Preparations Prior to Snorkeling Trip to Raja Ampat

Snorkeling Site in Raja Ampat

If you plan to take a trip to Raja Ampat for snorkeling holiday, you need to make several preparations.

Snorkeling Gear

You need a good snorkeling mask, a snorkel (a pipe that connects his or her mouth with air when your face is in the water), a pair of swim fins. Although most resorts and homestays in Raja Ampat have got such snorkeling equipment, they may not fit on face and feet. Sometimes they are not in good condition either. I highly recommend that you bring your own snorkeling equipment. Lifejacket usually can be borrowed from the beach resort where you stay in.

Coral Reef in Warduwer beach of Raja Ampat

Underwater Camera
Bringing a small underwater camera will greatly enhance your experience. Nowadays, waterproof cameras that can take bright and sharp pictures and videos are more affordable. Sealife DC2000, Nikon W300, Fujifilm XP-140, and Olympus Tough TG-5 are popular products among snorkelers. Action cameras such as GoPro Hero 7 or Sony RX0 II are also a good choice. Bringing extra battery will increase your chance of taking more pictures both underwater and on land.

First Aid Kit

This is also important. Accidents may occur anytime while you walk at the beach, climb a ladder of a boat or swim among sharp corals. Antiseptic oinment, medical cotton, bandage and plaster should be included into your medical first aid purse. Because Raja Ampat is in tropical region, anti insect lotion/ spray is also needed.

Clothing
You need some swim suits. You also need clothing that are suitable for tropical climate such as t-shirts, shorts or jeans, flip-flops and sport shoes when you take a walk, or go hiking and wildlife watching.

Snorkeling Sites
There are a lot of snorkeling sites in Raja Ampat. You need to hire a guide to take you by boat to places whose coral reefs are in pristine condition and are abundant with marine life. The southern coast of Waigeo island, Friwen and Mioskon, Five Rocks, Yenbuba Strait, Sawondarek, West Mansuar, Waim and Mamiaef islands are some of the coral reef sites in eastern region of Waigeo. Warduwer beach, the location of Raflow Resort is the snorkeling site that I like to visit. There are still a lot of snorkeling sites that I don't mention. You could read about them in my previous posts.

Flights to Raja Ampat
You need to take an international flight from your country to Jakarta (the capital of Indonesia). After that, you can take a domestic flight to Sorong city. Airlines such as Garuda, Sriwijaya, and Batik provide regular flights between major cities in Indonesia and Sorong city. When you have arrived at the Airport of Sorong City, I could meet you at there and organize your snorkeling trip to Raja Ampat.

Booking
Please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.