Raja Ampat is a crown jewel owing to its crystal-clear turquoise sea waters and several isles blanketed by a dense green carpet of forests and mangrove swampsSorong, W Papua (ANTARA) - The Kajang boat race at this year's Wonderful Misool Festival is expected to attract more foreign tourists to Misool, which is among four major islands in Raja Ampat, West Papua, a local community leader stated.
The Wonderful Misool Festival, held on Nov 25, 2019, was just the start to introducing the Misool community members' traditional wooden boats called "Perahu Kajang," Jufri Macap stated in Sorong on Thursday.
As a legacy of cultural products of the people of Misool, Kajang boats, used traditionally as a means of transportation for generations, should be intensively promoted to become Misool Island's tourist attraction, he noted.
The Kajang Boat Race was also an effort to preserve the legacy of the Misool people's ancestors, while concurrently, the unique traditional wooden boats could have garnered international exposure through the visits of foreign travellers, Macap remarked.
Related news: Enchantment Festival to reveal wonders of Raja Ampat
Apart from Misool, three other major islands in Raja Ampat District are Waigeo, Salawati, and Batanta that are home to ancient rock paintings.
In total, Raja Ampat District has some 1.7 thousand islands, including the unoccupied and most scenic Isle of Wayag made of karst or limestone from other isles.
Related news: Raja Ampat prepares three locations for Maritime Festival
Its four major islands are home to a vast array of terrestrial species and valuable forests.
Raja Ampat is a crown jewel owing to its crystal-clear turquoise sea waters and several isles blanketed by a dense green carpet of forests and mangrove swamps.
The innate beauty of Raja Ampat isles, located on the northwestern tip of the Indonesian province of West Papua, is often viewed as heaven on earth, where the dreams of divers become a reality and nature lovers find an ideal place.
Raja Ampat, literally meaning "Four Kings," is located in the Coral Triangle, the heart of the world’s coral reef biodiversity.
The seas around Raja Ampat Isles are home to the richest varieties of species in the world, including 75 percent of all known coral species. Related news: Raja Ampat preps for Maritime Festival on Oct 18-23, 2019
Related news: Ministry builds infrastructure to develop Raja Ampat tourism industry
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Translator: Ernes BK, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
