Fifteen hundred islands sit within the very heart of the Coral Triangle. Photo / Google Images
Indonesia’s best-kept secret is Raja Ampat, a jungle-covered archipelago replete with wildlife and surrounded by coral reef – easily the world’s last unspoiled destination, writes Paul Walters
There are times when finding paradise will often involve taking a journey slightly off the beaten track, and so it is with Raja Ampat.
In order to reach this jewel if you are travelling via Bali, it will entail an inconvenient overnight stay in Makassar on the tip of the island of Sulawesi. But the unique experiences that await are worth every diversion.
From there, it’s an early morning flight to the rather non-descript city of Sarong in West Papua, the gateway to one of the majestic wonders of the world, the Raja Ampat Marine Protected Area. Here 1500 mostly uninhabited islands, sit within the very heart of the Coral Triangle.
READ MORE: The first-timer’s guide to Indonesia’s Komodo Islands
To those wanting to escape the rigours of mass tourism, this is where you will find it. The islands within this archipelago are peppered across a swathe of turquoise-blue ocean. This remote eastern region of Indonesia is more than 4000km from the capital Jakarta in the west.
Raja Ampat has been able to develop into the richest marine biodiversity on Earth. Beneath its aqua-blue waters, a mesmerising world unfolds. More than 1600 species of tropical fish exist in a protected environment alongside 75% of the world’s known coral species, creating a spectacle of nature that is truly awe-inspiring.
Over the last few years, secluded resorts have sprung up on several of the islands that dot the area; however, the best way to explore this vast archipelago is by boat or, as they are known here, liveaboards.
The dock in Sarong bustles with porters scuttling among passengers loading luggage onto scores of tenders that will transport the goods and their passengers to a waiting fleet of boats anchored some distance offshore. These liveaboards, equipped with comfortable cabins and communal areas, provide a unique and immersive experience of living at sea.
My ‘home’ for the next 10 days will be the grand lady of the seven seas, the elegant Katharina. She sits above the water line like a sleek, self-satisfied princess, her high prow towering over us as the tender draws alongside.
After a tour of the boat and a leisurely lunch on the deck, the anchor is drawn up, the engines increase in pitch, and we begin our journey north to the equator.
The Phinisi is a traditional Indonesian two-masted sailing ship used by the Bugis seafarers out of the port of Makassar.
The hull looks similar to that of a dhow, while the fore-and-aft rigging resembles a ketch. These craft still operate as traditional cargo vessels plying their trade across the Banda Sea powered solely by the wind.
Like the Katharina, many of these types of craft have been converted into luxurious passenger vessels, catering to the ever-growing market of divers and snorkellers wishing to explore the archipelago.
It takes no time at all to settle into rhythm on board and meet the eight other guests who will share this trip with me. The weather is picture perfect, the sea like glass and there’s not a breath of wind.
Most of the sailing is done at night as our craft transports us to yet another breathtakingly beautiful anchorage where tiny islands with snow-white beaches beckon. Three snorkelling trips a day are made with the tenders and our guides taking us to where the coral and fish species are plentiful.
I have never been entirely comfortable beneath the water (or above it, for that matter), but these azure, aquamarine waters call like a siren from the sea, beckoning even the most fearful to discover its treasures.
Lying flat atop the calm waters, a baroque world beneath presents itself in all its pristine glory. The floors of the shallows are ribbed with white sand, the colour of snow from which rise surreal, multi-coloured castles of coral, their elaborate turrets reaching heights of 7m.
Incandescent colours permeate these Daliesque or Gaudi-like structures, each contracting and expanding like flowers opening up to the early morning sun. Many have become wreathed in plants that wave gently with the underwater currents, resembling strange and bizarre creatures from the deep.
As you pass by, millions of brightly coloured fish swarm like busy commuters crossing a crowded thoroughfare, each wearing their finery as if showing off to other species not so blessed in the colour department.
Sometimes, hundreds of small sardines will pass, turning and twirling in unison as if choreographed by some flamboyant aquatic creative director. They turn and tumble like leaves falling in autumn.
At the end of each day, sumptuous meals are served on deck before the sun-kissed passengers take to their beds while the crew readies the craft for the night sail.
Venturing on deck as the sun rises, one is presented with yet another breathtaking vista. It is as if the crew, like deft stagehands, had changed the scenery during the long, slow hours before dawn.
Raja Ampat means Four Kings. The name derives from a local legend that tells of a woman who finds seven eggs. Four of the seven eggs hatch and become kings who occupy four of Raja Ampat’s biggest islands, Salawati, Batanta, Waigeo and Misool.
These four islands are blessed with vast expanses of mangroves, powder-white sand beaches and lush tropical reefs. It’s also a cetacean thoroughfare, with several species of whales and dolphins spotted in its waters.
Waterfalls and small mountain ridges make up the topography of its forests, alive with bats and multi-coloured butterflies.
These jungles also play host to the endemic Bird of Paradise, famous for flamboyant mating ceremonies. The males, sporting their spectacular plumage, arrive at the same spot each morning to perform an elaborate dance resembling a troupe of twirling Flamenco dancers desperate to attract the attention of the females who show casual disinterest.
The British explorer and biologist Alfred Russel Wallace visited Raja Ampat in the 19th century. It was here, working remotely with Charles Darwin, that he built on the theory of evolution.
It was Wallace who identified the faunal divide, or the Wallace Line. This invisible line separates the Indonesian archipelago into two distinct parts: the western portion in which the animals are largely of Asian origin, and the eastern portion where the fauna and flora reflect Australasia.
So, these were how the days passed, each one delivering life-changing experiences both above and below the surface, gliding on a sea so calm, so alluring it was as if the surface had been painted with a coat of fresh blue paint.
It’s wonderful to think that there are corners of this planet that remain relatively unspoiled, far from the madding crowd, as I am reminded that the world is an amazing place.
The ideal time to explore these waters is from December to March when the winds abate, and calm sailing is guaranteed.
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Paul Walters travelled on board the Katherina as a guest of Seatrek.
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