#Indonesia - Marinda airport in Raja Ampat set to become international airport.

The Transportation Ministry has approved plans for the Marinda Airport in Raja Ampat to become an international airport.

The approval came after West Papua governor met with Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi two weeks ago to propose a runway extension. The plan was first initiated in 2015.

Raja Ampat Regent Abdul Faris Umlati has been wanting to extend the runway from 1,200 meters to 2,500 meters that will allow larger planes to land at Marinda.

The airport itself was officiated by the former Transportation Minister E.E. Mangindaan on May 9, 2012. The airport currently has a 1,200m x 30m runway, one 80m x 60m airport apron and one terminal with a total area of 120 meters.

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 The Marinda airport operates from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m., serving Susi Air and Wings Air airlines. As the first airline to fly to Raja Ampat, Susi Air uses a Cessna Grand Caravan. Susi Air used to only fly once a week but it currently offers several flights to Raja Ampat.

Meanwhile Wings Air has been serving the Raja Ampat route since January 2017. Using an ATR 72-600, the service travels to Manado – Raja Ampat – Sorong – Monokwari once per day.

Beginning Oct. 21, Sriwijaya Air and NAM Air are going to open new routes to Raja Ampat from Jakarta, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Semarang and Makassar.

Other than air travel, tourists can also travel by sea to Raja Ampat, departing from Sorong and using a speed boat, which takes around two hours.

Source - TheJakartaPost

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Four #Indonesian diving destinations where you can spot manta rays

The manta ray is one of most-exotic marine creatures, capturing the heart of divers with its gentle, elegant ocean dance and gigantic flat shape.

Unlike the grey sting rays which always sit on the bottom of sea and have a poisonous tail, manta rays are harmless, playful and not afraid to approach divers.

As an archipelago with rich marine life, Indonesia is a sanctuary for manta rays. The country made an official statement in 2014 announcing it would protect the fish to attract tourists.

There are several areas where this giant fish can be seen in Indonesia, and here are those places.

Manta Point, Nusa Penida, Bali

Manta Point is the manta rays’ favorite cleaning station, a spot where the marine creatures can swim near the reef and let wrasses clean them from parasites. Often coming in groups, they swim very close to the surface and are even visible to snorkelers.

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Unfortunately, the visibility in Manta Point isn’t really that good. On brighter days, you can clearly see them from afar, but most of the time visibility is only around 10-15 meters.

The spot can be reach by taking a local fishing boat from Nusa Penida or Nusa Lembongan island, or by arranging a trip with one of the diving operators on the Bali mainland.

Aside from manta rays, divers also have a chance to see mola mola fish between July and August here.

Karang Makassar, Komodo Islands, East Nusa Tenggara

Take a liveaboard, or make a long trip in a fishing boat to Karang Makassar, the manta ray diving spot of choice near the Komodo Islands, famous as the home of the rare giant lizard, the Komodo dragon. It is also known to have islets with scenic hills, and amazing coral and marine life, including Karang Makassar.

Aside from manta rays, divers can also spot colorful tropical fish such as bumphead parrotfish and eagle rays. Just be careful, as the current here is quite strong, so don’t stray too far from the boat.

Alor, East Nusa Tenggara

Dive Report said that any manta rays encountered by divers in Alor were purely by chance, although they might appear from mid March until mid January.

No worries though, as you have higher chance of encountering other exotic sea animals including a school of hammerhead sharks and even the rare mola mola fish. No wonder Alor is often referred to have a world-class diving site.

Manta Ridge, Raja Ampat, Papua

One of Indonesia’s hottest diving spots, Raja Ampat, in the easternmost province of Papua, lures avid divers and ocean lovers with its stunning landscape and rich marine life including giant sea creatures like manta rays, whalesharks and pristine coral reef.

The site consists of four islets: Misool, Salawati, Batanta and Waigeo, hence why it is named Raja Ampat (Four Kings).

Manta rays are sometimes visible in the surrounding area, but one has a higher chance to spotting them in the central region.

In a spot called ‘Manta Ridge’, you’re likely to see up to 30 mantas during your dive. 

Source - TheJakartaPost