Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine July 2014 | Page 133

Travel | Raja Ampat 131 © Setiadi Darmawan / www.indonesia.travel Phinisi © Torsten Velden / Getty Images It was said that Indonesian ancestors were sailors. A story about sailing is even depicted in Borobudur temple's wall carving. A phin isi is a traditional Indonesian ship. They were mainly built by the Konjo tribe, a sub-ethnic group of BugisMakassar. The first phinisi ships are said to have been built after being introduced by the Dutch around 1600. You need only go underwater for some unforgettable interaction with the diverse and abundant sealife of Raja Ampat. The children of Raja Ampat’s coastal colonies love to smile and love the ocean. Nenek Moyang bangsa Indonesia dikenal sebagai pelaut ulung. Salah satu ceritanya terdapat pada relief candi Borobudur. Kapal phinisi dibuat oleh Suku Konjo, dari Bugis Makassar. Kapal-kapal ini pertama kali dibuat setelah diperkenalkan oleh V.O.C sekitar tahun 1600. Bugis-Makassar Long before European colonialists extended their influence, the Makassar, the Bajau and the Buginese had travelled as far east as the Aru Islands and to northern Australia, where they exchanged shells, birds' nests and mother-of-pearl for knives and salt with Aboriginal tribes. Jauh sebelum bangsa Eropa meluaskan kekuasaannya, orang-orang Makassar, Bajau dan Bugis telah berkelana hingga ke Kepulauan Aru dan utara Australia, di mana mereka menukarkan kulit kerang, sarang burung dan mutiara dengan pisau dan garam dari Suku Aborigin. been sailing phinisi cruisers and 100-tonne cargo ships since he was 15, and knows the notoriously treacherous currents around Komodo and Raja Ampat like the back of his hand. Rica, but there’s a haunting tension to trekking on Rinca that I’ve rarely felt anywhere else. Rinca Island remains one of the most dramatic locations in the world to trek among predators. “More and more phinisi cruises and live-aboard dive boats come to Komodo these days,” says the skipper. “We always know how to break away and find our own deserted anchorage and unexplored reefs. There will always be wild corners to explore among all the islands around Komodo and Raja Ampat.” By the time we sailed into our last anchorage at Labuan Bajo, Estrada was telling me about Raja Ampat’s six-metre crocodiles. His stories had long ago rubbed off, and I’d begun to look on those mysterious islands as the Holy Grail. Headline ranking on a long list of Indonesian islands I intend to visit soon. As two of the most dedicated professionals who make their living in this part of the so-called ‘Coral Triangle’, Captain Syamsudin and Ramon Estrada had sailed together in the past on other vessels before they became shipmates aboard Dunia Baru. It was reassuring to hear that even globe-trotting dive instructors have places that still elude them and which they have a yearning ambition to visit soon. “What I find unique about this ship,” Estrada explains, “is that, although you can dive pretty much all day every day if you want to, there are also so many other things to do. Indonesia is such a wonderfully diverse country… the most dedicated divers often miss out on a lot of what this incredible country has to offer.” This was my third trip to Komodo National Park, and I was delighted that our programme included trekking among the famously aggressive dragons on Rinca Island. I’ve walked with lions in Zimbabwe, trapped crocodiles in Botswana and tracked jaguars in Costa Predictably, the place that is top on Estrada’s wish list is in Indonesia, and by now I wasn’t at all surprised to hear that it’s also very close to Raja Ampat. “There’s a place called Cendrawasih,” the diver told me, his hands waving with typical Mexican enthusiasm, “further along the Papua coast. It possibly offers the best diving experiences in the world.” When I asked what it was about Cendrawasih [Bay National Park] that was so spectacular, Estrada fell uncharacteristically silent: “You know what?” he smiled. “I’m not going to tell you. You’ll just have to go there and find out for yourself.”