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.