Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat, off the western tip of New Guinea in Southwest Papua, sits at the heart of the Coral Triangle and holds more recorded species of hard coral and reef fish than anywhere else on the planet. Dives range from soft-coral-covered walls and seamounts patrolled by wobbegong sharks to manta cleaning stations and mangrove channels where corals grow in the shallows. The archipelago covers more than 1,500 islands, so operators are spread out: some are boutique eco-resorts on private islands, others are liveaboards that move between the Dampier Strait, Misool and the remote north. October to April usually brings the calmest seas. Getting here takes time (most trips start with a flight to Sorong), so it pays to compare operators carefully. Every diver also needs a Raja Ampat marine park entry tag.