Why Raja Ampat should be on everyones bucket list!

If you love to escape to an isolate island paradise, surrounded by tropical water, palm trees and the most incredible marine life…. Well then Raja Ampat is for you! The Raja Ampat Islands are an Indonesian archipelago off the northwest tip of Bird’s Head Peninsula in West Papua.

Many years ago a friend of mine told me about this incredible area that I had never heard of, I googled it and it instantly was added to my bucket list. Im not going to lie, its a little difficult to get too but It is well worth the multiple plane, taxi and boat rides to get too. Let me tell you why you need to add Raja Ampat to your bucket list now!

How to get there

Raja Ampat is not the easiest destination to get too and that’s because it’s so remote, The airport that you need to land into is Sorong. From Australia it is about 2/3 flights that you need to roughly take to get to Sorong, From there you need to take a taxi or transfer to the Sorong ferry harbour where you will board a ferry to Waisai, the ferry takes roughly 2/3 hours depending on the boat you take.
The accommodation that you have booked in Raja Ampat will pick you in a boat to take you to your homestay.

The ferry only runs twice a day so you do need to consider this when booking your flights.

Ferries

Sorong to Waisai: Twice daily at 9am and 2pm.

Waisai to Sorong: Twice daily at 9am and 2pm.

Public Holidays: Usually, only the 1400 departures operate on Indonesian Public Holidays.

Note: When you arrive in Waisai, You need to first visit the tourist information centre where you will pay an Environmental Service Fee and the cost of this is IDR 700,000 ($68 AUD roughly).

Where to stay

Depending on whether you want a relaxing holiday or an adventure filled trip or maybe a bit of both, depends on where you would want to stay. The most common type of accommodation is homestays, I do have to warn you that majority of the accommodation has basic facilities. If you are wanting a 5 star luxury hotel with everything you can think of then i’m sorry to say that this getaway isn’t for you.

Here are a few different places to stay:

Raja Ampat Eco Lodge - https://www.booking.com/hotel/id/the-lodge-raja-ampat

Set 500 metres from Saprokren Beach, Raja Ampat Eco Lodge offers accommodation with a garden, a terrace and room service for your convenience. Complimentary WiFi is offered throughout the property.

Nyande Raja Ampat - https://www.booking.com/hotel/id/nyande-eco-guest-house

Nyande Raja Ampat is a sustainable guest house in Pulau Mansuar, offering free WiFi, garden and terrace. Guests can take in the sea views and spend some time on the beach.

Katembe Private Island - https://www.katemberajaampat.com

Katembe is a private island that is in the heart of Raja Ampat and includes a bit of luxury & Elegance.

Raja Ampat Wisesa Liveaboard - https://cruising-raja-ampat.com/

The Wisesa liveaboard snorkeling cruise in Raja Ampat is great if you want a constant adventure, dive and snorkel everyday and cruise around the beautiful islands.

What to do

Raja Ampat is best explored underwater, there is so much diving and snorkelling to be had and marine life to see. You can check out my guide on the best diving spots here -

But if you aren’t a fan of spending too much time underwater then I have all the tours and activities below that you should definitely check out. On that note though, a lot of these tours can be pretty pricey if you aren’t with a large group as there is the cost of fuel for the boat and a guide. Depending on where you stay will also depend if these activities are available to you.

• Pianemo Islands - This is definitely the top rated tour you can do in Raja Ampat, Climb the stairwell to the viewpoint and see for yourself the beauty of these islands it is truly breathtaking. Be warned that the boat ride can be a little rough and long so do take that into consideration when booking this tour.

• Kali Biru River - This natural pool of fresh water is the bluest of blue water, surrounding limestones gives the name Kali Biru which means blue river in Indonesian language. You can access Kali Biru by car from Waisai, you can ask the tourist info center in the Waisai harbour or rent a motorbike to make your way to the village called Warsambim where you can get long boat into the entry point of the Kali Biru. Easy 400 meter walk with beautiful view spotting different birds on the way. 
Or your accommodation may provide tours to this location by boat depending on your location.

• Lenmakana Jellyfish Lake - This lake is located in the island of Misool, Raja Ampat’s second largest island. This lake does require a little bit of steep hiking to get to and can be diffcult. You must visit this lake with a local guide to protect yourself and the jellyfish.

• Batanta Waterfall- Batanta Island is one of the Four Kings of Raja Ampat, From the shore it is only a short 10 minute walk to the first waterfall, continue walking through the jungle and reach the top within an hour. This is where the Batanta waterfall lies at over 80 metres tall. There is plenty of opportunities for incredible photos and a nice swim to cool off.