| Summary | I have informed many times that Raja Ampat is amazing place. So I have
wanted to go there soon. I decided to go there half year before in summer as the best season of there is winter. There are many route to sorong via various places in Indonasia. It is easy to get Waisai from Sorong by ferry. |
||
| Accommodaion and Diving |
I searched a dive center by the internet at first. There were several dive centers adjoined with resorts. They costs several hundred $s per night and minimum period of stay was one week. The dive packages for 7 niths and 12 dives of them costs about three thousand $. After that I found the homestay. |
||
| Home stay |
The homestay in Raja Ampat is similar "Minsyuku" in Japan except
facilities. We can contact to the asociation of Raja Ampat Homestay by emails. Though we need to book directly to a homestay. There was no reply from the homestay, I sent emails for inquiries and reservation. The boat of dive center looked small by photos, so we can go near the island. During that time I found the Meridian Dive Adventure I didn't see as I guess it is expensive just by its name. The Meridian Dive Adventure has a few accommodation of resort, homestay and so on. If we choose the homestay, they pick up and drop off at the homestay. Then they have some speed boats, I select the Meridian Dive Adventure. |
||
| To Sorong |
I planed to get to Sorong via Singapore, then staied there two nights. At first, I tried to reserve the Lion Air and so on from Makassar to Sorong, but we can't book the LCC of Indonasia with the credit cards that are issued in Japan. Inevitablely, I needed to book with the Garuda Indonasia. However the departure time was at 3:30 AM, the cost was about the same as LCC. In addition, free for the luggage of 20kg and choosing a seat. I stayed two nights in Makassar on the way back since there were 3 flghts a week. Hotel cost in Makassar was very low, neat and not bad room without fridge costed around $10. |
||
| At Makassar |
I departed in Kansai airport at mid night, and transfer in Singapore then
arrived in Makassar around noon. Taxi drivers talked to me in outside of airport, I ignored them. Many local people walked downward, so I followed them. I found a ticket booth and took it for IDR27K. The DAMRI bus took me the city center, but I didn't know where I shoud get off the bus. Kindly man tell me the way to the hotel. |
||
| Exchange | There were displaies of exchange rate in banks. When I tried to exchange they said we couldn't exhange money. Then they told me the only place we could exchange money in Makassar. It was so hard to find the place, finally I found it and exchange money. The rate was just a little better than I saw in the banks. |
||
|
| To Sorong | As the airplane to Sorong departe at 3:30, I needed to reserve a blue bird
taxi. I told the front desk that I would check out at 1AM. But they recomended at 0AM, it might be thir reasons. I didn't care about it, I checked out at 0AM. |
||
| Sorong ～ Waisai |
I had to take a taxi from the airport to the port. So I found a taxi driver wearing official uniform and asked the price. I compromised appropriate IDR150K. It took 10 about minites to the tichet booth of ferry. Too earlyer than the departure time, I could get on the ferry. I thought I still had 2 hours to departure, the ferry departed 1 hour later. I recognize there are a time difference between Makassar and Sorong. |
||
|
| To Homestay |
A shuttle service car took me the Meridian Resort, I made paper works there. An afternoon diving boat brought me to homestay at 1:30PM. Friwin island Famangkor Homestay |
||
| What is Homestay |
I already had the informations of the homestay. It was a simple wooden
handmade house. There was no electric supply, so it was provided the private power generation while it was dark.(6PM-10PM) We needed to charge batteries while it was provided. Not to mention, there was no AC and fan. We need to bring a torch as we couldn't see anything after 10PM. There wasn't any hot water in the shower, but it was rather better without AC. They serves three meals a day, Breakfast at 6:30, Lunch at 1PM, Dinner at 7PM. Breakfast was a rotation of baked powder and glass noodles and bread once. Lunch and Dinner had rice, fishes, vegetables and fruits. I had no dissatisfaction about meals, though people who need meats and deep fried foods might be disappointed. |
||
|
| Diving | Meridian Adventure Dive | １st day | 1 | Blue Magic | 2 | Mioskun | |
| ２nd day | 1 | Batu Lima | 2 | Friwin Wall | |||
| ３ir day | 1 | Lau Lau Reef | 2 | Chicken Reef | |||
| ４th day | 1 | Dugong Bay | 2 | Cope Kri | |||
| ５th day | 1 | Yenkoranu Jetty | 2 | Blue Magic |
| I already booked 7 days and 6 nights full board homestay and 8 dives for
4 days before departure. It needed to pay full in advance, I payed by Pay Pal as the charge of bank transfer is very expensive from the Japanese banks. I kept a day open if unexpected matters happened, after all I added 2 dives a day. |
|||
| I guessed 2 dives a day means one dive in AM then come back to the resort
and start to second dive in PM. Actually 2 dive meaned they were held in AM, departed at 7AM and came back around 12AM after 2 dives. After that 2 dives in PM was held, departed at 1:30PM and came back around 6PM. It was information heard from someone since I didn't go 2 dives in PM. I had nothing to do in the island in PM, so I want to go one dive. Though 2 dives in Pm wasn't easy for body and wallet, I went only AM dives. |
| ２nd day | First day of diving. 1st dive Blue Magic Surface interval in Pulau Kelelawar(Bat Island) 2nd dive Mioskun | ||
|
|
|
| ３rd day | 2nd day of diving 1st dive Batu Lima Surface interval Friwen the opposite side of the homestay ２nd dive Friwin Wall |
||
|
|
| Starry sky |
I woke up before 6 almost everyday then I could see nothing. Around 6, the eastern sky was getting lighter gradually. So I saw the sunrise evryday. One day I woke up in midnight and I could see many stars. Then I went to the pier with my glasses, and lay down on the pier. The sky was filled with glittering stars, there was no light around there. What a stunning starry sky. |
||
| ４th day | 3ir day of diving 1st dive Lau Lau Reef Surfave interval in Sandbank 2nd dibe Chicken Reef | ||
|
|
||||||||||||||
| Dive with a couple who stayed the Meridian Resort from Japan from third day of diving to last dive. | ||||||||||||||
| At Homestay |
The next day of arrival, I was alone in the homestay when the man next
door checked out. A women pair of Indonasian and Polish who looked like a student exploring Indonasia during one month arrived in the following day. Afer next day, one more women pair from Hong Kong came to the homestay. We five didn't change when I left there. |
||
| ５th day | 4th day of diving 1st dive Dugon Bay Surface interval on the boat 2nd dive Cope Kri | ||
|
| 6th day | 5th (last) day of diving 1st Yenkoranu Jetty Surface interval on Jetty 2nd dive Blue Magic | ||
|
| Some Japanese who stayed Yenkoranu homestay in Kri island talked to us at the jetty after their dives. | |||
| I needed to charge the batteries for taking photos on the following day. I could see the wonderful sunset because it was no need to charge the batteries on the day. |
|
| ７th day | The day of check out. I started to pack my luggage at 6 and have a breakfast
at 6:30. The pick up boat came to the pier at 7. Then I paid for additional dives in Meridian Dive. After that they took me the Waisai port. I headed to the Sorong port by the ferry. |
||
|
| Sorong～ Makassar |
I arrived at Sorong port after 11 and moved to the airport. Then to Makassar. There were many flights even though it is local airport. I planed to stop by Singapore, but I had no plan to visit. I found a article about Chistmas event at the gardens by the bay. |
||
| Makassar | I was surprised dirver's behaviors that he got gas on servive was less bad than he got off the bus to pray. After arriving the hotel about 7PM, I searched for a shop I could get alcoholic drink. I ran out of my liquor in Raja Ampat. Although I looked aroound for alcohol over one hour,I couldn't get it Unfortunately I got lost, it took over one hour to get back to the hotel. I searched for alcohol at the huge supermarket the next day again. There was no alcoholic dring in Makassar, so I couln't drink for two days. |
||
| Singapore | Bay front by MRT, Ticket was S$ 28 for Flower Dome, Cloud Forest and Christmas Wonderland. | ||
|
| Noticed in Indonasia |
I have been said "taxi""taxi" in Indonasia, so I was
annoying. I realised few local people walked on the pavement. They got on the bemos or bikes in spite of short distance. Almost people who walked in towns are foreigners. |
||
| After Travel |
I was amazed with the Raja Ampat sea that have high reputation. Though I have been in the eastern side of Raja Ampat, I couldn't be in the western side of Raja Ampat including Manta sites. I would like to visit Raja Ampat to be able to dive western side again. |
||
 |
 |
Hotel Informations |  |
| Airplanes Airports Related |  |
