Papua Diving
Papua Diving
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Papua-Diving works in Raja Ampat area out of Kri Island's two resorts: Kri Eco Resort and Sorido Bay Resort.
Kri Island, Indonesia
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
37 reviews
Excellent
33
Very good
3
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Nigel H
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Solo
This was my 4th visit to Kri eco resort or its sister resort Sorido Bay since 2004, so they must be doing something right. I also qualify for a 20% discount since I've come back so often! Had a room to myself on the jetty but limited diving to just 2 morning dives a day, taking afternoons to fly my 2 camera drones to capture aerial video of the wonderful scenery and relax. Staff at Kri take good care of one's needs, even tending to a problem of my hut's sliding door banging during 2 successive nights of wind & rain storms. Food is much more varied than many of the homestays, especially the deserts! Dive staff look after you, especially if you're my age approaching 80 years old, pointing out hard to see critters and making sure you're safe underwater. Any special requirements & they'll do their best to accommodate your needs.
Raja Ampat? Only place to match it in my 50 years of diving was Tubbataha reefs in the Philippines and I've dived all over the world...Red Sea, Caribbean, Indian Ocean, East & West Pacific. For a top diving vacation (including free nitrox) you'd have to go a long way to beat Kri Eco Resort.
Raja Ampat? Only place to match it in my 50 years of diving was Tubbataha reefs in the Philippines and I've dived all over the world...Red Sea, Caribbean, Indian Ocean, East & West Pacific. For a top diving vacation (including free nitrox) you'd have to go a long way to beat Kri Eco Resort.
Written June 24, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Haw
Anaheim, CA3 contributions
Jan 2023
We are snorkelers. Although this is a diving resort, they provided specially tailored trips for us as to snorkel in beautiful shallow reefs and even trips to see Manta Rays.
The staffs go out of their way to keep us comfortable and happy. The food is buffet style, well thought out with vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Plenty of fruits.
The location and facility is the best in Raja Ampat.
Overall, we enjoyed our stay and will be back again.
The staffs go out of their way to keep us comfortable and happy. The food is buffet style, well thought out with vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Plenty of fruits.
The location and facility is the best in Raja Ampat.
Overall, we enjoyed our stay and will be back again.
Written January 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KWelker
San Antonio, TX287 contributions
Feb 2018 • Couples
Dive sites around Kri Island are spectacular. I can’t even go into enough detail on this review to do it justice but the diving is so good in Raja Ampat and the dive sites so plentiful, we may never dive in any other location ever again. Once you dive here you will forever find other common dive destinations lacking. We’ve seen the best coral reefs the world has to offer and Raja Ampat makes them sickly and sparse by comparison. The currents are very strong which keeps the reef alive and vibrant. This makes diving here a challenge if you want to dive more than just piers. The piers (or jetties as the Papuans call them) are all outstanding dives, but the best dives are full of currents. This diving is not for beginners. However, I was told by the resort that new divers can have a full experience with several great dives with little to no current. They also teach Discovery Scuba and Open Water Classes at Kri Eco Resort next door. Buoyancy control is so important here because of the vast amounts of coral. It’s a challenge to keep off the reef because the coral is everywhere you swim. I have over 250 dives and I found it challenging at times.
The orientation for each dive is thorough and you have the same dive master for your entire stay, one for every two divers. Our Dive master was Lius. He was fantastic. He was shy at first but after he got used to my dynamic personality, he was good! They will also keep track of your dives from their computers. Everyone diving here must dive with a computer. Your dive gear will be stored in bins on the dock under cover. Very secure. There are camera stations inside your room at Sorido Bay and Kri Eco. You’ll take your camera gear back with you but will leave everything else on the dock. You will be greeted by the lovely girls in the dining room with fresh juice after every dive.
There is a nurse on staff at Sorido Bay. They have what you would need for minor stuff but can triage emergencies as well. Management of Papua Diving is superb and the system in place works well. Currents will dictate where you dive. You may see the same site twice....don’t get wrapped around the axel about it! It’s all so damn spectacular you won’t care!
If you love night diving, I recommend the flurodiving! If you have never tried this psychedelic trip, I suggest you do! You will not be disappointed. If you are afraid of the dark or claustrophobic I wouldn’t do it. It is rather dark. But to see a glow in the dark Morey eel is just amazing!
The coral reef cannot be described or even conveyed well in pictures. The colors you will see just don’t look real. Once you dive sites like Blue Magic and see flying Mantas above a vast coral reef with so much activity while hanging on for dear life while the current swirls around you as you attempt to take videos of a lifetime, you come to realize that this is diving! Real diving. Challenging Diving.
The Passage is another great but challenging dive site. You will see see fans and sponge corals of every possible color. Basket stars are plentiful here as well as nudibranch of nearly every species. We even witnessed a little nudibranch porn!! You will swim through caverns on this dive, and experience Mr Toads Wild Ride through the current if you’re lucky!
Friwenbonda was one of my favorite dives for many reasons: easy dive without current, absolutely magnificent coral heads and starfish galore, and that’s the only place we saw a sea snake. (Hey, you gotta see at least one!) This is essentially a wall dive at about 15 meters avg. The coral here is mainly soft coral and has beautiful patches of different species. This is a good snorkel area too.
Mikes Reef was by far the best dive we did but we passed on some of the longer trips with Melissa’s reef which I understand is better. One all day trip is about all we could do. Mikes Reef was full of the prettiest fields of yellow, blue and green antler coral you’ve ever seen. There were schools of large sweet lips and several large sea turtles. But the best thing about Mikes reef was I will describe as Trees of Life. OMG, if you can imagine Ferngully under the sea you can imagine these coral heads covered in every imaginable species of fish, shrimp, hard coral, soft corals, crustaceans like manta shrimps, orangutan shrimp and lobster, bait balls, eels, all in one giant coral head that you could stay on all day long. I simply can’t do it justice. You must go see for yourself.
All in all we did 19 dives a piece in 8 days. Make sure you see my review of Sorido Bay to get the low down on the resort. You need to pay attention to arrival and departure days. We didn’t and it was a bit of an issue.
I will say one thing....If you are considering a live aboard, consider a land based resort with a reputable dive operation. Liveaboard boats are causing considerable damage to the reef and they are pushing back on the idea of paying for moorings. This reef was nearly dead 20 years ago. Through great regulation and protection, it has been brought back. The eco system is unique and the currents help keep the waters from warming. There is a 17 degree Celsius variance built into the eco system. That reef is protecting itself against rising temperatures that are affecting other reefs. Strangest thing. However, with all that natural self preservation, I hate to see humans screw up a wonderful reef. So, choose one of the bigger operations that have safe and environmentally friendly diving.
****Also, do not assume you can dive with Papua Divers unless you are staying at either Kri Evo or Sorido Bay. Or any of the other dive operators in Raja Ampat. Every reputable dive operation has their own resort. It’s a boat world there. You can’t rent a home stay and then pick up diving at a dive operation. It doesn’t work that way there. Do your homework. Then go to Max’s at Sorido Bay. Chris and Jade will be glad to have you. Tell the Kelly and Ernie sent you!*****
The orientation for each dive is thorough and you have the same dive master for your entire stay, one for every two divers. Our Dive master was Lius. He was fantastic. He was shy at first but after he got used to my dynamic personality, he was good! They will also keep track of your dives from their computers. Everyone diving here must dive with a computer. Your dive gear will be stored in bins on the dock under cover. Very secure. There are camera stations inside your room at Sorido Bay and Kri Eco. You’ll take your camera gear back with you but will leave everything else on the dock. You will be greeted by the lovely girls in the dining room with fresh juice after every dive.
There is a nurse on staff at Sorido Bay. They have what you would need for minor stuff but can triage emergencies as well. Management of Papua Diving is superb and the system in place works well. Currents will dictate where you dive. You may see the same site twice....don’t get wrapped around the axel about it! It’s all so damn spectacular you won’t care!
If you love night diving, I recommend the flurodiving! If you have never tried this psychedelic trip, I suggest you do! You will not be disappointed. If you are afraid of the dark or claustrophobic I wouldn’t do it. It is rather dark. But to see a glow in the dark Morey eel is just amazing!
The coral reef cannot be described or even conveyed well in pictures. The colors you will see just don’t look real. Once you dive sites like Blue Magic and see flying Mantas above a vast coral reef with so much activity while hanging on for dear life while the current swirls around you as you attempt to take videos of a lifetime, you come to realize that this is diving! Real diving. Challenging Diving.
The Passage is another great but challenging dive site. You will see see fans and sponge corals of every possible color. Basket stars are plentiful here as well as nudibranch of nearly every species. We even witnessed a little nudibranch porn!! You will swim through caverns on this dive, and experience Mr Toads Wild Ride through the current if you’re lucky!
Friwenbonda was one of my favorite dives for many reasons: easy dive without current, absolutely magnificent coral heads and starfish galore, and that’s the only place we saw a sea snake. (Hey, you gotta see at least one!) This is essentially a wall dive at about 15 meters avg. The coral here is mainly soft coral and has beautiful patches of different species. This is a good snorkel area too.
Mikes Reef was by far the best dive we did but we passed on some of the longer trips with Melissa’s reef which I understand is better. One all day trip is about all we could do. Mikes Reef was full of the prettiest fields of yellow, blue and green antler coral you’ve ever seen. There were schools of large sweet lips and several large sea turtles. But the best thing about Mikes reef was I will describe as Trees of Life. OMG, if you can imagine Ferngully under the sea you can imagine these coral heads covered in every imaginable species of fish, shrimp, hard coral, soft corals, crustaceans like manta shrimps, orangutan shrimp and lobster, bait balls, eels, all in one giant coral head that you could stay on all day long. I simply can’t do it justice. You must go see for yourself.
All in all we did 19 dives a piece in 8 days. Make sure you see my review of Sorido Bay to get the low down on the resort. You need to pay attention to arrival and departure days. We didn’t and it was a bit of an issue.
I will say one thing....If you are considering a live aboard, consider a land based resort with a reputable dive operation. Liveaboard boats are causing considerable damage to the reef and they are pushing back on the idea of paying for moorings. This reef was nearly dead 20 years ago. Through great regulation and protection, it has been brought back. The eco system is unique and the currents help keep the waters from warming. There is a 17 degree Celsius variance built into the eco system. That reef is protecting itself against rising temperatures that are affecting other reefs. Strangest thing. However, with all that natural self preservation, I hate to see humans screw up a wonderful reef. So, choose one of the bigger operations that have safe and environmentally friendly diving.
****Also, do not assume you can dive with Papua Divers unless you are staying at either Kri Evo or Sorido Bay. Or any of the other dive operators in Raja Ampat. Every reputable dive operation has their own resort. It’s a boat world there. You can’t rent a home stay and then pick up diving at a dive operation. It doesn’t work that way there. Do your homework. Then go to Max’s at Sorido Bay. Chris and Jade will be glad to have you. Tell the Kelly and Ernie sent you!*****
Written April 22, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
J0andChris
Dewsbury, England327 contributions
This island is beautiful and a must to stay at if you are looking to go to raja ampat. The diving is out of this world with mandarins just off the edge of the jetty and the house reef having a record for the different number of species found in one dive alone. Sharks and nuddies aplenty a must if you enjoy underwater photography. Our dive guide Eddy determined exactly what we liked and our capabilities and ensured he pointed out as much as possible on all dives and assisted wherever possible. The land wildlife is also amazing with some very unusual types, check out their website. We stayed at the Sorido resort which was beautiful, the rooms are kitted out to an excellent standard and the food was delicious and plenty of it, this resort is definitely 5 star luxury. The hosts Steve and Jutta are very great, welcoming and accommodating as are all the staff. There is also Kri Eco resort which are predominantly water bungalows and are for those on a tighter budget or if you fancy getting closer to nature and don't want all the five star luxury, you can sit and watch the beautiful sunset watching the baby black tip sharks play round the stilts on the bungalows. Hope to go back someday but in the meantime we have some fantastic memories and pictures to remind us of an amazing holiday :0)
Written May 12, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bruce W
Tucson19 contributions
Dec 2016 • Couples
The diving in Raja Ampat was excellent. We were taken to differnt dive locations each day and each spot had it's own identity. The dive boats were well equipped and the guides and staff were great. With the unlimited diving package, you could easily dive 3-4 times a day. The food was provided buffet-style and there was plenty of it. We had rented a "Deluxe Suite" over the water. A suite is actually 1 bedroom for you sparated by a breezeway and then another bedroom for another guest. It contained a queen + bed with mosquitoe netting. There was electricity and 1 ocillating fan. With an adjacent bedroom to ours, we did not get the privacy we had hoped for. Hot showers and toilet facilities were available in another building approximately 50 meters from the suite. Showers were salt water only. I rate the diving 5-star, the food 4-star, the room quality 3.5-star and the room location 5-star. Given the resorts remote location, it was a nice place to stay.
Written December 8, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Judith W
Port Ludlow, WA59 contributions
May 2014 • Solo
The best dive & snorkel boat crews and coral reefs I've encountered in my round the world underwater adventures. Exceptional and helpful attention to detail and assists. Knowledgeable, good natured people surrounded by underwater clarity, fish and coral variety and abundance with tropical vegetation on the surface archipeligo. I am on all three boats every day I'm there. Three weeks is about right for me but I'm 70, so you younger folks may need more in-water time with these good folks. They even remembered me from my prior visit and provided an excellent snorkel guide to maximize my in-water sightings, and I needed that help to view three seahorses. Absolutely worth the flight time to get to this location - and I'll go back.
Written June 30, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marcacer
Beek, The Netherlands229 contributions
Aug 2017 • Family
2nd time in raja ampat with papua diving was again an excellent experience.
Due to the close proximity of the many dive sites, one can easily do 4 dives a day. The tides are carefully planned in combination with the dive sites to match experience with current, which can be strong in certain areas.
We were there in july-august, so outside the manta season, however the great attraction of the area is the many colours and small macro stuff. Extremely colourfull nudy branches and extremely small pygmee sea horses.
Guidance is max 1 guide to 4 divers, so we had one guide for the family. Most dives are drift dives, so the boats pick you up after the dive, which makes the time under water more flexible.
Some dives require reef hooks to enjoy, current can be strong, but then the bigger fish do emerge.
The dives are very different, from sun set dives searching for manderin fish, to big schools in the blue, to turtle cleaning stations.
In between dives there is time to visit small villages on the different islands, or we had tea and coffee and cakes on an uninhabitat island.
Food is great, especially in the kri eco resort....
We had a small problem with one of the regulators which was fixed quickly and skillfully.
Therefore a great diving experience again, you have to be comfortable with current sometimes but not on all dives. Night and sunset dives are easy to add. On the saturdays there is no diving,so one can visit an island and village and spot birds of paradise, which is different but also very special.
Due to the close proximity of the many dive sites, one can easily do 4 dives a day. The tides are carefully planned in combination with the dive sites to match experience with current, which can be strong in certain areas.
We were there in july-august, so outside the manta season, however the great attraction of the area is the many colours and small macro stuff. Extremely colourfull nudy branches and extremely small pygmee sea horses.
Guidance is max 1 guide to 4 divers, so we had one guide for the family. Most dives are drift dives, so the boats pick you up after the dive, which makes the time under water more flexible.
Some dives require reef hooks to enjoy, current can be strong, but then the bigger fish do emerge.
The dives are very different, from sun set dives searching for manderin fish, to big schools in the blue, to turtle cleaning stations.
In between dives there is time to visit small villages on the different islands, or we had tea and coffee and cakes on an uninhabitat island.
Food is great, especially in the kri eco resort....
We had a small problem with one of the regulators which was fixed quickly and skillfully.
Therefore a great diving experience again, you have to be comfortable with current sometimes but not on all dives. Night and sunset dives are easy to add. On the saturdays there is no diving,so one can visit an island and village and spot birds of paradise, which is different but also very special.
Written August 25, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
diva_homestay
3 contributions
Apr 2016 • Friends
Many of the today`s famous dive sites were discovered by Max and his team and retain the original names he gave them. The whole of his dive team are Papuan people. Many of them were previously fisherman that used highly destructive methods such as dynamite fishing or shark finning. Now they are amongst some of the most conscientious conservationists in the region helping to clean and monitor the marine park protected zones.
Written January 8, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hannah P
London, UK9 contributions
May 2017 • Couples
The diving here is simply incredible, such great dive sites and something amazing and new to see on each dive - the divemasters were all Papuan locals and really friendly and great at spotting fish and creatures we would otherwise have missed! We stayed at the Sorido resort and the staff were the nicest bunch of people, really great food and a lovely room which made us feel completely comfortable. The place is so well set up, it strikes a great balance between feeling you are totally surrounded by nature, and yet still providing the comforts needed to feel completely relaxed. Recommend timing your visit in line with their pre-planned boat transfer windows as otherwise the charge for transfers outside of this window is incredibly expensive.
Written May 24, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CorinneDenpasar
Denpasar11 contributions
Nov 2017 • Friends
Our stay at Sorido Bay Resort was absolutely top of the tops!!! What we liked most was its small size, which makes it so incredibly peaceful, with perfect sea view from the veranda between dives, simply magnificent!!! The food is wonderful and the whole staff, mainly Papuan, ever so helpful and friendly at all times. The diving absolutely world class and very small personalised groups, truly spectacular. The manager couple could not be kinder and more service oriented. They completely went out of their way and way over their all of duty to make all our wishes come true and to help us in every way possible!! It was truly extraordinary!!! I will be back for sure, and with many friends!!! Thank you ever so very much for your kindness, generosity and gentleness!!! Best wishes and see you again soon hopefully!!!
Written December 14, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are experienced snorklers i.e. can free dive 15metres. Prefer to see big stuff than nemos but wanting to know if this is a suitable place for snorklers?
Written March 26, 2018
Hello good afternoon! I am from Argentina. Along with my wife we want to dive and stay in raja ampat. I could spend a budget for 10 days accomodation included. Thank you!
Written July 28, 2017
I am looking at heading in the April / May season of 2016 and am worried about weather / vis - how was it during your time?
Written October 25, 2015
Dear Wade, please contact us directly through our email address that can be found on our website. Thank you and best regards
Written October 27, 2015
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