Indonesia Snorkeling
Raja Ampat is home to the world's richest reefs. Located at the heart of the Coral Triangle, the region sprawls over 180,000 square kilometers and boasts the majority of the world's reef-building corals. In fact, in an area the size of two football fields, scientists discovered more than six times as many coral species as live in the entire Caribbean Sea.
Raja Ampat has over 700 species of mollusks and 1,200 species of fish. Counted among those is the newly discovered 'walking' epaulette shark, commonly seen on night dives on our house reef.
In 2006, Misool Eco Resort reached an agreement with the local village and secured the rights to 200 sq km of see surrounding our resort island, Batbitim. Inside this No-Take Zone, all fishing, cyanide fishing, bombing, shark finning, harvesting of turtle eggs and shellfish are prohibited.
Seven additional Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) were established in 2007 due to the joint efforts of Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, The Coral Reef Alliance, and the local Indonesian government. Raja Ampat is now a Marine Park, using a tag system similar to that used in Bunaken, North Sulawesi.
Thanks to the extremely remote location, Misool Eco Resort is able to offer the variety and quality of live aboard diving combined with all the comforts of a land-based resort. The diversity of Raja Ampat's underwater topography is simply astounding, abounding in all manner of reef systems. Visibility is generally 25+ meters, with temperatures around 26-28 degrees Celsius (78-82 degrees Fahrenheit). You can expect to dive an wide selection of coral covered walls, reef flats, caves and swim throughs, gentle sea mounts, placid lagoons, and current-raked pinnacles.
Over 60 dive sites have been explored within a one-hour boat ride of the resort, and there are many more waiting to be discovered. There are 20 world-class dive sites within a 10 minute boat ride from the resort. Some of the more famous dive sites (all within the 200 sq km Marine Protected Area we established in 2006) include Fiabacet, Boo, Magic Mountain, Yilliet, and Gorgonian Passage.
Misool Eco Resort's Dive Centre is located in the North Bay, built on stilts over the water. The Dive Centre is spacious and airy, with dedicated wet and dry areas to suit professional videographers, photographers, and recreational divers alike.
The wet room is 52.5 sq meters and is furnished with plenty of camera tables and work stations. The kitting up platform is quite roomy, with 75 sq meters. Within the 48 sq meter dry area, you'll find comfortable lounge chairs and a monitor for viewing the day’s images. The sunny veranda is 120 sq meters, perfect for drying out between dives and enjoying the topside views.
ARTICLES
National Geographic Magazine's September 2007 issue featured "Ultra Marine," a story on Raja Ampat's reefs by famed underwater photographer David Doubilet. You can view the slide show on NG's website here.
Guardian (UK): 27 March 2010 - Reefs, rainforest and a new eco resoirt in Indonesia'a far east
Notes
Departure Schedule | |||||
| Departs | Days | Itinerary | Price | Note | |
| 7 | Packages | £1590 | Enquire | ||
| 12 | Packages | £2594 | Enquire | ||
| 7 | Packages | £1590 | Enquire | ||
| 7 | Packages | £1590 | Enquire | ||
| 7 | Packages | £1590 | Enquire | ||
| 7 | Packages | £1590 | Enquire | ||
| 12 | Packages | £2594 | Enquire | ||
| 7 | Packages | £1590 | Enquire | ||
| 7 | Packages | £1590 | Enquire | ||
| 12 | Packages | £2594 | Enquire | ||
| 7 | Packages | £1590 | Enquire | ||
| 7 | Packages | £1590 | Enquire | ||
| 12 | Packages | £2594 | Enquire | ||
| 7 | Packages | £1590 | Enquire | ||
| 12 | Packages | £2594 | Enquire | ||
| 7 | Packages | £1590 | Enquire | ||
| 12 | Packages | £2594 | Enquire | ||
| 7 | Packages | £1590 | Enquire | ||
| 12 | Packages | £2594 | Enquire | ||
| 12 | Packages | £2594 | Enquire | ||
| 7 | Packages | £1590 | Enquire | ||
| 7 | Packages | £1590 | Enquire | ||
Misool Eco Resort offers 7 and 12 day dive packages arriving and departing via Sorong, the largest town on the western tip of West Papua, Indonesia. Flights to Sorong are from Jakarta, Makassar and Manado.
The journey to the island takes between four and five hours. After leaving Sorong harbour, the first third of the trip takes you through a mangrove-lined strait with unbroken swathes of jungle on either side.
The last leg of the journey brings you through the breathtaking scenery peculiar to southern Raja Ampat and the Misool area. There are myriad tiny karst islets and lagoons. About 45 minutes before reaching the island, you will enter the Marine Protected Area.
Misool Eco Resort is located in the remote southern part of Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. This small resort is located on its own private island, Batbitim, nestled deep in a vast archipelago of uninhabited islands, 240 kilometers from the nearest resort and half a day's journey from the nearest village.
The cottages are built to European standards of comfort and safety, artfully blending indigenous natural materials with meticulous detailing. Every single piece of lumber used to build this small haven as has been milled from salvaged driftwood and free-fallen timbers collected in Raja Ampat and the nearby island of Seram.
glorious equatorial views. With steps leading down from your veranda, the house reef is just a few fin-kicks away. Each cottage is equipped with air conditioning, a comfortable double bed, a massive veranda and outdoor day bed, and a Balinese-style en suite bathroom.
The beach-front restaurant is located in the North Bay, looking out over a shallow turquoise lagoon. It's the perfect place to enjoy a sunset drink while watching the black tip reef sharks hunting in the bay.
Typically the day starts with a simple pre-dive breakfast buffet of fresh fruit, homemade bread, fruit juice, coffee and tea. The second breakfast offers free range eggs, beans, pancakes, and sometimes fresh baked pastries.
A variety of dishes are on offer for the evening meal. A typical first course features laksa, a scrumptious Malaysian coconut curry with rice vermicelli noodles and kaffir lime leaves. This may be followed by crispy spring rolls, chicken satay accompanied by spicy Thai peanut dipping sauce, grilled fish, and tempeh fried with peanuts and sweet potato.
The wet room is 52.5 sq meters and is furnished with plenty of camera tables and work stations. Each cottage is assigned its own kit storage area in the Dive Centre. The kitting up platform is quite roomy, with 75 sq meters. Within the 48 sq meter dry area, you'll find computer stations, comfortable lounge chairs, and a monitor for viewing the day’s images. The sunny veranda is 120 sq meters, perfect for drying out between dives and enjoying the topside views.
The Dive Centre has been designed to meet the needs of professional videographers and photographers. There are separate wet and dry areas, with individual equipment stations and television for viewing the day’s images. Perhaps best of all, there is a spacious sun-deck on which to enjoy the spectacular top-side views. Click here to read more about the Dive Centre.
Misool Eco Resort is strongly committed to a policy of environmental responsibility. MER has reached an agreement with their local hosts to create a No-Take Zone. We have leased approximately 200 sq km of sea surrounding Batbitim. This includes many of Raja Ampat's finest dive sites, including the Manta Cleaning Station, Boo, Fiabacet, Gorgonian Passage, and Yillet. Within this area, all fishing, shark finning, harvesting of turtle eggs and shellfish are strictly prohibited. All boats are required to practice reef-safe anchoring.
The Misool Conservation Centre will be located on a small beach on the north side of the Batbitim. A UK-registered non-profit, the Conservation Centre will provide a well-equipped, functional base for scientific research and conservation projects, as well as accommodation for visiting researchers and scientists. It is MER's aim to facilitate continuing research, with hopes of filling a critical gap in our understanding of this complex and important ecosystem.
Misool Eco Resort offers two levels of accommodation. The eight Water Cottages are located in the North Lagoon, built on stilts over the water. They're just steps from the Dive Centre and restaurant. Stairs lead from your private veranda down into the placid lagoon, and the House Reef is about 100 fin-kicks away.
total area about 80 square meters
Villa Tabisasu
rates.
outdoor living area with built-in day bed
accordian-style glass doors at front for an unobstructed view towards the tiny islands on the Eastern horizon
MER's massage, body treatments, and beauty treatments feature Misool Eco Resort’s signature range of natural products, many of which are freshly created each morning in the resort's own kitchen, using only top-quality ingredients and local organic products. Amongst these are scrubs, hand-blended from local ingredients such as candlenut and coconut, face toner derived from freshly pressed cucumber, body wraps using home-grown aloe plants and banana leaves from the island's orchard, and scrubs made from Papuan highland coffee. Spa treatments can be enjoyed in the privacy of your own room or at The Lookout.
Spa Manager, Juliette, is originally from the island of Ambon in eastern Indonesia. She has nearly 15 years of experience working in and managing spas. She has worked in settings as diverse as the Maldives, Malaysia, Bali, and Wakatobi. 
