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
After a short ride from Labuan Bajo airport to the harbour, you will board La Galigo, and meet the crew and the other guests who will share this unforgettable dive safari with you. Breakfast will be served while the cruise director introduces the boat and the crew with a comprehensive briefing. There will be plenty of time to set up your gear and explore the dive deck. After lunch it is time to hit the water for a check dive: your first taste of the underwater world you will discover during your vacation. There is also time for an extra dive late in the afternoon. After all, diving is the reason you have signed up for this trip! Enjoy dinner while the liveaboard starts its journey to the dive location you will visit the following morning.
Core Days
You will soon get used to the daily routine, focused on awesome dives and delicious food. Start the day with a light breakfast, then the 1st dive of the day, before a second breakfast and then the 2nd morning dive. Komodo offers some great diving, with currents full of nutrients that bring an amazing variety of marine life. You can see reef sharks, mantas getting cleaned by reef-dwelling cleaner fish at specific cleaning stations known by your dive guides, turtles and an high variety of weird critters such as wonderpus, seahorses, harlequin shrimps and more. Luckily you will also have a 3rd dive in the afternoon after lunch and a 4th dive (dusk/night dive) before dinner.
Food on board is a high priority of the operator. You can expect mainly Indonesian dishes with a few Western favourites during your Komodo tour. Dinner always starts with a warm soup, fresh or boiled vegetables, main courses and rice. A chef-prepared dessert ends the meal to satisfy your sweet tooth. All meals are served buffet style and there is plenty of food for each guest to enjoy.
Please note that only 2 dives will be scheduled for the last full day of the safari, then, after lunch, there will be a land tour to see the famous Komodo dragons before returning to Labuan Bajo.
Final Day
Prepare to leave the boat after a continental breakfast. A complimentary transfer will take you to either Labuan Bajo Airport or your hotel, depending on your plans.
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
You will be picked up from your Sorong hotel or Sorong airport and transferred to La Galigo. Once on board La Galigo, you will meet the crew and the other guests who will share this unforgettable dive safari with you. Lunch will be served while the cruise director introduces the boat and the crew with a comprehensive briefing. Then you will set up your gear and explore the dive deck. Shortly after lunch it is time to hit the water for a check dive and get your first taste of the underwater world you will discover during your vacation. Enjoy dinner while the liveaboard starts its journey to the dive location you will visit the following morning.
Core Days
You will soon get used to the daily routine, focused on awesome dives and delicious food. Start the day with a light breakfast, then the 1st dive of the day, before a second breakfast and then the 2nd morning dive. Dive after dive you will begin to understand how this area has the greatest underwater biodiversity in the world. From unique muck diving in search of wonderpus, pygmy seahorses and ghost pipefish, to majestic mantas, wobbegongs and reef sharks, and large schools of pelagic fish. The diversity is amazing. Luckily you will also have a 3rd dive in the afternoon after lunch and a 4th dive (dusk/night dive) before dinner.
Food on board is a high priority of the operator. You can expect mainly Indonesian dishes with a few Western favourites during your Raja Ampat tour. Dinner always starts with a warm soup, fresh or boiled vegetables, main courses and rice. A chef-prepared dessert ends the meal to satisfy your sweet tooth. All meals are served buffet style and there is plenty of food for each guest to enjoy.
Please note that only 2 dives are scheduled for the last full day of the safari, then, after lunch, La Galigo starts its cruise back to Waisai.
Day 12
Prepare to leave the boat after a continental breakfast. A complimentary transfer will take you to either Sorong Airport or your hotel, depending on your post trip plans.
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
You will be picked up from your Sorong hotel or Sorong airport and transferred to La Galigo. Once on board, you will meet the crew and the other guests who will share this unforgettable dive safari with you. Lunch will be served while the cruise director provides a comprehensive briefing. Then you will set up your gear and explore the dive deck. Shortly after lunch it is time to hit the water for a check dive and get your first taste of the underwater world you will discover during your vacation. Enjoy dinner while the liveaboard starts its journey to the dive location you will visit the following morning.
Core Days
You will soon discover why Raja Ampat is considered as a world class diving destination. Enjoy the abundance of tropical fish around pristine soft and hard corals, including snappers, soldierfish and anthias. The macro marine life is also excellent. From frogfish to pygmy seahorses, pipefish to nudibranchs (of every form and colour!). A wide angle lens will also be necessary for your pictures to snap as trevallies, barracudas, mantas and sharks, plus the endemic spotted wobbegong, even in shallow waters.
The daily routine is focused on awesome dives and delicious food. Start the day with a light breakfast, then the 1st dive of the day, before a second breakfast and then the 2nd morning dive. Dive after dive you will begin to understand how this area has the greatest underwater biodiversity in the world. From unique macro diving in search of wonderpus, pygmy seahorses and ghost pipefish, to majestic mantas, reef sharks and large schools of pelagic fish. The diversity is amazing. Luckily you will also have a 3rd dive in the afternoon after lunch and a 4th dive (dusk/night dive) before dinner. Food on board is a high priority of the operator. You can expect mainly Indonesian dishes with a few Western favourites during your Raja Ampat tour. Dinner always starts with a warm soup, fresh or boiled vegetables, main courses and rice. A chef-prepared dessert ends the meal to satisfy your sweet tooth. All meals are served buffet style and there is plenty of food for each guest to enjoy.
Day 7
Prepare to leave the boat after a continental breakfast. A complimentary transfer will take you to either Sorong Airport or your hotel, depending on your post trip plans.
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
You will be picked up from your Sorong hotel or Sorong airport and transferred to La Galigo. Once on board La Galigo, you will meet the crew and the other guests who will share this unforgettable dive safari with you. Lunch will be served while the cruise director introduces the boat and the crew with a comprehensive briefing. Then you will set up your gear and explore the dive deck. Shortly after lunch it is time to hit the water for a check dive and get your first taste of the underwater world you will discover during your vacation. Enjoy dinner while the liveaboard starts its journey to the dive location you will visit the following morning.
Core Days
You will soon get used to the daily routine, focused on awesome dives and delicious food. Start the day with a light breakfast, then the 1st dive of the day, before a second breakfast and then the 2nd morning dive. Dive after dive you will begin to understand how Raja Ampat has the greatest underwater biodiversity in the world. From unique muck diving in search of wonderpus, pygmy seahorses and ghost pipefish, to majestic mantas, wobbegongs and reef sharks, and large schools of pelagic fish. The diversity is amazing. Luckily you will also have a 3rd dive in the afternoon after lunch and a 4th dive (dusk/night dive) before dinner.
Food on board is a high priority of the operator. You can expect mainly Indonesian dishes with a few Western favourites during your Raja Ampat tour. Dinner always starts with a warm soup, fresh or boiled vegetables, main courses and rice. A chef-prepared dessert ends the meal to satisfy your sweet tooth. All meals are served buffet style and there is plenty of food for each guest to enjoy.
Please note that only 2 dives are scheduled for the last full day of the safari, then, after lunch, you can join a land trip to one of Raja Ampat’s hidden natural wonders, Kali Biru, a river with cool, clear blue waters surrounded by lush tropical jungle - a wondrous sight to take in. Then La Galigo starts its cruise back to Waisai.
Final Day
Prepare to leave the boat after a continental breakfast. A complimentary transfer will take you to either Sorong Airport or your hotel, depending on your post trip plans.
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
You will be picked up from your Sorong hotel or Sorong airport between 07:00 and 08:30 and transferred to La Galigo. Once on board La Galigo, you will meet the crew and the other guests who will share this unforgettable dive safari with you. Lunch will be served while the cruise director introduces the boat and the crew with a comprehensive briefing. Then you will set up your gear and explore the dive deck. Shortly after lunch it is time to hit the water for a check dive and get your first taste of the underwater world you will discover during your vacation. Enjoy dinner while the liveaboard starts its journey to the dive location you will visit the following morning.
Core Days
You will soon get used to the daily routine, focused on awesome dives and delicious food. Start the day with a light breakfast, then the 1st dive of the day, before a second breakfast and then the 2nd morning dive. Dive after dive you will begin to understand how Raja Ampat has the greatest underwater biodiversity in the world. From unique muck diving in search of wonderpus, pygmy seahorses and ghost pipefish, to majestic mantas, wobbegongs and reef sharks, and large schools of pelagic fish. The diversity is amazing. Luckily you will also have a 3rd dive in the afternoon after lunch and a 4th dive (dusk/night dive) before dinner.
Food on board is a high priority of the operator. You can expect mainly Indonesian dishes with a few Western favourites during your Raja Ampat tour. Dinner always starts with a warm soup, fresh or boiled vegetables, main courses and rice. A chef-prepared dessert ends the meal to satisfy your sweet tooth. All meals are served buffet style and there is plenty of food for each guest to enjoy.
Please note that only 2 dives are scheduled for the last full day of the safari, then, after lunch, La Galigo starts its cruise back to Sorong.
Day 9
Prepare to leave the boat between 5-11 am, after a continental breakfast. A complimentary transfer will take you to either Sorong Airport or your hotel, depending on your post trip plans.
[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
