Papua Explorers Dive Resort

How To Get There

Departures to/from Sorong, West Papua, are done on Sundays and Wednesdays. The resort boat leaves Sorong at latest at 12 pm (noon) and we strongly recommend guests arrange their flights to arrive in Sorong earlier than this on the designated date. For assistance booking flights to/from Sorong on transfer days please contact a Bluewater Travel advisor.

Diving With Papua Explorers

Papua Explorers is located near the Dampier Strait, where many of Raja Ampat's best dive spots are located. The dive resort is located within around 10-30 mins to Dampier Strait's best dive sites. Ther are over 50 dive sites accessible from the resort. Some of the best dive sites are:

• Manta Point: 20 min
• Mikes Point: 10 min
• Cape Kri: 15 min
• Sardines Reef: 25 min
• Blue Magic: 25 min
• The Passage: 45 min

The Dampier Strait is known for its nutrient-rich waters and fast-moving currents, which attract a high density of stunning marine life.

Learn more about Raja Ampat Diving or see the full info on Papua Explorer's Dive Sites

Accommodation Overview

The water bungalows blend traditional Papuan style with the comfort of modern design features. They are built by using local natural materials collected from the surrounding villages.

There are two types of bungalows. The Deluxe Water Bungalows are very spacious with their 72 m2 total area, which includes a 40 m2 room, WC, shower and hot water, and a 20 m2 veranda. These bungalows can accommodate 1 to 3 people.

The Superior Water Bungalows are slightly smaller, suitable for up to 2 people, but have the same design and facilities.

Food & Drinks

Papua Explorers Resort has an incredible on-site restaurant overlooking the beauty of Raja Ampat. Here guests can sample traditional Indonesian cuisine as well as international comfort foods, and re-energize with snacks between dives, chilling out in the restaurant lounge area. The restaurant can easily accommodate dietary restrictions with at least 60 days notice prior to arrival.

Dive Information

Papua Explorers Raja Ampat Diving Overview

What is the diving like at Papua Explorers

The waters of Raja Ampat are highly rich in nutrients, especially in the Dampier Strait due to its fast-moving currents (the resort itself is located on the Dampier Strait). These currents attract a wide variety of species including migrating mammals and pelagic species. However, nutrient-rich often means lower visibility (typically 15-20 meters, or 50-65 feet) and the saying goes, no current, no fish.

The high marine diversity in Raja Ampat is strongly influenced by its position between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, as coral and fish larvae are more easily shared between the two oceans. Raja Ampat has (recorded) 1,309 fish species, 537 coral species - a remarkable 96% of all scleractinia recorded from Indonesia are likely to occur in these islands and 75% of all species that exist in the world - and 699 mollusk species: the variety of marine life is staggering. Areas boast enormous schools of fish and regular sightings of sharks, such as wobbegongs.

World-renowned dive sites close to Papua Explorers include: Manta Point, Mikes Point, Cape Kri, Sardines Reef, Mioskon, Blue Magic, Odtima, and Hidden Bay (all within 30 minutes by dive boat).

Papua Explorers distributes reef hooks to all divers. All divers are required to bring their safety buoys and whistles with them when coming to the resort. It is also mandatory for all divers to have DAN insurance to be able to dive with Papua Explorers; the closest hyperbaric chamber is in Waisai (45 minutes from the resorts location) and just recently opened. Please contact us if you have more questions on dive insurance and emergency medical facilities in Raja Ampat.

Please note that all dives are planned and executed without deco stops and it is mandatory for all divers to use a dive computer. Since the resort does not have a huge stock of rental equipment, most divers prefer to bring their own equipment. If youd like to rent any equipment, please contact a travel advisor so that we can alert the resort at least 60 days prior to your arrival.

Dive Center Information

Papua Explorers Dive Team

The dive team at the PADI 5 Star Dive Center consists of:

• 11 skilled Indonesian dive guides, which are trained to up-to-date standards
• 4 dive guide trainees from surrounding villages
• 5 multinational PADI instructors, with various specialties
• 1 free-diving instructor
• 10 highly trained and experienced boat drivers
• 10 helpful and attentive boat crew members
• 2 compressor technicians

Dive Boats

The diving fleet is currently composed as follows: there are 8 daily diving boats (with a capacity of 6 divers per boat) and 2 diving-and-transfer boats (for 8 divers or 14 guests during transfer), all of which are equipped with DAN emergency oxygen sets, 2-way-marine-radios, emergency first response medical sets. In addition, the guest transfer boats are equipped with GPS, life jackets, fire extinguishers. On full day trips, the boats are equipped with satellite phones to provide extra safety.

Raja Ampat Sea Center

The Raja Ampat SEA Center is a conservation initiative from the Papua Explorers Resort. Their mission is to protect and preserve the pristine nature and high marine biodiversity that exists within Raja Ampat. Learn more about the Raja Ampat SEA Center here.