Carpe Diem
Of all the mid price Raja Ampat liveaboards, Carpe Diem gives the most personal experience, taking a maximum of just 8 guests.
The cabins are extremely spacious and have beautiful interiors. There is a very intimate and private feel on this liveaboard – all these things combined, make Carpe Diem the ultimate diving liveaboard for couples or small groups of close friends.
Great For: Couples, Small Groups, Short Trips.
Duration of Trips: 6 – 10 days
Max Guest Capacity: 8
Tours Raja Ampat: October – April (Tours other parts of Indonesia for rest of the year)
Review:
Carpe Diem runs a variety of exciting scuba safaris that explore the very best regions of central Raja Ampat, usually combined with it’s southern region where there are countless sharks, mangrove diving and even lakes filled with non-stinging jellyfish.
It’s also possible to go on centra and north trips, although these “north Raja Ampat” routes of Carpe Diem only explore as far as upper Waigeo and do not venture onwards to the Kawe or Wayag Islands of Raja Ampat’s northernmost point – only Ambai or La Galigo venture far north!
However, Carpe Diem is the only other liveaboard besides Solitude Adventurer to offer itineraries that explore south Raja Ampat, Ambon and Indonesia’s other spice islands all in the same trip; where off grid diving, whale sharks and large congregations of sea snakes await!
Night, drift, wall and deep diving are featured throughout all of the various routes and guests also get the chance to take part in a mixture of extra activities including exploring ancient caves and hidden beaches, traditional village visits and viewpoint treks.
Add to this stand up paddle boarding and kayak activities and there is plenty to do between dives!
This visually stunning traditional Phinisi vessel has 4 luxury Cabins, all of which feature AC and ensuite bathrooms. The Nutmeg cabin spans almost the entire width of the boat and has large, skylight & ocean view windows. There is daily housekeeping.
Delicious, locally sourced meals are served at the al fresco dining table.
In between dives , guests can catch some rays on the spacious sundeck, and enjoy the epic panoramic views. Or head inside to relax in the AC saloon; decked out with comfortable furniture, a well stocked book shelf and an audio and video entertainment system.
The knowledgeable and friendly staff include a naturalist guide and they all go above and beyond at giving stellar briefings, whilst creating a warm and relaxed atmosphere.
In my opinion; if you’re a couple or small group of close friends and you’re looking for a tranquil and intimate setting, Carpe Diem is the absolute best option to go for.
Guest Feedback:
Other Features:
- Leisure Deck
- Outdoor Dining
- Naturalist Guide
- Sun Deck
- Warm Water Showers
- Daily Housekeeping
- Kayaks & Paddleboards
- Indoor Saloon with Audio & Video Entertainment
Julius A said:
“I had a fantastic time on Carpe Diem. It really exceeded all expectations. (except maybe the diving, because I knew that would be incredible). We ate like 5 meals a day so were never want for food.
I had a room to myself because there were only 2 guests on board. (out of a possible 8; Cecile has a policy of not cancelling on guests, which helps show how much she cares about clients). The room was actually not cramped at all, which surprised me given past liveaboards.
Dive equipment was top notch and Cecile and Agus were fun and informative divemasters and were great at finding amazing stuff for us. (2 Spanish dancers, tons of manta, tons of turtles, nudibranchs, whitetips, etc).
A typical day looked like: wake up, have a small pre-dive breakfast, dive, have a real breakfast, dive, hang out for a bit, lunch, dive, have a snack and hang out, night dive, have dinner, hang out or head to rooms.
The last few days we swapped the evening diving for Komodo dragons and sunsets and stuff so we always had full days.
Overall, the whole crew was so friendly and great to be around and it was really a fantastic experience and hit every mark I had”.
