure about April being I have never been there. I can book November 2021, or just due 2 trips back to back. I will be living in Thailand at that time, so I will be able to go often if I like it.