Raja Ampat, Fam Islands

Yesterday, I took a trip to possibly one of themost beautiful spots on Earth. I went to the Fam Islands for a day of snorkeling and incredible views. The islands are quite far from Kri and Gam so as a result, the trip gets pretty pricey, pretty fast. Luckily, Yenkoranu Homestay offers the best prices around so Danna and I were able to join three others on the trip. We went with a German guy and a Canadian turned Australian couple.

Our first two snorkel spots were a bit of a bust as we were looking for some mantas but there were none left. It isn't the season for them to be here but apparently there are a few still hanging around.

However, our next spot was beyond fantastic! We stopped at Fam Wall and it exceeded my wildest expectations. Fam Wall follows a very small island. The bottom has been hollowed or carved out by the water as it is made of limestone. Between that and the drop off, there are just an insane amount of corals and fish.

After snorkeling along Fam Wall for quite some time, we took the short jaunt over to Pianemo for the panoramic view. We lucked out as they recently built stairs to the top of the lookout in anticipation of the president coming for a visit during the Sail Raja Ampat festivities. In true Indonesian fashion, the stairs were insanely uneven but it did make for a much nicer climb! Upon getting to the top, it was like looking at a postcard or animated scene from a movie. The colours of the water are the most incredible shades of blue I've ever seen. This was definitely my favourite part of the trip as I've never seen anything like it and am not sure I ever will again.

After a failed attempt to snorkel at Melissa's Garden due to a very stong current and semi-stong winds, we made the long journey back towards Kri. Before arriving back at the homestay, we stopped at the Arborak Villagefor some snacks and one last snorkel opportunity. It was here that I saw my first lion fish and I think they might be my new favourite! They are just so awesome looking and don't seem to be too bothered by humans, so I was able to hoover over it and watch it for quite a long time. There were huge schools of fish swimming around the end of the dock. I took this opportunity to swim through the schools a couple of different times. That was a totally weird sensation but cool to watch them all swim ina different direction at the same time.

In all, it was the perfect trip for the perfect spot. I saw a t-shirt that advertised Raja Ampat as being "Heaven on Earth" and I think they might have it right.

Again, this was written on the islands and posted where internet was available. Unfortunately, pictures aren't uploading. After waiting an hour, I've given up for now.  

Raja Ampat, Koranu Fyak Homestay

The second homestay I am staying at is called Koranu Fyak Homestay and is located on Pulau Kri amid a long stretch of beach and homestays. In comparison to Kordiris, not much is different except that we are able to interact with many other backpackers due to the close proximity of the other homestays.

Just a short jaunt down the beach is Yenkoranu Homestay. Here, we've met many more travelers and Danna used them to take her first dive trip. I tagged along to the jetty to snorkel. It was here that I finally felt like I was seeing what Raja Ampat truly had to offer in the way of underwaterparadise. The other spots I've been to so far have either had a lot of dead coral or not as many fish as I expected. The amout and diversity of the fish and coral in this spot were incredible! As I jumped in, there were hundreds of tiny fish jumping out of the water. I swam through countless schools of fish and even had a trigger fish chase after me. I had no idea such fish existed, although I should have guessed that somewhere, some day, I would get chased by a fish. They're very territorial and in my attempt to escape, I kicked it pretty good with my fin. I don't feel as crazy for getting chased by one of these fish because Danna also got chased by one while she was diving.

I truly don't know what else to write in order to describe what I saw. I plan to go back because in my true fashion, I didn't check my batteries before heading out and after the first picture, the camera went dead.

Again, this post was written on the island and will be posted when I return to places with WiFi.

Raja Ampat, Kordiris Diving Homestay

After so much noise in Jakarta, the quiet of Raja Ampat is beautiful. Couple that with spectacular views, clear, warm water and awesome people and I've had an indescribable time.

After overnight flights, sleeps on uncomfortable benches, hours of waiting at a hotel/ cafe and a two hour ferry ride, Dannaand I arrived at our first homestay where we were welcomed with open arms. This was a welcome relief for me as I was quite travel weary. Thus far, the people I've met have been beyond helpful. A far cry from what I experienced in Sumatra just a few short mon ths ago. While waiting at the hotel/ cafe in Sorong, we were invited to join two gentlemen for lunch. (I think they were supposed to be having a business meeting but all they did was chain smoke and practice their English with us.) In the end thisworked out wonderfully for us as they bought us lunch, took us to the harbor and helped arrange our ferry tickets.

Kordiris, our first stop, is classified as a homestay. There are three options for accommodation here in Raja Ampat, which literally translates into Four Kings. The first two are dive resorts and liveaboards. Both ofwhich, are outrageously priced. The third arethe simple, all inclusive homestays. The accommodations are basic and consist of little more than bamboo huts with a mattressand mosquito net and a shared toilet. As in many places in rural Indonesia, there are two toilet options. The first is the squatter and the second is the toilet bowl missing both the actual seat and tank. Both toilets have a mandis (bucket shower) on one side.

The villagers who help run the homestay are incredibly friendly. Some are a little scared ofmy bule looks and the small children do a lotof staring.

The snorkeling in my first three days has been awesome, intermixed with some disappointment. In my second day of snorkeling at Kordiris, I saw a lot of evidence of dynamite fishing. Im not sure how often it is practiced any longer, but at some point it was an ideal way to catch largequantities of fish in a short amount of time. Some of these areas are now protected and slowly recovering but it is still disheartening to see.
In the spots where the coral hasn't been dynamited, the underwater view is breathtaking. Thus far, I've met some amazing people, had a couple of great photoshoots and gotten a bit sunburned in the process.
Anyone interested in stayng here can look upmore info on stayrajaampat.com. Maria is wonderful! Her husband receives the emails of interested guests and relays the info to her via whatsapp. There is no confusion due to limited English/ Bahasa skills. Kordiris Diving Homestay is located on Pulau Gam.

*Disclaimer- this post was written on the island but posted on the blog once I reached an area with WiFi.

Travel beginnings

As my contract comes to an official end, I've had  an overwhelming feeling of anxiety today. Im excited for my 5 months of travel but nervous as nothing has ever been so uncertain in my life.  I am my mother's daughter and I always have a plan. It feels weird to not have a set plan for where I   am going to go or what I am going to move on to after im I'm finished with my travels.

I'll be spending six weeks in Indonesia  and during two of those weeks, I'll have 2 friends come visit. After Indonesia comes Myanmar ( the old Burma) and after that I'm not entirely sure  which country I'll end up in. It will either be Cambodia or Laos.

As of now, im sitting in the airport waiting to board a flight to Raja Ampat. I can hardly believe the time is already here for this. It's been an idea for so long that it seems unreal that the time has come for it to actually happen.

I'm not sure if I'll actually miss Jakarta but I know that I'll definitely miss the awesome people I've met and become friends with here . I've learned a lot but now it's time to take those lessons and apply them to the next chapter of my life.

That's all for now.  I'll do my best to update this a bit more than my last blog. For now, sampai jumpa!