Expedition to New Guinea's Raja Ampat Islands - Coral & Birds of Paradise

13 nights £2400 per person

email info@thelasttuesdaysociety.org for more details

Highlights include Red & Wilson’s Bird of Paradise. Waterfall Walks, Cetaceans, Village Feasts, The World’s Best Snorkelling, Manta Rays

The name of Raja Ampat (Raja means king, and empat means four) comes from local mythology that tells of a woman who finds seven eggs. Four of the seven hatch and become kings who occupy four of Raja Ampat’s biggest islands whilst the other three become a ghost, a woman, and a stone.

Raja Ampat is often described as The Last Paradise, and whilst I do not know for certain if it is the most beautiful place on earth I have never been anywhere more beautiful – it is at the very heart of the Coral triangle – the global centre of marine bio-diversity with over 600 species of hard coral (75% of global total – compared to 70 or so in the Caribbean ) over 1700 fish , three different types of turtle, dugongs, whales, dolphins, orcas, 699 moluscs, wobbegong sharks, 250 different types of bird, orchids, carnivorous plants, rock paintings ….

This trip will be a twelve day meander around the islands, our powerful boat will take us to less frequented spots, staying both on the boat and home stays, every day we will wander, trek in the jungle, go birdwatching, snorkel, scuba dive, search for whales, manta rays and turtles meet the locals and join a village celebration where a whole pig is cooked underground with hot stones – a mumu, go fishing (or pig hunting for the brave), explore the mangrove forests, the extraordinary bays and inlets, the myriad islands & remote villages, spot cuscus, bats, forest dragons, monitor lizards & Eclectus parrots, swim in waterfalls or just relax on the world’s most beautiful beaches

– Including all food and non alcoholic drinks. Please note the food will be fresh, simple and hopefully delicious – but we are a long, long way from anywhere so there will be a lot of fish and a lot of rice (please yell if you are vegetarian) – personally, I am very keen on lobster and have never been able to eat too much of it
– Accommodation – depending on the group size this will be on the boat and in local homestays, often built spectacularly on the water over the coral reefs
– Scuba diving approx. £40 per dive. Opportunity to stay on for a few days diving or at your favourite homestay – we can arrange this at cost when we are there –

Getting There

Currently return flights from the Uk to Sorong are around £800 with Qatar airlines, there is then a 9am and 2pm ferry (approx. 2 hours) to Waigeo so no need to overnight in Sorong – you can also fly to Sorong from Bali if you wish to break your journey there.

Reading – The Malay Archipelago – Wallace