Raja Ampat, Pristine Place in the World

Raja Ampat defines pristine. The water has amazing hues, you can see fish standing on the pier! The traffic consists of one or two speed boats and the jungle hides delights like the Birds of Paradise. Every village island is stunning and there is hardly any crowd! The sunsets are out of this world!

To get to Raja Ampat you should first take a flight from Jakarta or Makassar to Sorong. There are small aircraft to take you to Waisai, the capital of the district of Raja Ampat, or alternatively, you can take a ferry from the port of Sorong to the islands.

This is a year round destination, but for divers, the best time to visit Raja Ampat is September to April, when large numbers of manta rays are present at cleaning stations. For the very calmest waters and best visibility, visit in November, December, January, February and March.

Besides diving and snorkeling, you can also do birdwatching in Raja Ampat. The main star is the bird of paradise, locally known as Cendrawasih. One of the bird habitats is in Sawinggrai Village but you can only see them usually at 05.00 AM local time. For underwater enthusiasts, Raja Ampat definitely offers some of the world’s ultimate experience. 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.