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Story of Indonesia, Every Picture Tells A Story


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7 February 2011
Raja Ampat Trip

Raja Ampat, meaning ‘ the Four Kings’, is the name given to these mystical islands and pristine seas in West Papua, the name derived from a local myth. The four major islands here are Waigeo, Misool, Salawati, and Batanta. The size of this marine park is enormous, as it covers more than 9.8 million acres of beautiful scenery, both above and below the surface. Divers claim that Raja Ampat is the best place in the world to observe manta rays, dugongs, wobbegongs walking sharks, and the legendary pygmy seahorses. Photographers also praise the beauty above the surface.

1

Wooden outrigger boats are ready at the pier in the serene fishermen’s village of Sarpokreng, locally meaning the ‘Leaning Point’, in Raja Ampat, Indonesia.(Photo by Anggun Nugraha/www.indonesia.travel)

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A welcoming broad smile from a fisherman in the isolated village of Sarpokreng, Raja Ampat. (Photo by Anggun Nugraha/www.indonesia.travel).

1.       A welcoming broad smile from a fisherman in the isolated village of Sarpokreng, Raja Ampat.

3

A couple of West Papua children spend the afternoon on their parent’s boat after a morning filled with fun and swimming. (Photo by Anggun Nugraha/www.indonesia.travel).

4

The roaring engine stops and the boat quietly drifts before the setting sun at Kabui Bay. (Photo by Anggun Nugraha/www.indonesia.travel).

5

Clouds hanging over the glowing horizon at Kabui Bay painting an astonishing sunset view well worth chasing. (Photo by Anggun Nugraha/www.indonesia.travel).

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An empty beach bed at Waiwo, Raja Ampat, an idyllic place to watch the silent sunrise, as its glow paints the seascape with altering fascinating shades. (Photo by Anggun Nugraha/www.indonesia.travel).

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Lush mangrove shrubs on a rocky atoll show their brilliant hue as the gleaming waters mirror their image. Raja Ampat has numerous such atolls. (Photo by Anggun Nugraha/www.indonesia.travel).

8

A small jetty at one of the Wayag Islands displays the best scenery in Raja Ampat. To get here, a three to four-hour cruise on a speedboat, passing tens of uninhabited islands, is an irreplaceable experience. (Photo by Anggun Nugraha/www.indonesia.travel).

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From the highest tip of a hill on Wayag Islands, the shifting colors of the sea are clearly visible. Zaka, a skillful and experienced guide leads a group of visitors climbing the jagged, sharp rocky hill. (Photo by Anggun Nugraha/www.indonesia.travel).

10

A two-engine boat floats by a tranquil beach among the Wayag Islands. The scenery is picture- perfect, ideal for honeymooners who will never regret having made that stopover here.

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A woman and her family prepare baits at sea close to The Passage, the space to navigate between two outcropping islands. (Photo by Anggun Nugraha/www.indonesia.travel).

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An outrigger boat without engine is a spacious vessel to accommodate family members and the day’s fish catch. This kind of boat is used by local fishermen in Raja Ampat for easy fishing. For it combines the safety of the outrigger and the comfort of a sampan. (Photo by Anggun Nugraha/www.indonesia.travel).

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In crystal clear waters, rich plankton floats by providing delicious meals for strange fish and unusual sea creatures which make Raja Ampat their habitat. (Photo by Cipto/www.indonesia.travel).

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Innumerable schools of fish make Raja Ampat their home, where table corals and other kinds of sea ferns and coral reefs decorate the ocean’s floor. (Photo by Cipto/www.indonesia.travel).

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Diving in Raja Amapt is more than rewarding. Many divers vouch that finding the rarest creatures here is more effortless than anywhere else. (Photo by Cipto/www.indonesia.travel).

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Taking underwater photography in The Passage is an irreplaceable fortune as photographers can capture the wondrous underwater life, looming green islets, and the sun all within one frame. (Photo by Cipto/www.indonesia.travel).

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Swarms of curious schools of fish feature in Raja Ampat. Since few people come here, the fish come infrequently in contact with humans. Because they swim by so fast you are either lucky or really skillful to face any of them eye to eye. (Photo by Cipto/www.indonesia.travel).

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Magnificent sea ferns, home to the legendary pygmy seahorse, grow on bright and healthy coral. Raja Ampat has 75% of the world’s underwater species, and you must count yourself among the most fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience the enchantment that is Raja Ampat. (Photo byCipto/www.indonesia.travel).