{"id":6697,"date":"2019-11-04T03:58:08","date_gmt":"2019-11-04T03:58:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/svtoucan.com\/svtblog\/?p=6697"},"modified":"2019-11-05T01:03:03","modified_gmt":"2019-11-05T01:03:03","slug":"a-taste-of-paradise-friwin-gam-and-penumu-islands-raja-ampat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/svtoucan.com\/svtblog\/?p=6697","title":{"rendered":"A Taste of Paradise – Friwin, Gam and Penumu Islands, Raja Ampat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Our destination is Penumu Island, 30 NM east of Waisai, where we\u2019re keen to do some diving. But there\u2019s no need to rush – there\u2019s plenty of great places to explore on the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Friwin Island looking west<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
The jetty at Friwin Island<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Our first stop is Friwin Island, a picturesque little place with plenty of space to anchor off the jetty.  Most anchorages in Raja Ampat are deep, we\u2019re told this is relatively \u2018shallow\u2019 at 25 metres! The only problem is that the current rushes through here at pace, so the only way to have a swim is to hang on to the dolphin line at the back of the boat. It\u2019s a bit like being in a spa or a wave pool. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Hang on Bruce!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We take the dinghies round the corner to the little island of Friwinbonda and drift snorkel the west wall – sadly there\u2019s a lot of garbage in the water and the visibility isn\u2019t great, but there\u2019s an extraordinary number of fish feeding in the current and some pretty corals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our next stop is beautiful Besir Bay on the south side of Gam Island. Another reasonably straightforward anchorage with manageable depths. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Dead calm at Besir Bay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
complete with gorgeous sunset<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The bay is huge, with limestone karst inlets and islands and we have fun zooming around exploring in the dinghies. We find some inland lakes that remind us of the ‘hongs’ in Thailand. Here’s a little clip of our adventures (not very good quality, but you get the idea)…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n