The red bird of paradise on Waigeo
An early forest walk on Waigeo, one of only two places on Earth where the red bird of paradise can be seen.
Raja Ampat by Private Yacht
Nine nights among the reefs and karst islands of Raja Ampat, from Sorong and back.
- Nine nights
- Four stays
- Indonesia
- Private yacht, reefs, island walks
A private charter of a 60-metre explorer yacht for nine nights off the western tip of New Guinea, in the December to February season. Waigeo is one of only two places on Earth to see the red bird of paradise, the manta cleaning stations of Arborek lie off a Papuan village, and in Aljui Bay a pearl farm shows how pearls are grown, with the lagoons of Wayag and the limestone islands of Misool still to come.
- Length
- Nine nights
- Pace
- Four stays
- Style
- Private yacht, reefs, island walks
- Route
- Dampier Strait to Waigeo and Wayag to Kabui Bay and Aljui Bay to Misool
- Best time
- Oct to Apr for Raja Ampat (set departures)
- Dampier StraitTwo nights
- Waigeo and WayagTwo nights
- Kabui Bay and Aljui BayTwo nights
- MisoolThree nights
01
Days 1 to 3 · two nights
Dampier Strait
Met at Sorong airport and on board by lunchtime. Snorkelling at Cape Kri, where reef fish gather in great numbers, then the manta ray cleaning stations around Arborek, an island home to a Papuan community, with kayaks and paddleboards off the village. Guided snorkels and dives go out from the yacht twice a day.
Where you stay
Aqua Blu
Aqua Blu is a 60-metre explorer yacht with a naval past as HMS Beagle, refitted in 2019 under the Dutch yacht designer Cor D. Rover. Chartered privately, she carries up to 30 guests in 15 individually designed cabins, with a crew of 30.
02
Days 3 to 5 · two nights
Waigeo and Wayag
An early walk on Waigeo, one of only two places on Earth where the red bird of paradise can be seen. Then a swim down the clear blue water of the Kali Biru river. North to Wayag, for its karst islets and calm turquoise lagoons.
Where you stay
Aqua Blu
Aqua Blu sails Raja Ampat from December to February, with guided snorkelling, diving, hiking, kayaking and paddleboarding twice a day from the yacht. For a family, two pairs of interconnecting cabins open into one shared living space.
03
Days 5 to 7 · two nights
Kabui Bay and Aljui Bay
Caves and villages in Kabui Bay, and a snorkel through The Passage, where archerfish hunt just below the surface. In the mangroves of Aljui Bay, a visit to the pearl farm to learn the delicate work of cultivating a pearl.
Where you stay
Aqua Blu
The menus are devised by the chef Benjamin Cross and draw on the spices of Indonesia's old trade route, alongside Indonesian, European and Mediterranean cooking. Between excursions there is an outdoor jacuzzi, an indoor spa, a library and TV room and the Sky Lounge Bar.
04
Days 7 to 10 · three nights
Misool
South to the limestone islands of Misool, with a swim in a lake of stingless jellyfish, reef dives and a watch for pygmy seahorses. Six of the world's seven species of marine turtle live in these waters, so every swim is worth a careful look. Then the sail back to Sorong.
Where you stay
Aqua Blu
Her naval build and Quantum Zero Speed stabilisers keep her steady at anchor and under way among the islands. On the last morning she comes in to Star Marina at Sorong, a short transfer from the airport for the flight to Jakarta.
Arranged on request
Arborek and its mantas
The manta ray reef off Arborek, an island home to a Papuan community, visited by kayak, paddleboard and snorkel.
The pearl farm at Aljui Bay
A visit to the pearl farm in the mangroves of Aljui Bay, to learn the delicate process of cultivating pearls.
The Kali Biru
A swim down the Kali Biru, the clear blue river on Waigeo.
Subject to availability.
Ways to make it yours
- Begin in Ambon instead, through the Banda Islands and their nutmeg plantations, and sail on to Raja Ampat.
- Two more nights for diving in the Dampier Strait, at Cape Kri and the manta stations.
- A night in Jakarta on the way in or out.
This is a sample. The hotels, the pace and the order are where we start, not where we finish: every journey is designed around the people taking it.
Made around you
Most travel is bought. This is designed.
Before anything is booked, we talk: who is travelling, how you like to spend a morning, and the hotel preferences below the obvious, from the kind of bath you like to the time you wake and how much daylight you need in a room. You see options where options matter and clean recommendations where they don't.
The same person remains your point of contact from the first reply to the trip after next. No handovers. No team.
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