Raja Ampat Islands Is Beautiful

Raja Ampat Island

The wealth of Indonesia is no doubt. One of Indonesia's wealth that makes me chuckle in awe is an archipelago of Raja Ampat in Papua. This time I want an online tour to the island is beautiful and still unexploited.

The archipelago is a series of four adjacent group of islands located in the western part of the Bird's Head (Vogelkoop) Guinea. Administratively, this group is under the Raja Ampat, West Papua Province. Islands are now a destination of divers who are interested in the beauty of the underwater scenery. Four islands are members named by the four largest islands, namely Pulau Waigeo, Misool Island, Salawati Island, and Island Batanta.

The origin of the name of Raja Ampat by local myth comes from a woman who found seven eggs. Four grains of which hatch into four princes who separated and each became a powerful king in Waigeo, Salawati, Misool East and Misool West. Meanwhile, three other eggs became a ghost, a woman, and a stone.

In the course of history, the Raja Ampat Islands have long been inhabited by fishing communities and apply the customary system of Maluku. In this system, the community is a member of a village community. Each village is headed by a king. Since the founding of two Muslim sultanate in the Moluccas, Raja Ampat to be part of the Sultanate Tidore claims. After the defeat of the Dutch Empire Tidore, Raja Ampat Islands became part of the Dutch East Indies claim.

The archipelago is a place that has the potential to serve as a tourist attraction, especially diving tourism. Raja Ampat Islands waters according to various sources, is one of the 10 best waters for diving sites around the world. In fact, it may also be recognized as number one for the completeness of underwater flora and fauna at this time.

Visiting these islands is not too difficult although it takes time and considerable expense. We can use the airline flight from Jakarta to Sorong via Manado for 6 hours of flight. From Sorong-town big enough and quite complete facilities for exploring the Raja Ampat, there are two choices, go on tour with the boat or stay in the resort pinisi Papua Diving. Although most tourists who come to the Raja Ampat Islands are the diver's current, actual location is attractive also for non-divers as well as tourists have white sandy beaches are very beautiful, the group of karst islands nan fascinating and unique endemic flora and fauna like paradise red, bird of paradise Wilson, maleo Waigeo, various parrots and parrot, possum Waigeo, as well as various types of orchids.

To preserve the underwater Raja Ampat Islands, conservation efforts are needed in this area. There are two international institutions that concern about the sustainability of natural resources Raja Ampat, ie CI (Conservation International) and TNC (The Nature Conservancy). The government itself has set the seas around South Waigeo, which includes the small islands such as Gam, Mansuar, groups and group Yeben Batang Pele, has been endorsed as a Marine Wildlife Reserve. According to Minister of Forestry Decree No. 81/KptsII/1993, this area reached 60,000 hectares.

In addition, several other marine areas has been proposed to be a conservation area. Each is a Marine Wildlife Reserve South Misool Island, Sea Island Kofiau, sea island of Asia, the sea and the sea Darling Island Ayau Island.

curious? Do not forget to visit and you can enjoy the beauty of the exotic island!!