Overwhelmed with decisions (should I get a travel agent?)

[NitroxNemo]

I made an earlier post about creating a bucketlist trip for my wife's "big" birthday and our 10 year anniversary. The general vibe was the diving needed to be epic, but it needed to include a fair amount of luxury when we weren't diving. Large pelagics were key, but a fair amount of reef diving would be appreciated too. But diving was still the priority (for example, ScubaSpa was suggested and there was 0% chance she was taking the dive/spa package where there were less dives in order to get a few spa treatments.).

If I could've chosen anything, I think we would've gone with Misool Eco, but that doesn't appear to be an option for a Late 2026 (early 2027) trip. So, I asked for advice.

After looking through lots of great suggestions, I had decided on Indonesia and the top choices (for me) seemed to be Dewi Nusantara, Dive Damai I/II, and Arenui. Then I decided to look at availability and now I am hung up on the different routes. They have an incredible amount of options and I am not familiar enough with the area to know if one is better than the other. I assume I want to hit Raja Ampat since that was my first choice in Misool, but then I hear Banda Sea is great. Plus, if the routes don't explicitly call out those locations then I don't know how to choose.

This is going to be an expensive trip (totally worth it for the occasion), but I need some help deciding which one of these trips is the right one for the experience I am describing. Should I be talking to a travel agent? I normally just do this myself, but I would be willing to hand it over to an expert if it would help.

 

[also_anon_dc]

I always use a travel agent. They are knowledgeable about the area and can arrange everything for you including domestic flights. I've used Bluewater Dive Travel for multiple trips to Indonesia and love how effortless it is.

Maybe some people enjoy agonizing over the details of a trip but I prefer to let someone else handle everything and then just show up for my flight.

 

[FishCity]

If it wasn't for the large pelagics, Wakatobi was great in the late September time frame. Incredible corals and fishes. But anyway a travel agent probably makes it simpler to pay for things without wite transfers or what have you. Or worry about what credit card to use.

 

[dirtfarmer]

For first time skip doing a Banda Sea trip and just do Raja Ampat. Your right you dont want to miss diving Misool, so make sure your going high season. Your choices of boats a the top of class so pick the one you like.
The boats themselves may offer scheduling advice and booking services themselves. If not an experienced dive travel agent will make it easy for you.

 

[diveUAE]

A couple of years ago we did our big anniversary (25 years) travel. Since it was a place new to me (Galapagos, and we mostly travel in SEA) and despite my love of planning we let a travel agent do the bookings.
I ended up wishing I'd done it myself ... the trip was great, but the small stuff - like hotel location, trip provider/places recommended to go was just not my favourite.

The way I read your post: you've narrowed it down to the boats you want to travel with? But unsure about the routing? I would email them and ask for clarification - and make sure they go to Misool! Don't fret too much about specific dive sites - much can happen between now and end 2026/early 2027 (Our recent trip to RA was rerouted due to not being able to go North, and we still had a fantastic time). The LOB will want to show you the best they can - customers tend to give more tips, if the diving is awesome;-)

If you want to stay somewhere land based pre/post LOB, use this forum for suggestions. There's also great knowledge regarding the routing. Some prefer Singapore (awesome city), we did a stopover i Jakarta (not so awesome, but mostly stayed at the hotel and had great massage to overcome the jetlag).

 

[Living4Experiences]

I've been on the Damai II (wooden boat) and the New White Manta (steel boat) for Raja Ampat itineraries. In general, I think the liveaboard companies list their Indonesia trip itineraries by regions covered, i.e., a "Raja Ampat" itinerary probably includes north, central and south RA, then you’ll need to look specifically for Misool in the south. I recommend a trip longer than the typical 7 days, and you’ll get more out of the trip and cover a lot of area. The RA routes are usually Sorong round trip versus an open jaw.

Indonesia was the most complex dive trip I’ve ever booked, so I used an agent from Bluewater Travel. They take payment by credit card, if you wish, with no extra credit card fees versus having to wire transfer money overseas directly to the operator. Most companies add credit card fees if you book directly. Bluewater can handle all the logistics for you and will be available if any issues come up during your trip. You will receive personalized attention, and their services are free. Stay away from mass market online booking platforms like Liveaboard.com, Caradonna.com, or Padi Travel.