[Text and images: Dan Ashcroft]
Google ‘Raja Ampat’ (‘Four Kings’ in old Bahasa) and one of the first images that will come up is an impossibly beautiful vista of a shallow coral bay, filled with various sized karst islets surrounded by crater rim like edges.
“Right there” we agreed, “That’s where we’re going”. Two flights, a ferry and a speedboat ride later, my girlfriend & I arrived at our Papuan homestay to be told that The Wayag Islands – top of the Google results – were a 12hr round trip away from where we’d landed on Gam Island.
Turns out that didn’t matter. AT ALL. The entire province of West Papua is a maze of jaw-dropping scenery, with innumerable jungle topped islets littering a warped coastline that hides endless white sandy beaches and turquoise blue lagoons.
From our base in Gam Island – the Dore Atri homestay, we were able to visit local Papuan villages, take a trek to watch the magnificent Cendrawasih birds of paradise, dive some of the most spectacular coral reefs in the world and explore hidden waterways that look like the famous Ha Long Bay in Vietnam. The only difference was we had them all to ourselves, so if you’re over the crowded spots, this really is the place.
Head for the city of Sorong in West Papua, and check out www.stayrajaampat.com for all the rest.
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