Voyage of discovery: My week sailing the remote islands of Raja Ampat

When you work in travel you are often offered the opportunity to “get away from it all”, “go off the beaten track”, “try something unique” or, a favourite one over recent years, “experience pared-back luxury”. Not everywhere delivers the reality of any of the above. However, my latest experience delivered all of them, and then some.

Firstly, it is a good sign when I have to look up where is even close to the destination – and the islands of Raja Ampat in Indonesia are seriously remote, so there isn’t much. The archipelago consists of hundreds of jungle-covered islands sitting to the north of Western Papua, basically, due north of Darwin, Australia.  Yes, it’s a schlep to get there: four hours on from Jakarta, which itself is over 18 hours from London. But it is worth it.

We join our ‘live aboard’ yacht in the port town of Sorong, it’s called Rebel, and is the second yacht in the Rascal Voyages collection.

There are not many tourist boats that operate in these waters, but Rebel is the most luxurious of them all. The five spacious cabins are all set above the waterline and are beautifully designed and proportioned. The moment you arrive, you feel the warm Indonesian hospitality of the 20 or so staff. This really is a (more luxurious) home away from home.

Our voyage was to be five nights exploring the Raja Ampat islands while learning about the marine conservation work Rascal Voyages supports via NGO, The Sea People.

Raja Ampat is considered to be one of the world’s most renowned areas for marine biodiversity and coral reefs and, as such, it is no surprise that it’s a bucket list destination for scuba divers. This presented a personal dilemma, as I had managed to persuade myself over the years that I didn’t need to learn to dive, I could see all I needed to see in the ocean with a snorkel and mask. That was all about to change.

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On day one, the Voyage Manager, Lisa – also a qualified marine biologist – tells the group the plan for the day, likely water conditions and what to look out for underwater; but it’s just a snorkel first up to get everyone comfortable with the water.

We are zipped away from Rebel in the smart tender and taken to the site where it is immediately obvious, once I put my mask under the turquoise water, that this place is unlike anything I have experienced before. This is what it looks like to be in one of the remotest oceans on earth. There are fish everywhere, and after an hour I had to practically be dragged out of the warm water, so transfixed was I by what lay beneath. It was there and then I decided I had to go further and finally advance to scuba diving.

– READ MORE: This is how to cruise to Earth’s most remote locations – 

As the week went on, we discovered yet more beautiful islands, beaches and jungles. Excursions, hikes, dives or snorkel trips are not mandatory. It is perfectly acceptable to stay on board and enjoy Rascal’s wonderful deck areas and relax with a book: this trip can be enjoyed in many ways.

However, I would suggest the night snorkel/dives and a trip to Shark Island as a must. I also particularly enjoyed the tender excursion up a remote river mouth to then drift back with tubes through deep, indigenous vegetation. Of course, at the end of your swim the Rascal team are there with towels and drinks, ready to whisk you back to a warm shower in your luxury cabin before cocktails.

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However, this particular trip wasn’t all about us and having fun. The voyage was in fact just the first in a series of planned marine conservation expeditions with The Sea People. This is a wonderful collaboration that shows how much Rascal Voyages cares for the environment it operates in.

By hosting the scientists onboard, it gives guests direct access to learn about the importance of the coral reefs, and we also had the opportunity to dive into the reef restoration projects and coral gardens that Lynn Lawrance and her small local team are creating.

This first-hand exposure to conservation is very powerful and will no doubt appeal to families who are able to participate in the restoration efforts and then follow the progress of their work online, after the trip.

During our voyage, we saw first-hand how The Sea People’s efforts are transforming lives. Cory, a local girl, has become a marine biologist and now leads coral replanting projects. Pete, once an illegal fisherman, is now the head coral gardener for The Sea People. Even Ronny, Rascal’s yacht captain, comes from a family of fishermen and now plays a key role in conservation efforts.

These stories are a testament to the power of slow, deliberate change and the impact of Rascal Voyages’ partnership with The Sea People.

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The voyage also offered moments of unparalleled luxury, starting with the remoteness and lack of other tourists, as surely space is the ultimate luxury these days. There are no resorts, barely any other yachts and we really only met one other group of tourists in the whole week. Just add to that a beach picnic on a deserted island, sunset cocktails and dinner under the stars, accompanied by local Indonesian songs, as well as the camaraderie of a crew that felt like family: a team led by Lisa and Yeray whose passion and expertise elevated every aspect of the journey.

This is indeed the epitome of pared-back, barefoot luxury, with all guest requirements catered for and considered.

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