A trip to Raja Ampat is my dream come true! It’s a rather remote, wild and difficult place to access but it’s worth taking flights and boats to get there because it is one of the most beautiful places in Indonesia.

Raja Ampat is an archipelago of more than 1500 islands spread over an extensive area of 50,000 km2 located in Papua West, Northeast Indonesia.

Pic by Mike Corey

“Raja” means “king” and “Ampat” means “four”. Its name refers to its four main islands: Missol, Salawai, Batanta and Waigeo.

The islands of Raja Ampat are relatively less explored and remain practically untouched by tourism industry and that is why in the islands we find nature in its pure state and locals living in their traditional way.

Pic by Jackson Groves

A trip to Raja Ampat

What to do?

Scuba diving

Raja Ampat is one of the favorite destinations for Scuba Divers as here there is one of the most biodiverse marine national parks. Under the water of Raja Ampat we find about 600 species of coral, more than 1000 species of fish and all kinds of marine fauna.

Pic by Mike Corey

Snorkel

If you are not fond of Scuba Diving, put on a mask and enjoy the beauty that the shallow water offers you; it is easy to see corals, marine stars and colorful fish playing non-stop. I also recommend to approach the docks because just below them millions of fish are gathering.

Swimming among them is a marvel.

Pic by Mike Corey

Discover the sandbars

It is easy to find sand islands floating in the middle of the sea, although these can disappear according to the level of the sea. Locals call them Gosong or Pasir Timbul (“pasir” means sand and “timbul” surface).

We went to one that is near the island of Kri.

Pics by Jackson Groves

To lose the notion of time by walking and lying on the thin line of water that rests on the white sand, is priceless.

Visit Wayang and/or Pianemo

I did not get a chance to go to Wayang, but I did go to Pianemo (considered as the little Wayang) and I have to say it is one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen in my life.

For more information, check out my post about Pianemo.

Visit Arborek

Arborek is a small seaside town of about 40 families living in a traditional way. It is a nice place to stop for a daily visit or where stay for several days.

For more information, take a look to my post about Arborek.

Enjoy the sunset

Althought I went to Raja Ampat during rainy season, I was so lucky that every day the sun was shining and I could enjoy gorgeous sunsets, with skies dyed in different hues of color.

I would recommend you to enjoy them from different point of views:

Sunset from the beach

Sunset from the pier

Sunset from the boat

Sunset in the ocean

I believe that during dry season sunrises are also beautiful, but when I was there, early in the morning the sky was cloudy and the tones were basically grayish.

Connect with nature and with oneself

Being a non touristy place it is very easy to find corners, sandbars, beaches and even whole little islands completely empty. These are places with special energy, ideal to connect with oneself and with nature.

Pic by Jackson Groves

When to go?

The dry season starts in December and ends in April (just unlike Bali), so it’s a good place to go when Bali is in the rainy season. I went in September but I was very lucky: the day I arrived and the day I left it was raining, but the other days in between were sunny. From what the locals told me, just before we arrived it had been raining day after day. The worst time to go is July and August, when the winds and rains can be intense. That is why some dive centers close during these two months.

Pic by Jackson Groves

How to get there?

To reach Raja Ampat you must fly to Waisai. We took three planes: Denpasar-Makassar, Makassar-Sorong and Sorong-Waisai. Once there, the best way to get around is by using speedboats.

Although it may seem crazy to have to take three planes, the truth is that flights are very bearable because the views are incredible and the sails are super nice because wherever you look you can only see crystalline waters and natural beauty.