The Climate, Diving Season and Best Time to Visit
A number of Indonesian liveaboards visit the Cenderawasih Bay region between the months of June and October. From July to September, rain and strong winds can cause choppy open-sea conditions in areas of Raja Ampat. So to avoid these conditions, some liveaboards follow sheltered routes to and in Cenderawasih Bay. The world-renowned whale shark dives take place all year round.
Indonesia's Papuan provinces experience 2 wet seasons: - July/August and November/December. It may rain in Papua at any time, rainy season or dry. Water temperatures remain reasonably constant, from around 27°C (May to October), up to high of 30°C (November and April).
Liveaboard Ports of Departure and How to Get There
Cenderawasih Bay liveaboard cruises depart from a range of ports within the bay. These can include Manokwari, Nabire and Biak. The more frequent trips of Raja Ampat & Cenderawasih Bay may also use one of these ports, as well as Sorong in West Papua. Manokwari is accessed from Jakarta via Ujung Pandang. Biak enjoys direct flights from Ujung Pandang and Jayapura. Nabire airport is accessible from Jakarta and Surabaya via Ambon. You can fly to Sorong direct from Jakarta, or from Bali via Ujung Pandang or Manado.
Most people fly into Indonesia to Jakarta (Java), Manado (Sulawesi) or Denpasar (Bali). More information on: how to get to Indonesia.
You can view which ports the various boats use on their trips in the 'Departures & Prices' section of each boat's webpage. Whichever ports your boat uses, the boat operator normally provides a transfer to the boat from the local airport or hotels (if you overnight beforehand). We will send you full departure details during the booking process.
We recommend you take out insurance to cover diving and travel activities, including trip cancellation. See our insurance programme for a competitive quotation:

Places to Stay
If you plan on staying in Indonesia before or after your Cenderawasih liveaboard diving safari, you can find a large range of accommodation options at hotelscombined.com, our affiliated hotel reservation specialists. Browse their website, use their on-line chat to ask questions, then simply use your credit card to make your booking:

All bookings carry a 'Low Price Guarantee' to ensure you get top-dollar value for money.