About Us
Wildiaries
We began going to Raja Ampat a few years ago when we met Edi Frommenwiler of Pindito. Since then it's become an annual destination for us and we send dozens of people a year. At the same time, Raja Ampat is a fragile and important marine environment so we've built a relationship with operators who have developed a low-impact approach to travel and dedicate some of their work to helping local communities. Raja Ampat was, until quite recently, a frontier destination known only to divers but it is becoming more and more popular. It can nevertheless be a difficult place to journey to and through ... but it's far easier to miss more than you say, if you don't go with the right people or intention. This is why we've dedicated ourselves to supporting the operators that we know best and why the destination continues to deliver incredible experiences.
To find out just why we love taking people to Raja Ampat, read some of the stories we've written recently: https://rajaampattravel.com/posts/stories
We really hope you're able to join us. Please do get in touch by emailing TRAVEL@WILDIARIES.COM as we'd love to help you create your next amazing escape.
While the kind of wildlife trip is not uncommon for land based learning, the sea based that we had with Wildiaries beats anything else of which I have knowledge. It was truly a unique experience and one worth repeating." -Susan, US
Simon Mustoe
Simon is a passionate advocate for wildlife and conservation. He founded Wildiaries in 2012 as a way to connect people to nature, an organisation that has built a reputation among tens of thousands of regular readers of its online magazine. Simon is a professional conservationist, does communications and marketing for the Blue Octopus Foundation's #50Villages project, has written hundreds of articles, produced dozens of short films and is passionate about wildlife, in particular whales and dolphins. Simon has visited Raja Ampat numerous times and lends his personal knowledge of its people and places to helping visitors find the right trip but also fully appreciate the significance of this place.
Raja Ampat isn’t merely the best place in the world to go snorkelling or diving, it’s a place to discover the origins of life and learn more about yourself.
Tim Harvey
Tim Harvey, co-founder of the Sea Turtle Foundation, was recently named one of Traveller Magazines "Heroes of Nature". For several years, Tim was the manager of the research station on Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef and got to work with the likes of David Attenborough. Tim has an infectious knowledge and enthusiasm for wildlife and a unique perspective on the way we interact with the world around us. Tim has co-led trips to Raja Ampat with Simon Mustoe on board PINDITO for several years. For most of the rest of the year he either leads trips on luxury small ship cruises or he is at home in Australia or Wales (UK) working on his homes (formative years were spent with time split between the two countries).
During a trip to Raja Ampat, you can see stunning scenery, visit breathtaking locations, observe birds of paradise, be surrounded by beautiful reef fish and
seen all sorts of other marine wildlife.
Travel in Raja Ampat
Raja Ampat isn’t merely the best place in the world to go snorkelling or diving, it’s a place to discover origins of life. With 1,800 islands and 25 million years of evolution to explore, Raja Ampat is a place that can blow your mind but you can miss far more than you see if you are unprepared for the scale of what awaits. There are few places on Earth where so much exists in such a small place, where you can visualise ecosystems functioning completely. It has to be seen to be believed.
Snorkelling and diving, safety and logistics
There are no roads so all your travel depends on boats. Picking the right place to stay is important and be mindful that costs can add up, once you include your daily transport to and from things to do (unless you are happy to be on the same house reef every day). Safety is also paramount as currents are very strong in places. Medical services are extremely limited. If you're diving, some of Raja Ampat's sites are notoriously difficult and the nearest decompression chamber is in Singapore. It's vitally important to go with a trusted operator who knows the sites well.