Dive Review of Papua Diving/Sorido Bay Resort in
Indonesia/Raja Ampat

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Papua Diving/Sorido Bay Resort: "Sorido Bay Resort/Papua Diving", Nov, 2017, by Karl Wirth, MN, US ( 2 reports with 5 Helpful votes). Report 10065 has 5 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	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	[None]We consider our ten-day stay at Sorido Bay Resort to be among the best that we have experienced on our numerous dive trips. All of the resort and dive staff are exceptionally warm and knowledgeable. The guest bungalows, located among the trees along the waters edge, are spacious, comfortable, and beautifully constructed. The internet connection is remarkably reliable and fast, and the food is varied and delicious. Most importantly, the diving is fantastic! The trip to Sorido Bay from the US is a long one. Our route took us through Seattle, Tokyo, Singapore, Manado, and Sorong. Guests arrive/depart the resort on Thursdays and Sundays, so plan your arrival in Sorong to coincide with the boat transfer to the resort. Resort staff met us at the airport, transported us to the docks, and loaded our gear for the 1.5 hour boat ride to Sorido Bay on Kri Island. Sorido Bay Resort, on the SE end of Kri island, is a 5-15 minute boat ride from a number of classic Raja Ampat dive sites in Dampier Strait. The resort is protected by an extensive shallow reef, and boasts its own “blue hole” house reef at the end of a long jetty. The facility for storing dive gear and gearing up is located at the end of the jetty and is well designed. Typically, dive staff assemble the client gear before each dive, but divers are responsible for analyzing and recording their own Nitrox (analyzers are provided by Papua Diving). Diving is in small groups (4-6) and divers are assigned a guide and boat crew for the duration of their stay. Generally (except Saturdays) two morning dives, an afternoon dive, a sunset dive, and a night dive are available. Several different half- and full-day excursions (e.g., Fam Islands, The Passage) are also available. All of the dive guides that we interacted with were very knowledgeable and safe. Dive conditions in November were excellent; the mantas had begun to arrive, large fish were abundant, and the surface conditions were good. Currents were a bit strong, especially during the large tidal swings that accompany the new and full moon, but are not too dissimilar from those in Cozumel. We used muck sticks on most dives, and reef hooks on a few of the dives with stronger currents. The dive sites feature a wide range of reef environments and marine life. Hard and soft coral reefs are healthy and alive with masses of small and medium-sized fish, and many sites are frequented by large schools of barracudas, jacks and/or sweetlips; large bumphead parrotfish and napoleon wrasse can often be spotted cruising the slopes. On many dives we had several blacktip sharks, and an occasional wobbegong shark. We also had extended opportunities to observe both reef and oceanic mantas. The excellent dive guides also kept us busy observing/photographing the diverse macro-life (e.g., nudibranchs, shimps, crabs, seahorses). Meals are eaten together family-style. Poultry, meat, and fish are generally available for lunches and dinners, as are a variety of traditionally-prepared fresh vegetables and fruits. After each dive, divers are met on the jetty with a delicious fruit smoothie. Final payment (excursions, drinks, tips) was made using both cash (USD) and credit card. We had originally intended to do a live aboard for our first trip to Raja, but given the serene setting of the quality accommodations and the diversity of diving offered by Papua Diving, we feel that we got a very complete Raja experience. In fact, our stay so exceeded our expectations that we are looking forward to a return land-based visit to Sorido Bay Resort!
Websites	Papua Diving Sorido Bay Resort
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Bonaire, Grand Cayman, Costa Rica, Cozumel, Curacao, Dominica, Fiji, Galapagos, Hawaii, Israel, Mozambique, Philippines, Roatan, South Africa, Sulawesi, Tanzania, Turks and Caicos, Virgin Islands
Closest Airport	Sorong	Getting There	Sorong is served by flights from Bali, Jakarta, and Singapore; transport to Sorido Bay Resort on Kri Island is by fast boat (1.5 hr ride) and is arranged by the resort.
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, cloudy	Seas	calm, currents
Water Temp	81-84°F / 27-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	30-80 Ft/ 9-24 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	Dives are 60 mins; depths are limited by MOD's determined for Nitrox mix, but are typically <90 feet
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	Squadrons
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	Cameras are handled with extreme care by boat dive staff and are transported in large crates on the boats. A dedicated rinse tank is available on the dock. A large, standing-height surface for cameras is located in each of the guest rooms; 220 and 110 V power outlets are also provided. A dedicated wheelbarrow for transporting camera gear is available at each guest bungalow. Resort and dive staff are knowledgeable about photography and marine life and happy to recommend lens choices for dive sites

Report currently has 5 Helpful votes

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Dive Review of Papua Diving/Sorido Bay Resort in Indonesia/Raja Ampat

Papua Diving/Sorido Bay Resort: "Sorido Bay Resort/Papua Diving", Nov, 2017,

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):

Dive Review of Papua Diving/Sorido Bay Resort in
Indonesia/Raja Ampat