Indonesia: Raja Ampat + Bali - March 2012
Dear English-speaking readers, this page is an automatic translation of an article originally written in French. I apologise for any strange sentences and funny mistakes that may have resulted. If you read French, click on the French flag below to access the original, correct text:
Français
"And where are you going this time?" To put it simply, I answer: "In Indonesia." In fact, I'm going to the far end of Indonesia: West Papua! I'm going to dive in the archipelago with the beautiful name of Raja Ampat, "the four kings".
Raja Ampat
Raja Ampat is one of the most famous diving spots in Southeast Asia. I have been dreaming about it for a long time... And the dream is about to come true. That's right! I'm going to make bubbles in the Papuans !!!
????
The Wikipedia page about Raja Ampat will enlighten you a little, on this destination at the end of the world... As for those of you who followed the 2011 season of the reality TV game show Koh Lanta on TF1they already have an idea of the fabulous landscapes that I will soon discover.
A little sample to dream about? Follow this link Google Images.
In transit to Makassar
Well, I'm not quite there yet. Papua is at the very end of the Indonesian archipelago, towards the east, on the island of New Guinea. We are already in Oceania, or almost! On the other side of the border, which divides the island in two, it is Papua New Guinea (I spare you for the moment the history of the conflict between Papuans and Indonesians).
In short, the Indonesians of Bali and Sulawesi open their eyes when I tell them that I am going to Papua. "Papua?" Even for them, it is very far...
Yes, I am already in Indonesia! I'm writing this post from Makassar (also called Ujung Pandang), capital of the island of Sulawesi (Sulawesi Island). I am in transit, halfway to my goal...
Makassar is rather ugly, I already passed there several times, in particular to go to the Toraja country, during previous trips, in 2007 and in 2010. Not much interest to hang out in this city. Moreover, in this season, it is terribly humid. Tonight, the sky is low, heavy with clouds full of warm rain. I like as much, for the few hours that I have to spend here, to take advantage of the comfort of my hotel room, of the air conditioning, of the internet... (Not a backpacker for two pennies, today!)
I came from France by Bali, taking advantage of Ultimate Air Asia X flights. I left Bali this morning and I spend only one night in Makassar, very short, between two planes. Soon, at dawn, I fly to Sorong, capital of West Papua!
Ten days away from everything ...
Once in Sorong, I will embark on a cruise boat for divers. We will sail from island to island, in Raja Ampat. Then, I will prolong the stay in a resort, on an island of the archipelago.
In short, ten days away from everything. I'll have to disconnect ... Hard.
😂
I'm keeping the suspense a bit long, I won't tell you more. But I'll come back to tell you all about it later, with pictures, on land and underwater, as soon as I'll be able to connect to the internet again...
Sampai jumpah lagi!
😎
ADD. If you are looking for practical information about Raja Ampat, visit the link below, I have compiled a lot of information:
→ Raja Ampat : Practical Information And Tips To Organize Your Trip
You can now find all the articles I published on this trip by clicking on the image below:
