If Bali had kuta beach, North Sumatra had Lake Toba, NTB had Lombok Island, and Papua had Raja Ampat, which offers the charm of the beauty of nature with the marvels. Raja Ampat is famous for its underwater biota diverse with thousands of species of fish and beautiful coral reefs in the world.
Raja Ampat Islands is a series of four adjacent group of islands located in the western part of the Bird's Head of Papua Island. Administratively, it is under the cluster of Raja Ampat, West Papua Province. The islands are now a destination for divers who are interested in the beauty of the underwater scenery. The four islands that belong to the four named after it's largest island, which Waigeo Island, Misool Island, Salawati Island, and Batanta Island.
The origin of the name of Raja Ampat by local myth comes from a woman who found seven eggs. Four grains of which hatch into four princes who separated and each became king in Waigeo, Salawati, East Misool and West Misool. Meanwhile, three other eggs became a ghost, a woman, and a stone. In the course of history, the nobility inhabit Raja Ampat and implement a custom system Maluku. A king led each village. Since its establishment five Muslim sultanate in the Maluku, Raja Ampat becomes part of the Sultanate of Tidore. After Dutch defeat the Sultanate of Tidore, Raja Ampat Islands became part of the Dutch East Indies.
In addition to pamper divers, Raja Ampat is also a paradise for those who love photography. There are at least three locations frequented by tourists to get a view of the coral islands of Raja Ampat. The three sites are located Wayag in West Waigeo, Kabui and Penemu Island. To get the scenery, travelers should at least be trekking to the top of the hill on the Penemu island approximately 1.5 hours.
