The
Raja Ampat islands are
awfully truly fantastic natural phenomenon located off the northwest tip of Bird's Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea, in
Indonesia's West Papua Province with enormous
biological diversity. The amazing marine landscape means that underwater
photography should be on the top your list during your stay.
Raja Ampat or ‘
Four Kings’, is the name given to these islands and comes
from a local myth. The four major islands found here are
Waigeo,
Misool
(which is home to ancient rock paintings),
Salawati, and
Batanta.
Underwater enthusiasts flock to this region because it offers the
world’s best marine sights. Two days earlier, some of these travelers
had been at a deafening corner of a tourist trap in
Bali. Once they took
their flight to the bird head of the island of
Papua everything changed
as they embarked on a diving tour of a lifetime. In the
Raja Ampat Islands, divers can explore vertical underwater walls. The thrill of
drift diving is another great challenge. These are the awesome
experiences you will find in Raja Ampat.
Meanwhile, on this tour
several divers were well equipped and looked advanced. The territory
within the islands of the Four Kings is enormous, covering 9.8 million
acres of land and sea, home to 540 types of corals, more than 1,000
types of coral fish and 700 types of mollusks. This makes it the most
diverse living library for world’s coral reef and underwater biota.
According to a report developed by The Nature Conservancy and
Conservation International, around 75% of the world’s species live here.
When divers first arrive here their excitement is palpable. It’s common
to hear people praise God as they take in the remarkable scenery.
Others prefer to remain in silence taking in the overwhelming sight of
so many islands with crystal clear water that softly brushes over the
white sandy beaches.
“Disini bagus!”, says the friendly local
guide who had been appointed by the tour operator who runs an eco-lodge
in
Raja Ampat Islands, indicating that they have arrived at one of the most
fantastic diving sites. On other days, this guide is just a simple
fisherman. The local fishermen here are accustomed to foreigners and are
friendly, especially when offered pinang (betel nuts) or some sweet
candies. These are very popular and offering these sweets is considered
polite and a good way to win an instant smile. The fishermen usually eat
this snack during Para-para Pinang, or social chatting and exchanging
funny stories while chewing
Pinang. In many respects, like nature,
culture, and history, these fishermen are closer to the Moluccas.
How to get there
The easiest way to get to
Raja Ampat is to fly to
Sorong via
Jakarta or
Singapore. Domestic travelers can also fly via
Makassar or
Manado.
From Jakarta or Bali:
Merpati, Express Air, Batavia Air and Lion/Wings, Garuda Indonesia, Pelita Air, operate daily flights
from Jakarta to Sorong (with stopovers in Ujung Pandang/Makassar and/or
Manado)
From Singapore: Silkair
operates regular flights from Singapore to Manado. From Manado to
Sorong regular flights are offered by Lion Air and Merpati. It is
easiest to check with a local Indonesian Travel agent or directly with
the airline for the lastest domestic flights available.
There are
daily ferries available between
Sorong and
Waisai, capital of
the
Raja Ampat district on the island of Waigeo. Ferries leave Sorong at
13.00 hrs and the journey takes between 1.5 to 2 hours. The return
ferry from Waisai to Sorong leaves around 11.0 am. From Sorong, there are two type of boats available; Speed Boat (40
minutes - 1 hour boat trip, carries 15 passengers and costs Rp2
million/US$208.55); Long Boat (2-3 hour boat trip and could carry 10
passengers for the cost of Rp1,2 million/ US$126). Please note that all
rates are subject to change without notice.
Before going to a dive spot, you'll need to obtain a permit from the
local Papua police station. You will need to bring your passport and
three (3) copies of the passport page with the Indonesian Visa. The
diving organizers can help you with these formalities
You may rent a small
boat if you wish to stop and make personal discoveries along the line of
the beaches. As the
Raja Ampat Islands have four mountainous main
islands and hundreds of small islands in their vicinity, you may want to
take this opportunity to explore. In addition, the Karst area is a
beautiful and original natural phenomenon, as it has various unique
flora and fauna as its attractions e.g.,
Bird of
Paradise (
Cenderawasih)
Botak,
Red Cenderawasih,
Maleo Waigeo,
Kus-kus,
Orchids,
Palm etc. You
can also trek around the islands to find hidden beauties, like
waterfalls and ancient caves.
Entrance Fee
The
Raja Ampat Regency Government is proud to announce the introduction
of a tourism entrance fee system to help support conservation and
community projects within Raja Ampat. All tourists entering
Raja Ampat
are required to purchase an entrance tag.
The entrance fee for foreign visitors is Rp 500,000/person/calender
year (approximately US$55) for which they will receive a waterproof
plastic entrance tag featuring a photo from Raja Ampat. All Indonesian
visitors from outside
Raja Ampat are required to pay Rp 250,000 and
will receive an entry card. The annual tags and cards will be valid
from January 1st until January 31st of the following year.
The tag system has been adapted from the very successful
Bonaire and
Bunaken Marine Park systems. The 2008 tag features an
endemic
pigmy seahorse, one of over 1200 fish species found in Raja
Ampat—the most biodiverse marine region in the world recorded to date.
Visitors are required to carry their tags or cards at all times—tags
can be easily fixed to guests’ snorkeling or diving gear or to their
dive bag. The entrance fee system will be enforced through spot checks
conducted by official patrols. The money collected is managed by a
multistakeholder management team (Tim Pengelola) and is divided between
tourism development, conservation, and community health projecs.
We greatly appreciate your support and cooperation with this
fee system. Conservation of
Raja Ampat’s spectacular marine habitats
and biodiversity requires long term funding. In addition, the local
communities who own these reefs need to see direct benefits of tourism
through community programs that will improve their quality of life.
While the landscape may look like a dream, this is not an illusion. As
you embark on your dive, the phrase ‘Attention to detail’ takes on new
meaning as pigmy seahorses swim around your fingers.
Manta Rays and
Wobbegongs will glide right by you. Tuna fish, giant trevallies,
snappers, and even barracudas are there to complete your underwater
‘meeting list’. Not to mention the friendly assistant of the dugong, and
a busy colleague, the turtle. Natural and untouched beauty is the main
attraction here. With no unnecessary adages, the sky, the lush islands,
the sea, and everything above and under it is genuinely saying ‘Welcome
to
Raja Ampat Islands; your personal Disneyland of diving sites’.
More facts about the
Raja Ampat Conservation Area:*
This area is home to 1,511 species of reef fish in the Bird’s Head Seascape;
1,320 species of reef fish in
Raja Ampat;
75% of all known coral species in the world;
10 times the number of hard coral species found in the entire Caribbean;
In the Birds Head Seascape there 600 species of hard coral recorded;
5 species of endangered sea turtles;
57 species of Mantis Shrimp;
13 species of Marine Mammals;
And 27 species of endemic reef fish found only in that area
*according to a tour operator
However with
Raja Ampat’s natural conditions, high endemic level of
land, sea biodiversity, coastal ecology, and local culture &
tradition the islands offer more than just amazing landscapes to
photograph.
So you may also consider:
• Wreck diving
• Sailing
• Kayaking
• Exploring the islands by boat
• Visiting the Red Bird of Paradise
• Enjoying the Karst islands around Wayag Island
• Exploring the bat caves (literally, not the Dark Knight variety)
• Make your own wood sculpture guided by an Asmat artisan
• Fishing using traditional Papuan techniques
• Trekking to discover waterfalls
• Feeding couscous
• Snorkeling
• Watching The Sea Ghost
On
North and West Waigeo, you can see a traditional
bamboo flute (
suling
tambur) performance. This traditional performance usually takes place
during religious festival, on Independence Day, (August 17th), and
during visits from important officials or leaders. If you are interested
in anthropology, this is something to definitely consider in your
agenda.
In East Waigeo, particularly in front of
Urbinasopen and
Yesner
villages, there is a very interesting and unique natural phenomenon,
which can only be seen every year-end.
A light comes out from the ocean and wanders around on its surface for about 10 – 18 minutes. After that, it disappears and can
only be seen again at the following years-end. Local inhabitants in
both villages call this phenomenon the “
Sea Ghost”. This is more than
just a sunset view, overlooking from your liveaboard. In Tomolol, you'll be amazed by the caves in the area, where you can see
paintings of huge human palms and animals which were painted by ancient
cave dwellers.
While on North Waigeo, you can also take in some history
with a visit to the World War II caves where the Dutch and the Japanese
army built bunkers. The locals will sometimes perform a war dance.
There is also the ever-flowing waterfall of
Salawati, which is a sight
you should not miss.
In addition, there are also exotic locations such as the
Ayau islands
consisting of small islands on a very large atoll. Many islands in this
archipelago have white sands with a large seabed connecting one island
to another. But there are also islands with unique sands that the local
community calls “
zandplaat”, which are a unique habitat for local
vegetation. On these islands, mothers and children of local tribes
collectively catch
sea-worms (
insonem).
For
diving enthusiasts the favorite destination is usually South Waigeo.
But while you are here, why not take the chance to visit
Kabui Bay with
many
karst islands,
goa tengkorak (
cave of skulls), and the historical
sites of Raja Ampat in
Kali Raja. You can see a variety of birds in
Yenwaupnor and
Sawinggrai village, the
Salay dance in
Saonek, and
plaited handicrafts in
Arborek. In Arborek, visitors can dive and watch
groups of stingrays. In
Sawandarek, there's a white sand beach with
sea
ducks and beautiful corals. In addition, there is a traditional village
where you can walk around in and enjoy the unique slow paced atmosphere.
You
can also dive in West Waigeo, Batanta, and
Kofiau. These potential
destinations are great places to visit by houseboats. The
Karst islands
in
Wayag, especially, have very interesting natural attractions to
enjoy.
Presently on
Saonek Monde, a Tourist
Center and harbor are being constructed. In the near future there are
plans for three resorts to be built on
Nyandebabo, and
Batbitiem,
Waiwo,
and
Waigeo Selatan Islands. But in the meantime, you can choose from
the alternatives below:
*Sorido Bay Resort, which is famous for the
house reef
*Kri Eco Resort, a
traditional resort built over the water
*Island camp
*Boathouse (most diving agents provide this service)
And even though Raja Ampat islands have
only few visitors, there are already hotels and homestays on
Saonek,
Mansuar, and
Yenwaupnor islands.
Many divers say that the best souvenir
ever after visit Raja Ampat are the stories of your experiences that you
will take home to tell. Of course, photographs are the eye-popping
pictures to brag about. But to keep your friends or family entertained,
try bringing them:
*Asmat sculptures
*Traditional cloths
*Traditional music instruments
*Suling (traditional flute)
*Tambur (traditional drum)
These are usually available in
giftshops in many cities in Papua. This will save you the hassle of
bringing too many things from
Raja Ampat. Although, you may also
consider buying plaited handicrafts in Arborek if you happen to visit
the village while in
Raja Ampat.
TIPS:
*October or November is the best season for diving in
Raja Ampat because the ocean is typically flat and perfect for photography
*Bring your underwater camera AND underwater photography know-how. Because taking underwater photos is not that easy
*To organize your travel you use travel agents with services in
Indonesia. Just contact the agents in any international gateways in
Indonesia (Bali, Jakarta, Medan, Batam, etc)
*Sun blocks, sunscreens and hats are required
*Bring anti-mosquito repellants and anti-malarial medicines
Source: http://www.indonesia.travel
http://www.diverajaampat.org
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