Raja Ampat

Tucked away in a remote corner of Indonesia lies the jewel in Indonesia’s crown, Raja Ampat. Visually stunning above and below the water this island archipelago is made up of over 1500 jungle covered islands and islets with hidden lagoons and idyllic white sandy beaches. This is a remote wilderness of breathtaking scenery with some of the richest marine life to be found anywhere.

Situated off the north-western tip of West Papua, Raja Ampat isn’t the easiest place to get to in the world, but it is well worth the effort. The main point of entry into Raja Ampat is Sarong and there are a number of liveaboards and resorts available here that will showcase the region.

Diving in Raja Ampat is world class and often voted one of the world’s top diving destinations. There is an amazing array of marine diversity here that rivals anywhere on the planet. There is all manner of interesting seascapes with mangrove swamps, steep walls pristine coral reefs teaming with colour, and be prepared to experience quite a few moderate drift dives. 

How to get there
The gateway to Raja Ampat is Sorong, which is the closest city to West Papua and where all of the liveaboards depart from. Direct flights operate out of Jakarta (4 hours), Manado (1 hour 15 mins) and Ambon (50 mins) to Sorong, giving you plenty of scope for stopovers and extensions. Getting to these destinations is fairly straightforward from the UK and usually involves one stop.

Stay a bit longer
The most popular routing is via Manado with overnight options in Manado as well as extensions at Lembeh Strait resorts or the Bunaken Islands. Flights tend to be late at night or early in the morning, so a stopover is highly recommended.

Many other parts of Asia and Australasia are accessed from Jakarta, so if you’re looking for somewhere further afield we can help you with that.

If you’d like to add on to your Raja Ampat trip we’ll be happy to guide you and assist with your travel needs.

Exploring Indonesia
Indonesia is vast and varied, with stunning scenery and superb diving. Visit our Indonesia section for an introduction on where to go throughout this country, including Bali, Manado (Lembeh Strait and the Bunaken Islands), Raja Ampat and Komodo National Park.