Name : Julian Katherine

Class/No: 9B/15

Raja Ampat Raja Ampat or ' Four Kings ' is the name given to these beautiful islands . A name that comes from a local myth . The four main islands in question it is Waigeo , Salawati , Batanta , Misool which is the producer of ancient rock paintings . Raja Ampat is located off the northwest tip of Bird's Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea, in Indonesia's West Papua province, Raja Ampat, or the Four Kings, is an archipelago comprising over 1,500 small islands, cays, and shoals surrounding the four main islands of Misool, Salawati, Batanta, and Waigeo, and the smaller island of Kofiau. Raja Ampat archipelago is the part of Coral Triangle which contains the richest marine biodiversity on earth.

Raja Ampat Regency is a new regency which separated from Sorong Regency in 2004. It encompasses more than 40,000 km² of land and sea, which also contains Cenderawasih Bay, the largest marine national park in Indonesia. It is a part of the newly named West Papua province of Indonesia which was formerly Irian Jaya. Some of the islands are the most northern pieces of land in the Australian continent.

History

The name of Raja Ampat comes from local mythology that tells about a woman who finds seven eggs. Four of the seven eggs hatch and become kings that occupy four of Raja Ampat biggest islands whilst the other three become a ghost, a woman, and a stone.

Population

The main occupation for people around this area is fishing since the area is dominated by the sea. They live in a small colony of tribes that spreads around the area. Although traditional culture still strongly exists, they are very welcoming to visitors. Raja Ampat people are more like Ambonese than Papuan people and now some of them are Muslim and some of them are Christian

History shows that Raja Ampat was once a part of Sultanate of Tidore, an influential kingdom from Maluku. Yet, after the Dutch invaded Maluku, it was shortly claimed by the Netherlands.

Culture

Language: English is not widely spoken, but you should always be able to find someone with enough to communicate. Bahasa Indonesia is of course widely understood, but most people use their “mother tongue” (one of the many Papuan languages) in day to day conversation.

Dress: This is important. We’ve been asked by local people to make sure visitors understand the issue: Be aware of how your hosts and local village people dress and adopt a similar attire if you want to be sure not to give offence. Just because nobody seems to mind seeing a lot of your skin doesn’t mean it’s so

Sundays: Boat trips, tours and other activities dependent on service from your hosts are not available on Sundays. We’ve also been asked to do our best to make you aware that Sundays are a day of rest and religious observance for the Christian folk of Raja Ampat. Please resist the temptation to pressure your hosts into taking you anywhere on Sundays – there’s plenty of swimming, snorkelling and exploring to be had around your accommodation. Meals will be served as usual, but apart from that and departures to Waisai for the ferry, your hosts will be spending the day with their family and community.

Places of worship: Never enter a church or mosque without seeking permission first and always ensure you are appropriately dressed before doing so. It’s best to only visit places of worship in the company of a local villager after consulting them as to whether your dress is suitable.

Food: The staple carbohydrate in Raja Ampat has traditionally been sago, which is prepared in a variety of ways from the pith of the sago palm. The potato-like root of the cassava plant and rice are also widely eaten. Raja Ampat diet with chicken, tempe and tofu also featuring.

Service & Facilities: Raja Ampat is an adventure. It doesn’t provide the level of facilities and service found in more developed holiday destinations.