Here comes the big fish..
Day 6.
The main attraction of the archipelago is undoubtedly the Pam (Fam) Islands and Piaynemo within them (literally the first result on Google). Of course, that was the bait for me too, and all I knew about Raja Ampat.
The route of our day trip was: Kri – Piaynemo – Rufas – Yeben – Yanggelo – Arborek – Kri.
Sometimes getting what we want does not cause as much joy as we thought it will. Well.. this happened with Piaynemo and me. The view from the top is pretty, but for some reason, nothing stunning. It didn’t blow my mind, and I wondered what was wrong with me, that I didn’t react like others.
What can I say? We are different. To prove my point, I was crazy about our next stop: Rufas Island. Originally I wanted to spend here a night or two because.. look at this place:
The first steps into the lagoon made me smile, and after climbing up to the lookout, I was like a child in a candy shop. I was the only person here for a while and just enjoyed the silence, the colours and the shallow water.. with a baby shark in it. On top of everything, the deep blue water surrounding the island is so crystal clear that you don’t even need snorkels to see underwater life.
Our next stop was Yeben. More precisely, the tiny island next to it (baby Yeben), which amazed us with its dazzling white sand beach.
Yanggelo, which sits off the western tip of Gam Island, had a story in store for us. As we docked, some locals shouted at us to go away because one of the dogs had been missing for a few days. Translated, this refers to saltwater crocodiles. The island is covered with mangroves, and that is a favoured place for salties. Maybe these people just didn’t want us there, but I still like the idea.
After leaving the mangrove lagoon, our boat floated right above an incredible coral reef.. and I learned (again) how selfish morons some people are. Yes, this is me judging. But how would you call someone who breaks a 20 cm coral branch just because she is more concerned about looking good in her diving mask than looking around when she jumps in the water? We were worried for a few seconds that she was bleeding as well.. but no sharks in the story.
Finally, we had a quick stop on Arborek, then cruised back to Kri in the beautiful sunset (just in time for dinner and to start my work, lol). It was an exhausting day but strong on visuals, and if I was a checklist person, I could happily show my thicked Raja Ampat entry.
Instead, let me highlight one thing. What I really appreciated was our meal. You usually get a lunch box on these boat trips, which includes a lot of trash, mainly plastic. This time we enjoyed a fully served buffet with china plates and metal cutlery, so we only had organic waste. It’s easy to overlook such details, but if you live in a country where pollution is a huge problem, you’ll recognize anything that deviates from normal behaviour and shows some improvement.
Piaynemo day trip 600k IDR (6 million IDR / boat)
Day 7.
I will not lie. I was dead from the previous day, and getting up at 7 am for another full-day activity felt a bit heavy (mostly because I finished work around midnight). Yet, I had the great opportunity to visit Batanta. Usually, this island is out of sight, and it would have been too expensive to go there alone (also less fun), so I didn’t even hope to have a chance at it. But.. things happen.
The route for the day was: Kri – Batanta – Arefi – Birie – Kri.
First, we stopped at the sand dunes between Kri and Batanta. I felt tired and not in the mood for snorkelling, but I still saw some cool things on the surface.. like flying fish (seriously, they competed with the boat), dolphins and a turtle.
Then we reached Batanta. This island is a stunning wilderness. Completely covered in jungle, and thanks to its remote location, it’s mostly untouched. The green here is incredibly multilayered, and how the river runs through the mangrove forest is super trippy.
After our boat docked, we continued on foot into the middle of the jungle. The main attractions here are the waterfalls, but the trekking to reach them is just as remarkable. I didn’t walk to the last waterfall, but I’m happy with this decision because that way I was alone on the way back to our boat. I loved listening to the sounds of the forest; the birds, the insects and the leaves blowing in the wind were so magical. And although it rained a bit, the dense canopy provided enough shelter and made my walk just more lovely. The only annoyance was the mosquitoes, so I highly recommend covering yourself and preparing with lots of repellents.
We enjoyed our well-prepared lunch on Arafi (Yariffi) and had some more snorkelling and cruising around Birie (Barie) Island.
Then the grand finale, the cherry on the top of my Raja Ampat experience, couldn’t have been planned any better: sunset with dolphins.
On the way back to Kri, the sunset colours already implied some extraordinary experience, but when an army of dolphins appeared around us, we were seriously out of this world. Sometimes not having expectations can give us the most incredible happiness.
A few words about my accommodation: I loved it. I ended up at Yenkoranu Homestay, totally by chance (well, there was literally no other option), but they provided me with everything I needed. My room was simple (Papuan style) but comfy, the staff was friendly and helpful – we could even ask for special requests (like pancakes for breakfast), and the environment was peaceful and charming (I’m not mentioning now the common garbage everywhere).
Batanta day trip 600k IDR (6 million IDR / boat)
Yenkoranu Homestay 2 million IDR (400k IDR / night, including three meals)
Day 8.
It was time to say goodbye. After breakfast, I left for Waisai to catch the morning ferry to Sorong. I was so glad that the weather was on my side and there was no wind or rain on the way (I was in a small, narrow boat, so I could have easily freaked out). This time, even the ferry started on time, making the entire trip smoother and faster.
Before my next adventure, I had a layover in Sorong. Let me point out again that I don’t understand what others are complaining about this city. It’s no worse than any other Indo town. You can find everything you need, and nobody really cares about you walking alone on the streets. Maybe I am the unicorn, but I can’t see the problem here.
Boat transfer from Kri to Waisai: 300k IDR
Ferry from Waisai to Sorong: 100k IDR
Raja Ampat is such a provocative place. The archipelago did the trick of turning totally average days into extra special ones. It shocked me from time to time and pushed the experience to the sky.
Do I regret visiting it alone? Well.. it would have been different with someone special, but it’s not necessarily a honeymoon destination. I’m grateful for coming here now and not before. All of the recent Covid drama has the favourable side effect of bringing prices closer to their actual value. Also, fewer people mean more nature, and that is an important aspect.
The Flux in Paradise 