Misool Resort — Private-Island Eco Dive Resort in the Misool Marine Reserve, South Raja Ampat

Misool Resort sits on a private island among uninhabited karst islands in southern Raja Ampat, Indonesian Papua, just south of the equator. It was built on the site of a former shark-finning camp and lies inside the Misool Marine Reserve, a patrolled no-take zone of around 1,220 km² where all fishing, including catch-and-release, is banned. Its sister charity, the Misool Foundation, leads the resort's conservation work, and the resort donates to it for every guest. The resort takes a maximum of 40 guests, with around four staff to every guest.

More than 60 dive sites lie within an hour of the island and over 25 within 15 minutes, among them Magic Mountain (oceanic and reef mantas at a cleaning station), Boo Windows, Fiabacet, Yillet, Wobbegong City and Nudi Rock. Expect black-tip, white-tip and grey reef sharks, wobbegongs and walking epaulette sharks, schooling jacks and barracuda, pygmy seahorses and dense soft coral. The house reef, reached from the jetty or the North Lagoon steps, is open for buddy or guided dives from 8am to 8pm. The schedule is three guided boat dives a day plus a dusk or night dive, with a maximum of six divers per guide (four is typical). Nitrox is free for certified divers; tanks and weights are included in dive packages, while other rental gear is limited and must be requested when booking. Maximum depth is 30 m with no decompression diving, and children can dive from age 10.

Visibility is usually 25 m or more and water is 26–28°C. July to early September is the rough season; June and September are shoulder months, September and October bring bait balls and mobula rays, and visibility is best in November and February–March. Guests meet at Sorong Airport for a roughly five-hour speedboat transfer on fixed transfer dates. At the time of writing, 7-night stays start from USD 4,940 per person sharing (9 nights from USD 6,180, 12 nights from USD 8,020), including full board, transfers and a night in Sorong; dive packages are added separately. Check the website for current rates and schedules.