KLM Gaya Baru Indah is a 23m traditional Phinisi schooner running short, affordable cruises around Raja Ampat and the Banda Sea. Perfect for young budget conscious divers and groups, this liveaboard takes a maximum of 8, typically with no more than 4 divers per guide.
Surface time is normally spent relaxing above deck. During the daytime awnings are in place to provide shade. These are removed in the evening so you can enjoy the starry starry nights. You relax on sunbeds and sun mats on the main deck or use the tables and chairs on the upper deck. Sun lovers can always find a bright spot to work on their tans.
Meals are normally enjoyed in the indoor dining area with open louvres on both sides allowing for cross breezes to add to the fan cooled ambience. The chef will present a range of dishes consisting both of western favourites including pasta, salads, soups and meat dishes, as well as Indonesian fare featuring rice, fresh fish and local herbs and spices. Simple snacks are available at all times as well as drinking water, tea and coffee. Note, there are no wines or spirits on board.
Nitrox is free of charge! The dive deck features bench seating with underseat storage for your smaller pieces of scuba gear. There are separate camera and equipment rinse tanks. 2 tenders ferry the small dive groups to and from the sites making the diving procedure a breeze. For charging there is a 220V supply with 30 round 2-pin sockets (European standard) at the charging station in the hall outside the cabins. Electricity supply is available from 6 am to 10 pm. Gaya Baru Indah means new beautiful style and is a great option if your style is an affordable, easy going, small group Indonesia liveaboard.
Raja Ampat National Park North & Central (7 Days / 6 Nights - 18 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, Batu Lima, Dampier Strait, Cape Kri, Blue Magic, Sardine Reef, Lalosi, Manta Sandy, Manta Ridge, Arborek, Citrus Ridge, Mayhem, Black Forest, Yeben Shallows, Mangrove Ridge, Penemu, Aljui Bay Pearl Farm
Day 1
Guests may board the boat between 10:00 and 12:00 hrs with most arriving to Waisai on the 9 am ferry from Sorong. A welcome drink will greet you as you step on board before you are shown to your cabin and can begin to put your dive gear together. Lunch is the time to say hello to your fellow guests as the boat leaves the harbour around 13:00 hrs. A check-out dive normally takes place on the afternoon of day 1 to ensure everything is in place for the full diving days ahead. Dinner will be served before you settle down for a good night's sleep.
Days 2-6
This cruise features an easy to follow daily schedule and days full of fun - pre-breakfast, 1st dive, breakfast, 2nd dive, lunch, 3rd dive, snacks and dinner. On 2 evenings of this cruise there will be a night dive at 19:00 hrs and a later dinner. Each day you will arise to a light casual pre-breakfast of tea coffee, toast and fruit before the first dive of the day. 3 main meals will be enjoyed in the dining area which is cooled by fans and cross-breezes through open windows. Snacks and drinks are available throughout the day to keep any hunger pangs at bay.
Raja Ampat Central and North offer unforgettable diving, unsurprising given that it is located in the richest marine region on Earth. Schools of fish will welcome you in their habitats, some of them will become common encounters on each dive, especially reef fish such as damsels, anthias, soldierfish and angelfish; while other encounters will be less frequent and therefore more unique, such as cleaning stations visited by manta rays or sandy slopes where wobbegong sharks like to rest before their night hunting. You will likely encounter reef sharks, manta rays, dogtooth tuna, turtles, barracuda, wobbegongs, bumphead parrotfish. However it is not all big stuff. There is plenty of amazing macro life to enjoy such as rhynophias, frogfish, ghost pipefish and seahorses plus much more to discover.
There are 3 dives (last dive 15:00 hrs) on day 6, the last full day of the safari.
Day 7
You have reached the end of this amazing cruise. Disembark at Waisai harbour around 12:00 hrs in plenty of time to get the 14:00 hrs ferry back to Sorong.
Raja Ampat National Park South & Central (10 Days / 9 Nights - 27 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 - Batanta, Pulau Dayang, Diversity, Misool: Balbulol, Farondi, Daram, Yellit and Boo; Dampier Strait: Blue Magic, Sardine and Cape Kri
Day 1
Guests may board the boat between 10:00 and 12:00 hrs with most arriving to Waisai on the 9am ferry from Sorong. A welcome drink will greet you as you step on board before you are shown to your cabin and can begin to put your dive gear together. Lunch is the time to say hello to your fellow guests as the boat leaves the harbour around 13:00 hrs. A check-out dive normally takes place on the afternoon of day 1 to ensure everything is in place for the full diving days ahead. Dinner will be served before you settle down for a good night's sleep.
Days 2-9
You can expect an easy to follow daily schedule and days full of fun - pre-breakfast, 1st dive, breakfast, 2nd dive, lunch, 3rd dive, snacks and dinner. On 3 evenings of this cruise there will be a night dive at 19:00 hrs and a later dinner. On every full day of the cruise you will awaken to a light casual pre-breakfast of tea coffee, toast and fruit before dive 1. The large communal wooden dining table is the setting for the 3 main meals you will enjoy each day. The dining area is cooled by fans and cross-breezes through open windows on both the port and starboard side. Drinks and snacks are always on hand during the day to keep you refreshed.
Your playground is an area known for having the greatest underwater biodiversity in the world! Even the muck diving is unique when you dive in Raja Ampat: wonderpus, ghost pipefish, various types of nudibranchs are some of the long list of critters here. Don't forget to bring a wide angle lens as the safari will also allow you to witness majestic mantas, reef sharks, wobbegongs and endless schools of pelagic fish. There will be some amazing subjects for your underwater pictures. In the southern region especially, the reefs explode with life and colour, making it difficult squeeze it all into your wide-angle frame. You will have to work hard to avoid the reef and oceanic manta rays which routinely glide into shot. Pygmy seahorses are guaranteed, so don't forget your magnifying glass. The Misool region lays claim to 19 endemic species. How many will you find?
There are 3 dives (last dive 15:00 hrs) on day 9, the last full day of the safari.
Day 10
You have reached the end of this amazing cruise. Disembark at Waisai harbour around 12:00 hrs in plenty of time to get the 14:00 hrs ferry back to Sorong.
Raja Ampat, Banda Sea & Ambon (12 Days / 11 Nights - 34 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, off the beaten track, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Raja Ampat - Misool: Farondi, Daram, Yellit, Boo; Pisang, Koon, Banda Islands: Hatta, Banda Neira, Suanggi, Ambon. Visit Portuguese and Dutch fortresses, nutmeg plantation.
Day 1
Guests may board the boat between 10:00 and 12:00 hrs with most arriving to Waisai on the 9am ferry from Sorong. A welcome drink will greet you as you step on board before you are shown to your cabin and can begin to put your dive gear together. Lunch is the time to say hello to your fellow guests as the boat leaves the harbour around 13:00 hrs. A check-out dive normally takes place on the afternoon of day 1 to ensure everything is in place for the full diving days ahead. Dinner will be served before you settle down for a good night's sleep.
Days 2-11
You can expect an easy to follow daily schedule and days full of fun - pre-breakfast, 1st dive, breakfast, 2nd dive, lunch, 3rd dive, snacks and dinner. On 3 evenings of this cruise there will be a night dive at 19:00 hrs and a later dinner. On every full day of the cruise you will awaken to a light casual pre-breakfast of tea coffee, toast and fruit before dive 1. The large communal wooden dining table is the setting for the 3 main meals you will enjoy each day. The dining area is cooled by fans and cross-breezes through open windows on both the port and starboard side. Drinks and snacks are always on hand during the day to keep you refreshed.
Your playground is an area known for having the greatest underwater biodiversity in the world! Even the muck diving is unique when you dive in Raja Ampat: wonderpus, ghost pipefish, various types of nudibranchs are some of the long list of critters here. Don't forget to bring a wide angle lens as the safari will also allow you to witness majestic mantas, reef sharks, wobbegongs and endless schools of pelagic fish.
In October and November large schools of hammerhead sharks gather around the Ring of Fire in the Banda Sea. Whales and large pelagic fish such as mola mola, dogtooth tuna and sailfish are frequently spotted, too. Most of these dive sites can only be visited by liveaboard due to their very remote location. Along the way you will visit the original spice islands of Banda with their rich and at times tragic history as well as many other beautiful small islands and dive along their walls and coral gardens. The visibility is generally very good and the water is warm. The season is short as the area can only be dived during the change of the monsoon winds in October/November or in April/May.
There are 3 dives (last dive 15:00 hrs) on day 11, the last full day of the safari.
Day 12
You have reached the end of this amazing cruise. Disembark at Ambon.
Note these trips sometimes run in reverse so please study the departure information.
[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].