General information about Raja Ampat
When I talk about my travels, Raja Ampat is synonymous with paradise. That’s how I always pictured it in my head: white sand, palm trees, a turquoise lagoon, a dreamlike reef, few people, hammocks and sparsely furnished huts in harmony with nature. Now, some of you will certainly claim “there is also that elsewhere” or “I don’t have to go so far away to experience that”. That may be all – but I have never experienced a place like this on all my travels so far. Unfortunately, my camera made an unwanted acquaintance with the salt water here, which is why it gave up the ghost. Therefore, I was unfortunately only able to take pictures with my action cam or mobile phone – but they are firmly stored in my mind.
Sorong
Sorong is the gateway to Raja Ampat. Sorong is a somewhat larger city with about 220,000 inhabitants. The city made a very dirty impression on me (like most big Asian cities). Coming from Manado, I landed at Domine Eduard Osok Airport. It is one of the larger West Papuan airports. Due to my relatively short stay, I can say little about Sorong, except that it was very very expensive compared to the rest of Indonesia. I had to spend one night there because I landed in the afternoon and could only catch the ferry the next day.
What I should know before my trip to Raja Ampat
- Bring enough cash!
- Book accommodation beforehand
- Take enough cash with you, there are no ATMs on the islands
- Be sure to check the ferry timetables beforehand!
- Pack some snacks
- Especially trips with the boats of the locals are expensive (due to the high fuel costs)
Arrival in Raja Ampat:
Even though Raja Ampat has become quite touristy, you can only reach it via a few destinations, which fortunately means that you encounter fewer tourists after all.
Journey to Sorong from Jakarta/ Sulawesi
Arrival is by flight, either via Sulawesi or Jakarta. A trip to Raja Ampat can be ideally combined with a trip through Sulawesi.
From the airport to the ferry port
The port (pelabuhan rakyat) is easy to reach and can be reached by taxi, minibus (angkot), gojek or motorbike taxi, as is usual in Indonesia. For the “local experience”, I recommend taking the angkot. It is important that you make it clear in advance where you want to go – the drivers will be happy to help you!
The ferry to Waisai
The ferry to Waisai on Raja Ampat and back to Sorong departs at 14:00 as scheduled. However, scheduled doesn’t always mean much in Indonesia, so you’d better check again at the port or your accommodation. Tickets can also be bought at the harbour in one of the small houses. The journey takes 2-3 hours. Depending on the day, you either take the “normal” ferry or the slow boat. These alternate on a daily basis. The normal ferry takes about 2 hours and the “slow boat” about 3 hours.
Important info for your visit!!! Take enough cash with you, as this is the only possible means of payment and there are no more cash machines on the islands.
Von Waisai to your acommodation
Once you arrive in Waisai, the capital of Raja Ampat, it’s time to get to your accommodation. If you have booked in advance (which is highly recommended), you have the option of being taken there by boat. These trips, both to and from your accommodation, are very expensive by Indonesian standards. The prices also depend on the number of guests. One trip costs between 30 € and 100 € depending on the distance from the accommodation. Therefore, I recommend that you book everything in advance and hope that you are not the only guests who want to go to the respective accommodation.
Entrance to Raja Ampat National Park
On arrival in Raja Ampat, you also have to pay an entrance fee to the national park. This is for the protection and preservation of the paradisiacal archipelago. I was amazed when I had already paid 1 million rupiah (about 50-80 €) without arriving at my accommodation. You realise that a visit to Raja Ampat is not comparable to the rest of the country’s price level – but it is worth it! The national park itself consists of 4 large islands and 1,800 small islands. The large islands are Waigeo, Misool. Salawati and Batanta.
Accommodation in Raja Ampat:
As the internet connection on Raja Ampat is almost non-existent, there is the possibility to make a booking via the great website Stay Raja Ampat. Here you should also inform yourself about the costs of the excursions. Since the distance has a very strong influence on the excursion destination. The classic picture you get when you type Raja Ampat into Google is of Pulau Waigeo. Unfortunately, I was not able to make this trip at the time, as it would have cost 400 € from my accommodation for a day trip. Unfortunately, there were no other interested parties with whom I could have shared the sum. o I simply could not afford it. So be prepared that the excursions are not comparable in price to the rest of Indonesia. Accommodation prices range from €25 to €50 per night and usually include 3 freshly prepared meals that you eat together with the other guests (usually up to 10). Otherwise, just check out Stay Raja Ampat and find the accommodation that best suits your needs. The site is also very well structured and transparently breaks down the prices. The accommodation operators are then informed about your booking by SMS.
This is what your trip to Raja Ampat costs
As already announced, Raja Ampat is not a cheap venture – compared to the rest of the prices in Indonesia.
| Expense | Cost |
| Flight (Forth and back) Jakarta – Sorong | ca. $ 200 |
| Ferry (Forth and back) | $ 20 |
| Entrance to the archipelago | $ 70 |
| Boat to accommodation and back to the harbour | $ 30 – $ 100 |
| Overnight stays incl. 3 meals | +/- $ 30 per night |
| Excursions | $0 tp $ 400 |
