Without trying too hard, Indonesia and it's diversity keeps pulling me back! It's no surprise, really; the country is enormous! From east to west, Indonesia extends approximately 5,270km (3,275 miles) across. [For comparison, the continuous United States of America only extends about 4,660km (2,900 miles) diagonally from Maine to southern California.] With this great expanse and over 17,000 islands, there is bound to be much to discover.
Along with my go-to spontaneous adventurer, Cecilia, this excursion took us to the quasi-remote island of Waigeo. A plane ride to Sorong from Jakarta, a ferry to the town of Waisai, and a windy Jeep ride along the coast took us to our over-the-water cabanas at the quirky but accommodating Papuarts Home Stay.
What does one do after all that trouble finds them in a beautiful and nearly-untouched locale? Not a lot...and that's the point!
Just off the western end of Indonesia's West Papua province, the archipelago is known as Raja Ampat and contains over 1500 islands of various sizes. Additionally, the area is rich in wildlife above and below the water. A diver's dream, the reefs here are still some of the most vibrant and undamaged in the world. Hiking in the jungle brings rewards as well - several stunning species of bird of paradise and hornbills live here, often unbothered by human onlookers.
I made two mistakes in packing for this trip - not enough reading material for hammock time, and no battery charger for my camera so no photos from my guided birding hike. Celia did have her GoPro so our underwater excursions were documented a bit. The best part of all, however, ended up being the remoteness itself. Unplugging from the world without any agenda other than watching the sun rise and fall is what a good tropical island spring break should be about!
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| A few of the "dots and specks" of islands comprising Raja Ampat. |
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| Waiting for someone to bring me another book... |
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| Channeling Aquaman. |
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| My camera battery would've likely lasted longer had I not taken so many photos of the sunset the first couple of evenings, not knowing there would be a repeat performance every evening. |
