7 Snorkeling Spots in Raja Ampat

Isanak beach in Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat islands are considered as the best destination in the world for snorkeling and scuba diving. The coral reef environment of the archipelago is the natural habitat of 1,427 reef fishes, 553 hard corals and 42 mantis shrimp. It is not surprising to see that the number of visitors going to Raja Ampat increases every year.
There are a lot of snorkeling sites in Raja Ampat, for visitors who only have one to two weeks of their vacation time, I suggest that they choose locations that are close to their homestay or beach resort, and budget.
To explore coral reef sites in numerous islands of Raja Ampat, visitors can arrange snorkeling tours with the resort or homestay owners who usually have got boats for rent.
Recommended Snorkeling Spots:

Coral Reef in Raja Ampat

1. Isanak Beach - This coral reef area is located in a small uninhabited island in the eastern tip of Waigeo. Because human activities in the island are very little, the coral reef at this beach is very healthy and is very richh of marine life. The beach faces the open water of Pacific Ocean. Visitors who want to enjoy snorkeling at this site have to be accompanied by local people. They have to bring small motorized wooden boat from the nearby village to escort you from the sea while you enjoy snorkeling. Don't forget to bring an underwater camera.
2. Paradisea beach - This beach is located in the southern region of Waigeo island where Paradisea Dive Resort is operating. Visitors are advised to stay there for a few days if they want to enjoy snorkeling, sunbathing and birding. Snorkeling here is easy because the beach has got a wide reef flat that gradually leads to reef edge and then the drop off. Snorkeling during high tide is highly recommended to avoid any damages to the coral reef when visitors enjoy snorkeling and freediving at the beach.
3. Yenbuba Strait - This is a famous snorkeling and scuba diving site in Raja Ampat located between Kri and Mansuar islands. A lot of marine animals can be seen in the strait from a small moorish idol, and diagonal sweetlips to hawksbill turtle to black tip reef shark and wobbegong.  
4. Western tip of Mansuar - there are several snorkeling sites in this area, the one that faces Gam island and the ones that is at the same beach line with Sawondarek village. In the past, Sawondarek was a very good site for snorkeling. Unfortunately, its reef flat area now has broken. However, its outer reef and drop off areas are still in very good condition. Visitors who enjoy snorkeling can see barracuda, giant trevally, spadefish, grouper.
5. Karst islets of Kabui bay - Here the sea is calm. Visitors can choose one of the many karst islets that stand on the water like mushrooms to see its marine life. There are abundant anemonefish, butterflyfish and parrotfish. If a sea-snake comes closer, don't provoke the animal. Just swim away from him. 
6. Five Rocks - This site is suitable for more advanced snorkelers. The sea is not always calm. The marine life is abundant. Don't swim too close to the rocks when there are waves. 
7. Cape Kri - This is one of the most recommended sites in Raja Ampat for snorkeling, freediving and scuba diving. Coral reef is very healthy with abundant marine life. Because, most often the current is strong, visitors have to be escorted by a small motorized boat. 

There are still a lot of snorkeling sites in Raja Ampat that I haven't mentioned. Visitors can explore them by themselves when taking a vacation to this beautiful tropical region. - written by Charles Roring
Related articles:

• Snorkeling Tour in Raja Ampat islands
• Snorkeling in Mansuar island of Raja Ampat
• Raja Ampat Snorkeling Birding and Sightseeing
• Snorkeling in Arborek of Raja Ampat

Snorkeling at Paradisea beach of Waigeo island

I visited Raja Ampat a few days ago to enjoy snorkeling and birding at Paradisea beach. It was located in the southern coast of Waigeo island approximately 35 minutes ride from Port of Waisai. The beach was an ideal site for anybody who was a nature lover. Coconut trees, catappa trees provided shade along the white sandy beach.

Raja Ampat sea

The crystal clear blue water of the beach and the coral reef of the area were the natural habitat of hundreds of species of tropical fish. Some of them were the Moorish Idol, Butterflyfish, Anemonefish, Striped Surgeonfish, and Diagonal Sweetlips.

Reef fosh in Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat has been famous around the world as one of the best destinations for scuba divers and snorkelers. If you are interested in Snorkeling and Birding in Raja Ampat, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or whatsapp: +6281332245180

Birding and Snorkeling at Paradisea Beach of Raja Ampat

I have just finished a birding and snorkeling trip in Raja Ampat today. I visited a place in southern area of Waigeo called Paradisea beach. Although I only spent 2 days there, my birding experience was very nice. I saw Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Eclectus Parrot, Palm Cockatoo, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Rufous Bellied Kookaburra, Willie Wagtail, Spangled Drongo, Common Brush Turkey, Yellow-faced Myna, Blyth's Hornbill, Little Tern, Red Bird of Paradise and a lot more.

Female Red Bird of Paradise ( Paradisaea rubra

Pinon Imperial Pigeon in Raja Ampat

The waters of Paradisea beach is also rich of healthy coral reef and tropical fish. I enjoyed snorkeling in the morning and I saw a lot of species of fish including Parrotfish, Butterflyfish, Striped Surgeonfish,and Grouper.
Unfortunately, my underwater camera was broken a few years ago. So, I could not take pictures of the fish and its beautiful marine environment.

Paradisea beach of Raja Ampat

Paradisea beach is located approximately 30 minutes ride to the south of Waigeo island from the harbor of Waisai. It is very potential destination for visitors who like birding and snorkeling. I frequently visit Raja Ampat but it was my first experience of birding and snorkeling at paradisea beach. I like the place very much. If you are interested in snorkeling and birding in Raja Ampat and need me as your private guide, please, contact me (Charles Roring) e-mail to: peace4wp@gmail.com or send text message to my whatsapp: +6281332245180.
Don't forget to bring your snorkeling gear, underwater camera, binoculars and spotting scope.
Also read:

• Wilson's Bird of Paradise
• Coastal birds of Raja Ampat
• Snorkeling and Watching Birds of Paradise in Raja Ampat
• Snorkeling and Hiking Tour in Raja Ampat

Ornithoptera tithonus

Birdwing Butterfly Ornithoptera tithonus

Birds are not the only animals that attract my attention. When I guide tourists in the forest or at the beach, I like to take pictures of everything from beautiful lanscape to paradise birds and butterflies. Last week, I guided 3 French visitors in Arfak range. I saw several species of birdwing butterflies that were eating the nectar of flowers. Here is the picture of Ornithoptera tithonus that was feeding on the nectar of New Guinea impatient flowers. His wings were mostly decorated with black, green and yellow colours. For the female butterflies, their wings have got black, white and yellow colours. The best time to observe butterflies is during dry season, such as in September, October and November.

Snake in the forest of Arfak range

In addition to butterflies and birds, visitors may see other animals such as snakes, and cuscus possum, soa-soa lizards during their trip in Arfak range. I personally saw a snake two months ago when I went camping in lower montane forest of Arfak mountains. I did not know whether it was a venomous one or not. So, when I took a picture of the reptile, I kept a safe distance from it.
Arfak range has been a famous destination in Manokwari for birding and wildlife watching.

Watching Paradise Birds with Some American Photographers

Male Lesser Birds of Paradise

Early this month I organized a hiking and birding tour in Klasow valley for some American photographers. They were led by a lady - Adriana. We spent 2 nights exploring the rainforest of the valley to find Lesser Birds of Paradise and a lot of other species of birds that live in the tropical jungle of Sorong regency.
During the hiking and birding tour, we were able to see Magnificent Riflebird, Yellow Faced Myna, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Golden Myna, Helmetted Friarbird, Blyth's hornbill. In the last day of our trip, we trip to spot a King Bird of Paradise but we were not so successful in finding the bird.
To watch Lesser Birds of Paradise, we had to wake up early in the morning at 04.30. After making preparations, we had to walk for 1 hour to reach the birding ground. It was a great experience. We were able to watch paradise birds for several hours. I was able to take pictures of the birds too. After the wonderful adventure in the jungle, we return to Sorong city again by two 4wd-pickup cars.

Birding Tour in Manokwari Highland and Lowland Forest

Magnificent Bird of Paradise

I have just completed a 1-week birding tour with Bruno, Michelle and Chantal. They were 3 birders who came from France. We visited higher montane forest of Arfak range for 3 days and 3 nights and lowland forest of Manokwari for 3 days/ 2 nights.
During the first leg of our tour in higher elevation forest of Arfak mountains, we watched several species of birds of paradise including Magnificent Birds of Paradise, Western Parotia. For me, I was so happy because I could see Magnificent Birds of Paradise again.
In the second leg of our birding trip, we enjoyed hiking, camping, swimming and birdwatching along a river in Manokwari.

Birding in Lowland Forest of Manokwari

There are tropical birds that we watched including Little Egret, Brahminy Kite, Grey Crow, Great-billed Heron, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Lowland Peltop, Pacific Baza and Palm Cockatoo. The tropical rainforest in lowland area of Manokwari is relatively a new birding destination. We haven't built guesthoses in the forest for visitors. So, we use tents if we want to stay for several days.
The birding tour in lowland forest of Manokwari was a more adventurous trip. We spent most of our time, walking along the bank of a river or wading through its knee-depth water to find such birds as Little Ringed Plover, Grey Wagtail and Variable Goshawk.
Our birding experience was greatly enhanced with a Swarovski HD spotting scope brought by one of the tour participants. It was a nice birding adventure and I hope to be back into the jungle again soon.

Yellow Billed Kingfisher in Sorong

I had a 5-day hiking and birding tour with 3 foreign visitors in Klasow valley of Sorong regency last month. We went there to watch Yellow-Billed Kingfisher (Syma torotoro), Lesser Birds of Paradise (Paradisaea minor), King Bird of Paradise (Cicinnurus regius), and Magnificent Riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus), and Northern Cassowary (Casuarius unappendiculatus). As a matter of fact we also saw a lot of other birds during the trip in the lowland forest of the regency.

Yellow-billed Kingfisher

I think October was the mating season for the Yellow-billed Kingfisher because I saw male and female were calling each other. I and a Chinese lady, who was one of the tour participants, were walking along the clearing area of the forest in the village in search of Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise when we heard the sounds of the Yellow-billed Kingfisher. We immediately turned our attention to the birds. We were very lucky, we could take a lot of pictures of the birds.

Eclectus Parrot over the sea of Raja Ampat

After birding for several days in Klasow valley, we continued our trip to Raja Ampat to see Red Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea rubra) and Wilson's Bird of Paradise. It turned out to be a successful trip. We saw both of them. We also saw Eclectus Parrot, Hooded Butcherbird, Pacific Swallow, Torresian Crow, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, and Blyth's Hornbill. Raja Ampat was really a paradise for nature lovers.
Tomorrow, I will go to the valley again and I hope that I can see birds that I haven't seen before.
Also read:
Birding Tour in Sorong regency of West Papua
Birding Tour in Sorong Lowland Forest

Birding in Waisai town of Raja Ampat

Beach Kingfisher near Waisai harbor of Raja Ampat

I had a short birding experience near Waisai harbor of Raja Ampat. There was a cape overlooking the bay of Waisai harbor that I visited yesterday morning. It was a nice place for watching birds such as Beach Kingfisher, Moustached Treeswift, Willie Wagtail, and even Rainbow Lorikeet.
It was approximately 09.00 local morning time when I visited the cape. The first birds that I saw were Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys). Two males were chasing a female where ever she flew. Far at sea, on top of navigation light post for ships, were a group of singing starling. They were sitting on top of the metal tower to enjoy morning sunlight.
There were also several Moustached Treeswifts that were flying low and fast, perhaps, to catch insects. They chose some naked branches of tall trees on a hill behind the cape as their seats.
While I was trying to locate where the sounds of Beach Kingfisher came from, I saw a Rainbow Lorikeet walking on the branch of a tree just in front of me. He was quite close to me. I carefully lifted my camera and aimed it at the bird. I succcessfully made some pictures of this colorful bird. Actually there were a lot of Rainbow Lorikeet that were eating flowers from the nearby barringtonia or cattapa trees. However, the leaves and branches blocked me from seeing them.

The sounds of the Beach Kingfisher kept attracting my attention. Finally, after one hour of searching and waiting, I was able to spot him on the dead branches of a tree just over the sea water. I quickly shot him with my Fujifilm HS50EXR. This camera has been with me for quite long. It fell many times, was exposed to rain many times. I am not sure if it can survive any longer. Fortunately, it was still working this time. The bird flew to the tree, sat there, calling his female counterpart for several minutes to no avail and then flew away. It was a short but a very pleasant birding experience. I was able to take some nice pictures of the bird. October is mating season for a lot of species of birds both in Raja Ampat islands and the mainland of New Guinea.
Personally, I am not very familiar with all the names of the bird species of Raja Ampat. But I was very happy at that time. After having lunch, I left Waisai town for Sorong city.

Seascape view near Waisai harbor of Raja Ampat

As a tourist guide, I have visited Raja Ampat many times escorting visitors on numerous snorkeling, island hopping and birding trips. Still this archipelago has got more places to explore and see. I hope that I will return to this archipelago again in the near future.
Please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.co or whatsapp: +6281332245180 if you want to enjoy snorkeling and birding with me in Raja Ampat and other places in West Papua.

Raja Ampat Snorkeling and Birding Tour

Adventure in Raja Ampat

I offer private tour to visitor who wants to visit Raja Ampat islands for snorkeling and birdwatching. There are a lot of sites in the region which we can explore to see coral reef and tropical fish, such as Moorish Idol; Anemonefish; and Striped Surgeonfish, as well as colorful birds that live in the rainforest. For trips longer than 5 days, I highly recommend Mamdifu forest, Isanak beach, Fish Lagoon in East Waigeo as the most recommended destination. For 3 days/ 2 nights snorkeling and birding tour, southern area of Waigeo is the site that I choose. However, your itinerary in Raja Ampat can be customized according to your interest. There are visitor who prefers to come alone and requests a private tour and there are also tourists who travel as a group so that they can share the cost of transportation and accommodation. A visitor who takes private tours will have a more flexible itinerary. The route of the tour can be customized to island or guesthouse that is more comfortable or affordable. A guesthouse that is located near white sandy beach with crystal clear water  and coral reef environment is a the most likely place that visitor chooses.

Landscape in Raja Ampat

During the snorkeling trip, visitor can see anemonefish, striped surgeonfish, sweetlips, boxfish, trevally, grouper, and a lot of other marine creatures.
Upon special request, the tour can be extended to mainland New Guinea where visitors can go hiking in the forest to watch birds of paradise and a lot of species of plants in the jungle.

Birds of Paradise in Raja Ampat

Visitor needs to bring his or her own snorkeling device such as mask and fins. A good underwater camera is also recommended for taking pictures of fish, coral reef and other marine creatures. To enhance birding experience, a good pair of binoculars plus a digital camera with telephoto lens are highly needed.

Reef fishes in Raja Ampat archipelago

Island Hopping

This is a kind of tour that I usually organize for a group of visitors who want to see uninhabited islands, remote villages and rainforest areas that are less visited by main stream tourists. In other words, the tour that I offer is to places that are located in remote region.
Booking: 

If you are interested in taking the tour, for itinerary and cost, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180

Tourist guide (Charles Roring) with two local villagers at an uninhabited island in Raja Ampat

Snorkeling and Watching Birds of Paradise in Raja Ampat

Wilson's Bird of Paradise

Raja Ampat islands are important destination in Southeast Asia for marine tourism. Visitors who go there usually like to enjoy snorkeling and scuba diving in a lot of coral reef areas of the archipelago. Raja Ampat is also an important site for birding particularly for those who want to watch Wilson's Bird of Paradise (Diphyllodes respublica) and Red Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea rubra) and a lot of other birds such as Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Pacific Swallow, Hook-billed Kingfisher or Radjah Shelduck.

Red Bird of Paradise

As a tourist guide, I offer private tours for visitors who want to enjoy snorkeling and birding in Raja Ampat. There are several sites that tourists can visit depending on how many days they want to stay in Raja Ampat. In general, visitors stay for 3 to 5 days. To join the trip, visitors need to bring their own masks, and fins for snorkeling, binoculars and camera for watching paradise birds.
The trip in Raja Ampat can be extended to the mainland of West Papua, if visitors want to watch more birds in the forest such as the Lesser Birds of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise and Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise.
For birding in Raja Ampat and mainland New Guinea, I highly recommend that visitors bring field guide book: Birds of New Guinea written by Thane K. Pratt and Bruce Beehler whereas for identifying fish after snorkeling, I recommend a book entitled: Reef Fish Identification-  TROPICAL PACIFIC by Gerald Allen, Roger Steene, Paul Humann and Ned Deloach.
To book your trip in Raja Ampat, please, contact me by e-mail to: peace4wp@gmail.com or send text message to my whatsapp number: +6281332245180.

Scenery of Raja Ampat

Wilson's Bird of Paradise

Wilson's Bird of Paradise from Raja Ampat

I went to Raja Ampat early this week. I guided two Australian and 1 Chinese tourists on a 3-day/ 2 night hiking birding and snorkeling tour in Waigeo island of Raja Ampat. Our main targets were Wilson's Bird of Paradise (Diphyllodes respublica) and Red Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea rubra). Fortunately, we were able to see Wilson after waiting for him for one full day. We woke up at 04.00, had some coffee and tea and left for the birding site by a small boat. We still had to walk up steep slopes for 45 minutes in order to reach the ground where Wilson's B.O.P. usually lands. When we arrived, heavy rain began to pour from the sky. We rushed into the birding hut and waited until the rain stopped. Unfortunately, the paradise bird did not land that morning. We decided to wait longer. I asked local villagers to return to the guesthouse to pick up our lunch. With the food coming to our hut, we could survive until around 15.00 when the Wilson's Bird of Paradise landed on the ground. It was a long wait but an exiting moment when we saw him coming. We pressed the shutter buttons of our cameras continuously during the time when the paradise bird was within our sight. Feeling exhausted we walked happily down the slopes and returned to our guesthouse before dark. My clients - the Chinese and the Australian tourists enjoyed the sunset time swimming and snorkeling in the front waters of the guesthouse where we stayed.

Red Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea rubra)

The next morning, we still had to wake up early in the morning and went hiking to the trees where Red Bird of Paradise perform their courtship dance. When we got there, it was still dark. We chose the best point where we could take pictures of the birds. At approximately 06.00, the paradise birds started to call their friends. Minutes after the female birds landed on the branches of the trees, the male Red B.O.P. began to compete one another to show their best dance performances. It was a magical moment for all of us who watched the birds of paradise that morning.
We were very satisfied with this birding and snorkeling trip in Waigeo island. We also saw a lot of other birds and tropical fish while staying in Raja Ampat. If you want me to be your guide for your private tour in Raja Ampat or other places in West Papua, please, send me (Charles Roring) an email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or text message to my whatsapp: +6281332245180

White Sandy Beach in Raja Ampat

Olive-backed Sunbird

This is the picture of Olive-backed Sunbird (Cynniris jugularis) which I saw when I was guiding a lady on a snorkeling and birding tour in Waigeo island of Raja Ampat. The sundbird has got yellow color on its belly with blue feather on its throat. I shot it using my old camera Fujifilm HS50EXR.  We also watched Red Bird of Paradise, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Kingfisher, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Papuan Blyth's hornbill and a lot of other birds that live in the forest and coastal area of Raja Ampat.

For snorkeling, we went to seome uninhabited islands that were not too far from the main Waigeo island. It was really a nice experience because we could see beautiful nature, colorful birds and swim at secluded white sandy beach of Raja Ampat.
If you are interested in taking an adventure tour in Raja Ampat or other areas in West Papua, please, contact me by e-mail to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp: +6281332245180.

Raja Ampat Beach

Most of the beaches in Raja Ampat are white sand. That's why a lot of visitors like to go there. There are hundreds of big and small islands in the archipelago that are surrounded by coral reef. They are the main source of this white sand. Parrotfish bite the corals and release them into the water as fine white sand. Water current and waves bring them onto the beaches.
Big waves often brake the corals into smaller chunks and deliver them on to the beach. Waves that land on the beaches will continually grind the broken corals into sand. This is the process of how white sand is made naturally in most tropical islands not.
If you are interested in visiting Raja Ampat, to enjoy swimming, snorkeling and land tour, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or text message to my whatsapp: +6281332245180.

Raja Ampat Island Tour

Raja Ampat Boat Tour

I provide tours to islands in Raja Ampat for visitors who want to enjoy swimming, snorkeling, hiking and birding. There are hundreds of islands in the regency with pristine coral reef and rainforest. The coral reef of Raja Ampat is the natural habitat of thousands of marine creatures. There are parrotfish, anemonefish, boxfish, butterflyfish, moorish idol, grouper and even manta and turtles that live in the waters of the archipelago.
Colorful birds also live in the jungle of Waigeo island including Wilson Bird of Paradise, Red Bird of Paradise, Pink-spotted Fruit-dove, Hook-billed Kingfisher, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, and Beach-stoned Curlew can be seen in the forest.
To explore the white sandy beaches and forests in a lot of islands of Raja Ampat, we will need speed boat. The cost will be expensive for 1 tourist. The number of participants of this island tour should be at least 4 to 8 people. They can share all the costs that are related this tour.
Booking
For more information, please, contact Charles Roring by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by text to my whatsapp: +6281332245180

Raja Ampat Snorkeling Tours

Marine Life in Raja Ampat Waters

Snorkeling in Raja Ampat

The tropical islands of Raja Ampat have been considered as the epicenter of marine bio-diversity. It is a must see destination for visitors who want to see pristine marine life, healthy coral reef with thousands of species of fish and other sea creatures. As a tourist guide, I offer snorkeling and freediving tours for nature lovers who are interested in visiting Raja Ampat. Participant can be a single traveler or a group of visitors consisting of 2 to 8 participants or even more.

Sightseeing Tour in Fish Lagoon of Raja Ampat

There are a lot of coral reef sites which we could explore to see parrotfish, surgeonfish, anemonefish, grouper, boxfish, barracuda, turtles and a lot more. Visitors who join my snorkeling tours will be able to visit some uninhabited islands in the region.

Jungle Adventure in Raja Ampat island

In addition to snorkeling, we will also explore tropical rainforest of Waigeo island to see its butterflies, wild flowers and birds such as Palm Cockatoo, Hook Billed Kingfisher, Pink-Spotted Fruit Dove, Papuan Blyth's Hornbill, Yellow-Billed Kingfisher, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, and etc.

To enjoy birding, a good pair of binoculars manufactured by Leica, Swarovski EL 8.5×42, or Nikon Monarch 5 10×42 is highly recommended. However, there are some Chinese made binoculars such as the 10×42 and the 10×26 Visionking binoculars that affordable but produce sharp images for birdwatchers. Personally, I take pictures of birds and other wild animals using an old Fujifilm Finepix HS50EXR camera.

Getting to Raja Ampat

• Take an international flight to Jakarta (the capital of Indonesia)
• Continue your trip by flying to Sorong city
• I could meet you at the airport and organize your tour to Raja Ampat

The cost of traveling to Raja Ampat is expensive so, I highly recommend that visitors go in a group of 4 to 6 people or more.

Booking
Please, contact me (Charles Roring) for detailed itinerary and prices to my email: peace4wp@gmail.com or send whatsapp text message to: +6281332245180
Also read:
Raja Ampat Snorkeling
Snorkeling Video from Raja Ampat
Snorkeling Pictures from Raja Ampat
Raja Ampat Adventure Tour

Snorkeling and Freediving in Raja Ampat

Coral Reef and Fish in Raja Ampat waters

There are a lot of coral reef sites in Raja Ampat islands. They are the natural habitat of various species of fish such as butterflyfish, angelfish, spadefish, surgeonfish, moorish idol, damselfish particularly the anemonefish, snappers, jacks, anthias, groupers, parrotfish, wrass, cardinalfish, puffers, scorpionfish and a lot more.
Two of the easiest and cheapest ways of seeing them are by snorkeling and freediving. Snorkelers usually see the marine life from sea surface whereas freedivers go down into a depth of 2 to 10 meters or even more to see the fish and underwater environment like what scuba divers do.

As a tourist guide, I could organize snorkeling and scuba diving trip for visitors who are interested in exploring the marine bio-diversity of Raja Ampat islands. Visitors need to bring their own snorkeling/ freediving gears such as mask, snorkel, fins, and weights.
I could guide single traveling visitor or a group of visitors consisting 2 to 8 people on a trip to the islands. We will enjoy snorkeling, see beautiful panorama of the islands and go hiking in the forest to watch paradise birds, butterflies and unique plants of tropical rainforest.

Fish Lagoon in Raja Ampat

How to get there?
Fly from your country to Jakarta city - the capital of Indonesia
Continue your trip by taking a flight served by such airlines as: Garuda, Sriwijaya, Xpress or Batik Air to Sorong city.
I can meet you at the airport or a hotel in Sorong and organize your tour to Raja Ampat islands.
We could stay in the village, or built tents in the jungle or at the beach. If you are interested, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or send text message to my whatsapp +6281332245180

Raja Ampat Snorkeling Birdwatching Sightseeing Tour

Landscape View of Fam Karst Islets

I offer tour to Raja Ampat for visitors who are interested in snorkeling, hiking and birdwatching as well as sightseeing. This tour lasts for 5 to 12 days and is suitable for anybody who wants to see the natural beauty of the archipelago both underwater and above the water.
Snorkeling

Coral Reef in Raja Ampat

For enjoying snorkeling in Raja Ampat, don't forget to bring mask, snorkel, fins. A waterproof underwater camera is also needed for taking pictures of the marine life. There are a lot of snorkeling spots in Raja Ampat both in the northern, central and southern islands. The marine biodiversity of the island is the highest in the world with more than 1,000 species of fish that has been identified by marine scientists. The fish which visitors can see during the snorkeling trip includes anemonefish, damselfish, striped surgeonfish, lionfish, manta, and black tip shark. There are also dolphins, whales, turtles, and seahorse which visitors can see while enjoying snorkeling and scuba diving in Raja Ampat.
During the tour, we will explore uninhabited islands in Raja Ampat to see its coral reef and animals that live on it.
Hiking, Birding and Wildlife Watching

Giant Tiger Orchid (Grammatophyllum speciosum)

Raja Ampat is also a nice site for visitors who are interested in exploring tropical rainforest that covers the forest to see its wild animals such as birds, cuscus possum, wild orchids, butterflies, soa-soa lizard and etc. The tour into the jungle will include camping trip to increase the chance for visitors to see more wild animals.
Birding
The easiest way to reach the inland area of the island is by walking through cleared land that was made by government as preparation for road construction to connect villages in the island. Birds such as Moustached Treeswift, Rainbow Lorikeet, Rainbow Bee-eater, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Red Bird of Paradise, Blyth's hornbill can be seen in the forest.
For camping in the jungle, we will provide tents, cooking, and eating utensils so that visitors do not have to being heavy things from their home country. A good pair of binoculars such as a Visionking 10x42 is a very affordable choice. For field guide book, I highly recommend Birds of New Guinea written by Thane K. Pratt and Bruce Beehler.
Booking
If you are interested in taking snorkeling and wildlife watching tour in Raja Ampat, and want me to be your guide, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or send text message by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Red Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea rubra) in Waigeo island of Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat Snorkeling and Hiking Tour

Landscape/ Seascape View of Kabui bay in Raja Ampat

I offer tours for visitors who are interested in snorkeling and hiking in Raja Ampat. The recommended destination is Waigeo and some uninhabited small islands in the archipelago.
Snorkeling
There are a lot of coral reef sites which visitors can see to enjoy snorkeling. Fish that can be seen include parrotfish, damselfish, moorish idol, lionfish, grouper, marquesan parrotfish, wrasses, puffers, and a lot more. There are also turtles, sea urchin, sea cucumber, stingray and manta that we may see while exploring the marine life of Raja Ampat.

Don't forget to bring your own snorkeling gear such as mask, snorkel, and fins as well as underwater camera with extra batteries if you want to explore the wealth of the marine bio-diversity of Raja Ampat.

Hiking, Camping and Bird/ Wildlife Watching
In addition to swimming and snorkeling, I also include rainforest tours in the itinerary. Visitors who join the trip to Raja Ampat will be able to explore the tropical rainforest of the tropical islands to see Red Bird of Paradise, Wilson Bird of Paradise, Sacred Kingfisher, Beach Kingfisher, Lowland Peltop, Palm Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot and a lot of other birds that live in the forest. A good pair of binoculars, and a field guide book: "Birds of New Guinea" written by Thane K. Pratt and Bruce Beehler should be brought by visitors to enhance their birding and wildlife watching experience.

Destinations:

Walking on the sandbank in the middle of the sea

Short Trip - southern part of Waigeo and Kabui bay
Day 1 Transfer from Sorong city to Waisai bay ferry boat, transfer to guesthouse located at the beach - swimming and snorkeling
Day 2 Hiking and birding in the morning, snorkeling in the afternoon in Kabui bay
Day 3 Snorkeling in Friwen wall and snorkeling in the front waters of the guesthouse
Day 4 Check out of the guesthouse, transfer to ferry harbor of Waisai, return to Sorong

Long Trip - east of Waigeo

Red Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea rubra) in Waigeo island

Day 1 Transfer by long wooden boat from Sorong to eastern area of Waigeo island - snorkeling and short walk inside the forest of uninhabited island
Day 2 Exploring Mamdifu forest to watch Red Bird of Paradise and Blyth's hornbill, Pink-spotted fruit dove. Hiking in the forest at the back of the village
Day 3 Continue trip to Pasir Timbul/ sand bank in the middle of the sea, snorkeling at an uninhabited island
Day 4 A tour in fish lagoon, snorkeling, hiking and birdwatching
Day 5 Return to Sorong by long wooden boat.
This trip can be extended into several more days depending on the request of the tour participants.

Cost: ... for customized itinerary and prices, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com

Raja Ampat Snorkeling Adventure

Simple Guesthouse in Raja Ampat

The coral reef environment in Raja Ampat islands have been considered as the richest in the world for its marine bio-diversity. As a tour guide, I offer snorkeling tour to visitor who is interested in seeing various species of fish and marine creatures of the archipelago.
The cheapest way to experience snorkeling in the area is by staying at one of the many simple guesthouses that are located at the beach. These guesthouses are not luxurious but quite comfortable for visitors who want to spend a few days to one full week or even more time of their holiday in the islands.
I organize snorkeling tours to visitors who come in a group of 4 to 8 tourists. I can also accompany solo traveling tourist as birdwatching and snorkeling buddy in for multiple days of staying in Raja Ampat to see the beauty of tropical fish such as the Moorish Idol, Butterflyfish, Striped Surgeonfish, Anemonefish, Damselfish, Grouper, Parrotfish, and etc.

Raja Ampat holiday tour

Things to bring:
Don't forget to bring your own snorkeling gear such as masks, snorkel, fins, bathing suit/ swimming suit, flashlight/ torch, sunblock, anti-insect lotion, underwater camera.
For birdwatchers, binoculars, spotting scope and field guide book: "Birds of New Guinea" written by Thane K. Pratt and Bruce Beehler.

Cost: it depends on the number of visitor(s), duration of the holiday and places that visitor(s) want to see.
How to get there?
Fly from your country to Jakarta city or Denpasar city
After that continue your trip by flying to Sorong city of Indonesia.
I could meet you at the airport or at a hotel in Sorong where you stay and accompany you to Raja Ampat

Booking
Please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp: +6281332245180

Red Bird of Paradise in Raja Ampat - photo: Charles Roring