What is Indonesia like?
A brief history of Raja Ampat
What is Raja Ampat’s geography like?
People, religion, culture? Population?
What’s the climate like?
In what time zone is located Raja Ampat?
What is the local currency?
What should I bring?
Is there Internet access? Postal Services?
Where is the nearest medical service?
Should I take precautions against malaria?
Is your tanks DIN fitting or yoke?
Do you have 24hr Electricity?
What is the voltage & what plugs do you use?
Do you have phone signal?
VISA on arrival
How much are airport taxes?
Hotels in Sorong?
What is Indonesia like?
Indonesia is the largest archipelago and the fourth most populous country in the world. Consisting of five main islands (Sumatra, Jawa, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua) with 33 provinces, 30 smaller archipelagos, it has a total of 17,508 islands of which about 6,000 are inhabited. The Republic of Indonesia is located in Southeast Asia and stretches 5,150 km between the Australian and Asian continental mainland and divides the Pacific and Indian Oceans at the Equator. The name Indonesia is composed of two Greek words: “Indos” which means Indian and “nesos” meaning islands.
The capital city of Indonesia is Jakarta. The country shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Malaysia.
A brief history of Raja Ampat
Prior to the 16th century and the arrival of the Portuguese, very little was known in the west about this region, but trade with the Moluccas Islands, Timor and perhaps Java existed long before this.
After a few years of unsuccessful attempts to discover this fabled island of gold, Ynigo Ortiz de Retes finally landed in 1545, naming New Guinea and claiming it for the King of Spain. Several failed gold explorations followed, but it was only in 1714 that Spain was forced to relinquish control to Holland and England.
The Dutch and English had long been interested in Irian Jaya’s trade commodities of nutmeg, massio bark, trepang (dried sea cucumbers), tortoise shells, pearls, birds of paradise skins and slaves. The British finally proclaimed a Protectorate in the east in 1884 and the Dutch established two permanent posts in the west in 1899. The boundaries were settled in 1895 and 1910.
It was World War II that finally put New Guinea on the map in western history, when it became a fierce battleground between the Japanese and Allied forces. When the end of World War II came the Dutch handed over the territories to Indonesia.
What is Raja Ampat’s geography like?
Raja Ampat you can see deserted beaches, post card sand banks, cliffs up to 500 – 900 meters, mangroves, and a lush green vegetation in all islands and everywhere you look, making a perfect harmony between the land green and the turquoise of the water.
People, religion, culture? Population?
Some villages in Raja Ampat still practice an indigenous conservation method called “sasi” where a certain areas are closed during certain periods from fishing activities. The opening of this sasi ritual is usually done with a traditional harvest and very interesting to watch.
The religion of Raja Ampat is Christians. There are a number of mosques in Waisai, Sorong and many other locations of Papua for the Indonesia’s population.
Culture: Papua people are very friendly. If you do not know one single word, we recommended you to smile and to nod your head (like nodding for “yes” response). This is a typical way of addressing people. So, just nod your head!
What’s the climate like?
Indonesia climate is distinctly tropical. Because this region is so close to the equator it is normal to have rain, short intense thunderstorms, at any time. The east monsoon from June to September brings dry weather while the west monsoon from December to March is moisture-laden Indonesia In General bringing rain. The transitional period between these two are interposed by occasional rain showers, but even in the midst of the west monsoon season, temperatures range from 21 degrees C (70 F) to 33 degrees C. (90 F) except at higher altitudes, which are much cooler. Heaviest rainfalls are recorded in December and January. Humidity is between 60-100 %.
Raja Ampat is generally hot, but after a long day of diving you might feel cool enough to wear long sleeved shirt.
In what time zone is located Raja Ampat?
Raja Ampat is covered by Eastern Indonesia Standard Time and is 9 hours ahead of GMT. Papua is one hour ahead of Bali and two hours ahead of Jakarta
What is the local currency?
The local currency is Indonesian Rupiah (Rp). The exchange rate fluctuates a lot, and the important exchange rate used by most of Asia is the US$ – currently the rate is around Rp 9,000 per US$.
If you need local currency, there are a number of ATM machines in the banks in Sorong.
What should I bring?
Your dive certification or any proof that you are a diver, as there is not Internet connection we will not be able to check on-line.
Hat, sunglasses, sun block, insect repellent, sarong, extra batteries, a towel and tampons! You can’t find them in Sorong. Our dress code is extremely casual!
It is recommended that all travelers Cary their own set of medicines (ibuprofen, cortisone, antihistamine, fever, cold, diarrhea, etc) as they is really difficult to get here, you should include antibiotic ointment and band aids to treat all skin irritations as soon as possible.
You should bring anything that you can not live without. Including all the cash (preferably Indonesian Rupiahs) that you will need for your whole trip in Raja Ampat. Remember that you will be very remote.
Finally, remember that all airlines have a maximum of 20kg of baggage allowance. So, pack up the essential.
Is there Internet access?
The only option to get internet access is in Waisai. There are two internet cybercafe with decent connection and medium charged, these are good enough to read emails (but not your favorite youtube videos!). In Sorong there are more cybercafe easy to find with good speeds. If your phone supports 3G service you can buy Telkomsel SIM cards and “sometimes” get access. You can buy top-up vouchers in many kiosks.
Postal Services?
There is one small post office in Waisai, but we would recommend you use the main post office in Sorong (next to Saga Supermarket)
Where is the nearest medical service?
The nearest Hospital is in Waisai, 40 min away by boat. In Waisai there is no one familiar with diving medicine and treatments. Probably all they could do in a dive accident is give you Oxygen and treat Basic Life Support to keep you alive. In case of a serious emergency we will take you to Sorong, where you can find a more equipped hospital. Again, remember that the nearest chamber is in Manado, which means that you will need to fly. In Sorong (2-3 hours away) there is Angakatan Laut Naval (Bahari) Hospital.
Should I take precautions against malaria?
Absolutely. Papua is a malaria area and you are advised to take precautions and follow the advice from your local health center. Note that the medication Lariam, has limited effectiveness in this area due to a resistant strain of Malaria. Lariam is thus not recommended. Alternatives could be Malarone or doxicycline. Be aware that some malaria pills have adverse reactions in scuba divers. Check with Divers Alert Network (DAN) about treatments for malaria or any other medication before taking them on a dive trip.
Is also recommended that you sleep under a mosquito net and use a repellent if you need to.
Is your tanks DIN fitting or yoke?
Our tanks only have yoke fittings, and if you use DIN we do have a few adapters available. However, you cannot by themin here so it is better to bring your own adapter if you have them to make sure that there is one available for you.
Do you have 24hr Electricity?
No, there is not electricity in the island. We have our own Generator that runs from 18.00 – 00.00hrs. If you need to charge batteries and you need more time we will accommodate to your needs.
What is the voltage & what plugs do you use?
Power supply is 220 volts. The outlets are plugs with two rounded pins.
Do you have phone signal?
Yes, we have phone signal in the island, but are not always good. The best operator for the area is Telkomsel.
Travel Formalities, VISA
With the exceptions of visitors from the countries of Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, Malaysia, Morocco, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam (who are permitted for up to 30 days entry to Indonesia without an Indonesia visa), all visitors to Indonesia a VISA in order to enter the country.
A VISA on arrival will be given to citizens of Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Denmark, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Norway, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, New Zealand, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States of America, Austria, Belgium, India, Ireland, Kuwait, Luxemburg, Maldives, Egypt, Oman, Portuguese, Qatar, The People of Republic China, Russian, Saudi Arabian, Spain, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece , Iran, Iceland, Laos PDR, Liechtenstein, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Nederland, Suriname, Sweden, Aljazair, Czechoslovakia, Fiji, Latvia, Libya, Lithuania, Panama, Slovakia, Slovenia, Rumania, Tunisia.
Visa on arrival is valid for 30 days and maybe extended (only once) under the permission of Indonesia’s conditions.
The fee for this visa, payable upon landing, is US$25 for a 30-day visa.
The official entry requirements for the issuance of a 30 or 7 days day visa-on arrival:
- Passport must be from one of the countries listed above.
- Passport must be valid for a minimum of 6 (six) months from the date of entry into Indonesia.
- Payment of US$10 or US$25 must be paid at the gateway, depending on the length of visa required.
- Onward or return tickets are compulsory.
- Visitors must enter and exit through one of the 15 airports or 21 seaports officially approved as an “international gateway” by the Indonesian Immigration department.
VISA Application at Indonesia Embassies or Consulates
Other nationals must apply for visa at Indonesia Embassies or Consulates in their home country. In addition, the visa cannot be replaced with any other of immigration letters. Visa Officer shall then administer the visa in the presence of the applicant concerned.
You may find Information on Indonesia embassies and consulates contact details at the Ministry of Foreign Affair website on the following direct-link: http://www.deplu.go.id/
Do you want to stay Longer?
You have two options;
1. – Extend your visa on arrival in any Immigration office in Indonesia for up to 30 days. You have to apply before your visa expires, usually taken around three days and cost US$ 25. You can extend your visa on arrival only once.
2. -You can apply to for an Indonesian Tourist visa at any Indonesian Embassy around the world. Usually it takes three working days and it cost around 50 $ (or equivalent in other major currency’s).
An Indonesia tourist visa has a maximum validity of up to 3 months, but permits a stay of no longer than 60 days within this 3-month timeframe.
NOTE; as the situation may change we recommend you contact an embassy to confirm the latest information relevant to you.
How much are airport taxes?
The airport taxes are payable every time you fly out from any Indonesian airport, 50.000 Rp for domestic flights and 150.000 for international flights.
Hotels in Sorong?
We recommended staying in the Meridien Hotel (jemeridien_sorong@yahoo.co.id next to the airport). For other cheaper alternatives you can try the Tanjung Hotel, Waigo Hotel, and You&Me Hotel.
Customs
Customs allow on entry a maximum of 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars of 100 grams of tobacco, and one liter of alcoholic beverages, there are high taxes on import alcoholic beverages in Indonesia (150%), so if you like to have a glass of wine or a mixer at the end of the day we recommend you to bring your own rather than buying within Indonesia. Local alcoholic drinks are available at reasonable prices.