This is week number two for me in Raja Ampat. I stayed a week at Cove Eco (CE) on Yeben Island and this week was spent at Raja Ampat Dive Lodge (RADL) on Mansuar Island, an hour north of Yeben. I posted a trip report for Cove Eco, so I won’t repeat that content, but I will do a comparison of the two stays.
I was transferred by boat from CE to RADL. I arrived in the morning and my cabin was ready for me. The grounds are well manicured with lots of flowers and plants and are quite beautiful. They also have an herb garden. It was more pleasing to the eye and felt more welcoming than CE, which was landscaped like a deserted island and was rather bland in comparison. RADL did not have trash on the beach like CE. There is no real beach but the waterfront sits in the mangroves.
The cabin is constructed in the same way as CE, so the same issues occurred with the room overheating. The A/C was inadequate and the room temp was 82 degrees during the day. The bathroom was not air-conditioned, however, it didn’t get as hot as the bathroom at CE because it was not open-air and had a window. The cabin was much bigger than CE, and there was plenty of storage, with lots of shelves, drying racks, an inside table and chairs as well as an outside table and chairs set on a nice deck. It also had a mini-fridge and a phone. CE had neither.
There is a camera room, but I didn’t use it. There is no camera bucket on the boat, and they wouldn’t provide one when I requested it.
Wifi. Free and very slow wifi is available only in the dining area.
Massage. Massage services are offered for $35 for an hour, and I got a great massage.
The Food and Service. The full board option is three meals per day with coffee, tea, juice at breakfast, and water. The food was a bit better than at CE. CE served you at the table and RADL was a buffet. The staff were engaging and friendly and always made an effort to make sure you’re happy. The one negative comment I have is that they didn’t have enough food for the guests. At every meal, they would run out of food and not prepare more food. When the buffet trays went empty and the guest asked if there’s more coming, they said no. I found that very off putting.
The Weather. As with the previous week at CE, some days were sunny and others were overcast with cloud cover. A couple of afternoons we had a heavy downpour of rain. Other than that, it’s really hot and humid. Mosquitoes and no-see-ums were bad, and I needed to be covered in repellant whenever I was not diving.
The Diving. My dive package had 5 dives a day. I usually did three dives. The dive staff were all very helpful and gave understandable briefings. There were 4-6 divers per guide. Nitrox was 29%-31%, and they do NOT analyze the tanks unless you ask. They also do NOT keep a log. Because analyzers tend to disappear, they are the ones that will analyze for you. Some of the deckhands didn’t know how to properly analyze the tank, so a watchful eye was required. One of them analyzed it through the regulator. I’ve never seen that done before and I’m wondering if it’s an acceptable way to get an accurate reading of the gas. I’d be curious to hear what others think about this method of analyzing. Nitrox is $85 for the week with unlimited fills. You can dive your computer with a max time of 60 minutes.
One criticism I have is that I specifically asked not to go to Yenbubba or Sawandarek because of the bleaching, but we went there anyway. These two sites were in a sad state. I think the dive operators have some sort of agreement or requirement to go to Sawandarek because it was also included as a stop on the White Manta liveaboard. They are doing well for themselves and there’s new buildings since I was there in December 2023, though it’s becoming overrun with boats and divers. IMO, it’s getting too commercial.
The Healthy Dive Sites. Mayhem (2 times), Yenggelo Ridge (2 times), Citrus Ridge, Mioskon, Chicken Reef, Blue Magic (for mantas), Gam Channel. These sites were all in good condition with healthy corals and plenty of fish life. I got lucky and saw oceanic mantas at Blue Magic.
The Poor Dive Sites. Cape Kri, Yenbubba, Sawandarek, Ransiwor. Surface intervals were spent at a local deserted island (except Sawandarek) where we’d offload from the boat and spend time at the beach. Fresh fruit and a cake-like snack was provided.
Dive Conditions. As with the previous week at CE, there was very little current to contend with, but sometimes the direction of the current would change and get stronger and we’d turn the dive. Water temps ranged from 83-87 degrees F.
Overall. After two weeks at land-based resorts, I got a good mix of diving at 19 different sites. I am discouraged about the health of the reefs and the trash in the ocean, so Raja Ampat is off my list for now.
Next up, the White Manta liveaboard, and I’ll post a trip report soon.
Trip Report Thread 'Raja Ampat-Cove Eco-February 2025'
The cabin is constructed in the same way as CE, so the same issues occurred with the room overheating. The A/C was inadequate and the room temp was 82 degrees during the day. The bathroom was not air-conditioned, however, it didn’t get as hot as the bathroom at CE because it was not open-air and had a window. The cabin was much bigger than CE, and there was plenty of storage, with lots of shelves, drying racks, an inside table and chairs as well as an outside table and chairs set on a nice deck. It also had a mini-fridge and a phone. CE had neither.
There is a camera room, but I didn’t use it. There is no camera bucket on the boat, and they wouldn’t provide one when I requested it.
Wifi. Free and very slow wifi is available only in the dining area.
Massage. Massage services are offered for $35 for an hour, and I got a great massage.
The Food and Service. The full board option is three meals per day with coffee, tea, juice at breakfast, and water. The food was a bit better than at CE. CE served you at the table and RADL was a buffet. The staff were engaging and friendly and always made an effort to make sure you’re happy. The one negative comment I have is that they didn’t have enough food for the guests. At every meal, they would run out of food and not prepare more food. When the buffet trays went empty and the guest asked if there’s more coming, they said no. I found that very off putting.
The Weather. As with the previous week at CE, some days were sunny and others were overcast with cloud cover. A couple of afternoons we had a heavy downpour of rain. Other than that, it’s really hot and humid. Mosquitoes and no-see-ums were bad, and I needed to be covered in repellant whenever I was not diving.
The Diving. My dive package had 5 dives a day. I usually did three dives. The dive staff were all very helpful and gave understandable briefings. There were 4-6 divers per guide. Nitrox was 29%-31%, and they do NOT analyze the tanks unless you ask. They also do NOT keep a log. Because analyzers tend to disappear, they are the ones that will analyze for you. Some of the deckhands didn’t know how to properly analyze the tank, so a watchful eye was required. One of them analyzed it through the regulator. I’ve never seen that done before and I’m wondering if it’s an acceptable way to get an accurate reading of the gas. I’d be curious to hear what others think about this method of analyzing. Nitrox is $85 for the week with unlimited fills. You can dive your computer with a max time of 60 minutes.
One criticism I have is that I specifically asked not to go to Yenbubba or Sawandarek because of the bleaching, but we went there anyway. These two sites were in a sad state. I think the dive operators have some sort of agreement or requirement to go to Sawandarek because it was also included as a stop on the White Manta liveaboard. They are doing well for themselves and there’s new buildings since I was there in December 2023, though it’s becoming overrun with boats and divers. IMO, it’s getting too commercial.
The Healthy Dive Sites. Mayhem (2 times), Yenggelo Ridge (2 times), Citrus Ridge, Mioskon, Chicken Reef, Blue Magic (for mantas), Gam Channel. These sites were all in good condition with healthy corals and plenty of fish life. I got lucky and saw oceanic mantas at Blue Magic.
The Poor Dive Sites. Cape Kri, Yenbubba, Sawandarek, Ransiwor. Surface intervals were spent at a local deserted island (except Sawandarek) where we’d offload from the boat and spend time at the beach. Fresh fruit and a cake-like snack was provided.
Dive Conditions. As with the previous week at CE, there was very little current to contend with, but sometimes the direction of the current would change and get stronger and we’d turn the dive. Water temps ranged from 83-87 degrees F.
Overall. After two weeks at land-based resorts, I got a good mix of diving at 19 different sites. I am discouraged about the health of the reefs and the trash in the ocean, so Raja Ampat is off my list for now.
Next up, the White Manta liveaboard, and I’ll post a trip report soon.
