Set sail for the Raja Ampat Archipelago. For the next week you will be onboard Silolona and served by a professional and knowledgeable crew. Depending upon the winds and the tides and wishes of our guests, you may choose to snorkel or dive with our experienced PADI dive instructor, kayak, water-ski, fish from the tenders, visit a village or relax on a pristine white sand beach.
The Dampier Strait conveys massive quantities of seawater, forcing currents to flow parallel to the equator where most currents flow North and South. After an alfresco breakfast on deck, dive down to the shallow sandy bottom and wait for the giant mantas to pass overhead circling back again and again, or swim with these gentle giants at the surface, as they glide by graceful and mysterious.
In the late afternoon, trek through the forest of Sawingrai village on Pulau Gam, guided by a local Papuan, to catch a glimpse of the mating rituals of the elusive and ethereal Red Bird of Paradise. Dine under a starry sky, then the Silolona will sail North-West towards the Wayag archipelago. No words can adequately describe the sense of exploration and discovery of a world as it must have appeared before the arrival of man. This is a short climb yet fairly vertical from the beach through jungle scrub.
Search for tropical orchids, insect eating pitcher plants, and flocks of red and green parrots. Visit the pearl farm for a tour of their operations and take a fascinating glimpse into the skill, time and energy it takes to cultivate natural pearls - especially exciting on harvest day as each oyster shell is opened to reveal a pearl. Pearl farms function as de facto marine reserves.
Under the Cendana jetty enjoy an incredible muck dive or snorkel to see dozens of stonefish, ornate ghost pipefish and frogfish. Now acclimated and attuned to the rhythm of the tides and life onboard, snorkel or scuba the varied coral gardens of the richest reefs known to mankind.
