Placing you at the core of the Coral Triangle, the 33-metre ironwood Buginese hull of the La Galigo liveaboard is a traditional vessel built for dedicated dive exploration. It focuses its operation on West Papua’s fabled Raja Ampat archipelago, an area recognised globally as the epicentre of marine biodiversity. What truly sets this vessel apart is the dedication to intimacy: she carries a maximum of just 14 guests. That small capacity, coupled with a 17-person crew, ensures an outstanding staff-to-guest ratio, translating into attentive personal service and the practical diving advantage of exceptionally small groups.
The diving infrastructure on the La Galigo is designed to enhance your daily routine. After ascending, the dive deck provides immediate practical facilities, including 3 fresh water showers and a toilet. Maximising bottom time is made easier for qualified divers with the availability of nitrox, a valuable asset when exploring the complex, current-swept sites of the region. For photographers and videographers, the facilities demonstrate clear consideration for equipment. Rinse tanks and a camera table are provided on the dive deck, and power charging outlets are placed throughout the common areas, ensuring all your essential gear is prepared for the next underwater session.
When the day’s diving is complete, the La Galigo's air-conditioned saloon and dining area on the main deck offer a classic retreat. This main social hub is finished in rich Indonesian teak. Guests can relax with entertainment options, including a TV, DVD player, music system, and computer, or enjoy a board game. A significant practical feature is the complimentary Starlink internet access, allowing guests aboard the La Galigo liveaboard to stay connected or share their experiences even from Raja Ampat's remote dive anchorages.
Above deck, there is ample opportunity to soak in the incredible island vistas of West Papua. The upper deck is arranged to offer comfortable lounging areas both in the direct sun and in cooling shade, perfect for quiet reflection or watching the scenery drift past. The experience of sailing with La Galigo offers enjoyment both above and beneath the surface.
Guests are accommodated in a range of spacious and tasteful ensuite cabins. The premier accommodation is the upper deck Grand Suite, which features a private balcony, panoramic windows that capture the passing scenery, and a dedicated media system. Opting for the La Galigo liveaboard provides the assurance of a traditionally styled vessel, high service standards, and expert access to Indonesia’s premier diving realm.
Komodo & Sumbawa (Whale Shark Special) (10 Days / 9 Nights - 23 Dives)
Trip highlights: whale sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, dugongs/manatees, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics, non diving activities
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Sumbawa: Moyo, Saleh Bay, Satonda, Sangeang; Komodo: Gili Lawa, Mawan, Padar, Manta Alley, Pink Beach, Tatawa; Flores: Sabolan, Sebayur, Bidadari Island. Komodo dragon trek, visit Mata Jitu Waterfall, flying foxes, visit traditional boat-building village, hike to viewpoint.
Day 1
our adventure begins at the harbour in Sumbawa Besar, where you’ll step onboard the La Galigo liveaboard and settle into your new home for the next 10 nights. After meeting the crew and fellow divers, there’s time to set up your gear before a gentle check dive on a nearby reef. It’s a quiet introduction to the rich marine life ahead, and a chance to ease into the rhythm of the liveaboard. As the sun dips below the horizon, you share your first dinner together and begin the overnight cruise toward Moyo Island.
Core Days
Over the following days, the La Galigo liveaboard voayges through Indonesia’s Lesser Sunda Islands. In Saleh Bay, you rise before dawn to slip into calm waters near traditional fishing platforms, known as bagans. Here, in the stillness of early morning, whale sharks sometimes appear, their vast, spotted forms moving with a quiet grace that stays with you long after the dive.
From Sumbawa’s gentle bays, liveaboard moves toward the volcanic energy of Sangeang. Dives at Hot Rocks and Deep Purple reveal black sand slopes warmed by geothermal vents, where delicate corals cling to ancient lava flows. A shore visit to Kampung Bontoh offers a different kind of immersion: the sight of master builders shaping timber into phinisi schooners, their hand tools and traditions unchanged for generations.
As La Galigo enters Komodo National Park, the diving shifts in rhythm and intensity. In the north, sites like Castle Rock and Shotgun pulse with life: reef sharks patrolling the blue, schools of trevally turning as one, and the occasional manta gliding through. Further south, at Manta Alley, those encounters become almost certain. The mantas here are unhurried, circling cleaning stations where angelfish and butterflyfish pick parasites from their wings.
Between dives, you can step ashore to walk with Komodo’s ancient dragons, their slow, deliberate movements a reminder of the island’s wild heart. You can trek to the viewpoint above Padar, where the curve of 3 bays unfolds below, and swim at Pink Beach, where crushed coral gives the sand its soft rose hue. One evening, the liveaboard visits Satonda’s crater lake as flying foxes stream overhead, their silhouettes dark against the fading light. Another afternoon, you may cool off beneath the jungle canopy at Mata Jitu waterfall, the freshwater a sharp, clean contrast to the salt of the sea.
The final full day on this La Galigo liveaboard cruise brings a gentler pace. Dives around Bidadari and Sebayur are bright and relaxed, with turtles grazing on reefs, soft corals swaying in the shallows. That night, the crew sets up a beach barbecue under the stars, and as the fire crackles and stories are shared, Pulau Kalong’s flying foxes rise once more, lifting into the dusk like a parting gift.
Day 10
You will awake in Labuan Bajo, the journey complete. Over a final breakfast, there’s time to swap contact details and trade memories before the crew ferries you ashore. A transfer takes you to the airport or your hotel, but the images that linger are of whale sharks fading into blue, of mantas passing close enough to meet your gaze, and of La Galigo liveaboard that became, for 10 days, your home on the water.
Note: this itinerary sometimes runs in reverse so please check exact port details for your trip.
Komodo National Park
Trip highlights: shark action, dolphins, manta rays, dugongs/manatees, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics, non diving activities
Diving environment: advanced divers, drift diving, healthy reefs, very popular, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Komodo: Sebayor, Tatawa Besar and Kecil, Manta Point, Golden Passage, Stranger Things, Crystal Rock and Castle Rock, Cauldron / Shotgun, Batu Balong, Siaba Besar, Police Corner, Mauan, Pink Beach, Soro Lia Bay, Manta Alley, Padar: Pillarsteen, Rinca: Pengah Kecil, Wainilu, Komodo dragon trek, sunset trek
Day 1
Are you prepared to embrace the dynamic marine environment of Komodo? Access is granted at Labuan Bajo harbour. Upon stepping onto the La Galigo, an immediate safety and operational overview is provided. Scuba divers dedicate time to equipment arrangement and final preparations, before a check dive during the afternoon. The first evening meal is provided to the guests, and simultaneously, the vessel pushes off toward the national park under the cover of darkness.
Core Days
The Komodo National Park is a global diving hotspot, famed for its fierce currents that attract immense biodiversity. Your tour with the La Galigo is designed to immerse you in this dynamic environment, starting with the legendary high-energy dive sites of the north. Locations like Crystal Rock and Castle Rock offer spectacular action, where schools of jacks, tuna, and reef sharks patrol coral-capped submerged seamounts. Similarly, Batu Balong stands as a monumental pinnacle, dense with fish life ranging from colourful reef species to larger hunters. Scuba divers will relish the exhilarating drift dives through the Golden Passage and the narrow Cauldron / Shotgun channel, where fast currents create thrilling underwater motion, especially around Stranger Things and Police Corner.
Moving throughout the park, the La Galigo liveaboard prioritises encounters with magnificent megafauna. Manta Point and Manta Alley are key areas where oceanic manta rays gather for feeding and cleaning, offering unforgettable in-water experiences. The calmer fringing reefs of Tatawa Besar and Kecil, alongside Sebayor and Mauan, provide thriving hard and soft coral gardens, perfect for observing green turtles and robust reef fish populations, ensuring balanced diving throughout the day.
While Komodo is celebrated for its powerful flows, the La Galigo offers plenty for macro enthusiasts. The sandy slopes and sheltered bays of Wainilu, Pengah Kecil, and Soro Lia Bay are rich in muck diving targets, often revealing rare critters such as wonderpus, seahorses, and various nudibranchs. The iconic Pink Beach is visited for its unique shoreline and calm waters.
To complete the experience, land excursions include a trek on Padar to reach Pillarsteen viewpoint for a stunning sunset, and a guided La Galigo Komodo dragon trek on Rinca Island.
Final Day
After your final breakfast on board, the unforgettable Komodo diving experience aboard the La Galigo concludes with disembarkation in Labuan Bajo.
Raja Ampat National Park (12 Days / 11 Nights - 36 Dives)
Trip highlights: shark action, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Raja Ampat - Saonek Besar, MIsool: Wayil, Boo, Fiabacet, Farondi, Warakaraket; Wayag, Penemu, Batanta, Kawe Island, Aljui Bay, Gam: Mayhem, Citrus Ridge, Manta Ridge, Arborek, Dampier Strait: Blue Magic, Cape Kri, Mioskon, Sawandarek Jetty
Day 1
We intend to provide a smooth, stress-free initiation to your adventure. Gaining access to the vessel in Sorong is the first step. Following a collective team welcome, an obligatory safety briefing is administered. Guests are allocated opportunity for equipment assembly prior to the important afternoon shakedown dive. The first dinner is served as La Galigo departs on an extended nighttime move to the Raja Ampat National Park.
Core Days
This comprehensive cruise with the La Galigo liveaboard is designed to showcase the full spectrum of Raja Ampat's underwater wealth, encompassing the sheer volume of marine life in the Dampier Strait, the pristine soft coral reefs of Misool, and the dramatic karst landscapes of the north. Your expedition starts with the prolific central region, particularly the Dampier Strait, home to high-energy sites like Cape Kri and Blue Magic. These are famed globally for attracting immense schools of jacks, barracuda, and tuna, alongside patrolling blacktip reef sharks. Nearby dive sites such as Mioskon and Sawandarek Jetty provide superb opportunities for spotting everything from oceanic manta rays at cleaning stations to endemic wobbegong sharks resting on the seabed. Arborek is also visited, combining vibrant diving with an opportunity to see a local village.
Moving south, the exploration delves into the Misool region, celebrated for its unique limestone island formations and incredible soft coral density. Sites including Wayil, Fiabacet, Farondi, and Warakaraket offer diving amongst kaleidoscopic walls and overhangs, rich with fan corals, sponges, and rare macro life. This area is essential for appreciating the unparalleled biodiversity of the Coral Triangle, where the sheer number of species makes every dive an immersion into a natural aquarium.
The northern sector of the La Galigo's route takes you to the spectacular, remote islands of Wayag. Here, the focus shifts to dramatic topside beauty, with excursions to climb viewpoints for the quintessential panoramic views of the karst lagoons. Underwater, the region around Kawe Island and the deep, protected slopes of Aljui Bay provides excellent wide-angle photography subjects and opportunities for macro observations, including the elusive mandarin fish and various pipefish. Sites like Mayhem and Citrus Ridge in the Gam area ensure consistent action, completing your adventure through Raja Ampat's best diving environments and making the La Galigo the perfect platform for this deep-dive into Indonesia's crown jewel.
Day 12
Following breakfast, your adventure with the La Galigo concludes with disembarkation at Sorong harbour.
Raja Ampat National Park Central (7 Days / 6 Nights - 19 Dives)
Trip highlights: shark action, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Raja Ampat: Gam, Batangpele, Jef Fam, Dampier Strait. Visit Kalibiru Blue River.
Day 1
This dive exploration commences at Sorong harbour. After ascending the gangway, you will convene with the crew and secure a foundational safety presentation. Divers immediately arrange their kit. An essential afternoon check dive offers your inaugural underwater moment in Raja Ampat. A nourishing supper is consumed on deck as the vessel sets forth on its nightly transit to the remote sites.
Core Days
This central Raja Ampat route is crafted around the immense marine action within the Dampier Strait, a renowned hotspot where strong currents create an aggregation of fish life. Divers will find themselves amidst vast schools of pelagics-jacks, tuna, and barracuda, which often attract blacktip reef sharks cruising the reef crests. The tour then extends to Gam, where dive sites like the famous Citrus Ridge present a spectacle of soft coral topography, with huge gorgonian fans and luxuriant corals draping every submerged rock.
Beyond the high-octane reefs of the strait, the La Galigo liveaboard takes you to the richly biodiverse locations of Jef Fam and Batangpele. These islands are exceptional for showcasing Raja Ampat’s phenomenal reef health and variety. Here, the focus shifts to locating creatures such as the endemic wobbegong shark and smaller, intricate marine life, from ghost pipefish to pygmy seahorses, perfectly illustrating the region’s status as the epicentre of marine biodiversity. Your time on the La Galigo provides unparalleled access to these remote underwater wonders.
A welcome contrast to the diving routine is the land visit to Kalibiru Blue River. This short excursion offers a chance to immerse yourself in a pristine, freshwater environment, swimming in cool, strikingly clear blue water surrounded by the dense tropical canopy. The balance of exhilarating diving and unique topside exploration makes this La Galigo liveaboard tour an appealing adventure you can confidently book.
Day 7
Following breakfast, your adventure with the La Galigo concludes with disembarkation at Sorong.
Raja Ampat National Park North & Central
Trip highlights: shark action, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: From Raja Ampat: Saonek Kecil, Dampier Strait, Cape Kri, Penemu, Wayag, Kawe and Aljui Bay, Gam, Arborek, Sawandarek Jetty, Batanta, Pulau Dayang, Pulau Wai. Land visit to Kali Biru River, scenic view trail, Wayag Ranger Station (blacktip reef shark breeding area).
Day 1
The first afternoon is purely preparation. Stepping onto the La Galigo in Sorong marks the initial phase. The team extends a personal greeting and delivers a safety discussion. Guests settle into their rooms before addressing dive preparation. Your inaugural dive is the afternoon check dive. The first meal is served while the boat starts its nocturnal transit toward the various dive sites.
Core Days
This dive trip explores the high-biodiversity areas of north and central Raja Ampat. The expedition aboard the La Galigo focuses on the Dampier Strait, known for its powerful currents and immense marine life aggregation, alongside the unique northern islands. At Cape Kri, one of the world's most biodiverse dive sites, you can expect to be enveloped by large schools of reef fish, including fusiliers, jacks, and barracuda, attracting opportunistic blacktip reef sharks. This action-packed area also includes Saonek Kecil and the famous Sawandarek Jetty, which are excellent for both fish schools and macro subjects.
The La Galigo liveaboard then moves to the remote, pristine northern regions of Wayag and Kawe Island. Wayag is celebrated globally for its dramatic limestone karst topography, offering sensational topside views via a scenic view trail and unparalleled diving. The area around the Wayag Ranger Station is noted as a blacktip reef shark breeding area. Furthermore, the extensive reef systems around Kawe, Batanta, Pulau Dayang, and Pulau Wai ensure opportunities for everything from pelagic sightings to finding endemic species like wobbegong and epaulette sharks. Exploration extends to Aljui Bay, renowned for its calm, protected waters which offer fascinating night dives and the chance to observe unique macro life, contrasting sharply with the energetic drifts of the Dampier Strait.
Land excursions are a key part of this experience, including a visit to the Kali Biru River, a hidden natural wonder with cool, clear blue waters surrounded by lush jungle. The overall itinerary on the La Galigo provides a comprehensive and diverse dive safari, combining Raja Ampat's iconic landscapes and world-class underwater environments.
Final Day
After a final breakfast on board, your diving adventure with the La Galigo concludes with disembarkation at Sorong harbour.
Raja Ampat National Park South & Central (9 Days / 8 Nights - 25 Dives)
Trip highlights: shark action, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Raja Ampat: Saonek Kecil, Batanta, Misool: Farondi, Wayil, Fiabacet, Warakaraket, Boo, Penemu, Dampier Strait
Day 1
Modelled after a traditional Indonesian pinisi, the La Galigo eagerly awaits your arrival. Our time begins at Sorong harbour, where you ascend the ship's side. Introductions to the staff accompany a detailed vessel briefing. Following this, divers attend to configuring their personal equipment. After completing the necessary check dive later that afternoon, the first meal is enjoyed before the ship commences its long-distance evening movement toward the dive areas.
Core Days
This spectacular diving safari is focused on the heart of Raja Ampat's marine biodiversity, expertly balancing the phenomenal, pristine reefs of Misool with the high-energy diving of the Dampier Strait. Your time on the La Galigo liveaboard starts in the south, exploring Misool's dramatic karst scenery and rich underwater habitats. Sites like Farondi, Wayil, Warakaraket, and Boo feature some of the region's most vibrant and densely-covered soft coral gardens. These isolated pinnacles and slopes are teeming with schooling fish, turtles, and the endemic wobbegong shark, establishing Misool as an essential destination for discerning scuba divers.
The expedition then moves north, combining excellent diving with iconic topside beauty. You will have the opportunity to visit Penemu, where a short hike provides breathtaking views of the mushroom-shaped islands and turquoise lagoons, a signature sight of Raja Ampat. The diving around Penemu, Saonek Kecil, and Batanta offers diverse experiences, from discovering hidden macro subjects to exploring submerged rock formations populated by colourful reef fish.
The final phase of the adventure with the La Galigo liveaboard concentrates on the Dampier Strait. This area is renowned for its intense tidal flows, which attract a high volume of pelagic life. Dive sites here are famous for their blacktip reef shark patrols, immense schools of trevallies and barracuda, and dependable sightings of oceanic manta rays at established cleaning stations. This combination of the prolific soft coral reefs of Misool and the dynamic, action-packed strait ensures that the La Galigo delivers a comprehensive exploration of Raja Ampat's finest diving environments.
Day 9
Following your final breakfast on board, your memorable diving expedition concludes with disembarkation in Sorong.
[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].
The operational tempo of the La Galigo liveaboard is set to maximise time underwater in Indonesian waters, offering divers a consistent daily rhythm supported by regular, substantial meals. The schedule is structured around a 5-part feeding plan: pre-breakfast, breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner.
The day begins with a light pre-breakfast before the initial dive. Upon return, a full buffet breakfast is served, ensuring every diver is properly nourished for the second dive. This extensive spread includes classics such as eggs cooked to order, French toast with honey and cinnamon, cereal, and fresh sliced fruit, along with a choice of juices, tea, and coffee.
Lunch is typically served buffet-style around 12 noon, presenting a mix of 2 or 3 dishes from the ship's Indo-Asian fusion and Western repertoire. A sample midday meal might feature a fresh salad, rice, and traditional Indonesian options such as bakwan sayur (a fried vegetable fritter) or fish with lemon grass.
After the afternoon diving session, daily snacks are provided, with popular offerings including satay chicken skewers, banana fritters, or samosas. Dinner, served buffet-style with waitress assistance in the saloon of La Galigo, is a social highlight and always concludes with dessert. The evening menu could include heartier Asian fare, such as Thai green curry chicken, rice, fish cakes, or pad thai chicken.
Complimentary coffee, tea, drinking water, fruit, candy bars, and biscuits are accessible throughout your time on the La Galigo. Soft drinks, beer, and wine are available for purchase. Guests are welcome to bring their own duty-free spirits, benefiting from a no-corkage policy, though purchasing beer or wine on board is preferred.
The chefs are pleased to cater for all dietary requirements, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free options, provided you send us advanced notice of any special needs. The dining service commences with breakfast on the first day of your cruise
