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MV Raja Ampat Explorer dive boat review
The MV Raja Ampat Liveaboard is a traditional Indonesian wooden vessel. It is 33.5 meter long with speed of 8-9 Knots and can accommodate up to 14 guests.
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Boat Cabins & Layout
The dive vessel features a total of 7 double-occupancy cabins, welcoming a maximum of 14 guests. The cabins are all air-conditioned and come complete with a private en-suite bathroom and hot water shower.
You can check the availability and prices for this boat here.
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Raja Ampat Explorer’s On board facilities
- Air-conditioned lounge
- Camera charging station
- Camera work station
- Marine satellite phone
- Sun deck
- On dive platform shower
- Coltri sub compressor
- 14 gear up stations
- Snorkelling gear
- Indonesian and European meals
Scuba diving with the Raja Ampat Explorer
The dive boat has been running for a while now, meaning the crew is experienced and will guide you through this awesome adventure. The Raja Ampat Explorer is equipped with the latest navigation and safety technologies to insure a great diving operation. Moreover, all the expected diving equipment such as storage, rinse tanks, camera station, etc., is available for you on-board!
Budget Range / Price: Starts at US$ 3,550 for a 10 nights boat tour.
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Customer Review
” Raja Ampat is one of the best diving destinations that I’ve visited or been to. And it was turned into a magnificent adventure when diving with MV Raja Ampat, one of the pioneers in the liveaboard industry. Sailing the untainted waters of Raja Ampat for more than 20 years, this liveaboard proved itself to be an effective instrument in allowing divers from all over the world to experience an astonishing underwater exploration.
On the first day of my liveaboard diving from Raja to Triton Bay, I could already see attractive corals in different sizes, shapes and colours. The various dive sites in Raja Ampat made it more fun and difficult for you to leave. My trip with MV Raja Ampat was hard to beat. The dive boat really makes a big difference. I think it wouldn’t be half as much fun as I have if I boarded on an inferior and rubbishy run boat. I’m really delighted with my decision to go with MV Raja Ampat for they provided me a satisfying quality service with a touch of luxury. This boat is not cheap but it’s not too expensive also. It is worthy of every penny I spent. I felt secure and looked after without the staff going overboard in my privacy. The next few days of diving was spent in the beautiful reefs which serve as a home to numerous fish and marine life. I was able to take a photo of a Wobbegong shark and a midnight snapper in the juvenile stage.
Moreover, the captain was also accommodating and really competent. He’s clever in driving us to breathtaking sites. Sometimes, I could not keep up with my picture taking as the diving team was always finding new things. It was awesome! The crew was very smiling, friendly and easy to interact with. They took care of us not only in the boat, under the water but also at the airport as well. They also helped in cleaning and setting up my equipment before each dive. The kitchen staff also served delicious food. I’m looking forward to my next exciting MV Raja Ampat trip!”
– Arthur McGill from USA
Customer Review
“After all the horror stories that I have heard about liveaboards in Raja Ampat many years ago I am happy to have a complete different story to tell today. It was definitely one of the best experience of my life.
The vessel is nice, roomy and comfortably taking the 12 guests that we were. The cabin accommodation was great, not so roomy but always clean and bed is comfortable so you can have a good rest after an exhausting day out at sea. The dive and sun decks are perfect, partly shaded and always well organized. There’s a nice lounge where you can have dinner with AC so that’s a must. The basics only are included in the full board service but you can purchase soft drinks, beer and wine at your convenience.
The diving in Raja Ampat was totally enchanting. Depending on your level of energy and of diving I guess, you can dive up to 4 times a day! It’s awesome. Make sure you have your own material or that you pre-arrange rental with them because I saw some fellow divers unhappy with what they have gotten. The guides are great, can give a lot of information about the area and everything.
Surely recommend to any experienced diver!”
–Said
Where does this liveaboard dive boat go?
Check out the fabulous places where this dive boat travels to.
Note: some destinations may not be listed below, please enquire for more details.
Raja Ampat
Richest Reef in the World, Amazing Biodiversity, Wonderful Coral, perfect place for underwater photography.
- If you have been diving on board this liveaboard dive boat in Raja Ampat, please share your review and let us know what you thought. Please post your comments in the review section below, by doing so you will help fellow divers to plan their next diving trip
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I was diving with MV Raja Ampat for 11 days, and dude, I will say that it was one of the most remarkable liveaboard experiences in my life! Diving in the beautiful Raja Ampat is indeed exciting! As soon as I stepped on board MV Raja Ampat, I couldn’t help myself not to admire this 33m long dive boat. Together with other 13 guests, we departed from Sorong, the gateway to the stunning SCUBA diving region of Raja Ampat, which has a wide array of colorful and healthy coral reefs.
Even though I’ve been diving for almost two decades and having seen a lot of similar creatures in various dive spots, I always consider every dive as a new one: new experience and new opportunity to be with Mother Nature. I consider each coral, each fish and each organism as a gift. So I always come out of the water feeling happy and grateful.
Their rooms are all air-conditioned with clean en-suite bathrooms. I also like their spacious main deck where a camera table is available to recharge my underwater camera. They also have a work station which is an ideal place if you want to upload your photos on your website or blog.
The food served on board MV Raja Ampat was all mouth-watering. Not only that, the chefs also kept track of the guests’ diet preferences. If you’re a vegetarian, you can be assured that you will not be left hungry and starving for the whole trip.
Without reservation, I wholeheartedly recommend you to dive with MV Raja Ampat. I will certainly do it again.
The MV Raja Ampat Explorer is the 3rd boat I ventured on as a liveaboard and all my previous trips were all in Raja Ampat. After this third time, I think I will still come back. Even for the experienced dive masters that are in RA months after months, there’s still new species to discover. You can observe a different kind of sea life almost in every dive. They have many identification books on the boat and the crew is always helping you to identify what you have encountered. Those who, like me, are interested in Nudibranchs, it’s definitely the area of the world you should explore. I saw about 15 new varieties on this last trip… Adding to the countless ones I have seen before and already logged in.
To name only a few of all the amazing sea life we could observe: many varieties of Pygmy seahorse, beautiful broccoli corals, wobbegong, giant clams, epaulette shark, and many more. The enormous manta rays were also at the meeting point and we spent a wonderful hour watching them. At the end they were at a arm reach distance from us… Unforgettable!
Alright, so in term of vessel, the Raja Ampat Explorer is the one I have found to have the best value for money ratio. I will be back on this vessel for my next, and fourth, trip in Indonesia. Everything was great, the boat is neat and comfortable, everything is well organized and the food was excellent every day. The crew members are locals and most of them don’t speak very good English but it all works out with some signs and smiles! I hope this helped some of you to make a decision! Wishing you the best of diving! Anita.