Scuba Diving Wonders, Stolen Identities & Bikini Blunders
After being anchored for almost five weeks in Sorong, we had a brilliant idea: why not take a two-week break to explore Raja Ampat? It’s only a breezy two-hour ferry ride away. Most tourists don’t linger in Sorong—it’s just the portal to the paradise beyond. Once the skipper gave us a 12-day hall pass, we booked a week at Rara Guest House in Waisai and five days at a homestay on Friwen Island, a quick 30-minute hop from Waisai.
Waisai is Raja Ampat’s capital, but it’s not where most tourists stick around. Usually, they scatter to the smaller islands as soon as the ferry docks. We decided to stay in Waisai because we wanted to do lots of diving and needed a refresher and for the diving we were taken out to the Island every day anyway. It was more budget-friendly to stay in Waisai, as travelling to the outer islands often requires chartering a speedboat, which can be quite pricey. Thankfully, there’s a helpful Facebook page called “Travelling Raja Ampat” where people connect to share boat rides but others just wing it on the ferry, casually asking strangers about their travel plans like it’s speed dating for transport.
Luckily, Rara Guest House picked us up. At first, the price seemed steep compared to Sorong’s ride-hailing app Maxime, but schlepping luggage full of diving gear made us too lazy to bargain-hunt on arrival. Turns out, there are no taxis in Waisai—just Gojek scooter taxis, and not many of those either. Everyone rents scooters, and they’re all priced the same, so we snagged one from our accommodation.
Wawan, the owner of Rara Guest House, is an absolute legend. His guesthouse only opened in October 2024, so most locals haven’t a clue it exists. But everyone knows Wawan—he’s basically the island’s go-to English-speaking tourism guru. He’s got a fleet of cars and organises tours to the Blue River and the Bird of Paradise or just if you need transport. Wawan also took our breakfast game up a notch. Instead of cake and donuts he served up local delights like yellow rice with egg. We politely passed on the fish/meat—because, we weren’t ready for that at 7 a.m. Sambal (Indonesian chilli sauce) made a surprise appearance too, spicing up the morning in ways coffee never could.
Our first day in Waisai, we dragged our gear to Olin’s Diving Centre. Mark’s equipment had suffered from months of storage on the top deck and was badly corroded. Olin’s was the only place responsive to a gear service and our dive refreshers. WhatsApp is king in Indonesia, and Olga, the owner, was a champ, offering water and snacks the moment we arrived. Rina was checking our qualifications, missing gear etc and talking to her alone changed my mood from being afraid to dive again to being excited. Milo, our instructor for the refresher, was incredibly thorough, and we quickly got back into the swing of things.
Originally, I booked two dives a day, but I was so thrilled to be underwater that I bumped it up to three dives daily. Diving in Raja Ampat is like stepping into an underwater Eden—mind-bogglingly beautiful. I’d forgotten how much I love it. The instructor even thought my air gauge was broken because I barely use air underwater—I’m practically zen down there, though strong currents did challenge me at times. The crew was always on top of things, making us feel safe and well cared for. If you go diving in Raja Ampat go Olin and serious fun is guaranteed as this is what diving is!
I thoroughly enjoyed hooning around with the scooter on Waigeo. We visited Saprokat Village, a picturesque, traffic-free haven with a beach so pristine it could star in a cocktail ad. Only a 30 minute ride but the roads were… let’s call them “rugged,” with potholes big enough to swallow small vehicles. We dodged most of them, but some were water-filled mysteries we ploughed through bravely.
Another memorable trip was to Kali Biru, also known as the Blue River which was a 45minute bike ride. Wawan set us up with a local guide, who charged a third of the official rate which then doesn’t even reach any of the villages. After a scenic boat ride and a short trek, we arrived at the most magical freshwater oasis, bluer than a peacock in a paint factory. The fresh, crystal-blue water was breathtaking, and floating downstream was such fun—even if I did lose my pants jumping in at one point, much to everyone’s amusement!
Waisai’s charm lies in its simplicity and the small-town vibe won us over. Our favourite eatery was Pondok Lesahan, recommended by Wawan. Their veggie options and fresh juices were divine, and we basically ate the menu from top to bottom. They also supply cakes for Olin Dive Centre, so we got to indulge mid-dive too.
We celebrated New Year’s Eve at the town centre, enjoying fireworks set off by the locals which was four times as big as what our Capital City at home would put on. It was a lively, festive atmosphere with music bursting from cars, food stalls, and plenty of laughter. The anticipation was extremely high and the fireworks already started 15minutes before midnight. After a short walk along the beach and some fantastic street snacks, we welcomed the new year with smiles all around. I also tried cold Durian Soup but that wasn’t my favourite, Durian on it’s own is actually not that bad but ‘Sup Durian’ meh.
Getting our Raja Ampat permits was a comedy of errors. The Raja Ampat Entry fee was done at the harbour straight forward and always someone in the office. The Marine Park Entry was a bit trickier in person and we kept driving between what we thought were the right offices without ever meeting the right person to hand us our passes. At the end we were able to do the Marine Park Entry permit online which was the missing piece of the puzzle.
Our time on Friwen Island was meant for relaxation. Famankor Homestay right in front of the popular snorkelling and diving spot Friwen Wall has a few little huts on the beach and the food was top-notch, and they catered well to my veggie needs—something not all homestays manage. With an only 30min boat ride from Waisai it wasn’t breaking our bank and Husna from the Tourist Information centre managed both ways to find someone who wanted to share a boat. We did venture out for one more diving day with Olin Dive Centre picking us up to go to Manta Ray Point, which was unforgettable.
At the Homestay we met fellow travellers, including a lovely Scottish/German couple, Maya and Kevin. We joined them on a jungle walk to a nearby village and had great conversations over cold drinks at another Homestay. The RA permit came up and they also had some troubles getting their permit and had been given two permits with random names from a New Zealand couple…..ALARM BELLS. We couldn’t believe what we were seeing when they pulled their permits out they had our names and passport numbers on their permit! So, if you meet “Denise and Mark” somewhere in Raja Ampat, they might be lovely Scots!
Raja Ampat is truly a special place, and while it’s popular, the beauty of its underwater world and the warmth of its people make it worth every moment.
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