The world’s richest reefs or the “kingdom of coral” are some names given to Raja Ampat, it’s a name well deserved as the Raja Ampat islands encompass over four million hectares of land and sea o the far northwestern tip of Papua. It consists of approximately more than 600 islands, including the four largest: Waigeo, Batanta, Salawi, and Misool (also known as Butanme). The Raja Ampat name (meaning four kings) comes from the period when the region was under the in uence of the North-Moluccan sultanates of Ternate and Tidore, who ruled Raja Ampat for a period of at least 400 years.

This trip to Raja Ampat was done aboard two luxury phinisis from the legendary Aman Resorts, the Amandira and Amanikan. The first is a custom-build 52-meter, two-masted phinisi that o ers ve spacious cabins with a crew of 14. This phinisi was handcrafted by the Konjo tribe of Sulawesi, and launched in 2015. While similar, Amanikan is a smaller 32-meter custom-build coastal cruiser with three above-deck cabins, and a foredeck with a bar for outdoor dining. These vessels combine the romance of the spice trade with modern amenities and technologies. Both provide dive equipment essential to enjoy the beautiful waters of Raja Ampat, and, as expected, have outstanding services. The phinisi spent five days exploring the mesmerizing waters of Raja Ampat. The price for a trip? It starts at $9,150 for a cabin per night, exclude the flights to go there.

Text and Photo by Ahmad Zamroni

Begini kira-kira menjadi #fotografer. Tidak cuma jeprat-jepret kelesss…. 😉#fotografi #photographer #indonesia pic.twitter.com/nnn1gpbXoP

— Roni (@roni_az) July 20, 2017