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Kayak in Raja Ampat

With

BeserBayiseasyandenjoyable,idealforafamilyorinexperiencedkayakers.Insidethebayaremanycovesandbaysthatofferprotectionfrombadweather,andatleasttwodayscanbespentkayakingandexploringaroundthisarea.Directlynexttothebay(fewminuteshikefromsomeguesthousesinSwingray)youcangoexplorefreshwatersinkholesorlovelymountainswithgoodbirdlife.Thecovesarelitteredwithallsortsofmarinelife,eventheoccasionalcroc,thuswedonotencourageswimminginsidethebay!

Beser Bay

Togettothisareawilltakesometimebuteverypaddleputintothewateriswellworththeeffort.Thereareplentyofbaysandcovestoexplorearoundthisarea–trulyfordiehardexplorers.NorthWawyaiisstillverymuchuntouchedbywesternsociety–beautifullimestonerockssoaroutfromthewater,crownedwithtropicalforest.Thereareveryfewsandybeachesbecauseofthesecliffsrisingupfromthewater’sedge,soyouwillspendalotoftimesittinginakayakandfindingcampsitesishardandlimited.Therearealsomanycavestoexplore,someofthesecaveswereusedasburialgroundsandtheremainscanstillbeseentoday.Inothercavesyoucanalsofindsomebatsspecies.Drinkingwatercanbecomeaconcernandyoushouldbewellpreparedwithwaterpurificationpumps,tabletsandlargewatercontainers.

Wawyai

ThisisnotthatfarawayfromourbaseonKriislandandcanbeexploredinoneday.Notonlyaretherelotsofmangrovevegetationbutalsodenseforestareastoexplorebyfoot.Thebirdlifeisincredibleinthisarea.Thereisnobetterwaytoviewthesebirdsthanfromakayaksilentlyglidingthroughthewater.Thecurrentinthisareaisdependentonthetide.Whenyougetthetimingrightthecurrentwillpushyouintothebay;youcanspendsometimeexploringandoncethetidegoesoutitwillbringyououtsafelyagain.Ontheoutsideareaofthismangrovebay(oceanside)youmayfindsomedugongsfeedingontheseagrassintheshallowwater,althoughveryrare.

Mangrove Bay

SouthofBeserBay,isanareathathasmanysandbanks.Thesesandbanksareformedfromcurrentsthataregeneratedbythetidalchange.Thecurrentbringsplentyoffishlifebutcanbecomedifficulttokayakinandcareshouldbetaken.MantaSandyispartofthesesandyareas-thisiswheremantaraysgathertofeedandgetcleaneddaily.Thisisakayakersdream–youmightgettoseeReefMantaRaysswimrightunderneathyourkayak!Thereisalsoaverynicevillage(Airborek)tovisitandovernightinalocalguesthouse.Villagersareveryfriendlyandwillgladlyassistwithwatersuppliesoraccommodation,andtheamazingsunsetstheyenjoyarebreathtakinglybeautiful.

Manta Sandy

ToexploretheKaliRajaisanexpeditiononitsown.Notadvisedfortheaveragekayaker.Youhavetobeconfidentnotonlyinyourselfbutalsointheequipmentyouareusing.Withthissaid,itistrulyastunningareatokayakinduetothefreshwaterflowingfromthisriver,withdenseforestgreeneryallaroundyou.Thebirdlifearoundhereisalsospectacular!Youwillbeabletokayakandthenhikeforashortstretchtoreachasmallwaterfall.Becauseofthefreshandcloudywater,crocodilescanbecomeaconcernandcareneedstobetakenwhenkayakingupthisriver.Alwaysstayinagroupandkeepyoureyesopen.

Kali Raja

Withcrystalclearwatercoveringbeautifulcoralreefsandhundredsoftinylimestoneislandsscatteredallaround,thisisakayaker’sdream.ThecurrentinsidethebayworksthesameaswithThePassage;itisalltiderelated.Whentheweatherisnotgood,thecliffsdoofferprotection,thusmakingitaccessibleatalltimes.Note:Thisareaisofflimitsforswimmingassomesaltwatercrocodilesareinthisarea,sotakecaution.

Hidden Bay (pef)

WhenyouthinkRajaAmpat,thepictureofFamwillcometomind.Itwilltakefourdaystogettherebykayakbutalltheeffortiswellworthit.TheislandofFamconsistsofseverallargelimestonecliffsrisinghundredsofmetersintheair.ItisverypossibletokayakaroundtheislandsofFaminoneday,buttoexploreallthecovesofFamcantakeweeks.Therearemanyplacestoexploreonland,suchasahikeupthelimestonecliffsforastunningpanoramicviewofthearea.Dotakeyourshoeswithyouastherocksareincrediblysharpanddangerous.Famisuninhabitedduetonofreshwatersupply,somakesureyouhaveenoughdrinkingwaterwhenheadingoutthere.

Fam Islands

The Passage

YoucannotclaimtohavevisitedRajaAmpatifyouhavenotseenThePassage.ThispassageisaseparationbetweenGamIslandandWaigeo,itisnomorethat20matthenarrowestand300mlong.Thecurrentofthepassageisaffectedbythetideoftheocean;waterissqueezedthroughthepassagefromthePacificOceanonarisingtidecreatingverystrongcurrents.Becauseofthesestrongcurrentsitattractsalotofinterestingfishlife.Thecorallifeisalsospectacular,injusttwometersofwater.Planningaheadisvitalduetothecurrents,andatidechartshouldbeusedforthistrip.