Piaynemo

About this place

The view that became the symbol of Raja Ampat and all of eastern Indonesia: dozens of small limestone islets cloaked in green, scattered like green buttons across a lagoon of clear turquoise and blue water, between narrow channels and calm bays. Boats dock at a wooden jetty, and visitors climb a wooden stairway of about three hundred steps to a viewing platform on the hilltop, where the islands and lagoon spread out before them. Nearby is Star Lagoon, a star-shaped bay seen from another platform. The water around the jetty is full of colourful fish for snorkelling. Every foreign visitor pays a Raja Ampat environmental fee of around one million rupiah, valid for a year (check the current rate), bought in Waisai or Sorong; the speedboat is chartered or booked as a tour. A small extra fee goes to the local village for the platform. Morning is best, with clear light and calm water, and most trips combine Piaynemo with Arborek village and dive sites in a single day. Bring water and a hat, as the sun is fierce.