Join This 21 Day Tour Snorkeling Three Fantastic Coral Triangle Destinations From Lovely Resorts
April 6-26, 2026
Three beautiful resorts will be your home on this outstanding West Komodo Bangka and Raja Ampat snorkeling trip. Get off the beaten track and snorkel some of Indonesia’s most unique and least-visited reefs. These three destinations will be a joy for your group of 16 to explore, with chances to snorkel with manta rays and even dugongs.
Note: The name for this trip has changed from Sumbawa, Sulawesi and Raja Ampat snorkeling trip.
Your tour begins on the east coast of the island of Sumbawa, where your group will have exclusive access to four different regions with amazing and unique snorkeling. You will explore the west side of Komodo Island, the Sangeang Island Volcano, Gili Banta, and the eastern coast of Sumbawa Island. The stunning Kalimaya Resort will be your base for this portion of your trip. Expect to find pristine abundant hard and soft coral reefs full of fish, good chances of turtles, manta rays, and reef sharks. Around the volcano you can swim over the bubbling black sand, and see the hyper-rich reefs unique to the area.
Your second stop on this tour is the small island of Bangka off the northeast coast of Sulawesi. This area’s gorgeous reefs are dominated by hard coral and slope away from the islands. You will be delighted by the diverse population of fish and sea creatures that greets you here, with possibilities of spotting Leaf Scorpionfish, frogfish, White and Black Tip Reef Sharks, nudibranchs, and dugongs. You will be staying at the newly renovated Coral Eye Resort, which has a wonderful house reef. In fact there is the possibility of coming across the resident dugong on the house reef.
Your third and final destination will be Raja Ampat where you will stay at the wonderful Papua Explorers Resort. This area is known to have the highest biodiversity in the world. Located near the Dampier Strait, you will see lush colorful soft corals, sea fan forests, and hard coral plateaus. You will have many chances to see manta rays, wobbegong (carpet) sharks and epaulette (walking) sharks, as well as several types of turtles, and a variety of colorful reef fish.
This trip is being run by our partner and friend Ben and his team. Based in the U.K., they are experts in the Coral Triangle, run amazing excursions, and have a great appreciation for the underwater world.
This trip is exclusively for snorkelers. It is a unique opportunity to experience a guided remote adventure filled with fantastic reefs, beautiful landscapes, and remote island resorts.
The West Komodo Bangka and Raja Ampat Snorkeling Trip Itinerary and Map
Within the famous Coral Triangle, the islands of Sumbawa and Bangka (off the northeastern point of Sulawesi), and the region known as Raja Ampat are in Indonesia.
After your international flight into Bali International Airport (DPS), you will check into the Novotel Bali Airport hotel to relax and recover from your long journey. There will be a group dinner to welcome and introduce everyone.
The next morning you will meet your group for breakfast, then check out and take your group flight to Bima on the island of Sumbawa. At the Bima Airport, you will be met by staff from the Kalimaya Resort, and transferred by car to the resort.
After your five night stay at Kalimaya, you will be transferred back to the airport for a flight back to Bali. In Bali, you will have a day off and stay another night in the comfortable Novotel Bali Airport.
The next morning your group will fly via Makassar to Manado in North Sulawesi, where the staff from Coral Eye Resort will meet you and transfer you by car and speedboat to the resort.
After your five night stay at Coral Eye Resort on Bangka Island, you will be transferred back to Manado with another day off, for a one night stay in a comfortable hotel close to the airport.
The next morning your group will catch an early flight to Sorong, where you will be met by staff from the Papua Explorers Resort and taken to a local hotel for breakfast while your luggage is loaded into the transport boat. After breakfast you will be taken back to your boat and transferred to the resort.
After your seven night stay at Papua Explorers Resort, you will be transferred back to the Sorong Airport. You will fly with your group to Jakarta where the tour ends.
About Snorkeling West Komodo and Kalimaya Resort
During your five night stay at Kalimaya Resort in eastern Sumbawa, you will have access to outstanding snorkeling spots previously only accessible by liveaboard. These spots are in four different regions: West Komodo National Park, Gili Banta, Sangeang Volcano Island, and the eastern coast of Sumbawa. There is a high probability that you will have these wonderful snorkeling sites all to yourself. You will have four days of boat snorkeling sessions from Kalimaya.
The snorkeling in West Komodo National Park and Gili Banta are known for their currents which move nutrients through the area. This creates vibrant coral reefs full of sea life, and attracts large schools of fish, like tuna and jacks, along with big pelagic creatures like sharks, manta rays, mobula rays, and eagle rays. Your guides will time your snorkels for slower currents and you will always drift with them.
The Sangeang Volcano sits on an island to the north of the resort. It is still semi-active and you can snorkel in the bubbles that rise from the black sands surrounding it. You can also explore the hyper-rich reefs which are unlike any of the other reefs in the region as a result of its nutrient-dense volcanic substrate. These colorful coral reefs pop against the black sand background, and there are many unique creatures to spot, too.
The east coast of Sumbawa, including the Kalimaya house reef, is home to a variety of creatures, including octopus, shrimp, nudibranchs, eels, frogfish, stingrays, and more.
The coral reefs in all these areas extend out in slopes from the shoreline and drop off in walls, both of which offer wonderful opportunities to see a wide range of fish and sea creatures, including sea turtles.
Kalimaya’s house reef is available for you to snorkel at any time. If the tide and weather cooperates, you can even snorkel the house reef at night and be able to see nocturnal creatures like crabs, eels, rays, cuttlefish, squid, octopus, and more.
In addition to the snorkeling, you will have a trip to Komodo Island to see the wild Komodo Dragons. This is a fantastic opportunity to see the dragons in their true natural habitat away from typical areas frequented by tourists.
Your daily snorkel boat from Kalimaya is a large fiberglass speedboat with a covered interior area, and marine toilet. You will exit the water by a sturdy ladder.
Kalimaya Resort is built right on the edge of a beautiful white sand beach where the sand quickly merges with a stunning coral reef. Your group will occupy both the Beach Bungalows and Sea View Bungalows. Each bungalow has an en-suite open-air bathroom with hot water, air-conditioning, cold drinks, coffee station, and a private veranda with chairs that face the sea.
The restaurant serves up a variety of Indonesian and international meals throughout the day. Kalimaya is a very remote resort and resources can be quite scarce, particularly when it comes to special diets. But, with proper notice they can accommodate most dietary requirements. Note: alcohol is not served at Kalimaya.
There are lounge areas around the pool and beach that are a great place to get together at the end of the day. There is also a spa for relaxing massages and treatments.
About Snorkeling Bangka and Coral Eye Resort
For the next section of your trip you will be staying at the Coral Eye Resort on Bangka Island, which is northeast of Sulawesi. You will have a chance to explore the reefs around the island of Bangka and other islands in the small archipelago. You will find several different habitats from beautiful pristine coral reef slopes, to sandy slopes, mangroves, and walls. These areas support a diverse population of fish and creatures. You will have four days of two snorkel boat sessions per day.
Expect to see coral covered rocks over black volcanic sand, inhabited by many fascinating invertebrates and fish. Hard coral reefs that fringe these islands provide a home for a high diversity of fish and creatures. You may explore the roots of the mangroves that are home to sponges, flatworms, snails and small fish. And offshore the mangroves are seagrass beds that attract feeding dugongs.
You may also have the opportunity to do a day trip over to Lembeh Strait where you can indulge in some of the world’s best sites for critter snorkeling.
Coral Eye Resort has a wonderful house reef that is lit perfectly by the late afternoon sun. It can be accessed at any tide either from the beach or the end of the jetty. You can snorkel the house reef to your heart’s content. While it is rare to be able to snorkel with dugongs, there is a resident one that inhabits the shallow waters surrounding the resort, so chances are a bit higher here for checking this sighting off your bucket list.
Your daily snorkel boat from Coral Eye Resort will be a large wooden boat built in the local style with plenty of space to gear up and to store items that need to stay dry. Each boat has a wooden top for sun protection. The boats are equipped with a marine toilet as well as a ladder to exit the water.
The Coral Eye Resort started life as a marine outpost. It has been retrofitted to be a unique boutique resort. The main building houses some guest rooms along with the lounge and dining area, a bar, a small library, a souvenir shop, and other functional rooms. There is a large terrace on the second level that overlooks the ocean, which is a nice place to relax after a long day of snorkeling.
Your group will be occupying the separate Beach View and Garden View Villas. The interior of these villas are the same. All villas have an open-air en-suite bathroom with a hot shower, air-conditioning, ceiling fan, high-quality mattresses and cotton linen, and mosquito nets on the windows. The villas have a water dispenser and coffee and tea facilities as well as a mini bar. There is 24-hour electricity and free internet connection.
The Garden View Villas sit behind the Beach View Villas, but have all the same amenities, except the view of the beach.
Coral Eye’s restaurant offers a selection of seasonal dishes combining cuisines of Indonesia and the Mediterranean. Meals are eaten communally at the central table in the main building, encouraging socializing with your fellow guests. They can cater to most dietary limitations with prior notice.
About Snorkeling Raja Ampat and Papua Explorers Resort
You will be staying at the Papua Explorers Resort for seven nights. The resort is located in Raja Ampat, Indonesia, which has the most bio-diverse marine environment in the world.
You may have heard of the incredible underwater biodiversity of the Coral Triangle area of Indonesia. Well, Raja Ampat is known to have the most species of marine life in all of the Coral Triangle. There are nearly 1,500 species of reef fish, 600 species of hard corals, seven giant clams species, seven species of sea turtles, and 57 species of mantis shrimp. And pelagic life is abundant in the area.
We snorkeled this area in 2023 and found it to be exceptional!
You will have unlimited access to the house reef and six days of three boat snorkel sessions per day. On both the house reef, and the many other reefs close by that you will visit by boat, you can expect to see healthy coral gardens dense with hard and soft corals in perfect snorkeling depths. You will find large volumes and varieties of fish schools, and will have good chances seeing bigger fish such as manta rays, reef sharks, and schools of barracuda and jacks.
Why is there so much life around the Papua Explorers Resort? The resort is located on the edge of the Dampier Strait, in the central region of a marine protected area. The strait pumps nutrient rich waters through the area which supports an abundance of marine life, large and small.
You will experience a great variety of underwater ecosystems, all close to the resort, from shallow fringing reefs to sea mounts, walls, mangroves fringed by reef, and manta cleaning stations.
Beneath the surface swarms of small fish such as damsels, fusiliers, and anthias mill about on the reef flats, while not too far away large schools of tuna, trevally, and mackerel congregate. Spadefish, surgeonfish, and barracuda gather under docks and around reef points, while angelfish and butterflyfish decorate both the reef flats and jagged coral towers. One of the more unique creatures you may see in this area of Indonesia is the Wobbegong, or carpet shark. Expect fields of soft corals like you’ve never seen them before, and hard coral reefs are healthy and abundant as well.
Papua Explorers has a large fiberglass speedboat with a full canopy that is used for the daily snorkel excursions. It has plenty of room to store items that need to stay dry, like cameras. The boat has a large wooden ladder, but no toilet on board.
At Papua Explorers Resort your overwater bungalow is built in traditional Papuan style with local materials, but with modern comforts. All bungalows are equipped with a bathroom, including a shower with hot water, a ceiling fan, a mosquito net, a working desk, and a comfortable seating area.
The rooms do not have air-conditioning, but with them being over the water and with the ceiling fans, they are cool. Enjoy sunsets and sunrises on your spacious veranda, with a hammock and comfortable lounge chairs. You also have your own stairs down into the sea. There is satellite based WiFi internet available in the common areas. You can also take advantage of the on-site spa for massages and relaxing treatments.
The resort restaurant also sits over the water, and is an excellent place to view the stunning surroundings. You will be served traditional Indonesian cuisine as well as international comfort foods and snacks between snorkels. The resort can accommodate most special diets such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and so on. But, it is a remote destination and specific food items may not be available.
Trip Details and How to Sign Up
This is a small group trip and we expect it to fill quickly. Your spot is reserved with your deposit. Contact Ben below for deposit instructions.
Trip Date:
April 6-26, 2026 – Trip full, request to be waitlisted below.
Trip Price:
$9950 US per person (Twin/Double Share) Sea View or Beach Bungalow at Kalimaya, Garden View Villa at Coral Eye, Deluxe Overwater Bungalow at Papua Explorers
$10295 US per person (Twin/Double Share) Sea View or Beach Bungalow at Kalimaya, Beach View Villa at Coral Eye, Deluxe Overwater Bungalow at Papua Explorers
Single Person Supplement: $2000 US
The initial deposit for this trip is $400 US per person, or $800 single supplement booking. At twelve months before departure there is a $600 US per person interim deposit. At six months before departure there is a $1000 US per person interim deposit. The final balance will be due three months before departure. A few payment options are available including debit and credit cards.
Individual travelers – Ben will happily find someone of the same sex for you to share a room with to avoid the single person supplement. If he cannot find you someone, no single supplement surcharge will apply.
Inclusions:
- 1 night Novotel Bali Airport Hotel
- All flights, transfers and connections, includes 44lbs (20kg) luggage allowance on flights – Bali – Bima – Kalimaya – Bali – Manado – Bangka – Manado – Sorong – Papua Explorers – Sorong – Jakarta
- 5 nights Kalimaya Resort in a Sea View or Beach Bungalow, Double Occupancy with full board
- 8 boat snorkel sessions over 4 days in Sumbawa
- Half day Komodo Dragon land tour
- 1 night Novotel Bali Airport Hotel
- 5 nights Coral Eye Resort in a Garden View or Beach View Villa, Double Occupancy with full board
- 8 boat snorkel sessions over 4 days in Sulawesi
- 1 night Manado Hotel
- 7 nights Papua Explorers Resort in a Deluxe Overwater Bungalow, Double Occupancy with full board
- 18 boat snorkel sessions over 6 days in Raja Ampat
- Unlimited house reef snorkeling at all resorts
- Services of guide from Ben’s team and local snorkel guides throughout
- Marine park fees
Exclusions:
- International flights and visas
- Snorkeling equipment rental
- Gratuities
- Travel and health insurance
- Soft drink and alcoholic beverages, and general sundries
- Spa services
Note: alcohol is not served at Kalimaya Resort.
Trip Organizers
Ben and his U.K. based team are the organizers and leaders of this trip (more about them below). Galen and Nicole from TropicalSnorkeling.com are promoting this trip, but all signups, trip organization and payments are made to and managed by Ben’s team. TropicalSnorkeling.com does receive a referral fee in exchange for promoting the trip, at no extra cost to attendees.
How to Sign Up or Learn More?
Use the contact form below to contact Ben and his team to request more information about them and express your interest in signing up. They will get back to you shortly with full details.
More About Ben and Our Partnership
Ben (pictured with Nicole) is our friend and snorkeling trips partner. He and his team are based in the U.K. and have over 20 years of experience guiding in Asia and beyond. He has been running his own business since 2010 and is primarily offering guided snorkeling trips, but he started with diving. He began offering snorkeling specific trips because he was aware that snorkelers often get the short end of the stick when thrown in with divers. He and his team love the freedom and low stress of snorkeling, and are very aware of the different needs of snorkelers versus divers, in terms of the reef depth, and calm surface conditions needed.
From our experience going on some of his snorkeling trips we found them very well organized, the guides were fantastic and very helpful, and the underwater experiences were exceptional. Snorkeling groups really get the benefit of all of Ben and his guides’ years of experience in the water, and with different resorts and liveaboards.
All of his trips are small groups of 12-18 guests, or with a similar ratio of snorkelers to guides. These are premium trips including nearly everything you will need, accommodation, meals, transportation, and more.
His company is licensed and insured. Barring extreme circumstances they do not cancel trips.
Learn More About the Resorts
Papua Explorers Resort Website