Best time to visit Raja Ampat

Best time to visit Raja Ampat

Unlike some parts of Indonesia, the weather in central Raja Ampat is pretty stable, with less distinct dry and rainy seasons.

This is a year round destination, but for divers, the best time to visit Raja Ampat is September to April, when large numbers of manta rays are present at cleaning stations. For the very calmest waters and best visibility, visit in November, December, January, February and March. In July and August, the usually calm seas can get rough so diving may sometimes be limited or suspended. Water temperature, though, is a constant 28°C-30°C, with 10-20m visibility. The windiest months are June to October, which can make jungle walks treacherous. For divers, May to August is low season as it is unusual to find manta rays at the cleaning stations.

Call us for the best time to go to Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat Weather Chart

MIN °C

MAX °C

RAIN (mm)

JAN

221

FEB

218

MAR

223

APR

236

MAY

336

JUN

335

JUL

309

AUG

265

SEP

221

OCT

196

NOV

182

DEC

194

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01273 823 700 01273 823 700

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Raja Ampat travel advice

What diving experience is needed?

Ben Stokes from our partner: He dived and travelled around the world for 10 years before setting up the company and has ample advice on visiting Raja Ampat:

“For Raja Ampat, 30 open water, Advanced Certification dives are recommended. It’s not really an entry level destination. The diving is quite shallow and you get rapid currents moving around the islands, so it can be quite challenging for divers. Obviously it depends a little bit on where you dive; what kind of areas. You can stay at resorts and get taken to more sheltered areas. But really, because of its location and the cost of getting here, it’s worth having experience otherwise you won’t be able to go to the best sites, which tend to get a bit of current.”

Who travels to Raja Ampat?

“On our small group diving holidays, clients tend to be 40-plus years old. Diving here is for fanatical and enthusiastic divers who dive for three or four hours a day, every day. You can get trips tailored for families though, as the snorkelling is incredible here. You can see manta rays, amazing coral, baby reef sharks, turtles, all just by snorkelling. The reef comes up very close to the shore, and it’s very shallow, 3-4m. You can also take boat trips to different islands or go sea kayaking. So, there’s snorkelling that might appeal to families, and full on diving for experienced divers. Those are the two groups that enjoy Raja Ampat.”

What to do beyond the water

“Raja Ampat has stunning scenery – it’s a really incredible island paradise – but there’s not a huge amount to do that’s land based. It’s very much a destination for water based holidays. The way the topography works, you can’t really get into the islands, there’s beach then jungle then cliffs and really steep ridges, so there’s not much trekking and you can’t really get into the interior. There are some viewpoints which are lovely, you can do bird watching and there are one or two waterfalls, but really it’s a marine destination.”

Responsible tourism tips

“We encourage people to be aware of how they use sunscreen, how much they apply, and to buy sunscreen from responsible brands. People are often applying it several times throughout the day because it’s so hot, and it’s not properly absorbed, and all the chemicals wash off and can harm the reef. Also, anything you take with you should have minimal impact, so that’s shampoo, shower gels, that kind of thing. Try to use products without harmful ingredients in them and take away all your rubbish. Some resorts are more environmentally conscious than others, so aim for those that are doing good work.”