Melissa's Garden

Corals & fishes are everywhere

Raja Ampat Dive Site Melissa
  • Truly amazing dive site

    Melissa’s Garden is a truly amazing dive site in Raja Ampat. It is located in between the small Jet Fam Islands, Northwest of the bigger island of Batanta and nearby famous Piaynemo island.

    Dive Site Melissa

    An adventure in Central & South Raja Ampat

    Diving Cruise RAJA AMPAT

    | 12 Days / 11 Nights | 4296 € Full Board

    Central & South Raja Ampat, 
    Waisai to Sorong

    Next Departure:

    2024 May 02th to 13th

    358 per day

    Up to 3 dives/day

    Please refer to the FAQ Section

    Boat Rating *

    Global
    9.8
    Vessel
    9.7
    Life Onboard
    10.0
    Activities
    9.8

    Click on the tabs above for more details.

    Click on the tabs above for more details.

    A reef full of life

    The dive site features an oval-shaped reef brimming with small marine life. It has a flat top with extended areas of intensely colored coral gardens that are made up of impressive hard and soft corals that come in a variety of colors and shapes, in addition to sponges and masses of crinoids. This abundance of hard and soft corals has created some magnificent formations where a large array of small marine creatures have found their shelters. It is a paradise for macro divers and macro photography lovers, who will not know what to photograph among all this beauty. It is the perfect spot for searching many brightly colored nudibranchs, pygmy seahorses, ghost pipefish, mushroom coral pipefish and many anemone fish nesting amongst the anemones.

    Clownfish Family

    Topography of the dive site

    Melissa’s garden is an eye catching dive, through and through, with endless healthy, colorful coral and fish everywhere you look. The reef starts at about 8 to 12 meters, sloping down to a sandy bottom at about 25 meters. Some species you will be able to see are angelfish, lionfish, large schools of surgeons and parrot fish crocodile fish, schools of fusiliers, anthias, damsels, ribbon eels, pinjalo snapper, centuries-old giant tridacna clams and many different species of splendidly coloured fish. In deeper waters sea snakes, barracudas and rabbitfish are also seen as well as sometimes manta rays. Keep your eyes peeled for the weirdly wonderful wobbegong sharks, grey reef sharks and blacktip reef sharks.

    Wobbegong Shark in Melissa

    A wonderful Coral Garden accessible to all levels

    The dive site is relatively uncomplicated, which makes it suitable for all levels of divers. A good news for non-divers, is that the shallowest reefs rest at five meters below the surface, hence it is also a snorkelling friendly spot, so everyone can witness this huge variety of corals that goes as far as the eye can see. Melissa’s Garden is without any doubt one of the best coral reefs in Raja Ampat.

    Not just a garden in name, Melissa’s Garden reef truly seems a never ending garden of an amazing diversity of soft and hard coral, fighting with each other for space, that are home to a wide variety of fish life. No wonder why it is considered to be amongst the oldest and most pristine and spectacular coral reefs in the archipelago.

    Melissa

    The best diving conditions

    Be prepared to be amazed by this unmissable dive site whenever you decide to visit this part of the world, since there is no specific recommended time to visit this coral garden. Melissa’s Garden is good for diving at any time of the year, as its tropical climate and ocean’s sea water temperature tends to be constant at 29 Celsius degrees, creating perfect conditions for all year-round.

    No visit to Raja Ampat will be complete without visiting this dive site!

    Combtooth Blenny

    THE CRUISE OF YOUR DREAMS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

    Whether you're looking for a private charter, or to live an adventure on the sea while discovering new landscapes & meeting new people, We can help you make your dream come true.

    FAQ

    To enter Indonesia your passport must have:
    •  Expiration date of the applicant’s passport must be at least 6 (six) months at the date of entry.
    •  At least one blank visa page
    •  Round-trip airplane ticket

    There is no Visa required for 61 countries and 1 region.
    Maximum length of stay without Visa is 30 Days, if you are planning to stay up to 60 days, you can buy a visa on arrival for 35 US$ at Airports and Seaports.
    For more details about COVID restrictions, please contact the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia.


    We choose to work with people we know for years, all offering a high quality service on perfectly maintained Phinisi.

    All boats, Cabins & on-board furniture's have an authentic and sophisticated design, made with quality materials.


    Spacious and Comfortable
    shared space, Lounge, Sun Deck, Restaurant will grant you a maximum comfort.

    You will also enjoy free access to kayaks and stand-up paddles (SUP) if you wish to explore the surrounding.
    Then it's up to you to chose if you want to enjoy a stunning sunset from the lounge with a fresh drink or from the SUP in the middle of pristine water.

    One of the most, if not the most important part of your cruise, The Crew. They all are experienced, they know when to be discreet and how to treat you well.

    Another important part of your journey, the Food., you will enjoy some great dishes cooked with love by some skilled chef. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks, you will be delighted all day long. 


    You can refer to the label on the boat description to have a quick overview about the class of the cruise.
    Luxury
     All cabins are equipped with Air conditioning and Private bathroom (ensuite). 
    Comfort: All cabins are equipped with Air conditioning and some cabins may have shared bathroom (Max 2 cabins).

    You should definitely consider the full charter option especially if you are planning this cruise with your family or friends. It will make the experience even more exceptional. As we offer a large choice of boat, no matter if you are 6, 10 or more than 12 we will find the best vessel according the standing you are expecting. From 1000$ per night in adventure standing, 2000$ per night in Comfort standing and from 3000$ in Luxury standing. Contact us for more informations.

    Not at all, beginners can do discover scuba diving during the cruise (let us know to arrange it)


    Open water certified divers or equivalent will have access to most of the dive sites, but to make the best of the cruise Advanced level and experience in drift dive is recommended. You can spend a few days with us in Bali before starting your cruise, by joining our Safari tour or to get your Advanced certification in one of our four dive centers, it will allow you to dive up to 30m depth, to join night dives and be more confident and comfortable while drift diving.

    For an even better training we recommend you to join the drift specialty in Nusa Lembongan.

    If you are more into Leisure, Yoga or Surfing, we can offer you some great cruise experience while practicing some of your favourite activities. Contact us for more informations.

    Indonesia spread over its more than 5000 km along the Equator which offers a tropical climate with only two season, dry & wet.

    Dry season is mainly from May to October Wet season from November to April.
    Keep in mind that Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago, so you can visit year-round as wet season won’t start in the same time in different places.

    Landscapes are also pretty different due to Tropical rainforest climate and Tropical savannah climate.

    Komodo: All year around
    North Komodo: April to December
    South Komodo: January to march
    Raja Ampat: October to May
    Banda Island: September to November
    Alor: May to November

    We do recommend you to bring your own gears if you already own it. If not it’s not a big deal, you can rent the full set onboard, some of our partners provide rental equipment for free, maximum you can expect another 60$ per day.
    As a reminder, every scuba diver should be equipped with: Wetsuite/BCD/Regulator set/Fins/Weight system/Dive computer/SMB/Torchlight/Compass.


    Nitrox tanks are available on most of the boats, please refer to the boat description.

    Included: Transportation between airport & boat (return)/ Accommodation/ Meals and snacks/ non alcoholic beverage/ 12L tanks and weight system for divers

    Not Included:
    Marine park and Port authority fees / International and domestic flights/ Traveling - Diving Insurance / alcoholic beverage & espresso/ massage/ 15L tanks and dive gears rental for scuba divers

    Most of the time €, Us$ are accepted onboard, but we do recommend you to bring enough cash in local currency IDR. Payement by card are available on some boats, please refer to the boat description.
    Most of electric outlets on board are European type.

    Tipping from 5 to 10% of the cruise amount are expected, it express your satisfaction level. Tips are also an important income part for crew members.