From Komodo to Raja Ampat: One Incredible Season Ends, Another Begins
Another Komodo season is coming to an end.
After months of diving some of Indonesia’s most exciting reefs, sharing our boats with guests from around the world and following the tides through Komodo National Park, it is almost time for Kira Kira and Akomo Isseki to leave Komodo behind and begin the journey towards Raja Ampat.
For Liquid Adventures Indonesia, this is one of our favourite times of the year.
We are closing another successful season in Komodo — but we are not finishing. We are simply changing oceans.
Our Komodo season runs through the Indonesian dry season from June to September. As October arrives, our attention turns east towards Raja Ampat, where a new liveaboard season begins and continues through the following months.
And although both destinations are among the greatest places to scuba dive in Indonesia, the experience could hardly be more different.
Looking Back at Our 2026 Komodo Season
Komodo never gives us exactly the same season twice.
That is one of the reasons we love diving here.
Conditions change with the tides. Currents change between dive sites and even between dives on the same day. Mantas arrive and disappear. Huge schools of fish move around the reefs. Some mornings begin completely calm before the ocean comes alive a few hours later.
Our crews spend every trip watching those conditions closely and planning each day's diving around what the ocean is doing.
During the 2026 season we once again explored many of the places that make Komodo such an extraordinary diving destination.
Batu Bolong delivered its familiar explosion of reef life.
Castle Rock and Crystal Rock reminded us why northern Komodo has such a reputation for schooling fish, sharks and current.
At Karang Makassar, guests had the chance to search for manta rays as they moved through the shallow feeding and cleaning areas.
Siaba Besar offered a completely different pace, while night dives around places such as Wainilu revealed the smaller and stranger creatures that are easy to miss during the day.
And then there is Shotgun — The Cauldron.
Few dives demonstrate the personality of Komodo quite like it.
Every trip is different because every group, tide and day is different. That is why our itineraries are examples rather than rigid schedules. Our crew adjusts the diving to the conditions instead of forcing the ocean to fit a timetable.
For anyone planning next year's season, our Komodo liveaboard trips return in June 2027.
Thank You to Everyone Who Joined Us in Komodo
A successful season is not measured only by the number of dives we make.
It is the people who make it memorable.
Guests arrive as individuals, couples or groups of friends, often having never met the other people onboard. Eight days later, they are usually exchanging photographs, laughing about things that happened during the trip and planning where they might dive next.
That atmosphere is a huge part of what we want Liquid Adventures to be.
With a maximum of eight guests onboard, there is no need for a huge resort-style operation. Diving groups stay small, meals are shared together and guests quickly get to know the Indonesian crew who are looking after them.
So to everyone who joined Kira Kira or Akomo Isseki in Komodo during 2026: thank you.
Thank you for diving with us, eating with us, laughing with us and becoming part of another chapter in the story of these boats.
Some of the best evidence of what our trips are actually like doesn't come from us at all.
It comes from our guests.
Our Guest Video Wall contains real footage filmed onboard and underwater by the people who travelled with us — no professional film crews and no staged promotional shoots.
What Happens When the Komodo Season Ends?
The end of September creates a major change behind the scenes.
Our boats do not simply finish one trip and magically appear in Raja Ampat.
Moving between Indonesia's great diving regions is part of the annual rhythm of operating liveaboards across this enormous archipelago.
Equipment is checked. Supplies are organised. Boats are prepared. Crew members get ready for the next operating season.
And eventually the familiar dry hills and powerful currents of Komodo are replaced by something completely different.
The limestone islands, dense tropical vegetation and extraordinary coral ecosystems of Raja Ampat.
It feels like beginning all over again.
Why Do We Move From Komodo to Raja Ampat?
Indonesia's size means different diving regions have different optimum operating seasons.
Rather than staying in one location throughout the year, Liquid Adventures follows those seasonal patterns.
Komodo is our June-to-September destination. Raja Ampat becomes our focus from October into the following year.
This gives our guests the opportunity to experience two completely different sides of Indonesian diving aboard the same small-group liveaboards.
Komodo is famous for its tidal currents, dramatic underwater topography, manta encounters, sharks and huge concentrations of fish.
Raja Ampat is famous for something else entirely.
Biodiversity.
What Makes Raja Ampat Different From Komodo?
The first thing returning guests often notice is the scenery.
Komodo's rugged, often dry islands are replaced by intensely green islands, hidden lagoons and limestone karsts rising directly from the water.
Underwater, the difference is just as noticeable.
Raja Ampat sits within the Coral Triangle and supports an extraordinary concentration of marine species. Coral gardens can stretch across entire reefs, while clouds of fish sometimes make it difficult to see the reef behind them.
There are still currents.
There are still sharks.
There are still manta rays.
But Raja Ampat has its own rhythm.
One dive might be dominated by huge schools of fusiliers and trevally. Another could be spent searching coral fans for tiny pygmy seahorses. Later in the trip you might find wobbegong sharks resting beneath ledges or watch manta rays circling a cleaning station.
For divers trying to choose between the destinations, our Komodo vs Raja Ampat guide explains the differences in much more detail.
The simple answer?
Don't expect Raja Ampat to be another version of Komodo. It isn't — and that is exactly why we love moving between the two.
Where Do Liquid Adventures Dive in Raja Ampat?
Our Raja Ampat liveaboard trips concentrate on Central Raja Ampat and Misool.
We do not try to squeeze the whole archipelago into one trip.
An 11-day, 10-night journey gives us enough time to combine the reefs and channels of the Dampier Strait with the spectacular southern region around Misool.
Depending on conditions, that can include areas and dive sites such as:
Magic Mountain / Shadow Reef
Four Kings
Boo Window
Wayil
Fiabacet
Dampier Strait reefs and channels
As always, the exact route depends on sea conditions, weather and what our crew believes will produce the best diving.
That flexibility matters.
Raja Ampat is far too special to treat as a checklist.
What Is a Liquid Adventures Raja Ampat Trip Like?
Our Raja Ampat trips run for 11 days and 10 nights, beginning and ending in Waisai.
We normally aim for 25+ dives during the trip, with night diving included when conditions allow.
And just like Komodo, we keep things small.
Both Kira Kira and Akomo Isseki carry a maximum of eight guests.
That means small dive groups, plenty of room to settle into life onboard and enough flexibility for our guides to work with the people actually travelling with us rather than operating around a large group schedule.
Our cabins are simple and practical rather than resort-style. Bathrooms are shared, cabins use natural ventilation with fans and roof hatches, and life onboard revolves around diving, food, conversation and being somewhere very far removed from everyday life.
There is no onboard Wi-Fi.
For ten nights, Raja Ampat tends to provide enough entertainment without it.
Raja Ampat Liveaboard Prices for 2026 and 2027
For guests looking at the coming season, our current Raja Ampat trip prices are:
2026 Raja Ampat trips: IDR 42,000,000 per person
2027 Raja Ampat trips: IDR 46,000,000 per person
Raja Ampat park, harbour, clearance, village, reef and local land-access charges are currently IDR 4,900,000 per person in addition to the trip price.
These local charges can change because individual villages and local authorities determine some of the fees themselves. Liquid Adventures does not add a profit or markup to these charges.
Always check our Schedule & Rates page for the departure you are considering before booking, as current trip dates, prices and local charges are shown there.
Who Can Join Our Raja Ampat Trips?
Our minimum diving qualification is Advanced Open Water or an equivalent certification.
We do not conduct certification courses onboard.
Raja Ampat offers an enormous range of diving conditions, and our guides plan each day's dives according to currents, weather and the divers onboard.
You don't need to arrive wanting every dive to be fast or challenging.
You do need to arrive ready to dive.
A lot.
A Different Ocean, but the Same Liquid Adventures
The destination changes.
The personality of the trips doesn't.
There will still be eight guests at most.
There will still be freshly cooked Indonesian and western food coming from the galley.
There will still be dive gear hanging from the deck, towels drying somewhere they probably shouldn't be, coffee appearing early in the morning and conversations continuing long after dinner.
Our Indonesian crews will still be doing what they do best — looking after the boats, reading the ocean, guiding dives and creating the relaxed atmosphere that has always been at the centre of Liquid Adventures.
And our boats will continue to operate their electrical systems using solar power, helping us reduce generator use, noise and unnecessary fuel consumption while at anchor.
The coordinates change.
The way we like to travel doesn't.
Goodbye Komodo. Hello Raja Ampat.
Another Komodo season disappears remarkably quickly.
It seems only a short time ago that Kira Kira and Akomo Isseki were beginning their first trips of the year from Labuan Bajo.
Now it is time to leave.
There will be more Komodo sunsets.
More mantas at Karang Makassar.
More mornings watching the islands appear as the sun rises over the national park.
We'll be back in June 2027.
But first there are reefs in Raja Ampat waiting for us.
There are mantas around Misool, fish-filled reefs in the Dampier Strait, tiny creatures hiding inside coral fans and another group of guests preparing to make the journey to Waisai.
One season ends.
Another begins.
And we cannot wait to get started.
Ready to Dive Raja Ampat?
Our 2026/27 Raja Ampat season is beginning, with 11-day small-group trips aboard Kira Kira and Akomo Isseki.
If Raja Ampat has been sitting on your diving wish list, explore our Raja Ampat liveaboard itinerary, check the latest departure schedule and rates, or contact us directly with any questions about the trip.
Maximum: 8 guests
Trip length: 11 days / 10 nights
Diving: approximately 25+ dives
Route: Waisai – Central Raja Ampat – Misool – Waisai
See you in Raja Ampat.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Liquid Adventures Komodo diving season end?
Liquid Adventures operates its main Komodo liveaboard season from June through September. Trips return to Komodo again from June the following year.
When does the Raja Ampat liveaboard season begin?
Liquid Adventures begins moving its focus to Raja Ampat from October, with Raja Ampat trips operating through the following season.
How long are Liquid Adventures Raja Ampat trips?
Raja Ampat trips are 11 days and 10 nights, beginning and ending in Waisai and covering Central Raja Ampat and Misool.
How many people are on a Liquid Adventures liveaboard?
Kira Kira and Akomo Isseki accommodate a maximum of eight guests.
How many dives are included in Raja Ampat?
A typical Raja Ampat trip includes approximately 25 or more dives, depending on conditions. Night dives are offered when conditions permit.
What certification do I need for Raja Ampat?
Guests need Advanced Open Water certification or an equivalent qualification. Liquid Adventures does not conduct diving courses onboard.
How much does a Raja Ampat liveaboard trip cost?
Liquid Adventures Raja Ampat trips are IDR 42,000,000 per person for 2026 and IDR 46,000,000 per person for 2027. Current park, clearance, village, reef and local-access fees are IDR 4,900,000 per person and are additional to the trip price.