When we first arrived in Indonesia and asked the veteran expats about their favorite travel places, one location came up over and over - Raja Ampat (Four Kings). It's the northwestern most tip of Papua and made of 1,500 small islands surrounded by some of the most diverse sea life in its water. It's estimated to have over 500 species of coral and more than 1,400 fish species, so we were pretty excited when we chose it for our spring break trip.
It is arguably one of the best locations in the world for scuba diving, but Raja Ampat is very remote and not greatly developed, so it's not an easy place to reach. Lucky for us, the closest airport was a 4-hour direct flight from Jakarta, so we didn't travel nearly as far as all the other guests at our resort. It departed at midnight, arrived at 6am local time, and we were transferred to a local hotel for breakfast and a nap in the lobby until our boat was ready to leave at noon. It only runs twice a week so we planned our flights carefully! We were ready to get on our way.
Unfortunately, all the sunscreen was still in our luggage, so it was tricky not getting a sunburn on the 2-hour boat ride. Alex claimed to "not be tired at all" but fell asleep almost instantly.
We were greeted by the locals first thing! Hundreds of dolphins came to say hello.
We arrived at our resort on a small finger of the island of Gam.
Papua Explorers looked fantastic on the website and didn't disappoint when we motored up. It was a lovely resort but they had gone to great lengths to keep the architecture and materials local so it would blend in naturally. The double villa on the right was ours!
We were welcomed by the local staff on the jetty.
Home sweet home was looking pretty enticing!
After some lunch and an orientation to the resort, we couldn't wait to see villa 16. We had the family villa for the week with two bedrooms and two bathrooms and an indoor living space that we didn't use a single time - every free moment was spent on the incredible porch.
No air-conditioning for the week! Also no TV and no internet in the villas. It was an incredible week to unplug and unwind. Mosquito nets were helpful but the breeze on the water kept most of the bugs away.
This. This is what I wanted more than anything!
We spent many an hour out here watching the wildlife in the air or the water, reading, napping, and playing cards.
Our balcony was not only twice as big as all the others, we had extra decks that went down to the water so we could peer straight in or swim out.
The guys went out for their first snorkel before dinner. The house reef was pretty incredible!
The amazing water was clear enough to spot fish from above the water as well...
...like this huge lionfish.
As the sun set on our first evening, we were pretty sure we were going to have a fantastic week!
The nights were so full of stars! We hadn't been this far from lights and pollution in months and it was incredible. We also enjoyed phosphorescent plankton glowing in the waters around our villa.
Our sunrises were lovely and we awoke to the wild parrots and cockatoos in the forest around us.
We were staying at a dive resort, so everything revolved around the dive schedule. Breakfast was at 7am and the morning boats departed at 8am for the first two dives (or snorkels) of the day. They would return around noon, lunch was at 1pm, and then afternoon boats left at 3pm. Dinner was at 7pm after the sunset each evening. The big board kept track of all the guests each day.
The first morning, we were the only snorkelers so we enjoyed our own boat and guide.
Most all of our snorkel sites were as gorgeous as this one.
Unbelievable water just teeming with life!
In between the morning snorkels, we would stop at a beach and have morning tea and a break on dry land before heading to our second stop.
This beach was pretty fantastic.
We were fed very well three times a day at the dining pavilion. They did a nice job of mixing up Indonesian and Western dishes with lots of choices and the kids managed to find something to eat at every meal.
We fell easily into the routine of eating, snorkeling, playing, and snorkeling some more.
Every place we went was different and we never stopped discovering new fish and creatures.
Most days we went out with Paulina and Gordon, a wonderful Canadian couple who also came for the snorkeling.
We couldn't keep any shells from the marine park but we could certainly admire them while we were there.
One island was covered in massive fruit bats.
Our beach stops were idyllic.
Above ground, the wildlife was impressive as well. Wild parrots and cockatoos were often flying around us.
We spotted wild hornbills and loved listening to their huge wings flying overhead.
One morning, we took a 5am boat to a neighboring village so a local guide could walk us up into the hills to look for the rare red bird of paradise. As soon as the sun came up, he showed up for us and impressed us with his dancing.
It was hard to get a great picture because he was always in motion, but the twirly tail feathers were incredible.
It was fun to get a hike in after spending so much time in the water.
The wild orchids here grew taller than us!
Wild pitcher plant - very cool!
More gorgeous beaches...
...and one pretty amazing overlook! We took a day trip out to Fam island to snorkel and visit Piaynemo park for the scenery.
We were thankful for stairs on this steep hill instead of a hike!
Our villa was at the very end so we had a private beach area where the kids spent lots of time playing with the hermit crabs and digging in the sand. They sat out a few of the afternoon trips to play at home while Matt and I explored more of the ocean.
I love this picture of our almost-teenager.
Alex was thrilled to stop on a sandbar at low tide and play for a few minutes.
A beautiful sunset over perfectly still water.
The dock may have needed some work, but this view was perfect!
One of my favorite snorkels was here in the mangroves. We were inches away from thousands of fish, including Angler fish that spit on insects above the water level.
We were happy to find one of the residents of the huge crab holes we walked past every day. And I was thankful he didn't come out to greet us at night!
The resort jetty was beautiful and we saw so many different sharks, rays, and fish just walking back and forth. Halfway down was a lounge area with massage tables.
Even the massage tables had a view!
The dining pavilion was the common area and we all ate family style. Except for us and our Canadian friends, all of the other guests were European.
We slept really well with fans on us and even got chilly a few nights. It was so quiet and peaceful until sunrise when the birds woke up.
We didn't stay long enough to visit all of the dive sites, but the map at the dive shop showed how many were around us. It was truly an incredible place.
Morning tea was always a treat and I loved how it could be set up anywhere. I definitely didn't lose weight even after 3 hours of snorkeling each day.
The kids were building castles and Matt was watching sharks cruise by in the shallows.
I never got tired of this view...
...or this one.
We spent many hours playing cards out here and spotting animals in the water.
Like the shark to the left of the bougainvillea.
Another spectacular sunrise! The two hour time difference made it tough to wake up sometimes but it was totally worth it.
Our very last stop on the beach so we soaked in all the sunshine that we could get. Without getting burned, of course. We were almost right on the equator so the sun was intense and we went through tons of sunscreen.
Our guide and captain for the week were so much fun! It was really helpful knowing some Bahasa to be able to speak to them.
Jumping off the jetty at high tide was pretty fun as well.
On our final night, the kids from the local village came to sing and dance for us and they were adorable.
The resort provides jobs and income to over half of the village so it's an important part of their world.
On Sunday, after an unforgettable and amazing week, many of us boarded the boat back to Sorong and waved goodbye to the friends we'd made. We couldn't have asked for anything more from our trip!
Ben always loved the boat rides so he could ask about engines.
Once again, our Raja Ampat ambassadors came out to greet us and give us one last show before we had to head home.
