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Iris Travel

Private journeys, at your pace.

Indonesia & Southeast Asia
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Raja Ampat

Time on the water.

Private travel in Indonesia

Plan my Raja Ampat trip
Forest-covered limestone islands rise from the calm waters of Raja Ampat.

Where to spend
your time.

The island you stay on shapes the whole trip. Start with the reefs and scenery you want to see, then work out the boat journeys around them.

A wooded hillside meets the water along the coast of Waigeo near Waisai.

Waigeo & Waisai

Waisai on Waigeo is a common arrival point by sea from Sorong. Your onward boat connection depends on the island and stay you choose.

Waigeo’s coast near Waisai

A hawksbill turtle swims above the reef in Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat.

Dampier Strait

Central islands, reefs and villages such as Arborek and Yenbuba. A place to focus a trip around the water without trying to cover the whole archipelago.

Life on the reef in Dampier Strait

Forest-covered limestone islets sit in turquoise water below the Piaynemo viewpoint.

Piaynemo & the Fam Islands

Limestone islands and viewpoints reached by boat. Treat a visit as a planned outing from a suitable base, with sea conditions considered.

The view across Piaynemo’s islands

A trip could
look like this.

For a first visit, a central-island base leaves time for reef outings and days close to your stay.

A small boat curves through turquoise water between forest-covered limestone islands in Raja Ampat.
Between the islands of Raja Ampat

A week around the central islands

6 nights

Spend six nights at one island stay. Mix boat outings and time in the water with days when you have nowhere else to be.

  1. SorongArrival
  2. Central islands6 nights
  3. SorongReturn

The six nights are at the island stay. We’ll allow any extra overnight needed in Sorong for flight and boat connections.

These are ideas to start from. We can change the stops, length and stays around your dates and budget.

Talk about a Raja Ampat trip

What would you
make time for?

Small fish swim over branching coral in clear, shallow water near Arborek in Raja Ampat.

Snorkel the reefs

Reef snorkelling, with sites chosen around your swimming confidence and the conditions.

A small boat curves through turquoise water between forest-covered limestone islands in Raja Ampat.

Out by boat

A boat outing to Piaynemo’s limestone viewpoints when the route and conditions allow.

A wooden jetty leads to thatched buildings beside the water at Sawinggrai village in Raja Ampat.

Visit an island village

A village visit around the central islands, with quieter afternoons at your stay.

Before you choose your dates.

When is a good time for the water?
October to April is often considered for marine trips in some areas. Conditions vary across Raja Ampat, so the area, boat conditions, currents and visibility matter more than one date range.
How do we reach the islands?
Trips commonly start in Sorong, continue by sea towards Waisai and then use onward boat transfers. Some stays use a different route. We work through the connections before settling on the itinerary.
What should we decide first?
Tell Farhan whether scenery, snorkelling or diving brings you here, and your experience in the water. We also check the comfort and facilities you want. Misool is a separate area to plan for, rather than a quick addition to a central-island stay.
Clear blue water meets a quiet sandy beach beneath a green cliff in Bali.

Bali

Indonesia

Ubud’s rice fields and galleries, with a few days on the south coast.

An aerial view of limestone cliffs, pale sand, and turquoise water at Railay.

Thailand

Southeast Asia

Bangkok’s food and neighbourhoods, followed by Krabi’s limestone coast.

Your trip.
Planned together.

Have a trip to Raja Ampat in mind? Talk to Farhan about your dates, stays and the days you’d like to plan.