Sunday, June 29, 2014

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.  

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