BespokeExpeditions

This is a paradise shaped by the ocean, where perfect waves peel endlessly and dolphins often ride alongside surfers. Inland, dense rainforests shelter rare primates like the Mentawai langur, and villages keep centuries-old traditions alive. Remote yet welcoming, the islands feel both wild and deeply human.

But the magic happens once we leave the dragons behind. The other-worldly landscapes of the area are home to some of the best diving and surfing in Indonesia near Sumbawa, Sumba, and Flores. As we head to the outer regions, civilization disappears and the world is largely yours, and yours alone as you explore small shops along a pink sand beach, scuba dive alongside whale sharks in a quiet bay, surf private waves for an hour or a day, and take a night dive in a lake formed by a sunken volcano.

This is the mating ground for blue whales, a place where elusive hammerhead sharks are often spotted, and oceanic manta rays with their 16-20’ wingspans mesmerizingly hover overhead. On land, the area is rich in history. The spice trade began here, with Nutmeg becoming so valuable it was worth more than gold at one point, and resulted in The Banda Islands being traded for Manhattan. Nutmeg plantations with their centuries-old trees still operate today in this forgotten paradise, full of colorful buildings with their colonial architecture stepping down the side of the hills.

Raja Ampat is a remote paradise of over 1,500 islands, famed for hosting 75% of the world’s coral species and more than 1,300 types of reef fish — earning it the title “Amazon of the ocean.” In the south, white sand beaches, jungle-clad cliffs, and endless blue lagoons offer world-class diving where no two dives are the same. To the north, Pacific swells create perfect waves, yours to chase with just family and friends against a backdrop of jungle-covered mountains.