Raja Ampat Itinerary: The Perfect Two Weeks in Paradise
The following travel itinerary will give you an idea how to plan your stay in Raja Ampat. Travel guide covers day by day itinerary example of the Indonesian archipelago.
Raja Ampat is probably one of the world's best-kept secrets.
Because of it's remotness and time-consuming journey to reach islands, it is necessary to plan your stay well to make the most of your visit.
Feel free to follow our 2-weeks travel itinerary.
Raja Ampat Archipelago
Raja Ampat is an archipelago of over 1500 islands in Indonesia's West Papua province.
Although getting to West Papua might not be the easiest and it takes time, it is worth the effort, because at least for now, these obstacles keep the crowds away and you still can have this pristine piece of the world almost for yourself.
Raja Ampat is mostly about the unique underwater world and postcard-like beaches, and it can get overwhelming to choose the right islands for your visit, but we believe our itinerary will give you an idea.
RAJA AMPAT ITINERARY
Raja Ampat is a remote archipelago in West Papua which will immerse you in snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking and much more. Make sure you have enough time to visit the islands, travel between them and explore the unspoiled nature.
Our travel Itinerary will give you some ideas on places to explore and activities to do while you're there.
DAY 1: PUKHET - JAKARTA - SORONG
We flew to Raja Ampat from Thailand, so our flight route took us to Jakarta first (this will be most likely the transport hub for the majority of travelers), and from here we took a flight to Sorong.
We obtained Raja Ampat permits in the information center in Sorong (from 2018 you can no longer purchase permits here, but you will get them in Waisai near the port), walked around the local market, bought dinner and went to the hotel.
DAY 2: SORONG - WAISAI - FRIWEN ISLAND
A taxi drove us to Sorong's port where we bought ferry tickets and sailed to Waisai. The ferry goes every day at 9 AM and 2 PM, and it takes about 2 hours. Once we stepped on the firm ground again, local homestay owners surrounded us and we choose one guy who had his place on Friwen Island where we got after sunset.
The ride took about a half an hour, and after landing, we agreed on the price, length of the stay, were accommodated in a bungalow and had dinner cooked by his family.
DAY 3 & 4: FRIWEN ISLAND
In the morning we woke up in a completely different world than we left the day before.
Friwen Island has an incredibly beautiful beach, and what was even better, it was just us there. In the afternoon the owner took us to Friwen Wall, and it was one of the best snorkeling spots we've ever seen. The other day we walked around the island, spent some time on a beach on the other side of island accompanied by local teenagers.
Later we returned to the homestay where we hung around, relaxed in a hammock and had a conversation with our host family.
DAY 5 & 6: KRI ISLAND
In the morning, the host sailed us from Friwen to the nearby Kri Island. Kri is busier and larger island but only in Raja Ampat's perspective.
We hiked from one side of the island, where we stayed, to the other over the hill in the middle, and it took us about 20 minutes. The afternoon we snorkeled near the pier with surprisingly diverse marine life. The second day we took a short boat tour to another snorkeling spot nearby, saw turtles and sharks in the water beside the other species.
In the afternoon we climbed the central hill, but there is thick forest at the top so better to watch the sunset on the beach.
DAY 7: KRI ISLAND - PIAYNEMO
Last day on Kri started with relaxed morning, and then a boat took us to Piaynemo in the afternoon, where we sunbathed on the pier, and to be honest, did just nothing but enjoying the perfect views
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DAY 8 - 10: PIAYNEMO
We borrowed a kayak and set off to explore this unique area. The climb to Piaynemo Lookout is a must. Vistas from this lookout are so amazing that we were returning to this spot repeatedly.
The other days the host took us on the open sea to snorkel, we could explore many hidden coves and climbed up the rocky hills to admire other beautiful views.
DAY 11 & 12: ARBOREK ISLAND
Arborek seemed to us as the most developed island in comparison with other three we visited. Even though Arborek is really small, it is part of the government’s tourist village program, and they try to promote the island as a place you can buy local handcraft and learn more about traditional life.
Arborek is very close to Manta Point, so we took a boat trip, which was arranged by our homestay, and swam with mantas on the open sea and snorkeled near the pier later in the afternoon.
DAY 13: ARBOREK ISLAND - WAISAI - SORONG
Time to travel back, a small boat took us to Waisai (we ran out of fuel and must've looked for someone who has few liters to spare) where we switched to ferry to Sorong and spent a night there.
DAY 14: SORONG - JAKARTA - AMSTERDAM - MUNICH - PRAGUE
The only downside was the exhausting way back home. It took us almost two days with a long wait in Jakarta and super-long flight between Jakarta and Munich.
On top of that, we had to drive by car from Munich to Prague, Czech Republic. But having said that, we would have come back again despite the long journey.
WHAT TO PACK FOR RAJA AMPAT
Having the right gear can make all the difference to your snorkeling trip. You don't need to bring much for island hopping in Raja Ampat, but here are a couple of things we think are essential to pack.
Waterproof Bag | This is our favorite water-resistant bag we use to protect our electronics during water activities.
Snorkel Mask & Fins | Snorkel mask should be your first purchase when going for island hopping adventure. We love snorkeling with fins, as they are huge benefit. You save energy, and it's easier to dive down.
Water Bottle | Raja Ampat is one of the most beautiful places in the world, don't litter plastic, use SteriPen.
Phone Waterproof Case | If you like to bring your phone for your water activites, you need a good waterproof case.
GoPro | Adventure underwater camera is a must-have when traveling around the Indonesia as snorkeling is world-class here.
Sunscreen | Sun is way too strong in Asia, especially when you spend all day in the water, so having a quality sunscreen is a must. You can also use a reef friendly biodegradable sunscreen for snorkeling.
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
