Raja Ampat
Raja Ampat and the Anambas Islands, two of the world's most alluring natural treasures may well -- at first sight at least -- appear pretty much indistinguishable. Both Raja Ampat and Anambas comprise hundreds of tiny utterly idyllic jungle-covered islands in Indonesia.
Both, Raja Ampat and Anambas, offer intrepid travelers stunning, luscious, tropical surroundings and both form the ecosystem to what's been said to be some of the world's largest diversity of marine life and coral species in particular.
What's more, Raja Ampat and the Anambas Islands are very lightly populated, mostly still unexplored and still as good as completely untouched by any of the usual detrimental results of industrialization.
You can safely say that both Raja Ampat and Anambas are more than just a holiday destination - both are more like a holiday dream come true.
However, there are a few differences as well between Raja Ampat and Anambas that need to be made clear. This enables discerning travelers to make an educated decision on which of the two oases should receive their dream holiday budget.
First of all, for all Raja Ampat's natural beauty, there's no mistaking that it's far to travel. Even when you're already in Jakarta, Raja Ampat is still a 6 hour flight away, usually with a stop-over, followed by at least one boat transfer.
To be sure, some Raja Ampat visitors say that the distance was well worth it, and that's likely to be true once you're there. But not all travelers are physically or mentally able to go to areas as remote as Papua, where Raja Ampat is located.
The other point important enough to be highlighted is that, whilst Raja Ampat is breathtaking without a doubt, it has also been discovered by a number of niche travel agents throughout the world. Unfortunately, many of these appear to have no qualms about charging very high prices. This appears to have sparked off a domino effect amongst the hospitality industry and other tourism-related sectors in and around the Raja Ampat area.
The result of this race to the top is excessively high rates for hotel rooms, food and drinks, activities, as well as boat transport in Raja Ampat.
In actual fact, cost of a holiday in Raja Ampat has now reached such a lofty level as to have rendered it practically out of reach to all but the well-to-do. It appears as if backpackers and other budget travelers especially are no longer able to afford this particular part of the world.
Anambas
Enter Anambas.
Not only is Anambas a quick direct one-hour plane hop from Bintan, which itself is quite accessible from Singapore and Jakarta, but Anambas is also downright affordable.
Now, in the interest of full disclosure, it should be noted that if you prefer taking seafaring transport to taking the plane, the ferry from Batam to Anambas is a 6 hour journey. Of course, for travelers not keen on flying, Raja Ampat isn't really feasible to begin with.
The other thing travelers should keep in mind that - given that Anambas is dependent on cargo ships for its essential supplies, in fact most everything - the Anambas islands may not necessarily be quite as dirt-cheap as mainland Indonesia.
However, a once-in-a-lifetime getaway to Anambas is certainly way more affordable than spending any amount of time in Raja Ampat. It's true that both are world-class leisure destination, but your Rupiahs will stretch a lot further in Anambas than in Raja Ampat.
What is also beyond doubt is that Anambas offers the same final frontier feel as Raja Ampat without having to travel as far away from civilization.
In addition, clearly, the bountiful breathtaking surroundings, the sense of mystery and the transporting sunsets on offer in Anambas are all fully on a par with Raja Ampat's.
Bottom line: if you want to follow the road less travelled, explore a timeless part of the world, experience life on stunning uninhabited paradise islands located at world's end, and you want to do all this without breaking the bank, then Anambas is your destination of choice.
But don't just take my word for it :)
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