John and Bev, your videos lift me up. Your appreciation and respect for the world shines in them and makes a great start to the day. This one was especially peace-inducing, particularly the beautiful end footage/music.Thank you for sharing your lives through this work you are doing.
Forty+ years ago when I use to dive, it would've taken big bucks for the equipment to capture the beautiful images you took under water. Ahhh, technology! Another fantastic and informative presentation!
Wonderful video! Raja Ampat has been on our travel list for awhile now and this video makes us want to visit even more! Thank you for the tips/pricing information, very helpful!
Hi John and Bev! My wife and I live in Canada and are blessed to be in the situation where I can fully retire with full pension and investment at 55 and my wife at 53. We are avid travellers and we want to live exactly how you are doing so I REALLY appreciate your videos. They are so informative and gives us a leg up for our retirement years. Hope to run into you in the future but until then we will watch your videos as soon as they come up. Take care, Steve & Heather
That’s awesome to hear! We hope you continue to find value in our content. We can highly recommend a nomadic lifestyle! We’re having the time of our lives. We’d love to run into you somewhere. If you ever see we’ll be in the same place, let us know. Happy Trails! John and Bev
Thank you so much for all this info. Loved the snorkeling footage at the end- absolutely beautiful- so peaceful with your choice of music and the incredible fish species. 🐟 I will definitely be planning a visit there in the near future. ☺
Good to know about totally unheard of spots. You guys keep expanding my bucket list. Besides natural and man made things it is the people who make a destination more memorable. Please try to spend a few seconds to comment about your personal experience about locals. Thank you.
Thanks and that's good to know. Our experience with the staff of the resort and dive crew living on the island was amazing. They were very kind and did a fantastic job of making our experience great. We also had great impressions of the staff at the Aston hotel in Sorong. Since you are very isolated most of the time in Raja Ampat, we didn't have the normal interactions in towns, etc John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Thanks so much for all of this great information. My husband and I are starting our full time retirement travel life in January and we've booked a month in Indonesia because of your videos! We both love snorkelling and scuba diving, as well as bird watching. Do you think 1 week at Wai Island would be too long? Not long enough?
We think one to two weeks is probably good for most people. The dive crew will take you to different reefs and you could snorkel and dive on different days. We like to read and write, so we had plenty to do. We didn't ask to go to another island, but I bet that could be done. We only visited the island where we rested from the dive. Hope you enjoy your trip. Thanks for watching and if you have any other questions, let us know. Happy trails! John & Bev
Thanks so much to share my beautiful paradise Wai island in your amazing video. Hope to see you soon again for discover together other beautys around and maybe try to dive with me. Kiss and hug. Marti 💙
We had such an amazing time! We still can't believe the resort and everyone there. You all do an amazing job. We will definitely dive with you next time.! John & Bev
Thank you for the beautiful and informative videos. They have become part of our weekly watch routine. QUESTION: Do you outsource your video editing or do it as you are traveling. I find the editing to be the most challenging especially when there is no wifi. Thanks and keep it up.
Glad it was helpful and you can definitely do it. Tough place to get to, but so worth it. Let us know if we can help further. Safe travels and many blessings, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
You find some of the most amazing adventures! Wow, seeing those flying foxes was an experience! Crazy! I've never seen that many fish when snorkeling before. Beautiful spot!
People who’ve never experienced it, can’t know how wonderful it is. It’s one of our favorite spots in the world! th-cam.com/video/KzDDon_aQ6Y/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ZcgLJoARa6mVlQcU Here’s some of our others! John & Bev
We were there in mid-May and it was wonderful. Supposedly November to March is calmest waters and peak numbers of manta rays. It truly is a full year destination. Hope you get to go sometime. John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Very informative. Thank you. Did you spend the night in Jakarta before continuing on to Sorong? How long did you stay? 28 hours to Jakarta for us, I suppose big reason the Coral Triangle is so little visited.
Our flight was actually delayed in Jakarta and we didn't leave until late at night. We flew all night and got to Sorong early in the morning. We caught the 9:00 ferry, so we were only in Sorong a few hours. We spent about a week in Raja Ampat. John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Wow raja ampat is so beautiful 😭😭😭 you’re so lucky to be able to travel there 🥹🥹🥹. I hope Raja Ampat will stay as an “exclusive tourist destination” so that the nature can be preserved…
Exmouth Australia !!!! I can relate to your experience ❤ it’s beyond anything you could ever imagine! No visitors in June ❤ let me know if you are going! I would love to see a video
Oh wow! It looks amazing as well. We currently don't have plans, but thanks to you we have added another potential destination someday. Thanks so much, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
I bought a regular snorkel mask with prescription lenses--you can go to a dive shop and ask which masks can get prescription lenses. Not too expensive (I just can't lose that snorkel mask!!). I just brought the paper prescription from my optometrist.
What camera did you use to capture those awesome underwater shots? Did your guides provide info of any potential dangers on the waters such as sharks? Did you bring your own snorkeling gear? If not and instead revved, what steps did you take to ensure they were sanitized correctly?
We used a GoPro. We were not concerned about dangers, perhaps we should have been, but we knew we might encounter reef sharks, which are usually very safe for humans. They look scary, but they didn't bite. We swam with them near the beach, just not while the resort cleaned fish! 😬 As for our snorkeling gear, we have carried our own masks on this leg for our South Pacific portion, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Because of the last few years, we figured we should be mindful to keep ourselves healthy, plus they fit us very well. Thanks for subscribing! John & Bev www.retirementtravelers.com
@@RetirementTravelers You guys are an inspiration. For someone who has FIRE'd and waiting for spouse to do the same, you provide so many ideas for this new phase of our lives, I'm forever grateful. Keep up the GREAT work ❤️
Per your latest newsletter, I understand folks wanting info, but THIS is why I love you guys! Here’s hoping that video like this will still appear on your blog… ❤
Thank you so much for this video, it’s perfect 🙌 I’ve been trying to decide between Samoa - French Polynesia and Rarotonga (as Im flying from NZ) and accidentally stumbled upon Raja Ampat and it looks amazing. I’ve seen quite a few travel videos and yours is my absolute favourite, so informative, perfect length, great tips, I really appreciate it! 🙌🙌🙌 We are going for 2 weeks so probably not for this holiday but will definitely keep this location in mind and will try to see if you have other videos on the locations I mentioned 😊
Thanks for the kind words. Glad you are enjoying our channel. Raja Ampat is definitely cheaper and less crowded than French Polynesia. We did think the island of Moorea, near Tahiti, was stunning. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Mosquitos weren't too bad when we were there. We brought our own snorkel masks, so didn't check on that. The dive shop rented us fins for the entire week. John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Hi John and Bev, was looking forward to this vlog and you didn't disappoint :) A couple of questions, we are keen snorkelers and regular visitors to Bali, did you hire your full mask snorkel at the resort or take your own? Did you use a go-pro on your snorkel or were the pictures/video done another way? Thanks again, we will definitely visit Raja Ampat, cheers.
Thanks so much. Glad you enjoyed the video. We have our own full face snorkel masks and love them so much we carried them all over Asia. GoPro for all the video. John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Thanks. Glad you are enjoying our channel and website. Here is the link to our store on our website, where you will find the masks and other travel faves. retirementtravelers.com/retirement-travelers-store-best-travel-products John and Bev
I found a place in Dallas that made a pair of glasses that stuck to my dive mask with a little clip. You can also order a dive mask with the prescription lenses, which gets a little more expensive but if you're going to do a lot of diving or snorkeling, it is worth it what is a whole beautiful world down there 1:24
@@CyndieGawain @jpzhu99 I needed a new regular snorkel mask anyway, so I got it with a prescription lens. My local dive shop (in Maryland) was able to arrange it, so I could try on any number of masks with that option, choose the one that fit best (so important!), and get it with the lens within about a week. I think it was about 1.5x expensive to get the mask with lens. (I say "lens" because I only got one on one side--so I can see far with one eye, close with the other.)
Wow! That's a vote of confidence and it sure made us smile! We still have a long way to go to perfect our skills before we can get there. Our daughter gave us a pep-talk this week and insisted that we dream big. Your comment is going in that bucket, the dream big one! 🌏 John & Bev
Beautiful video in the water ❤️ Could you tell me what’s your camera? I knew this place from other guys snorkeling videos. But I never been there . Usually we stay in Bali 3-4 weeks. So next time we or I will try to go there .
I used a GoPro, and I think it was a 10. I had to do some color correction in post, to get it clear, but the GoPro worked great. I didn't have a diving cage, but I also didn't go very deep. We would highly recommend Raja Ampat if you head to Indonesia. It's truly one of the most magical places on Earth! We're heading back in the fall, we love it so much. Thanks for the sub! John & Bev www.retirementtravelers.com
You can, but the best places were by boat. In front of the resort, you have to contend with the tide and when it’s low, it’s hard to snorkel around the reef. We didn’t go out very far, but the reef is probably better a little way out where is deeper. We saw the other guests out further. The reef in front of the resort still had nice fish. The resort was great and the staff were very nice.
Great video.. The restaurant in Crete sounded wonderful, however I can't find it. What is the name of the restaurant in what city? Thank you for responding
Thanks so much. It is a special place to us. It is called Ntounias Tavern and it is about 40 minutes south of Chania, up in the mountains. You will love it. Safe travels, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Can you go to Sorong without further travel plans and make ferry and lodging reservations on an island after that? Or do you need to make all reservations in advance? Thanks for a great video! As well as all your great videos! Oh. One more thing. Are there vegetarian options in Indonesia and raja ampat?
We thought there were always vegetarian options in Indonesia and Raja Ampat. We didn't have ferry reservations until we arrived. I'm pretty sure you could find lodging, but there aren't endless options, so I'd recommend you at least have a good plan with some options before you land. That's just us being very practical! Have a great trip! You'll love it! John & Bev
Hi. Really nice video. We are going to Raja Ampat in 4 weeks too. We are doing a 12 days Kayak trip in Misool and after that we will stay 3 more nights. Can you send me a link or the info where you booked your resort? I cant find wasaii resort&spa anywhere. Kindly regards Andy
@@RetirementTravelers thank u guys so much..!!! For ur reply..!!! U guys are really doing good..! Go ON..! Hoping to meet u ppl somewhere while travelling one day..!
Awesome video! I would like to enquire what time of the year you went? And how the weather was during your stay, rain a lot? Finally, can you snorkel from the beach, ie is it sufficient or do you need to take a boat out? Thank you for the great content
We were there in May and it rained some. It’s like Florida in the summer, rain most days but for very short duration. You could snorkel from the beach, but the best places were ones the boat could take us to. They will take you wherever you’d like to go. We highly recommend it! (Bev’s favorite place so far!) John and Bev www.retirementtravelers.com
@@RetirementTravelers wow thank you for such a quick informative response. I appreciate it, I'm saving up for maybe April for 2 weeks or September for 2 weeks. I'm considering going for one week at one hotel and another at another hotel. Maybe the cheaper of the 2 first ;)
I mostly enjoy your videos, but I need to question your title. "Tourist-Free"? Seems kind of click baity. Perhaps less tourists than most of Indonesia, which isn't hard to accomplish considering its heavily touristed state. Regardless, it looks like a nice place to visit. The snorkeling looks very nice. Better get the grandkids there before it all changes. I don't think it will be long. Safe travels.
Thanks and fair enough, but we will say that there were only 4 of us on the island for an entire week. It was just us and another couple from Europe. When they were out on a dive for the day, it truly felt "tourist-free" to us. 🤣 John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
In the areas we were at, our guides said there were no issues with crocs. Apparently they like the mangroves and brackish areas. We would not let that stop you from seeing this incredible place. Safe travels, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
You mentioned that you did a dive. Are you open water dive certified or was this a discovery dive available for beginners? Also, did you bring full diving equipment with wet suit?
We didn't dive, only snorkeled. There is a dive center on the island that has all the equipment for rent. We brought our own snorkeling masks, but not flippers and such. John & Bev www.retirementtravelers.com
Hi John, Hi Bev I really want to go to make snorkeling I heard the currents are very dangerour there (like Komodo) Exist safe places in the area where I can do snorkeling without risk?
Raja Ampat is still quite a distance away from Komodo. We didn't have much trouble at the places we went in Raja. Hope you get to go and safe travels, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Sounds great! You will have a blast. Not much to do in Sorong, so probably could find more things to do in Jakarta. You may want to stay 1 night at the ASTON hotel near the airport in Sorong. It is a nice hotel and it will enable you to get a good nights sleep before starting. Let us know what you think of the live aboard. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
At least a week. It really depends on how many different dive places you want to see. Another option is to try a couple of islands so the dive trips aren't as far. It is a beautiful place and you will enjoy. Safe travels, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Thank you for this video. We are going to stay in the same resort in 2 months. May I ask why you took the ferry because this hotel offers airport pick up? Am I missing anything here? Did you bring your own wet suits? I am planning to bring our since I was told they rent them, not free to borrow. Thank you.
We wanted to see the route taking the ferry, but you can arrange for the resort to meet you at the airport. We did that on the way back, and they took us all the way to our hotel. It saved us a couple hundred dollars to take the ferry. The resort has wetsuits and fins. We snorkeled and brought our own masks but we didn’t have to. You are going to love this adventure. The entire experience was fabulous! We’ve never been at such a great paradise!
@RetirementTravelers I wish I could say the same. We went through a true hell with the owner. We have traveled half of the world , never ever felt so unsafe, threatened, humiliated! It feels as we fell into the satan's lodge! So many things went wrong with this place. My family will be forever traumatized. It is sad that the partner ( the male) and the manager is nice but the real owner( the female) is a something out of this world ( in a very bad way)
In comparison to 10 years ago, there are so much more tourists that the reefs are not as good as in 2014. When I saw in 2023 how much the airport was more developed, it is far from tourist free! There are more and more people there destroying the reefs because they don't manage their buoyancy. It is very sad to see people stand or sit on coral!
I've visited Indonesia many times over the past 20 years as well as Raja Ampat in West Papua. As taking photos/video using camera drones has greatly increased in popularity in recent years I've also taken a DJI Mavic Pro and last year my DJI Mini 3 Pro as well as an Air 2S model with no problems to Indonesia, as long as one sticks to the safety guidelines of not flying near airports, over crowds of people or exceeding 400 feet (120 metres) in height. Be aware that practically all international airlines insist you put your drone & its batteries especially in your CARRY ON baggage, not in the hold, you should be free to fly a normal consumer drone. At the time of writing Indonesia has a height restriction of no more than 150 metres. Rafa Ampat has many beautiful aerial vistas of jungle covered slopes tumbling down to white sand beaches bordering clear, shallow reefs, so you'd be able to capture some wonderful images!
Saving for many years and selling our home and all possessions were key enablers for our world travel. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
DO A VERY DEEP RESEARCH ABOUT WAI RESORT BEFORE YOU BOOK! MY FAMILY WENT THROUGH A HELL, I WILL BE POSTING DETAILED REVIEWS SOON TO BOOKING TRIPADVISOR ETC.
I watched your vid on how much it cost to travel and when you said it was about Total $US40,000 to 50,000 a year I wondered how it could be done for $109-136 average a day. Watching your vids there is not much that shows your daily cost could average the average quoted. Like in this vid your resort including all meals $300 per day. Massage $35 each . The diving was $50/each. The diving alone is about your total average daily cost. This trip also had Airfares, Ferry Fares , the long boat back $150 each ( 2-3 days of total average living costs) then there is incidentals, other food when not at the resort etc. It’s hard to see how your yearly cost could be $40-50K . There must be lots of times you are living very cheap to balance these sort of costs. Or did I have a misunderstanding
We never said we spend $45-50K. That is the cost that a budget traveler would incur. We said we are mid-range travelers and we use travel methods of both the budget and the high-end traveler. We are "bargain travelers," we are looking for opportunities to save money by mixing methods of both the high-end traveler with the budget traveler, i.e. public transportation with a luxury experience elsewhere. We stated that we are not budget travelers because we don't stay only in low cost countries and we travel very fast as opposed to budget travelers who travel slowly, one month at a time. We mix both high cost locations with low cost locations. Raja Ampat is a higher-cost location in that our resort was $300 a night compared to very low-cost locations like Vietnam or Colombia; however, it is a bargain when you compare it to high-cost locations like Bora Bora and the Maldives where rooms that are similar go for over $1200+ a night. The experience in our opinion was better than what we saw when we were in Bora Bora earlier in the year. Our demographic includes both budget travelers and high-end travelers, and we are seeking to show all types of travel opportunities for the retired traveler. Thanks for the opportunity to clarify. John & Bev
John and Bev, your videos lift me up. Your appreciation and respect for the world shines in them and makes a great start to the day. This one was especially peace-inducing, particularly the beautiful end footage/music.Thank you for sharing your lives through this work you are doing.
Wow, thank you for the kind words. So glad you are enjoying our channel and website.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Forty+ years ago when I use to dive, it would've taken big bucks for the equipment to capture the beautiful images you took under water. Ahhh, technology!
Another fantastic and informative presentation!
Thanks. GoPros are pretty amazing these days!
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
Wonderful video! Raja Ampat has been on our travel list for awhile now and this video makes us want to visit even more! Thank you for the tips/pricing information, very helpful!
Thank you! We wanted to share the info because it's hard to come by. Keep it on your list. It was more than fabulous!!! John & Bev
Hi John and Bev! My wife and I live in Canada and are blessed to be in the situation where I can fully retire with full pension and investment at 55 and my wife at 53. We are avid travellers and we want to live exactly how you are doing so I REALLY appreciate your videos. They are so informative and gives us a leg up for our retirement years. Hope to run into you in the future but until then we will watch your videos as soon as they come up. Take care,
Steve & Heather
That’s awesome to hear! We hope you continue to find value in our content. We can highly recommend a nomadic lifestyle! We’re having the time of our lives. We’d love to run into you somewhere. If you ever see we’ll be in the same place, let us know. Happy Trails! John and Bev
Wow what an amazing experience! And that song playing over the video at the end was so beautiful ❤
It is a wonderful memory we will always cherish. Thanks for watching and glad you liked our song choice.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Just watched this thoroughly enjoyed one of your videos again but would also like to know the music track!
Bev & John, thank you for making this video ❤ It's great to know there are other options to see other than Bora Bora and Maldives.
Our pleasure! We love the less touristy places.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
Thank you so much for all this info. Loved the snorkeling footage at the end- absolutely beautiful- so peaceful with your choice of music and the incredible fish species. 🐟 I will definitely be planning a visit there in the near future. ☺
Glad you enjoyed it. Such a magical place!
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
(From Sharon, Australia). Such incredible marine life! And bravo to whomever of you took such amazing footage:))
Glad you enjoyed it! Raja is an incredible place.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Great video- gotta know who sings “this is the best day of my life”? Love it
Here it is. Great song.
th-cam.com/video/pgdYeYgoynQ/w-d-xo.html
Good to know about totally unheard of spots. You guys keep expanding my bucket list. Besides natural and man made things it is the people who make a destination more memorable. Please try to spend a few seconds to comment about your personal experience about locals. Thank you.
Thanks and that's good to know. Our experience with the staff of the resort and dive crew living on the island was amazing. They were very kind and did a fantastic job of making our experience great. We also had great impressions of the staff at the Aston hotel in Sorong. Since you are very isolated most of the time in Raja Ampat, we didn't have the normal interactions in towns, etc
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
@@RetirementTravelers Thanks again!
Thanks so much for all of this great information. My husband and I are starting our full time retirement travel life in January and we've booked a month in Indonesia because of your videos! We both love snorkelling and scuba diving, as well as bird watching. Do you think 1 week at Wai Island would be too long? Not long enough?
We think one to two weeks is probably good for most people. The dive crew will take you to different reefs and you could snorkel and dive on different days. We like to read and write, so we had plenty to do. We didn't ask to go to another island, but I bet that could be done. We only visited the island where we rested from the dive. Hope you enjoy your trip. Thanks for watching and if you have any other questions, let us know. Happy trails! John & Bev
Your smiles say it all!!! Beautiful!! Thank you for sharing your journey.
Thank you so much! We have been smiling a lot lately. 😊 Hope you are enjoying our channel.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
@@RetirementTravelers awwww sooo cute!! Yes I have!! 😊💞
Thanks so much to share my beautiful paradise Wai island in your amazing video. Hope to see you soon again for discover together other beautys around and maybe try to dive with me. Kiss and hug. Marti 💙
We had such an amazing time! We still can't believe the resort and everyone there. You all do an amazing job. We will definitely dive with you next time.! John & Bev
Thanks a lot again and waiting for you soon ... Grazie mille e a presto 💙🧜🏼♀️🌊 Marti
So beautiful! Thank you for sharing your tips.
Thanks for commenting! We had such a hard time finding information about how to travel. We thought a guide might help someone else. John & Bev
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing your adventures!
It is our pleasure! Thanks for watching! John & Bev
Great travels... thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching. A pretty cool place!
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
Thank you for the beautiful and informative videos. They have become part of our weekly watch routine. QUESTION: Do you outsource your video editing or do it as you are traveling. I find the editing to be the most challenging especially when there is no wifi. Thanks and keep it up.
Thanks so much. It is tough with poor/no wifi. Bev does all the video editing and she is amazing! 🥰
John
retirementtravelers.com/
@@RetirementTravelers Bev you are doing a fantastic job!
Thanks for a great video. Did you bring your own snorkeling gear?
Thanks. Yes, we brought our own full face snorkeling masks. Well worth it.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
Which snorkeling mask? I don’t see it in the store…
Y’all are an incredible couple/ your children and grandchildren must be so proud!
@@horsegal3358 They tell us they are all the time. It means so much to have their support. ❤
@@RetirementTravelers our issue is the fins take up so much space. Can you just rent those there?
@@annethall yes, they have plenty of fins for rent
Thanks for sharing. I hadn't heard of this place before, but looks absolutely amazing. I'm sure it was so nice to be there without any crowds.
It was wonderful after a few hectic weeks of travel! Hope you get to go there one day! John & Bev
More videos on all the places you stay in each location and how you got there and an expense report!!
Thanks for the feedback. We keep an ongoing list of video suggestions and will do our best.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Thank you for this video! It is the most helpful video about Raja Ampat treveling I have seen, gave me courage to plan my own trip. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful and you can definitely do it. Tough place to get to, but so worth it. Let us know if we can help further.
Safe travels and many blessings,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
You find some of the most amazing adventures! Wow, seeing those flying foxes was an experience! Crazy! I've never seen that many fish when snorkeling before. Beautiful spot!
Glad you enjoyed it. Amazing place.
John and Bev
Nothing compares to Raja! I am fortunate to have stayed on Kri Island twice, and Arborek Island. The scuba diving is beyond compare!
People who’ve never experienced it, can’t know how wonderful it is. It’s one of our favorite spots in the world! th-cam.com/video/KzDDon_aQ6Y/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ZcgLJoARa6mVlQcU Here’s some of our others! John & Bev
What a beautiful video. Your happiness is infectious. ❤
Thank you so much for the kind words. Glad you are enjoying our channel.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Very lovely video!
Thank you very much! Glad you are enjoying our channel.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
what dates were you there? thinking about which month would have been best to go there. Must add to my bucket list
We were there in mid-May and it was wonderful. Supposedly November to March is calmest waters and peak numbers of manta rays. It truly is a full year destination.
Hope you get to go sometime.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Very informative. Thank you. Did you spend the night in Jakarta before continuing on to Sorong? How long did you stay? 28 hours to Jakarta for us, I suppose big reason the Coral Triangle is so little visited.
Our flight was actually delayed in Jakarta and we didn't leave until late at night. We flew all night and got to Sorong early in the morning. We caught the 9:00 ferry, so we were only in Sorong a few hours. We spent about a week in Raja Ampat.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Amazing! What an experience and breathtaking. Thank you for your videos! You are both inspirational!
Thank you so much! Hope you enjoy our channel.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Beautiful video
Thank you for the compliment! Thanks for subscribing, too! John & Bev
Wow looks incredible! Thank you for sharing your journey!
Our pleasure. So glad you enjoyed it.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Wow !!
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Love it! Great info and footage in the end of video. I Can see that you both truly welcome various cultures and enjoy being a part of it.
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Thank you for the video. What camera did you use for the underwater video?
You are welcome. We use a GoPro.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
Ok, thanks! I’m thinking of buying the insta 360 and know you have used that one. Any reason why the go pro over the 360 for underwater? Thank you!
@@user-vj3qq8kb2b We don’t think the 360 does as good a job underwater in our experience. PS. We still love the 360, just not underwater.
John and Bev
Wow raja ampat is so beautiful 😭😭😭 you’re so lucky to be able to travel there 🥹🥹🥹.
I hope Raja Ampat will stay as an “exclusive tourist destination” so that the nature can be preserved…
We hope so too. It is an amazing place.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
This is an amazing place that you should consider adding to your bucket list. John and Bev 🐠🤿🏝🥰
retirementtravelers.com/
thank you for the review, more people need to know about Raja Ampat in Indonesia
You are welcome. We loved Raja Ampat.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Exmouth Australia !!!! I can relate to your experience ❤ it’s beyond anything you could ever imagine! No visitors in June ❤ let me know if you are going! I would love to see a video
Oh wow! It looks amazing as well. We currently don't have plans, but thanks to you we have added another potential destination someday. Thanks so much,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Beautiful 💙 grazie mille 😘
Thanks so much.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
What a beautiful video. Bev, did you have to get a special mask since you wear glasses? I wouldn't be able to see much and was wondering about that.
Bev wore her contacts while snorkeling.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
I bought a regular snorkel mask with prescription lenses--you can go to a dive shop and ask which masks can get prescription lenses. Not too expensive (I just can't lose that snorkel mask!!). I just brought the paper prescription from my optometrist.
What camera did you use to capture those awesome underwater shots?
Did your guides provide info of any potential dangers on the waters such as sharks?
Did you bring your own snorkeling gear? If not and instead revved, what steps did you take to ensure they were sanitized correctly?
We used a GoPro. We were not concerned about dangers, perhaps we should have been, but we knew we might encounter reef sharks, which are usually very safe for humans. They look scary, but they didn't bite. We swam with them near the beach, just not while the resort cleaned fish! 😬 As for our snorkeling gear, we have carried our own masks on this leg for our South Pacific portion, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Because of the last few years, we figured we should be mindful to keep ourselves healthy, plus they fit us very well. Thanks for subscribing! John & Bev www.retirementtravelers.com
@@RetirementTravelers You guys are an inspiration. For someone who has FIRE'd and waiting for spouse to do the same, you provide so many ideas for this new phase of our lives, I'm forever grateful.
Keep up the GREAT work ❤️
What an incredible adventure! Would the trip be feasible for someone that is often seasick?
Per your latest newsletter, I understand folks wanting info, but THIS is why I love you guys! Here’s hoping that video like this will still appear on your blog… ❤
Thanks for the compliment (it means a lot!) and for following along! John & Bev
Thank you so much for this video, it’s perfect 🙌
I’ve been trying to decide between Samoa - French Polynesia and Rarotonga (as Im flying from NZ) and accidentally stumbled upon Raja Ampat and it looks amazing. I’ve seen quite a few travel videos and yours is my absolute favourite, so informative, perfect length, great tips, I really appreciate it! 🙌🙌🙌
We are going for 2 weeks so probably not for this holiday but will definitely keep this location in mind and will try to see if you have other videos on the locations I mentioned 😊
Thanks for the kind words. Glad you are enjoying our channel. Raja Ampat is definitely cheaper and less crowded than French Polynesia. We did think the island of Moorea, near Tahiti, was stunning.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
😳 Stunning places & brilliantly captured, thank you for so many of these treats! 🥇🙌
Our pleasure! Thanks for following along with us.
Safe travels,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Cant wait to see your visit in the Philippines! A lot of great beach and nature trails to see here, too that are more accessible :)
Thanks. We are almost there. Still working on another video first. It was an amazing place as well.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
In terms of underwater, Indo sites are still the best ones tho.
Great video. 😊
Thanks for watching. Glad you enjoyed it.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Amazing place 👏👏👏 thanks for sharing guys 🙌
Our pleasure! We loved Raja Ampat.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
With my headphones on, I can hear the birds in the background! Lovely!
Wonderful! This is a really special place.
Safe travels and many blessings,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Hi, I am a new subscriber. Good luck for your EU trip!
Thanks for subscribing and we can't wait for the next leg of our journey. Hope you are enjoying our channel.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Two questions. 1. Any issues with mosquitos? 2. Could you rent the snorkel gear? Thx
Mosquitos weren't too bad when we were there. We brought our own snorkel masks, so didn't check on that. The dive shop rented us fins for the entire week.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
tq for traveling in our country😀
Our pleasure! We loved our time in Indonesia and plan to return.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Hi John and Bev, was looking forward to this vlog and you didn't disappoint :) A couple of questions, we are keen snorkelers and regular visitors to Bali, did you hire your full mask snorkel at the resort or take your own? Did you use a go-pro on your snorkel or were the pictures/video done another way? Thanks again, we will definitely visit Raja Ampat, cheers.
Thanks so much. Glad you enjoyed the video. We have our own full face snorkel masks and love them so much we carried them all over Asia. GoPro for all the video.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
@@RetirementTravelers great thank you, we are already looking at packages, thanks again 😀
Could you please show us the link for full mask snorkel?
I love your videos! That place looks amazing. I noticed you are using full face masks. Which brand are they? Thanks very much.
Thanks. Glad you are enjoying our channel and website. Here is the link to our store on our website, where you will find the masks and other travel faves.
retirementtravelers.com/retirement-travelers-store-best-travel-products
John and Bev
How did you do snorkeling if you had to wear glasses? Could the mask fully cover your glasses?
You would need to use contacts using the type of full face mask we were using.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I found a place in Dallas that made a pair of glasses that stuck to my dive mask with a little clip. You can also order a dive mask with the prescription lenses, which gets a little more expensive but if you're going to do a lot of diving or snorkeling, it is worth it what is a whole beautiful world down there 1:24
@@CyndieGawain Thanks for sharing.
John and Bev
@@CyndieGawain @jpzhu99 I needed a new regular snorkel mask anyway, so I got it with a prescription lens. My local dive shop (in Maryland) was able to arrange it, so I could try on any number of masks with that option, choose the one that fit best (so important!), and get it with the lens within about a week. I think it was about 1.5x expensive to get the mask with lens. (I say "lens" because I only got one on one side--so I can see far with one eye, close with the other.)
OMG I loved your Outro. I literally cried. So beautiful. Would you mind sharing what camera gear you use? Vide? Underwater? Thanks!
Thanks so much. We use a GoPro for underwater shots and it works great. Glad you are enjoying our channel.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
This is so good, all the useful information regarding how to get there, what to look for . ❤thank you two gorgeous people.
Our pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
That was fabulous. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks 😊
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
Just awe inspiring!! What month did you travel? Safe travels!
Thanks. We were there in May.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
dont forget to start writing travel guides and placing them online and in stores!! we need your "expertise"
Wow! That's a vote of confidence and it sure made us smile! We still have a long way to go to perfect our skills before we can get there. Our daughter gave us a pep-talk this week and insisted that we dream big. Your comment is going in that bucket, the dream big one! 🌏 John & Bev
beautiful.. so well done
Thank you! 😊 It is a beautiful place.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
Chào John and Deb, thanks for the detailed information
Our pleasure! Hope you get to go.
Safe travels,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Beautiful video in the water ❤️
Could you tell me what’s your camera?
I knew this place from other guys snorkeling videos. But I never been there . Usually we stay in Bali 3-4 weeks. So next time we or I will try to go there .
I used a GoPro, and I think it was a 10. I had to do some color correction in post, to get it clear, but the GoPro worked great. I didn't have a diving cage, but I also didn't go very deep. We would highly recommend Raja Ampat if you head to Indonesia. It's truly one of the most magical places on Earth! We're heading back in the fall, we love it so much. Thanks for the sub! John & Bev www.retirementtravelers.com
@@RetirementTravelers
Thanks.
I’m a paragliding pilot. And I love Marine life too.
Bev-the music……I keep saying how I love your music options. I wish you could leave a link with your music for each video. Thank you both for sharing.
Thanks so much. Here is the link to the song at the end of the video.
th-cam.com/video/pgdYeYgoynQ/w-d-xo.html
John and Bev
Hello, loved video! Can I go snorkeling just around the Wai resort? I wish to be there sometime..
You can, but the best places were by boat. In front of the resort, you have to contend with the tide and when it’s low, it’s hard to snorkel around the reef. We didn’t go out very far, but the reef is probably better a little way out where is deeper. We saw the other guests out further. The reef in front of the resort still had nice fish. The resort was great and the staff were very nice.
wow, Thanks for the detailed information!! I wish you a good luck on your journey 😀from Korea~@mentTravelers
Great video.. The restaurant in Crete sounded wonderful, however I can't find it. What is the name of the restaurant in what city? Thank you for responding
Thanks so much. It is a special place to us. It is called Ntounias Tavern and it is about 40 minutes south of Chania, up in the mountains. You will love it.
Safe travels,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Can you go to Sorong without further travel plans and make ferry and lodging reservations on an island after that? Or do you need to make all reservations in advance? Thanks for a great video! As well as all your great videos! Oh. One more thing. Are there vegetarian options in Indonesia and raja ampat?
We thought there were always vegetarian options in Indonesia and Raja Ampat. We didn't have ferry reservations until we arrived. I'm pretty sure you could find lodging, but there aren't endless options, so I'd recommend you at least have a good plan with some options before you land. That's just us being very practical! Have a great trip! You'll love it! John & Bev
@@RetirementTravelers thanks so much!! I love your channel. You guys are great!!
What month were you there? What is peak time for clearest waters? Did you have medical evacuation insurance? If so, who did you use for that. Thanks.
We were there in May and it was nice. We just use our credit card evacuation insurance.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Hi. Really nice video. We are going to Raja Ampat in 4 weeks too. We are doing a 12 days Kayak trip in Misool and after that we will stay 3 more nights. Can you send me a link or the info where you booked your resort? I cant find wasaii resort&spa anywhere.
Kindly regards
Andy
It is call Wai Resort. Here is the link
www.wairesort.com/Wai/
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
@@RetirementTravelers thank you so much. Check out millekul adventures.
Best regards
Can’t for Philippines videos
Thanks. Hopefully coming soon.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
It’s all good
But feels much expensive as I’m being an Indian
And a question that I have is
How many days of stay will be enough for Raja Amphat
Much cheaper than the Maldives or Bora Bora!
A week is a great stay.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
@@RetirementTravelers thank u guys so much..!!! For ur reply..!!! U guys are really doing good..! Go ON..! Hoping to meet u ppl somewhere while travelling one day..!
Wow ❤
Thanks. Wonderful place.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Awesome video!
I would like to enquire what time of the year you went? And how the weather was during your stay, rain a lot?
Finally, can you snorkel from the beach, ie is it sufficient or do you need to take a boat out?
Thank you for the great content
We were there in May and it rained some. It’s like Florida in the summer, rain most days but for very short duration. You could snorkel from the beach, but the best places were ones the boat could take us to. They will take you wherever you’d like to go. We highly recommend it! (Bev’s favorite place so far!) John and Bev www.retirementtravelers.com
@@RetirementTravelers wow thank you for such a quick informative response.
I appreciate it, I'm saving up for maybe April for 2 weeks or September for 2 weeks.
I'm considering going for one week at one hotel and another at another hotel. Maybe the cheaper of the 2 first ;)
I mostly enjoy your videos, but I need to question your title. "Tourist-Free"? Seems kind of click baity. Perhaps less tourists than most of Indonesia, which isn't hard to accomplish considering its heavily touristed state. Regardless, it looks like a nice place to visit. The snorkeling looks very nice. Better get the grandkids there before it all changes. I don't think it will be long. Safe travels.
Thanks and fair enough, but we will say that there were only 4 of us on the island for an entire week. It was just us and another couple from Europe. When they were out on a dive for the day, it truly felt "tourist-free" to us. 🤣
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
great video as always. who is singing at the end and what is their sing? music credits?
It’s called This is the Best Day of my Life by N. Kerbin. It’s a lovely song and captured our day so well! Glad you enjoyed it. John & Bev
@@RetirementTravelers Thanks!
We are avid snorkelers and divers. I want to go to Raja, but my wife will not go anywhere with salt water crocs. Can you give any info about this?
In the areas we were at, our guides said there were no issues with crocs. Apparently they like the mangroves and brackish areas. We would not let that stop you from seeing this incredible place.
Safe travels,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
You mentioned that you did a dive. Are you open water dive certified or was this a discovery dive available for beginners? Also, did you bring full diving equipment with wet suit?
We didn't dive, only snorkeled. There is a dive center on the island that has all the equipment for rent. We brought our own snorkeling masks, but not flippers and such. John & Bev www.retirementtravelers.com
Hi John, Hi Bev
I really want to go to make snorkeling
I heard the currents are very dangerour there (like Komodo)
Exist safe places in the area where I can do snorkeling without risk?
Raja Ampat is still quite a distance away from Komodo. We didn't have much trouble at the places we went in Raja.
Hope you get to go and safe travels,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
@@RetirementTravelers
Thank you so much for the reponse. Very helpful
Cheers
Thank you. We are boarding a live aboard in sorong and can either stay in sorong for three nights before our trip or Jakarta. Thoughts?
Sounds great! You will have a blast. Not much to do in Sorong, so probably could find more things to do in Jakarta. You may want to stay 1 night at the ASTON hotel near the airport in Sorong. It is a nice hotel and it will enable you to get a good nights sleep before starting.
Let us know what you think of the live aboard.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Fantastic thanks
Our pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
How many nights would you recommend to stay on the island
At least a week. It really depends on how many different dive places you want to see. Another option is to try a couple of islands so the dive trips aren't as far. It is a beautiful place and you will enjoy.
Safe travels,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
What do you use for translation when you travel abroad?
Google translate when we need it.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Does the Wai Resort offer snorkel gear to rent?
Yes. We used flippers because we had masks, and I don’t think there was a charge. Bev
Thank you for this video. We are going to stay in the same resort in 2 months. May I ask why you took the ferry because this hotel offers airport pick up? Am I missing anything here? Did you bring your own wet suits? I am planning to bring our since I was told they rent them, not free to borrow. Thank you.
We wanted to see the route taking the ferry, but you can arrange for the resort to meet you at the airport. We did that on the way back, and they took us all the way to our hotel. It saved us a couple hundred dollars to take the ferry. The resort has wetsuits and fins. We snorkeled and brought our own masks but we didn’t have to. You are going to love this adventure. The entire experience was fabulous! We’ve never been at such a great paradise!
@RetirementTravelers I wish I could say the same. We went through a true hell with the owner. We have traveled half of the world , never ever felt so unsafe, threatened, humiliated! It feels as we fell into the satan's lodge! So many things went wrong with this place. My family will be forever traumatized. It is sad that the partner ( the male) and the manager is nice but the real owner( the female) is a something out of this world ( in a very bad way)
Not sure you have consider Palau….
We had not YET, but it looks wonderful. Great idea for us in the future. Thanks for sharing.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
HiJohn and Bev may i know what scuba dive site you use and how much the price please..
We used the dive shop at the resort. You could send a note to them and ask. We stayed at Wai Resort. Sorry, we don’t remember the prices. John & Bev
In comparison to 10 years ago, there are so much more tourists that the reefs are not as good as in 2014. When I saw in 2023 how much the airport was more developed, it is far from tourist free! There are more and more people there destroying the reefs because they don't manage their buoyancy. It is very sad to see people stand or sit on coral!
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Did you use a drone camera? Is it allowed to those countries ?
I've visited Indonesia many times over the past 20 years as well as Raja Ampat in West Papua. As taking photos/video using camera drones has greatly increased in popularity in recent years I've also taken a DJI Mavic Pro and last year my DJI Mini 3 Pro as well as an Air 2S model with no problems to Indonesia, as long as one sticks to the safety guidelines of not flying near airports, over crowds of people or exceeding 400 feet (120 metres) in height. Be aware that practically all international airlines insist you put your drone & its batteries especially in your CARRY ON baggage, not in the hold, you should be free to fly a normal consumer drone. At the time of writing Indonesia has a height restriction of no more than 150 metres.
Rafa Ampat has many beautiful aerial vistas of jungle covered slopes tumbling down to white sand beaches bordering clear, shallow reefs, so you'd be able to capture some wonderful images!
It really just depends on the specific location. See the other reply and this gentleman explained it well.
John and Bev
Wish I was Rich and could
Afford the places you stayed
Saving for many years and selling our home and all possessions were key enablers for our world travel.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
DO A VERY DEEP RESEARCH ABOUT WAI RESORT BEFORE YOU BOOK! MY FAMILY WENT THROUGH A HELL, I WILL BE POSTING DETAILED REVIEWS SOON TO BOOKING TRIPADVISOR ETC.
Sorry to hear about your experience.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I watched your vid on how much it cost to travel and when you said it was about Total $US40,000 to 50,000 a year I wondered how it could be done for $109-136 average a day. Watching your vids there is not much that shows your daily cost could average the average quoted. Like in this vid your resort including all meals $300 per day. Massage $35 each . The diving was $50/each. The diving alone is about your total average daily cost. This trip also had Airfares, Ferry Fares , the long boat back $150 each ( 2-3 days of total average living costs) then there is incidentals, other food when not at the resort etc. It’s hard to see how your yearly cost could be $40-50K . There must be lots of times you are living very cheap to balance these sort of costs. Or did I have a misunderstanding
We never said we spend $45-50K. That is the cost that a budget traveler would incur. We said we are mid-range travelers and we use travel methods of both the budget and the high-end traveler. We are "bargain travelers," we are looking for opportunities to save money by mixing methods of both the high-end traveler with the budget traveler, i.e. public transportation with a luxury experience elsewhere. We stated that we are not budget travelers because we don't stay only in low cost countries and we travel very fast as opposed to budget travelers who travel slowly, one month at a time. We mix both high cost locations with low cost locations. Raja Ampat is a higher-cost location in that our resort was $300 a night compared to very low-cost locations like Vietnam or Colombia; however, it is a bargain when you compare it to high-cost locations like Bora Bora and the Maldives where rooms that are similar go for over $1200+ a night. The experience in our opinion was better than what we saw when we were in Bora Bora earlier in the year. Our demographic includes both budget travelers and high-end travelers, and we are seeking to show all types of travel opportunities for the retired traveler. Thanks for the opportunity to clarify. John & Bev