Dive Review of Raja4Divers/Raja4Divers on Pef Island in
Indonesia/Pef Island, Raja Ampat

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Raja4Divers/Raja4Divers on Pef Island, Jul, 2012, by Frederick R. Turoff, PA, US ( Top Contributor 35 reports with 15 Helpful votes). Report 6696 has 1 Helpful vote.
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	Raja4Divers operates on Pef Island in the Raja Ampat area of eastern Indonesia. Once you get to Sorong and are transported to the waterfront, it’s a three hour boat ride through the Dampier Strait to the remote resort just past the west tip of Gam Island. After being greeted by the resort crew singing, dancing and playing instruments, we were given an introduction to the resort and its operation by Armin Keller and Sabine Kaufman, the able dive operation directors. [Manager Maya was away that week.] With six seaside and spacious bungalows just a short walk from the restaurant and dive operation areas, this new resort has much going for it. Each bungalow has a king bed, desk and shelves, porch with lounge chairs and a bathroom area that is indoor-outdoor, having a small courtyard next to the covered area. The Papuan shower, which consisted of a large stone basin with hot and cold taps into which you dip a large ladle and then pour the water over yourself, was a new adventure - but to which one easily adapted. The spacious restaurant adjoined a lounging area and library where numerous underwater life ID books could be found. Meals were sumptuous, with several choices of course at each. Fresh island smoothies and a variety of other drinks were also available. A short walk from the restaurant takes you to the photo room. There are six stations for photographers, which could get crowded if everyone brought a camera. However, each station had several power supplies, towels, plastic trays with useful tools and supplies for camera care. These were clearly thought out by those familiar with photography needs. A computer with a large monitor was in the room for those who didn’t bring their own. The office and store were at the land-end of the dive dock. At the far end, out on the water, was the dive area which featured a gear room, supplies and the boats. Night dives took place around this dive dock and the house reef on which it was built. Nitrox was supplied at no extra charge, which pleased this 65-yr old diver. The only requirement besides nitrox certification was to prepare tanks for all the next day’s dives the night before. For those not familiar with Raja Ampat diving, the amount and variety of fish, critter and coral life will astound you. Although visibility was usually 40-60 feet and water temperature around 79-81 degrees, the many-hued corals and the variety of fish and critters will make you want to return (this was my 5th trip to Raja Ampat). Dive sites were anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour away. For longer trips, we often spent our intervals on small islands and had a meal or snacks. The longest trip, an hour into the Dampier Strait near Sorido and Kri resorts, put us in 84 degree water with nearly 100 feet of vis. Lunch on this day trip found us on an island with trees full of fruit bats that flew around us if disturbed. We also had visits from monitor lizards looking for lunch scraps. Our group numbered 11, so we split into two groups to dive, with at least two guides on each dive. Armin and Sabine usually went with us as well. Each day and night had some rain, with only our last dive day dry during dives but raining on the way home. I had a new experience on our last night dive (which had only two divers plus a guide) – a Wobbegon shark grabbed a small black tip shark just to our right and swam directly by us, pausing right in front of us for a short while. Of course, Murphy’s Law dictated that I was taking macro photos on that dive, but I managed to back up and get a shot of the Wobbegon’s head with the other shark in its mouth before it swam off slowly with us in pursuit. It headed under a coral outcrop, its body convulsed, and the small shark was gone. What an exciting end to the visit’s diving. We had originally planned nine dive days, but upon arriving at Jakarta and checking into the Jakarta airport hotel, none of us thought to do a final check on our next flight, scheduled to depart 5am the next day as the most recent communication we had received stated. As it turned out, the flight left shortly after midnight, so we missed it and had to spend another day in Jakarta, get new tickets, catch the next flight out and arrive at Raja4Divers a day later than planned. So this is a reminder to all who travel to remote places – always check on your next flight and don’t rely on recent communications. The resort and diving so impressed three of our party that they cancelled their next week’s plans to go to another area and extended their stay an additional week. I’d be happy to return in the future as well. I can’t imagine anyone being disappointed by a stay with Raja4Divers. When we departed, the staff sang, danced and played instruments for us once again. Of course, we joined in as much as we could. I headed to Bali for a few days of different diving before heading back to the US. My report on Scuba Seraya is filed separately.
Websites	Raja4Divers
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	BVI, USVI, Saba, St. Lucia, Bonaire, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, Cayman Brac, Costa Rica, Coco Island, Revillagigedos, Sea of Cortez, Palau, Yap, Red Sea, Sipadan, PNG, Indonesia, Philippines
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, rainy	Seas	calm, currents
Water Temp	79-84°F / 26-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	40-100 Ft/ 12-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	Try to keep dives about 1 hour so group stays together. No diving below 40m.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	None
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	In the photo room there are six stations for photographers, which could get crowded if everyone brought a camera. However, each station had several power supplies, towels, plastic trays with useful tools and supplies for camera care. These were clearly thought out by those familiar with photography needs. A computer with a large monitor was in the room for those who didn’t bring their own.

Report currently has 1 Helpful vote

Subscriber's Comments

By carl berenson in WA, US at Sep 22, 2012 17:29 EST

considering Raja4divers or sorido, cenderawasih on boat OR bali/komodo boat for 7/13. what would you pick for ist time raja?

By report author: Frederick R. Turoff in PA, US at Sep 25, 2012 14:41 EST

I'd consider either Sorido or Raja4Divers plus the resort run by Grand Komodo Diving (www.komodoalordive.com). Prices may vary, find the one that suits your budget. All give you a wonderful week with good food. Sorido doesn't dive on Sat due to the owner's religious beliefs. If you like liveaboards, Grand Komodo boats are cheaper but not as fancy as Aggressors or Dancers. The Komodo trips give you the opportunity to see the dragons on Komodo during a dive interval. No matter where you go, you'll experience superb diving. Currents exist sometimes, so be prepared - bring a reef hook. The guides will take care of you. Feel free to call me if you wish - 215-880-6632.

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Dive Review of Raja4Divers/Raja4Divers on Pef Island in Indonesia/Pef Island, Raja Ampat

Raja4Divers/Raja4Divers on Pef Island, Jul, 2012,

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 Raja4Divers/Raja4Divers on Pef Island in
Indonesia/Pef Island, Raja Ampat