Indonesia: Crewing In Raja Ampat

I never thought I'd visit a place like Raja Ampat. The sparsely populated archipelago in Indonesia's far-flung West Papua province is an alluring last frontier of sorts. With untouched jungle-covered islands, aquamarine waters, and unparalleled marine biodiversity, it's considered one of the world's few conservation success stories. For me though, it existed solely in the glossy pages of National Geographic and HD wildlife documentaries. I hadn't even dared dream of going until my sabbatical opened up so many possibilities that I decided to look into it just for the heck of it.

To my dismay and as expected, research seemed to confirm that a trip was firmly outside of my sabbatical budget. Given its remoteness and lack of infrastructure, the islands are only really accessible to locals, and a handful wealthy dive enthusiasts willing to spend thousands for a week on a dive boat or remote homestay, ergo not me. So I filed it away as a place I'd maybe get to one day when I'm old and rich. But sometimes you just get lucky, and this was one of those times.  

So how'd we get so lucky? Well... way back in October while I was going through culture shock in India, Thore, who was set on including as many different modes of travel in our trip as possible, began searching for possibilities for us to sail. We landed on a few websites that match perspective crew with boat owners looking for company, income, and help on board. It seemed like the perfect idea. We'd sailed for a week in Greece before and loved it, but the cost came to nearly €1,000 per person. If we crewed on a boat though, we'd pay a fraction of the price, or potentially get paid, depending on the boat and work. 

Chasing Eden, the boat that took us to paradise.

The reality of finding a boat to crew on was a little more challenging though. For one thing, neither of us had any sailing skills, so we weren't the most attractive candidates, and the pickings were also slim. About 80% of postings were sketchy older men looking for young women who were open to romance and/or nudity. 

After paying €10 to join the premium version of a site though, we found a few boats that sounded like a good fit. Before we knew it, November had rolled around, and we were at our hotel in Pokhara, Nepal, nervously hopping on Skype to interview for a spot on a 33-foot catamaran owned by an Australian couple in their 30s, with a beautiful Instagram of adventures (honestly, check this out!). They were looking for crew to join them in Indonesia for a few weeks at the end of February. 

It sounded too good to be true. We were sure interest was high and were trying not to get our hopes up when Hayley and Kyle invited us to join them aboard their floating home, aptly named Chasing Eden. We were ecstatic! Where exactly should we meet them, we asked? Well, Raja Ampat, they casually stated. I recall shooting Thore a looked of thrilled disbelief and trying to keep my jaw off the floor.

The town of Sorong from the air.

But with the date to board still months ahead, I tried my damndest not to count chickens before they hatched. After all, as I've learned on this trip, plans can and do change. They could run into boat issues, and any of us might have a family emergency, health issues might crop up, things happen.  

Slowly but surely the weeks passed though, and everything was still on track. The morning we flew into the municipal airport of Sorong, I was beside myself with excitement. After months of planning, it was really happening! The next few weeks on board absolutely exceeded anything I imagined, and I'm so thankful for the amazing adventure and excited to share it! 

Below you'll find:

• Our rough itinerary;
• The adventure itself; and
• A cost recap.

Itinerary

We flew to Sorong from Davao in the Philippines, which took two days and included a night in Manado. At the Sorong marine, we met Hayle and Kyle, then set out to explore Raja Ampat for 17 days. The remote archipelago is situated right on the equator, and closer to Papua New Guinea than the more touristic Bali (over 1,000 miles away), and certainly feels that way as well.  

A very rough sailing route, as I'm not entirely sure where we were half the time. 

Adventures in Raja Ampat

Settling In & Provisioning

The Sorong marina was overcast on arrival.

After staying in a barely passable "hotel" in Manado and catching a 6 am flight, we landed in Sorong sleep deprived, but running on eager anticipation. By around 11 am, we'd made it to the marina by taxi after only a few wrong turns, despite our driver speaking about as much English as we did Indonesian and thanks almost entirely to gesturing and Google maps. Waiting at the pick-up point, I suddenly felt acutely aware of the fact that we'd be spending the next two plus weeks in a confined space with a couple we'd never actually met. Thankfully, I didn't have long to dwell on those kind of thoughts.

A delicious way to stay hydrated in the heat! 

Not 20 minutes later, a small inflatable motor boat with an incredibly tan couple inside pulled up to the docks. Before I knew it, we were chatting away with our hosts, Kyle and Hayley (henceforth K&H) about past adventures and asking questions about boat life, as we headed back to their catamaran. There, we were thoughtfully greeted by some celebratory fresh coconuts, a godsend as I'd already sweat out every once of water I drank that day (humidity at the equator is intense).

Where we stored food and prepped meals. 

I was immediately impressed by how functional and stylish their compact home was. Walking in, you found yourself in a cozy living room, with a wrap around couch and small table anchored to the floor (see below). Steps to the left and right of the room bought you down into the catamaran's two hulls, where you found a delightful little kitchen with a three-burner gas stove, a bathroom, and two bedrooms (one on each side). Everything was bright and tastefully decorated in a minimalistic yet beachy Scandi-meets-Bali style, and leafy green plants brought life to just about every room. 

Lounging in the living room.

Adapting to the smaller space did take time though. I think Thore and I hit our heads going down the steps to the kitchen at least a half dozen times the first day, but I felt at home right away. In fact, I would've happily stayed put then and there after our travel day, but we had a few tasks to accomplish in Sorong, so we all hopped back into the little motor boat called a tender and made for land. 

Hayley buying some jackfruit.

While K&H had done some provisioning before we arrived, we still needed to do another supply run before setting sail. After they invited us to a quick lunch, we headed to the markets. A vast muddy tented area filled with stalls all selling similar products. Our troop of four white people stood out, attracting a fair amount of attention in these parts. Vendors laughed at us left and right, some tried to make deals and jokes, and others just openly stared and took pictures, but we got what we came for, and the produce looked delicious and fresh, despite roaches and rats occasionally scurrying across on the floor. 

K&H making some purchases. Given the culture, it was best for women to go out covered up.

A thrilled Thore on day one. 

We also stopped off at one of the few stores selling alcohol to stock up on beer for the next two weeks, before carrying everything back to the boat. Then the boys filled up the fuel tanks, as we planned to be away from civilization for at least a week. Once everyone was back, we motored the boat over to a quieter nearby cove and cracked open a beer to celebrate the beginning of our adventure with new friends. 

Setting Sail & Acclimating To Boat Life

By the time I rolled out of bed on day one, K&H, who were used to living by nature's clock, had already been up for hours and gotten us moving to our first location, which was a 10-hour sail away. A little groggy and disoriented after having trouble falling asleep on the rocking ocean the night before, I crawled above deck to find a bobbing horizon and overcast skies.

An overcast Christmas Bay.

Thankfully, Thore and I both passed our first sea sickness test, and the ocean calmed down a few hours later. The morning wind had also sped up the journey, and we arrived at a beautiful place called Christmas Bay by afternoon. The plan was to stay a few days, and celebrate Kyle's birthday with a few other boats. 

We set out buckets to collect rain water.

In the first few days, we divided up chores, which consisted of cooking and cleaning, and learned a few things about resource management. When you're on a boat in the middle of nowhere, turns out clean water and electricity are very precious. Although Chasing Eden had solar panels and a desalination machine, when the skies were cloudy we relied on a generator, which ran on the limited supply of fuel on board. We quickly learned that showers had to be short, dishes washed in about an inch of water, and electronics charged sparingly. Within a few days, we were waking up and going to bed with the sun, using electronics a lot less, and embracing a new salty life.

Breakfast often included fruit bowls.

Food was also a coveted commodity. You had to be mindful of using some ingredients sparingly and eating what was about to go off next, the food we had was fabulous. I was regularly blown away by the beautiful and delicious creations brought out of the kitchen by Hayley, who used to run a cafe/ice cream shop with her sister and had a keen eye for food presentation. We'd often get colorful bowls of tropical fruit topped with shaved coconut for breakfast alongside a slice of banana bread or sourdough baked on the stove in a brilliant contraption called an omnia. Hayley and I even managed to bake some killer brownies for Kyle's birthday drinks, which we had on an old abandoned pier.

Birthday drinks at sunset.

The birthday brownies were a huge hit! 

Sunscreen was applied often.

While our first days were overcast, that didn't stop us from having fun, and soon enough the sun decided to join us too. We quickly learned sun protection was critical, and fell into a routine of morning workouts, midmorning and afternoon snorkeling, and evenings of socializing with the other yachties over drinks and dinner. 

Working out on the beach or docks was always a great start to the day.

Headed out for a misty morning snorkel.

Growing greens on Chasing Eden.

I was honestly shocked at how social living on a boat was. I figured it was something people did to get away from it all, but there was an amazing sense of community on the water. We met incredibly kind, interesting, and industrious people. A few boats grew greens with hydroponics, and there was sharing of sourdough starters, kombucha scoby, kefir grains, and homemade sunscreen. Hearing everyone's unique stories made for some inspiring evening chats, but eventually we had to sail on, because K&H had put together an entire itinerary of amazing spots for us.

A dreamy BBQ on the beach at sunset.

The perks of boat life.

A short morning hike lead us to this stunning viewpoint!

Sailing On & Soaking Up Paradise

One of our favorite stops was this little channel.

Each time we pulled up to a new anchorage, Thore and I were gobsmacked at the splendor above and below the water. Each place seemed to top the last. The colors, the water clarity, the biodiversity--you couldn't help but squeal with excitement. It was out of this world beautiful! We'd stay a few days, explore as much as we could, and then set sail again.

This anchorage was unmatched in terms of views, but less protected from winds.

Sunsets on the water were so dreamy. 

Everywhere we went though, the quantity and variety of fish and coral were astounding. Sticking your head under the water was like being dropped onto a crowded New York City street. Coral skyscrapers and office buildings stretched as far as the eye could see. Small cobalt fish floated around in tight schools like teenagers hanging at the mall, pairs of plump black and yellow fish moseyed along like older couples taking a leisurely stroll, a grumpy old man toadfish lurked in a dark alley, and flashy red and purple coral trout flitted around like Prada-wearing business women on their lunch break. Peeking into their world was so entertaining and special. I managed to snag a few frames of the underwater world from K&H's GoPro. 

There was huge variety in the types and size fish.

The true color of coral was impossible to capture without proper equipment. It was bright!

A bit blurry, but hopefully this gives you an idea of just how busy it is down there.

One day I put on a mermaid fin and pretended to be part of the underwater kingdom too.

 A picture of Mr. Shark from the docks. 

Half the time, you didn't even need to stick your head in the water to get a show though. You just had to looked down and the world's largest aquarium was at your feet. One morning in particular, we watched a whole family of sharks swim around the docks during our workout. 

My first time seeing a shark was while in the water though, and definitely a little frightening! I saw those distinctive fins flash past, and immediately looked to K&H to see if they were swimming to the boat, but everyone was calm and delighted to see the little guy. Apparently the type of sharks commonly seen here weren't a threat, and more scared of me than I was of them. Despite knowing this, my heart rate still spiked every time I saw one dart by. 

We got to swim with this beautiful giant!

We got to see so many magnificent creatures during the trip though. I swam just feet away from mantas twice as wide as my arm-span, routinely floated along reefs with sea turtles, passed a huge sting ray, spotted whales and squid from the boat, and followed a huge pack of jumping dolphins with the tender. 

When we weren't checking out sea-life, we were almost certainly preparing or eating food, be it in the kitchen or on the beach. 

Hayley whipping up an undoubtedly tasty lunch.

A dragon fruit smoothie for breakfast.

Kyle prepping a fish for the fire later.

A buddha bowl with incredibly fresh fish.

Believe we perfected beach BBQs at the end.

No man hungry with this many fish on the fire. 

Exploring Inhabited Places

The smallest inhabited island of all.

For the majority of the trip, we found ourselves in the middle of nowhere, just enjoying sea-life and our own company. At most, a local fishing boat would pass by, or one of the fancy dive ships would stop for a few hours. But we also dropped anchor at a few inhabited places. Getting to see how people live in these remote areas was such a highlight as well. 

These remote islands rely heavily on fishing for their livelihood.

One of the fishing boats locals use. 

A girl fishing with string and a bottle.

An island church.

Roofs to match the sky.

Ladies had strung up shells to make beautiful decorations.

Kyle and Thore trying out a tiny fishing boat.

I loved the cheerful colors they painted homes.

The food market in Wasisai.

The biggest town we stopped at was Waisai, which has a population of about 8,000. There, we refueled, picked up more fresh produce, got laundry done, and gave ourselves a break from cooking by going to local restaurants. One was excellent, and apparently a favorite of the Indonesian Prime Minister. On our last night, we treated ourselves to dinner at the one fancy dive resort in town. The luxury there was a stark contrast to the rest of the town.

There was an abundance of beautiful produce to pick from in Waisai.

Thore piling his plate high. 

This disappeared quickly. 

The expensive resort in Waisai.

An old pier turned playground for local kids.

When it was finally time to sail back to Sorong two and half weeks later, Thore and I were a few shades darker and beaming with appreciation for getting to see this stunning part of the world in such a magical way. A huge thanks to K&H for letting us be part of your world for a while and showing us such fantastic places. It was a total dream come true! 

Spending Breakdown

I feel incredibly lucky to have found such a budget friendly way to see Raja Ampat. The total cost for the 18-day adventure came to less than €900. 

This was largely thanks to finding a boat to crew on. We paid $35 per day per person to be on the boat, including food. If you are up for an adventure, I can strongly recommend checking out the crew website we used to. Back in October, we paid about €10 to join a premium version of Crewbay, and it is an expense that absolutely paid off!  You create a profile, list skills, add a picture, indicate where and when you'd be interested in sailing, and then you can message people who have created postings and they can message you.