Stepping into the heart of the Coral Triangle requires a stable and grand platform. The KLM Sea Safari 8 offers exactly that: a magnificent 35-metre schooner built in the revered Buginese Phinisi tradition from resilient ironwood. This elegant vessel provides a spacious and luxurious environment for exploring Indonesia's premier destinations, including the coral paradises of Raja Ampat and the unique ecosystem of Cenderawasih Bay. A practical advantage of the Sea Safari 8 liveaboard is its flexible schedule, allowing divers to book shorter safaris starting from just 6 nights, ideal for those constrained by time or budget.
The vessel’s remarkable 10-metre beam translates directly into expansive living and functional areas. Even when sailing with the maximum of 24 guests, the Sea Safari 8 maintains an atmosphere of relaxed comfort. High-quality wooden finishes enhance the interior, ensuring a sense of traditional luxury throughout the accommodation and common areas.
Guests retire to comfortable, air-conditioned en-suite cabins, situated across the main and lower decks, featuring primarily twin or double berths. Above the quarters, social time is managed with 2 distinct, air-conditioned saloons. The main deck of Sea Safari 8 hosts the welcoming dining area, while the upper deck saloon is a dedicated lounge equipped with full entertainment facilities for quiet downtime or socialising.
The above-deck space is equally impressive. The sun deck provides a peaceful area to soak up the tropical climate and observe the spectacular passing scenery. A highly appreciated feature is the open-air Jacuzzi, offering a perfect spot to relax and reflect on the day’s diving in the waters of Raja Ampat.
Diving operations are structured for safety and photographer convenience. The Sea Safari 8 liveaboard's wide beam creates a particularly generous kit-up area on the dive deck, eliminating pre-dive congestion. 2 motorised aluminium tenders facilitate swift, comfortable movement to and from the dive sites. For added security, guests are equipped with the ENOS tracking system, providing the dive guides with critical positional awareness underwater.
Underwater photographers will appreciate the dedicated facilities provided by the Sea Safari 8 liveaboard. A clear camera table and an on-board computer are available for image preparation and editing, a necessary resource when capturing the rich biodiversity of Indonesia. Combining traditional charm, modern amenities, and flexible trips, the KLM Sea Safari 8 offers a comfortable, confident base for an unforgettable Indonesian diving expedition.
Halmahera Island
Trip highlights: turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track
Dive sites and activities: Halmahera: Makian/Tidore, Sali Bay, Kusu Island, Latalata, Goraici, Lelei, Siko
Day 1
The Sea Safari 8 liveaboard awaits you at Ternate harbour. Welcome drink in hand, you get a quick cabin assignment and boat orientation. Lunch settles you in. Then comes the check dive, either at Tidore Island or Makian Island. Tidore offers a pinnacle drop with garden corals. Makian serves up black sand diving, similar to Lembeh Strait: bobbit worms, frogfish, even walking sharks if you are lucky. Dinner follows, served in the air-conditioned upper deck saloon. The boat moves overnight.
Core Days
The Sea Safari 8 spends its week unwrapping South Halmahera's secrets. This is the Coral Triangle's quieter corner. Pristine reefs, few boats, and a genuine sense of discovery.
At Sali Bay, you get a rare combination: muck diving meets coral slopes. One dive you are hunting pygmy seahorses, ghost pipefish, and nudibranchs the size of a fingernail. The next you drift past schools of mackerel, batfish, and unicornfish. Reef sharks patrol the edges. Night dives here turn up unusual shrimp and crab species, the kind of critters macro photographers dream about.
Kusu Island surrounds you with a fringing reef in near-perfect condition. Walls, slopes, caverns, overhangs, and underwater pinnacles all sit within a protected area. Soft corals in burnt orange and electric purple. Gorgonian fans stretching wide. The fish life runs from tiny pygmy seahorses to tunas, and sometimes manta rays or dolphins passing through. It feels untouched.
Latalata Island changes the terrain. Steep walls ring the edge. Pillars rise from the centre, stopping just metres below the surface. You can circle the pillars, then push out to the outer wall if you have the air. Reef sharks hang around the crater. Schools of snapper, fusiliers, and sweetlips move in close. Cowries, seahorses, and pipefish hide in the coral growth on the pillars.
Goraici Island (often paired with Lelei) presents white sand beaches and a local community that actively conserves its reefs. The payoff is immaculate hard coral gardens. Blacktip reef sharks cruise the walls. The diving feels easy here:gentle currents, good visibility, and a sense that these reefs have been looked after.
Siko Island finishes the active diving days with a wall dive. A large rock breaks the surface. Below, the terrain is rugged: steep walls, big boulders, and honest current. Soft coral covers every inch of the wall – all colours, all directions. Expect napoleon wrasse, bumphead parrotfish, and grey reef sharks. The crew schedule only two dives on this final full day, then the Sea Safari 8 begins its cruise back to port.
Final Day
Continental breakfast on board. Then goodbye. A transfer takes you to either Ternate Airport or your hotel. The Sea Safari 8 crew help with bags. The trip ends where it started but you leave with a much better understanding of why diving in Halmahera deserves attention.
Raja Ampat National Park (11 Days / 10 Nights - 31 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 - Misool: Farondi, Fabiacet, Wayilbatan; Penemu, Barracuda Reef, Melissa's Garden, Wayag, Airborek, Manta Sandy, Manta Ridge, Mioskon, Friwinbondan, Cape Kri, Mansuar, Blue Magic. Trekking.
Day 1
From Sorong Airport it is only a 10 minute transfer to the harbour. Enjoy the scenery while the boat crew takes you to the fantastic Sea Safari VIII liveaboard. Lunch is served after a brief tour of the boat and the cabin assignment. Dinner will be served on the first day of your cruise, in the comfort of the air-conditioned upper deck saloon.
Core Days
From the very beginning of your vacation you will enjoy good diving and great food! A continental breakfast will be followed by the 1st dive of the day, then a 2nd morning dive will take place just after your cooked breakfast including hot coffee, cereal, toasts and eggs, but also fresh fruit and delicious pancakes are served. There will be a 3rd dive in the afternoon after lunch and a 4th dive (night dive) before dinner. Expect plenty of food choice at meal times, with a buffet that features at least 5 different dishes from the Indonesian, Chinese and Japanese cuisine, as well as several Western choices throughout the cruise. Fresh fish and meats will be cooked daily by the chef. Most trips will aim to include a BBQ night for one of the evenings on board.
By now you should have a big smile on your face: your safari is taking you to Raja Ampat, the one of the most amazing dive areas of the world, with the greatest underwater biodiversity ever recorded. On some dives of your trip you will experience unique macro diving in search of wonderpus, pygmy seahorses and ghost pipefish. You will also encounter wobbegongs, epaulette sharks, swim with majestic mantas and reef sharks and be surrounded by large schools of pelagic fish.
Please note that only 2 dives will be on the schedule for the last full day of the safari, then in the afternoon the schooner cruises back to port.
Day 11
Time 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 (8 Days / 7 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: Black Rock, Penemu, Yanggefo, Arborek, Manta Sandy, Mioskon, Dampier Strait: Mansuar, Kri Island. Go in search of the Red Bird of Paradise at Sawingkrai Village on Gam.
Day 1
From Sorong airport it is only a 10 minute transfer to the harbour. Enjoy the scenery while the boat crew takes you to the fantastic Sea Safari VIII liveaboard. Lunch is served after a brief tour of the boat and the cabin assignment. Dinner will be served on the first day of your cruise, in the comfort of the air-conditioned upper deck saloon.
Core Days
From the very beginning of your vacation you will enjoy good diving and great food! A continental breakfast will be followed by the 1st dive of the day, then a 2nd morning dive will take place just after your cooked breakfast including hot coffee, cereal, toasts and eggs, but also fresh fruit and delicious pancakes are served. There will be a 3rd dive in the afternoon after lunch and a 4th dive (night dive) before dinner. Expect plenty of food choice at meal times, with a buffet that features at least 5 different dishes from the Indonesian, Chinese and Japanese cuisine, as well as several Western choices throughout the cruise. Fresh fish and meats will be cooked daily by the chef. Most trips will aim to include a BBQ night for one of the evenings on board.
By now you should have a big smile on your face: your safari is taking you to Raja Ampat, the one of the most amazing dive areas of the world, with the greatest underwater biodiversity ever recorded. On some dives of your trip you will experience unique macro diving in search of wonderpus, pygmy seahorses and ghost pipefish. You will also encounter wobbegongs, epaulette sharks, swim with majestic mantas and reef sharks and be surrounded by large schools of pelagic fish.
Please note that only 2 dives will be on the schedule for the last full day of the safari, then in the afternoon Sea Safari starts its cruise back to port.
Day 8
Time 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 - 16 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: Black Rock, Penemu, Yanggefo, Arborek, Manta Sandy, Dampier Strait: Mioskon, Cape Kri, Mansuar
Day 1
From Sorong airport it is only a 10 minute transfer to the harbour. Enjoy the scenery while the boat crew takes you to the fantastic Sea Safari VIII liveaboard. Lunch is served after a brief tour of the boat and the cabin assignment. Dinner will be served on the first day of your cruise, in the comfort of the air-conditioned upper deck saloon.
Core Days
From the very beginning of your vacation you will enjoy good diving and great food! A continental breakfast will be followed by the 1st dive of the day, then a 2nd morning dive will take place just after your cooked breakfast including hot coffee, cereal, toasts and eggs, but also fresh fruit and delicious pancakes are served. There will be a 3rd dive in the afternoon after lunch and a 4th dive (night dive) before dinner. Expect plenty of food choice at meal times, with a buffet that features at least 5 different dishes from the Indonesian, Chinese and Japanese cuisine, as well as several Western choices throughout the cruise. Fresh fish and meats will be cooked daily by the chef. Most trips will aim to include a BBQ night for one of the evenings on board.
By now you should have a big smile on your face: your safari is taking you to Raja Ampat, the one of the most amazing dive areas of the world, with the greatest underwater biodiversity ever recorded. On some dives of your trip you will experience unique macro diving in search of wonderpus, pygmy seahorses and ghost pipefish. You will also encounter wobbegongs, epaulette sharks, swim with majestic mantas and reef sharks and be surrounded by large schools of pelagic fish.
Please note that only 2 dives will be on the schedule for the last full day of the safari, then in the afternoon Sea Safari starts its cruise back to port.
Day 7
Time to leave the boat, after a continental breakfast. A transfer will take you to either Sorong Airport or your hotel, depending on your post trip plans.
Raja Ampat National Park North & Central (7 Days / 6 Nights - 16 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: Black Rock, Penemu, Yanggefo, Arborek, Dampier Strait, Mansuar, Kri Island. Go in search of the Red Bird of Paradise, viewpoint hikes.
Day 1
From Sorong airport it is only a 10 minute transfer to the harbour. Enjoy the scenery while the boat crew takes you to the fantastic Sea Safari VIII liveaboard. Lunch is served after a brief tour of the boat and the cabin assignment. Dinner will be served on the first day of your cruise, in the comfort of the air-conditioned upper deck saloon.
Core Days
From the very beginning of your vacation you will enjoy good diving and great food! A continental breakfast will be followed by the 1st dive of the day, then a 2nd morning dive will take place just after your cooked breakfast including hot coffee, cereal, toasts and eggs, but also fresh fruit and delicious pancakes are served. There will be a 3rd dive in the afternoon after lunch and a 4th dive (night dive) before dinner. Expect plenty of food choice at meal times, with a buffet that features at least 5 different dishes from the Indonesian, Chinese and Japanese cuisine, as well as several Western choices throughout the cruise. Fresh fish and meats will be cooked daily by the chef. Most trips will aim to include a BBQ night for one of the evenings on board.
By now you should have a big smile on your face: your safari is taking you to Raja Ampat, the one of the most amazing dive areas of the world, with the greatest underwater biodiversity ever recorded. On some dives of your trip you will experience unique macro diving in search of wonderpus, pygmy seahorses and ghost pipefish. You will also encounter wobbegongs, epaulette sharks, swim with majestic mantas and reef sharks and be surrounded by large schools of pelagic fish.
Please note that only 2 dives will be on the schedule for the last full day of the safari, then in the afternoon the schooner starts its cruise back to port.
Day 7
Time to leave the boat, after a continental breakfast. A transfer will take you to either Sorong Airport or your hotel, depending on your post trip plans.
Raja Ampat National Park North & Central (8 Days / 7 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: Black Rock, Penemu, Yanggefo, Arborek, Dampier Strait, Mansuar, Kri Island. Go in search of the Red Bird of Paradise, viewpoint hikes.
Day 1
From Sorong airport it is only a 10 minute transfer to the harbour. Enjoy the scenery while the boat crew takes you to the fantastic Sea Safari VIII liveaboard. Lunch is served after a brief tour of the boat and the cabin assignment. Dinner will be served on the first day of your cruise, in the comfort of the air-conditioned upper deck saloon.
Core Days
From the very beginning of your vacation you will enjoy good diving and great food! A continental breakfast will be followed by the 1st dive of the day, then a 2nd morning dive will take place just after your cooked breakfast including hot coffee, cereal, toasts and eggs, but also fresh fruit and delicious pancakes are served. There will be a 3rd dive in the afternoon after lunch and a 4th dive (night dive) before dinner. Expect plenty of food choice at meal times, with a buffet that features at least 5 different dishes from the Indonesian, Chinese and Japanese cuisine, as well as several Western choices throughout the cruise. Fresh fish and meats will be cooked daily by the chef. Most trips will aim to include a BBQ night for one of the evenings on board.
By now you should have a big smile on your face: your safari is taking you to Raja Ampat, the one of the most amazing dive areas of the world, with the greatest underwater biodiversity ever recorded. On some dives of your trip you will experience unique macro diving in search of wonderpus, pygmy seahorses and ghost pipefish. You will also encounter wobbegongs, epaulette sharks, swim with majestic mantas and reef sharks and be surrounded by large schools of pelagic fish.
Please note that only 2 dives will be on the schedule for the last full day of the safari, then in the afternoon the schooner starts its cruise back to port.
Day 8
Time to leave the boat, after a continental breakfast. A 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 - 23 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 - Misool: Farondi, Fiabacet, Boo; Penemu, Yanggefo, Gam, Arborek, Manta Sandy, Dampier Strait: Mioskon, Friwinbondan, Cape Kri, Mansuar. Trekking, view points.
Day 1
From Sorong airport it is only a 10 minute transfer to the harbour. Enjoy the scenery while the boat crew takes you to the fantastic Sea Safari VIII liveaboard. Lunch is served after a brief tour of the boat and the cabin assignment. Then there will be a check-dive. Dinner will be served on the first day of your cruise, in the comfort of the air-conditioned upper deck saloon.
Core Days
From the very beginning of your vacation you will enjoy good diving and great food! A continental breakfast will be followed by the 1st dive of the day, then a 2nd morning dive will take place just after your cooked breakfast including hot coffee, cereal, toasts and eggs, but also fresh fruit and delicious pancakes are served. There will be a 3rd dive in the afternoon after lunch and a 4th dive (night dive) before dinner. Expect plenty of food choice at meal times, with a buffet that features at least 5 different dishes from the Indonesian, Chinese and Japanese cuisine, as well as several Western choices throughout the cruise. Fresh fish and meats will be cooked daily by the chef. Most trips will aim to include a BBQ night for one of the evenings on board.
By now you should have a big smile on your face: your safari is taking you to Raja Ampat, the one of the most amazing dive areas of the world, with the greatest underwater biodiversity ever recorded. On some dives of your trip you will experience unique macro diving in search of wonderpus, pygmy seahorses and ghost pipefish. You will also encounter wobbegongs, epaulette sharks, swim with majestic mantas and reef sharks and be surrounded by large schools of pelagic fish.
Please note that only 2 dives will be on the schedule for the last full day of the safari, then in the afternoon the schooner starts its cruise back to port.
Day 9
Time 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.
[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 pleasure of diving with the Sea Safari 8 liveaboard is closely tied to the pleasure of eating well, upholding the philosophy of 'sleep - dive - eat (well)' for divers in Indonesia. The schedule provides four dives daily, expertly punctuated by abundant, varied meals and snacks.
The routine begins with a continental breakfast, followed by the first dive of the day. A full cooked breakfast is then served, including options like hot coffee, cereals, eggs, fresh fruit, pancakes, and local dishes such as kweytiaw (noodles). This ensures guests are ready for the second morning dive. Meals and snacks are continuously served before and after every dive.
Lunch, served buffet-style, precedes the third dive in the afternoon. The fourth, optional night dive takes place just before dinner. The menu is consistently varied, offering a blend of Indonesian, Chinese, and Japanese cuisine alongside Western selections, with a buffet choice of at least five different dishes per sitting. The chef prepares fresh fish and meats daily, and themed evening meals like Italian, Chinese, and BBQ nights are highlights. Specific dinner examples include Steamed prawn with onion sauce, Beef With black pepper sauce, and Eggplant moussaka, as well as Sauted vegetables with bean sprouts & salted fish.
Complimentary beverages such as coffee, tea, and drinking water are available continuously. Snacks, including biscuits, candy bars, ice creams, and fruit, are also provided free of charge. 3 cans of soft drinks or beer are included per day, with additional beer and wine available for purchase.
The Sea Safari 8 cruise dining service commences with lunch on the first day. Dietary requirements can be accommodated with prior notice.
