Short Trip or Long Trip?

Hey, Explorers!

A while ago, we visited Misool, one of the islands part of the “Four Kings” – Raja Ampat. Yes, Raja Ampat consists of four islands, Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati, and Misool. We first visited Raja Ampat in 2015 with the group.

At that time, not all islands were ready for visitors and we only explored a small part of Waigeo. Choices of accommodation were also not as many as now. Even so, we have quite a story to tell after that trip. I still remember the lady we accidentally met on Saonek Island where we dropped the books we brought for the children on the island.

Then in the next few trips, we started to cover more areas of Raja Ampat – not only Waigeo, but we also explored Batanta Island. Seagrasses vastly surround the island of Batanta making the island favoured by the friendly marine mammals, the Dugong, or more well-known as sea cows. When we visited Batanta Island for the very first time, it seemed that only our group was there.

Until our last trip to Raja Ampat, which happened at the end of last year, we added Misool to the itinerary – making it almost a complete package of Raja Ampat exploration. Based on the feedback from the group, the extension version was a good decision considering all the efforts and the long journey to get to the Papua land. If the duration had been shorter than that, the satisfaction level could have not been this high.

What do you think? Would you prefer a short trip or a long trip? Or preferable duration? I would love to know your thoughts, too!

After so many years, it is still a struggle when it comes to deciding on the duration of the trip, schedule and even the costs. I would not want you to miss a thing that you should see since you have come so far.

But I learned that in the end, an itinerary full of a list of must-do and must-sees is not everything and the most important one (although I will still plan a fully packed itinerary. Haha..). It is the companions that determine most of the time whether we will be returning from the trip with a face full of smiles and good memories or not.

On the other hand, dealing with the locals and arranging a trip in an area with limited facilities or choices, has its challenges. But I will still be happy dealing with all the hassle because that’s simply my superpower.

Let’s explore more together in 2024!