Hotelupwell.com – For a moment, my mind wandered and a beautiful painting appeared in my mind. The open sea with its neatly arranged coral islands welcomes several dolphins jumping happily. The blue sky combines with the beautiful ripples of the waves combing the white sand on the beach. Fresh air blowing loudly ensures the natural coolness typical of green tropical forests. The seagulls’ voices sounded beautiful as if they were singing and appreciating this amazing view. From deep in the water, various beautiful colored fish adorn the living corals that dance gracefully.
This is a real life paradise on earth.
The description of beautiful places above is not a dream, everything is real and really exists. The Raja Ampat Islands are located in West Papua, Indonesia. This archipelago, which is located at the northwestern tip of the island of Papua, is widely known as a ‘gold mine’ for adventure enthusiasts. Meanwhile, for divers inside and outside Indonesia, Raja Ampat is considered a paradise beyond words. The only way to prove these various opinions is to come directly to enjoy this ‘pearl’ at the tip of Papua.
Raja Ampat is a district and part of the Province of West Papua. To reach these islands, we must first set foot in the city of Sorong. Usually many tourists use flights to get to this city. After arriving in the city of Sorong, we can use a type of fast boat that usually sails twice a day to Waisai, the capital of Raja Ampat district. The journey will only take around 2-3 hours from Sorong port, until you arrive at Waisai Raja Ampat port.
In general, Raja Ampat is an archipelago consisting of many coral islands and spread widely throughout its territory. However, Raja Ampat has 4 of the largest main islands, namely Waigeo Island, Batanta Island, Salawati Island and Misool Island. These four large islands are the starting point for the distribution of the entire population of Raja Ampat, most of whom work as fishermen. The water area is the main attraction of Raja Ampat, considering that Raja Ampat waters are one of the 10 best waters in the world. This is based on various research on the rich flora and fauna and marine nature of Raja Ampat.
An international conservation agency report once stated that Raja Ampat waters contain around 75% of the world’s marine species. In fact, the Raja Ampat sea and land area, which has an area of 4.6 million hectares, is home to 540 types of coral, 1,511 species of fish and thousands of other marine biota. Therefore, with these various advantages, it is not surprising that Raja Ampat is currently considered the most beautiful underwater paradise in the entire world.
Not only is Raja Ampat rich in underwater nature, Raja Ampat also has many interesting things above the surface of the ocean. There are many beautiful beaches spread throughout the Raja Ampat islands. Generally, this beach has white sand and has a fineness close to powder. Apart from that, there are many islands that form a series of high cliffs in Raja Ampat. In fact, some places such as Piaynemo, Kabui Bay, and Wayag were famous throughout the world before they were known domestically. Tropical forests are no less interesting, there are even several places such as Sawinggrai village or Saporkrein village which offer an unforgettable experience of seeing the bird of paradise up close. As we know, the bird of paradise is a rare and beautiful bird typical of Papua which is often referred to as the bird of paradise.
It’s not just about natural wealth, Raja Ampat also has various cultures and arts that are very unique and interesting. Several villages in Raja Ampat have established their existence as tourist villages, one of which is Arborek Village. This village, which is on a small island, has a lot of arts, from traditional dances, Sinole food made from sago, to the typical Arborek pandan leaf weaving craft which has been passed down from generation to generation. Arborek Village is just one among other villages with their own uniqueness.
There are many historical relics on the islands which have ties to the Sultanate of Tidore, Maluku. Starting from some of the residents who have the blood of the Tidore Maluku kingdom, relics from the Second World War, to caves with hand paintings typical of ancient humans are also widespread in Raja Ampat. Learning about the uniqueness of Raja Ampat seems endless, this is what makes this archipelago so successful to this day.
How rich the nature, history and culture of the Raja Ampat Islands is, it makes the world amazed. Now Raja Ampat has become one of the world’s famous tourist destinations, but because access is limited, it costs a lot of money to get there. However, there is no need to worry, Raja Ampat is improving itself day by day by providing various facilities for all groups. We can easily find accommodation in the form of resorts with expensive prices to small and cheap motels in Raja Ampat. Tourists just need to be wiser in keeping this beautiful archipelago maintained so that its beauty can continue to be enjoyed for generations to come.
In closing, the beautiful and beautiful nature of Raja Ampat cannot be separated from the legendary stories that have been believed for generations by all the native people of Raja Ampat. According to Papuan folklore, the name Raja Ampat was taken from seven eggs found by a woman from their ancestor. Four of them hatched into four princes who later became Kings over the 4 large islands of Waigeo, Salawati, Batanta and Misool. Meanwhile, the other 4 became ghosts, a woman and a stone. This story is traditionally believed by local people to be the beginning of the founding of Raja Ampat. It’s still hard to believe in common sense, but if we examine the meaning again, Raja Ampat nature is a sacred place like a kingdom that must be protected from damage and destruction.
