About Its Pesona
The first thing I noticed was the smell of wet timber and sea salt as we stepped onto the dock at Waisai just before dawn. Its Pesona was already idling, a long wooden pinisi-style speedboat painted in deep green with red trim, low to the water and built for slicing through the channels. We’d booked a private group charter for eight, but the boat can carry up to 28 – mostly on shared day trips. There were no cabins, of course, just padded bench seating under a canvas awning and open bow space for those who wanted wind in their faces. I tucked my bag under the seat, took a thermos of sweet Indonesian coffee from the crew, and watched the sky lighten over Gam Island.
We left Waisai at 07:30, heading west toward the heart of Raja Ampat’s most photographed stretch. Our first stop was Arborek Jetty by 09:00 – a short walk up to the handmade lookout tower where a single wooden bench faces the entire reef flat like a private balcony. Kids from the village were already there, grinning and waving. We snorkelled off the back of the boat in water so clear you could read the patterns on a nudibranch at three metres. The crew had set up a floating rope line with buoys, perfect for nervous swimmers.
By midday we’d reached Cape Kri, where the current runs fast through the coral bottleneck. The crew dropped anchor in the lee of the point, handed out weight belts and reef hooks, and guided us into the flow. I counted seven different species of pygmy seahorse on a single gorgonian fan. Lunch came aboard – grilled mahi-mahi, cucumber-tomato salad, and steamed rice wrapped in banana leaf – eaten on deck with salt crusting our lips. There was no kitchen galley, just a gas ring and prep shelf under the stern cover.
In the afternoon, we motored to Wayag, arriving around 15:00. The famous viewpoint hike is steep – 150 steps carved into the rock – but the view stops conversation cold. You’re looking over a maze of mushroom-shaped islets, turquoise lagoons, and open ocean stretching to the horizon. We spent nearly an hour up there, taking photos, then returned to the boat for a slow cruise back toward the mainland. Just before sunset, we stopped at a sheltered cove near Yenbuba, where the water turned gold and the crew pulled out a bucket of fresh papaya and pineapple. No music, no announcements – just the sound of water against the hull and someone laughing quietly. It felt like the right way to end the day.
Back in Waisai by 18:00, we stepped off knowing we’d seen the spine of Raja Ampat in one long, intense day. It wasn’t luxurious, but it was honest – a working boat with experienced crew who knew the tides and tectonics of this place. If you want to cover ground, see serious coral, and feel the wind in your hair without the price tag of a liveaboard, Its Pesona delivers.
