Culinary of Raja Ampat
Culinary of Raja Ampat
Culinary of Raja Ampat
Raja Ampat Maritime Festival is held in the capital of Raja Ampat Regency, Waisai
on Waigeo Island. The main performance of the marine festival is focused on marine tourism.
One of which is diving at the Diving site which is in the top 10 most beautiful dive locations
in the world.
Raja Ampat Regency in West Papua Province wants to maintain its popularity as the
best maritime area in Indonesia by holding a maritime festival regularly. And displaying
natural, artistic and cultural wealth.
The Maritime Festival is held at the Capital Center of Waisai, which is located 3
hours by speedboat from Sorong City, Papua. What's interesting about this Festival is that
they invited arts and culture from other districts in Papua. In addition, Wakatobi Regency was
also included in this Maritime Festival.
Some details of the festival are the Underwater Photo Contest, Rowing Boat Contest,
underwater orientation, beach sports such as volleyball etc., and local cultural attractions.
Local cultural attractions will be displayed by the Raja Ampat community and participants
from other districts.
Usually Raja Ampat Maritime Festival is held in the middle of the year around
August, it is very interesting to go to Raja Ampat during the Festival. Because a lot of dance
and culture are displayed at this festival. One of them is the attraction of traditional Papuan
dances, and what is very interesting for me is the many unique foods that are presented here.
In addition the local Raja Ampat community is ready to show off its traditional boat
that its ancestors used to sail the seas. Raja Ampat community will also demonstrate the habit
of consuming fruit. In this festival visitors can enjoy Papuan specialties for free.
Raja Ampat Maritime Festival is scheduled to become an annual activity to increase
the flow of tourists. Currently, in Papua there is the Baliem Valley Festival in Wamena,
Jayawijaya Regency, the Asmat Festival, the Kamoro Festival in Timika, and the Lake
Sentani Festival in Jayapura.
In addition, tourists can also enjoy and continue the visit by visiting various Raja
Ampat natural tourist sites known as emerald strands in Papua. This is because Raja Ampat
consists of hundreds of small islands.
PUBLIC
Raja Ampat Islands people are generally traditional fishermen who live in small
villages that are located far apart and on different islands. They are friendly people who
receive guests from outside, especially if we bring souvenirs for them in the form of areca nut
or candy. This item has become a kind of 'Indian peace pipeline' in Raja Ampat. TalRaja with
eating areca nut is also called "Para-para Areca", often taRaja turns throwing each other at
each other, the local term for funny stories.
They are Muslims and Christians and often within one family or clan there are
members who embrace one of these two religions. This makes the Raja Ampat community
remain harmonious despite different beliefs.
WEALTH OF NATURAL RESOURCES
Raja Ampat Islands is a place that has the potential to be used as a tourist attraction,
especially diving tourism. Raja Ampat Islands waters according to various sources, is one of
the 10 best waters for diving sites around the world. In fact, it might also be recognized as
number one for the completeness of underwater flora and fauna at this time.
Dr. John Veron, an experienced coral expert from Australia, for example, in a site he
revealed, the Raja Ampat Islands, located at the westernmost tip of the island of Papua, about
50 miles northwest of Sorong, have the best coral areas in Indonesia. Around 450 coral
species were identified during two weeks of research in the area.
The expert team from Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, and the
National Institute of Oceanography (LON) of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI)
conducted rapid assessments in 2001 and 2002. As a result, they noted that in these waters
there were more than 540 types of hard corals (75% of the total species in the world), more
than 1,000 species of reef fish, 700 species of mollusks, and the highest record for
gonodactyloid stomatopod crustaceans. This makes 75% of the world's coral species in Raja
Ampat. No place with the same area has this number of coral species.
There are some coral reef areas that are still in very good condition with a percentage of
live coral cover up to 90%, namely in the Dampier Strait (strait between Waigeo Island and
Batanta Island), Kofiau Islands, Southeast Misool Islands and Wayag Islands. The types of
coral reefs in Raja Ampat are generally fringing reefs with gentle to steep contours. But also
found atoll type and burnt or taka type. In some places such as in the village of Saondarek,
when the tides are lowest, it can be witnessed by a stretch of coral reef without diving and
with its own adaptation, the coral can still be alive even in the open air and exposed to direct
sunlight.
Unique species that can be found when diving are several types of dwarf seahorses,
wobbegong, and Manta rays. There is also an endemic fish Raja ampat, namely Eviota raja,
which is a type of gobbie fish. At Manta point which is located in the Arborek strait of
Dampier, you can dive accompanied by several tame Manta rays like when you dive in the
Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan. If you dive at Cape Kri or Chicken Reef, you can be
surrounded by thousands of fish. Sometimes a collection of tuna, giant trevallies and
snappers. But it's tense if we are surrounded by a collection of barracuda fish, even though it
is actually relatively harmless (which is dangerous if we meet solitary or alone barracudas).
Reef sharks are also often seen, and if you're lucky you can also see turtles eating sponges or
swimming around you. In some places like in Salawati, Batanta and Waigeo also seen
Dugong or mermaid fish.
Because of its many islands and narrow straits, most dives at certain times have strong
currents. This also makes it possible to drift dive, dive while following strong currents with
very clear water while breaRaja through a group of fish.