Raj Amat and Indo Siren

[wdurr@aol.com]

The stars have lined up (them having a spot for single female, my work time off) and I have a space in the Indo Siren for May 3, 11 days. So I have been doing my research and am trying to decide the best way to get to the other side of the world, from LA.

Feedback appreciated on this boat? this time of year? this area to dive? I have @200 dives

Travel to Sorong

I have 1 week to make final decision

Thanks for any feedback you may have

 

[LiquidDivingAdventure]

I use and recommend a company called FirstBusinessFlights.com for my long haul clients to Asia, Indonesia, etc. They do real good on biz class discounts. I usually rely upon the live aboard to book domestic flights due the the frequent flight schedule changes. The local offices are excellent at keeping on top of changes. I usually don't book domestic flights until about 60 days before a trip. Hope that helps a bit. If you have not yet booked the Siren I may be able to get you a discount.

 

[dirtfarmer]

I am budget minded so end up using China Air, LAX-Taipei-Jakarta ( Jakarta has the best options to get to Sorong) either booking thru their website or Orbitz I find the best deals.

 

[Wingy]

I use skyscanner Cheap flights from Los Angeles International to Sorong at Skyscanner

 

[Hintermann]

Raja Ampat is billed as a 'throughout the year' dive destination. Frankly, May is not the most ideal season but the earlier part of the month (when your planned trip is scheduled), should be better since it is well before the big winds and rough seas start. Outside weather will not matter once you are underwater.

The diving in Raja Ampat is among the best in the world and needs no embellishment. There are simply lots of things to see, big and small. But currents are a way of life there and be prepared to experience a lot of it. You may need to occasionally swim against it but not much.

I have been on the Philippine Siren and not the Indo. But I understand that they are all upmarket boats and so you will not have any problem from an accommodation and facilities point of view.

As I live in the UK, cannot help much by the way of flight connections from the USA but a few things would be advisable. Plan to arrive in Sorong the day before you are scheduled to board the boat just in case. Flight delays and even cancellations are not uncommon with the domestic Indonesian airlines. The best plan would arrive in Jakarta by the most suitable flight connection from the ones others have suggested and then use Garuda via Makassar to get to Sorong. Garuda is much more reliable than the local airlines as are connections via Makassar. Try to avoid going via Manado as flights from that airport tend to be more irregular and delays are more common.

 

[charlier]

Raja Ampat is billed as a 'throughout the year' dive destination. Frankly, May is not the most ideal season but the earlier part of the month (when your planned trip is scheduled), should be better since it is well before the big winds and rough seas start. Outside weather will not matter once you are underwater.

As a nearby frequent visitor, I would not consider Raja Ampat as a "throughout the year" dive destination. I agree with Hintermann about May, it not the ideal month to visit RA. Late April is also not prime season as well. My personal thoughts are the best time to dive at RA are from late-November to early April.

 

[ocdiver1]

I've done probably 25 liveaboards and consider Worldwide Dive and Sail the best company I've sailed with..they just really know how to run a liveaboard. I've been on the Indo Siren, although not for the RA itinerary (I did Komodo). Great boat and Raja Ampat is fantastic. I also live in LA and come to Indonesia very frequently, actually am here right now. I don't know what your budget considerations are for airfare, or if you have mileage programs you'd want to accrue on, but in general it is cheaper to fly to Jakarta than into Bali. I'd do as others suggested to see "what's out there" by using kayak, orbitz, etc. A quick search of dates around when you would look to be going showed fares as cheap as $700 return into Jakarta, $800 return into Bali. It will never be the cheapest option, but Cathay Pacific has great connections via Hong Kong into Bali from LA, and I usually use an American Airlines/JAL combo when traveling into Jakarta. I tend to stick to Oneworld carriers for mileage, so check to see what most meets your needs from among the many carriers who fly to both. For the internal airfare to Sorong, Garuda is the only reliable domestic carrier and they should be used whenever possible (they service Sorong). A great website for seeing schedules and purchasing Indonesia domestic tickets is www.nusatrip.com . You can pay with a credit card and there are no surcharges or commissions. I'd say these are some good ways to start looking for fares and how connections line up into Sorong. I know you'll love Raja Ampat. If you have any other questions feel free to pm.

 

[wdurr@aol.com]

Yes i have read May not the very best, but what I can get for Vacation- so thats a big question? Should I bother in May? or go somewhere else? But vacation and boat availability have lined up. So take the plunge?

 

[Warmwater Wank]

Boats like happy divers and good boats know the area, keep track of conditions and do what they can to adjust routes based on weather. You can get skunked during prime season and have wonderful weather in shoulder seasons, this planet is being pretty moody with it's weather patterns anymore. Besides, I'd rather deal with bad weather on a good boat in RA than sunny & nice in most other places. My vote would be to go.

If you don't use an Indonesian booking service you can find yourself not getting notified about cancelled flights etc. You usually don't pay much more if any and the better ones know the good routes & times for the more reliable carriers. If you do China Air or EVA (often very competitive on price w/ C.A) you get in to Jakarta by 1:30pm or so. Might be best to grab a room at the FM7 Hotel FM7 Hotel | The Right Place to Stay and get some sleep, fly out to Sorong the next morning. You will find Indo travel to be...less efficient than in the States. Try to build in lag time, especially for the boat departure. (Getting to Sorong a day early sure beats worrying about missing the boat, I'm just sayin'.)

Go. However, if you do decide to bail, you need to still go someday. The potential is there for this to be one of the most superlative dive trips you will ever do. Not everyone thinks so and there are no guarantees but potentially? Don't get me started! // ww

 

[chillyinCanada]

I'm going to take this opportunity to speak up for Greg o at Liquid Diving Adventures. I've been working with him lately for a couple of my trips and it has been just fabulous. If indeed you haven't booked yet with Siren, give him a chance to see what he can do for you. You might just get a very pleasant surprise!