Dive Review of Coralia/Papua Explorers Resort in
Indonesia/Raja Ampat

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Coralia/Papua Explorers Resort: "Raja Ampat Dream", Aug, 2019, by Max Weinmann, GA, US ( Sr. Reviewer 9 reports with 17 Helpful votes). Report 11077 has 2 Helpful votes.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	It was with some trepidation that I embarked upon a trip to Raja Ampat; ridiculous though that may seem in light of all the publicity this area has garnered over recent years. However, most of my diving has been in pursuit of large animals and I couldn't help but think of the inevitable "macro mecca" which was associated with most diving here. Fortunately, I discovered that the diving was spectacularly beautiful, with clouds of schooling fish to assuage my "wide angle anxiety". The first stop was at the resort operated by Papua Explorers. It was at the end of a 2 hour boat trip from Sarong. The Papua Explorers team met us precisely upon our arrival, and greeted us warmly. We were taken for a welcomed breakfast at a nearby hotel while waiting for the boat to be loaded and ready for our departure later that morning. We were exhausted and jet lagged ; an overnight would have been a wise thing to do in retrospect. Nevertheless, we finally reached the resort to an extremely warm musical welcome by the staff who had assembled at the dock to sing our greeting. At the end of a prolonged trek it was a delight. The resort is very well thought out, catering for all comers, but divers in particular. There is a spacious camera room at the dock, beside the dive center where all briefings are held by the guides and managers. We were taken to the restaurant and given cool tropical juices and briefed about the resort. It is quite intimate and nestled along the shore. Each hut is very spacious and fairly luxurious with a huge bedroom and bathroom. A balcony overlooks the reef and consists of loungers and a hammock. There is no AC, but the on shore breezes are most welcome, especially in the evening. Melinda and Vincenzo do a meticulous job of running the resort, along with dedicated local staff who know the area very well. As managers, they are constantly available for any minor issue and it is clear that the clients are their priority. Diving is from tenders which accommodate about 8-10 divers, but typically only carry about 4-5, so there is a great deal of space for all one's gear. Camera's are dealt with great care and the divers are typically grouped according to ability and experience. A number of boats leave each morning for 2 morning dives.After lunch an afternoon dive is also scheduled and a night dive is also available. Elective dives to different sites is an option which divers can sign up for; eg flouro dives at night time or specific sites which require greater time to reach. We were there for only a few days in order to recover from the flights and then embark upon the Coralia live aboard. It was a fantastic decision, as the diving was truly wonderful. The resort itself was homey and welcoming with excellent food and a staff that could not do enough to please us. This latter theme of excellent service carried through on the Coralia. A relatively new vessel, I was hoping that the kinks had already been worked out, and that I would not be accosted by the feared, "we're waiting on that part to arrive", or " these dive sites are all new to us too" scenarios. Again, there was no need to worry. Debbie and Jerry are 2 cruise directors who have a wealth of experience and commitment to both the clients and the crew. They make an incredible team mingling easily with all the passengers while maintaining a clear sense of purpose and professionalism on board. The priority is obvious; "safety". The crew far outnumber passengers, and appear out of nowhere with offers of cool drinks, a snack, questions regarding the dive or one's well being. They were marvelous. The engineers are never seen but keep the boat running smoothly and quietly to the delight of all of us. The boat itself is spectacularly beautiful. All wood,and outfitted with sails, it evokes classic images of old time voyages upon the 7 seas and does not disappoint. The cabins are immaculate and luxurious. We were fortunate to have a master cabin with a huge bathroom, bedroom and balcony which allowed many moments of relaxing before the next dive. The room would be cleaned during the morning dive and clothes folded neatly. Briefings were held in the salon about half hour pre dive, before which a "small breakfast" of beverages, bread, fruit, cereal etc was available in the morning. Meals were plentiful and a diverse selection was available. The quality of the food was very good and they did their best to cater to vegetarians or people with special dietary preferences. Briefings were detailed and clear, demonstrating the great depth of knowledge accumulated by both Jerry and Debbie during there time in the region. Topography, currents, fish life and lens suggestions were all provided, after which we would file down to the dive area below to prepare. Those of us with cameras would place them in baskets which would then be passed delicately to the tender drivers for storage. The camera area was a splendid set up with AC, cleaning/rinsing tank, air tank for blow drying during assembly/disassembly of the gear. The crew would personally attend to the cameras upon our return, rinse and stow the cameras in our assigned sites upon the spacious camera desk. Above were desk lamps and rows of power outlets for the thirsty batteries post dive. The dives were from tenders and groups were about 4-5 divers. The crew was extremely attentive to all divers needs. They assisted everyone in boarding, ensuring their safety and ease in settling beside their already tended to gear, freshly cleaned and placed upon full tanks. All I had to do this trip was really just show up; the crew did all the work. Dives were too numerous to say, but all had unique features and fish life. Rafli, our dive guide, was a master at finding all things microscopic and beyond. His super power was the ability to identify macro creatures that mere mortals would clearly miss without high powered lenses. He was always attentive to every diver, quickly developing a sense of air consumption, expertise and dive habits. Being such a nutrient rich area, the color of the water varied from a light green to a profoundly deep blue. Huge schools of snapper, jacks and barracuda were often seen, with tuna and turtles making frequent appearances. The coral was extremely healthy, and the Coralia has been instrumental in teaching the locals about reef preservation and restoration. This collaboration has been very productive and is a clear investment in the future of the region. I was happy with my wide angle lens with many opportunities to photograph creatures, behavior and sights I'd never witnessed before. At the end of the dives, the boat captains were alert to our ascent and no one waited for long for their "oceanic uber" to arrive. Just in case, Debbie and Jerry had outfitted us with Nautilus GPS devices. Again, safety their prime concern. The boat crew made easy work of boarding the tenders. Whether one was an elderly, morbidly obese, arthritic curmudgeon or a lithe athlete, everyone was assisted onto and over the ladder with great ease and aplomb. A welcome cold cup of water was waiting while the other divers were being gathered prior to the short dash back to the boat. And so it was; eat, dive, sleep repeat. And of course, luxuriate in the spoiled life aboard a jewel of the Raja Ampat live aboards. While I would prefer to keep this entire experience a secret, I realize it's pointless. The news will get out soon enough that the Coralia is an amazing dive boat staffed by great professionals. I cannot wait to return ; here's hoping I won't have to place my name on a waiting list!
Websites	Coralia Papua Explorers Resort
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	New Guinea, GBR, Sea of Cortez, Fiji, Vanuatu, Australia, Palau
Closest Airport	Sarong	Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy, dry	Seas	calm, currents, no currents
Water Temp	-°F / -°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	70-100 Ft/ 21-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	?
Enforced diving restrictions	minimal
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	1 or 2
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	Well thought out spacious accommodations for photographers.

Report currently has 2 Helpful votes

Subscriber's Comments

By Michael A Replogle in MD, US at Nov 13, 2019 22:52 EST

This report is spot on with my experience with the Coralia livaboard. It it is a wonderful operation, a great boat, and offers amazing diving and snorkeling.

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Dive Review of Coralia/Papua Explorers Resort in Indonesia/Raja Ampat

Coralia/Papua Explorers Resort: "Raja Ampat Dream", Aug, 2019,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subscriber's Comments

Dive Review of Coralia/Papua Explorers Resort in
Indonesia/Raja Ampat