Uncharted ocean beauty, secluded eco-lodges, and barefoot luxury await the world’s most sophisticated travellers in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat.
For a luxury untainted by time, Raja Ampat is where luxury and nature unite. Located in Indonesia’s West Papua province, the remote archipelago—comprising over 1,500 islands and cays—is one of the planet’s most biodiverse marine ecosystems. Along with the oceanic bounty, Raja Ampat offers barefoot luxury in its truest and spiritual form.
Half the journey is getting there. Others come in on a chartered flight to Sorong and speedboat over to one of the world’s best-kept secrets eco-resorts. The most luxurious is Misool Eco Resort, built out of heavy reclaimed tropical timbers and operated with a sincere commitment to being eco-friendly. Situated in a private marine park, overwater villas and beachside suites are ideal for those who want off-the-grid luxury with no sacrifice in seclusion or convenience.
For über-high-end travellers, the new development by Papua Paradise Eco Resort and Bawah Reserve into Raja Ampat offer infinity-pool, butler-service, and wellness-retreat luxury holidays with Papuan flair. The retreats are cantered around immersion—picture sunrise diving with mantas, yacht tours of secret lagoons in your own private vessel, and candlelit beach picnics off a chef.
Raja Ampat is especially so for divers and snorkelling enthusiasts. It has a visibility of 30 meters, so the visitors get to see coral gardens in their full colour, pygmy seahorses, whale sharks, and over 1,500 species of fish—all within walking distance of their villa. Personal diving guides are offered for individual marine excursions, so it is a bucket-list resort for luxury underwater adventurers.
Beneath its waters, Raja Ampat is equally enchanting above the waves as well. Picture dawn hikes to the karst walls of Piaynemo, with “wow” vistas out over cobalt lagoons, or paddling the ancient mangrove forests accompanied by local guides. Each trip is uniquely tailored to suit the guests’ interest, so each trip is private and special.
Dinners in these upscale lodges are romantic and awe-inspiring. Locally-grown, organically-produced food is the norm, with candlelit seafood dinners of grilled right out of the ocean, exotic fruits and vegetables, and Indonesian specialties on private decks. Spa treatments like oceanfront coconut oil massages and sunrise yoga on floating piers add to even more richness in rejuvenation.
Raja Ampat’s evasiveness of isolation is not for every tourist—but for tourists starved of isolation, eco-consciousness, and soul-deep beauty, it has no rival. Here, luxury is unobtrusive—it’s considerate, intimate, and as unencumbered as the ocean.
