Raja Ampat is one of the names of the region in Southwest Papua Province, Indonesia which is famous for its natural beauty. Therefore, it is not surprising that many tourists come to visit Raja Ampat.

In 2015, Raja Ampat received an award as The Best Destination in the Adventure category from the Finnish magazine “Mondo Travel Magazine”. Apart from that, there are still several interesting and unique things about Raja Ampat that perhaps not many people know.

1. The origin of the name from legend

Raja Ampat means Four Kings. There is an interesting legend behind it which tells of the existence of four kings in this area. It is said that there was a husband and wife who found six dragon eggs. Five of the six dragon eggs hatched five humans, four males and one female.

The woman was killed by the four men who later became kings of the Raja Ampat islands. This name is represented in the names of the largest islands in this area, namely Salawati, Batanta, Waigeo and Misool.

2. Found the diving spot accidentally

In the early 90s, a Dutch diver named Max Ammer visited this area. Initially he only wanted to trace the whereabouts of World War II ships and planes that were suspected of having sunk in the Raja Ampat area. While diving, Max Ammer was very impressed by the beauty and diversity of marine life in Raja Ampat.

But at Cross Wreck, one of the popular diving spots in Raja Ampat, the remains of a Japanese Navy warship that sank during World War II were found. Divers can explore the ship and meet various fish that live in the wreck, from lion fish, mantis shrimp, leaf fish and devil fish.

3. The most complete coral reef in the world

In the eyes of the world, Raja Ampat is famous for the beauty of its sea. Around 75 percent of coral reef species in the world are collected and live well in this place. It is said that there are 1,000 types of coral reefs that fill this area.

The Raja Ampat sea and land area has an area of ​​4.6 million hectares and is home to 540 types of coral, 1,511 species of fish and thousands of other marine biota. It’s not surprising that with numbers like that, Raja Ampat is called paradise.

4. One of the Most beautiful birds in the world

Raja Ampat is also known for its biodiversity. A number of unique and rare flora and fauna also enliven the natural atmosphere both in water and on land. On land, animals such as birds of paradise, parrots, cockatoos, maleo, cuscus and others live as part of the ecosystem. Want to see the bird of paradise which is called the most beautiful bird in the world? Just come to Sawinggrai Village, one of the villages in Raja Ampat.

5. Prehistoric Palm

on Sunmalele Atsa Island, Misool, in the southern part of Raja Ampat, there are paintings of prehistoric palms. These paintings can be seen in the karst cliff niche or what is usually called the Palm Cave. There are many paintings of palms on the walls of karst cliffs that resemble the top of caves. The painting has existed since prehistoric times and was made by ancient humans.