The road to paradise isn’t an easy one. Nor is it a short one. But otherwise, it wouldn’t be paradise. First, fly from Germany to Jakarta via Istanbul or Doha. All in all, around 14 hours of air time and a six-hour time difference, followed by an overnight stay in the bustling capital of Indonesia, with its eleven million inhabitants. The next day, leave the chaos of the city and continue east to Sarong, in West Papua. Flight time: another four hours and a two-hour time difference. This flourishing coastal town on the Indonesian island of New Guinea is the gateway to the island world of Raja Ampat. Here, you change to a small plane or board a ferry—like us.
When we boarded the Fajar Indah II around 10 p.m.,we experienced a bit of culture shock. Fifty-six meters long and eight meters wide, her lowest floor is houses livestock; a stuffy dormitory with around 50 bunkbeds fills the floor above. Although we have twin cabins one additional floor up, we share our rooms with numerous cockroaches and the communal toilet
