How to get to Raja Ampat

This is a question I hear pretty often, so I searched Internet to hopefully give you a fully rounded answer. I think Stay Raja Ampat is one of the most thorough resource with plenty of relevant information. Below are a few snippets that I think are the most important ones.

When to visit?

As far as weather is concerned, any time of year is a good one to visit Raja Ampat. Climate and underwater conditions are good all year round - there isn't really an "off-season".

Sea travel in smaller boats can be problematic in June, July and August, so if you plan on covering a lot of ocean it would probably be best to pick a different time of year.

If you just want to relax in a tropical island paradise and do a bit of snorkelling or diving around your chosen island, then any time is great.

How to get here?

Fly to Sorong in Indonesia's West Papua province (you can also get there by ship)
Arrange (before you arrive!) with your host to pick you up from Sorong.

If you want to go it alone:

• Check out our Raja Ampat maps to help get an idea of where you're headed
• Take a taxi from the airport to Sorong ferry harbour
• Then one of the ferries to Waisai
• Then charter a local boat (or arrange a pick up from there) to your accommodation

Learn to scuba dive the right way

Scubadiverlife published recently a very interesting article about the worst habits in scuba diving. This is a very important read no matter how novice or experienced diver you are.

The author of the article is Thomas Gronfeldt. Thomas started diving during college and has since been diving over most of the world: Australia, Indonesia, Iceland, France, and many other places. He is a NAUI instructor and a commercial diver, and participates in environmental and archeological diving projects around the world.

Dive Gear - buy or rent

If you're considering investing in good scuba gear, SportDiver has good articles to make your choice much easier. Their 2013 Dive Gear Buyers Guide is full of good advice and we could not recommend it more.

But fear not if your finances are not allowing you just yet to splash on all the things needed for a great scuba experience. Here at Blue Sea Dive we feature great Oceanic personal gear packages, as well as Atomic Aquatics and H2Odyssey at a very convenient rental price.

Awesome video about diving at Raja Ampat

An absolute amazing video of Raja Ampat diving experience. You really need to visit Indonesia and just do it. Blue Sea Dive School can make your dreams come true!

Be sure you have proper vaccines when coming to West Papua

Papua is a malaria area and you are advised to take precautions and follow the advice from your local health centre.

Malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes that usually bite from dusk to dawn. Symptoms can develop as early as six days or as late as several months after exposure. Early malaria symptoms are flu like, such as head/body aches and generally feeling tired and unwell. Untreated, it can cause complications including anaemia, seizures, mental confusion, kidney failure and coma. It can be fatal.

Prevalance of Malaria in Indonesia

Malaria is present in most of Indonesia. Chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum malaria is present.

There is no malaria in:

• Jakarta
• Main resort areas of Bali or the island of Java (except for Menorah Hills in central Java, risk exists there)
• Urban areas in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Nusa Tenggara Barat

There is malaria in:

• All rural areas in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Nusa Tenggara Barat and Sulawesi
• Areas of Bali outside the main resort areas
• All areas of eastern Indonesia including Papua, Nusa Tangara, Timur, Maluku and Maluku Utara
• Lombok

Malaria is a potential problem in almost all areas outside the main metropolitan centers in Indonesia. It is more effective and healthier to rely more on anti-mosquito measures than on anti-parasite drugs. Be aware of these points:

• Malaria is spread by mosquitoes, so any measures that reduce mosquito bites reduce the risk of contracting malaria and other illnesses such as dengue fever.
• For prophylactic drugs to be effective, they must be taken regularly according to the recommended schedule.
• Prophylactic medication does NOT offer absolute protection.
• Exceeding the recommended dose of prophylactic medication does not increase its effectiveness and will increase the risk of side effects, which may (rarely) be serious. Before certain types of malaria prophylaxis are prescribed, a doctor's examination and laboratory tests are advised.

More information about the subject on expat.or.id.