North Sulawesi and Raja Ampat Group Safari│Oct – Nov 2018

We begin this tour from a small island off the north coast of Sulawesi, Gangga Island.  Gangga is uniquely and conveniently situated with easy access to Bunaken Marine Park and Lembeh Straights, not to mention the local sites nearer to the island. From our base we’ll make 3 dives per day at sites around the Gangga, Bunaken and Manado Tua as well as Lembeh. Coral life explodes off the dramatic walls of the islands that plunge to staggering depths. Dive sites such as Lekuan and Muka Kampung come highly rated and never fail to impress even the most seasoned diver. Topography in the area is a varied including walls, sandy slopes, coral gardens and rubble sites. Shallow fringing reefs, sandy bays and bommies provide a unique habitat for critters of all shapes and sizes. By the time we surface from often long and relaxing dives the sun is usually setting in the distance. We enjoy the view and head to Gangga Island Resort’s bar for a refreshing drink after what is invariably a superb day of diving.

From North Sulawesi we’ll travel east to West Papua, where bordering New Guinea, is a region called Raja Ampat. We’ll spend 6 nights here and fill the days diving over some of the most species rich and pristine reefs found anywhere in the world. Just a 20 minute boat ride from our base (Papua Paradise) is Manta Point, a cleaning station which regularly hosts up to 4 or 5 giant manta at a time. The reef dives are simply breathtaking with staggering numbers of jacks, barracuda, batfish and trevally back dropped by genuinely pristine hard and soft corals. Tasselled wobbegong sharks, walking sharks (Epaulette) and black and white tips make for regular sightings. Mangrove passages, overhangs, shoals and platform reefs are typical topographical locations. Above the surface uninhabited islands scatter the skyline overgrown by virgin jungle.

On our return from West Papua we’ll overnight in the highlands of North Sulawesi. We will visit volcanic lakes which change colour throughout the day and finish the tour with a short hike up a volcano for magnificent views over Northern Sulawesi and the islands we’ve visited en route. This tour provides the opportunity to combine some of the world’s best macro/muck diving with the most species rich reefs so that you may experience the best diving in Indonesia.

Includes
– 6 nights accommodation Gangga Island Resort – 1x Lembeh Day Trip, 1x Bunaken Day Trip, full board, 13 dives with tanks, weights and guide.
– 6 nights accommodation Papua Paradise Eco Resort- full board, 13 dives with tanks, weights and guide.
– 1 night Hotel Novotel Manadi Airport
– 1 night accommodation Minahasa Highlands at the Highland Resort
– Land Based excursion to Mt Lokon / Lake Linow
– Excursion to see the birds of paradise in Raja Ampat
– Fully guided itinerary Manado Airport – Manado Airport
– All internal flights and connections
– Excess baggage up to 20Kg’s with Lion Air flights (Manado – Sorong Rtn)
– Complete financial protection

Not Included
– Night dives in Lembeh & Bunaken
– Airport Departure Tax: £10 approx per person
– Alcoholic beverages and general sundries
– Equipment rental: Rates available on request
– Marine Park Fees: 17 USD – Sulawesi / 90 USD – Raja Ampat paid locally (approx)
– International flights with Singapore Airlines: from £700.00 per person

Price:
£3495