Raja Ampat is a destination renowned for its pristine turquoise waters, abundant marine life, and breathtaking landscapes. During our stay in Raja Ampat, we went on an unforgettable day trip to Piaynemo, a hidden gem tucked away in the heart of this Indonesian archipelago. It’s a perfect day trip from the islands, and you will be mesmerised by the jaw-dropping panoramic views, vibrant coral reefs, and the untouched beauty that awaits!
WHAT IS PIAYNEMO?
Piaynemo, also known as Pianemo, is a popular destination within the Raja Ampat archipelago in Indonesia. It is a group of small islands, famous for its iconic viewpoint offering breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding islands and lagoons, as well as its rich marine biodiversity. Many tourists visit Piaynemo as part of a day trip from nearby homestays or liveaboard boats.
HOW DO I GET THERE?
Piaynemo is only accessible by boat, and we organised our day trip through our local homestay, Lumba Lumba Guest House. It was a flat rate of 3,500,000 IDR ($233 USD) for the boat. However, some other homestays charge up to 6,000,000 IDR ($400 USD) for a day trip to Piaynemo, so when you’re looking for a homestay, make sure you check the “activities” section of the Stay Raja Ampat website to check the cost of the trip. If you meet friends/other guests during your stay in Raja Ampat, you can split the costs of a boat to Piaynemo.
COST
There are no extra associated costs with visiting Piaynemo except for chartering the boat for the day. When entering Raja Ampat, tourists have to pay a Tourist Entry Fee so there are no additional fees to pay at Piaynemo.
ITINERARY
Our journey began with an early 7 am departure time from our homestay on Kri Island. The boat ride from Kri to Piaynemo took about 1.5 hours. It was absolutely stunning the whole way, and we saw flying fish, jellyfish, and tons of sea birds on our journey over. Our boat captain & homestay owner, Dedy, also told us that there are dolphins in the area to keep an eye out for!
PIAYNEMO VIEWING PLATFORM
Upon reaching Piaynemo, we were blown away by the massive karst formations that appeared out of the water. The water was a bright and beautiful turquoise. We pulled into the dock and disembarked onto the pier. The whole area was surrounded by beautiful lush greenery. There were a few little convenience stands set up at the dock, selling little snacks and cold drinks.
We followed the wooden path towards the viewpoint, and it was a very easy less than 10 minute hike up to the top. The trail is very clearly marked, and there are railings on either side. The trail took us through a dense forest, alive with the sound of exotic birds and insects.
As we reached the top viewing platform, we were rewarded with a breathtaking panoramic view of the iconic formations, jutting out from the turquoise waters. The panoramic view is simply indescribable, with countless islands scattered across the horizon, creating a surreal and almost dreamlike scenery. There are multiple big & spacious viewing platforms, where visitors can relax and take photos from.
We took our time at the top, capturing some photos, taking in the stunning view, and flying the drone from some epic shots.
The hike back down was a quick 5 minute stroll down the other side of the mountain, where our boat picked us up at the dock.
STAR LAGOON
At this point, it was only about 10 am and we didn’t really know what to expect of the rest of the day trip, because because we thought there would be more hikes or other things to do near the viewpoint. The viewpoint itself is quite a touristy photo op destination with not much else to do, and in total we spent less than an hour around there.
Not to disappoint, Dedy suggested we visit another beautiful view point in the area called Star Lagoon. It was a quick 5 minute boat trip from the Piaynemo view point to arrive at Star Lagoon, and we were so lucky to have it all to ourselves!
Unlike the Piaynemo view point which is very built up for tourists with stairs and railings, the path up to the top of Star Lagoon is a scramble up the side of the rock face. It’s not a difficult climb and we both managed in flip flops, but it definitely requires more balance and coordination to get up and down. The path is quite narrow and would be much more difficult to climb if there was a big group of people there.
It took us less than 5 minutes to get to the top, and we were blown away by the incredible 360 degree view of the lagoons below. The karst formations make a star shaped design in the lagoon below, hence the name.
If you’re doing a day trip to Piaynemo, definitely ask your driver to take you around the corner to Star Lagoon.
SNORKELLING PIAYNEMO
After descending from Star Lagoon, it was time to cool off in the beautiful waters surrounding Piaynemo. We drove to a nearby snorkelling spot and hopped in, swimming through the beautiful coral reefs, seeing tons of marine life, and freediving the underwater wonderland.
MANTA POINT
The last stop on our itinerary for the day was visiting the famous Manta Point. Unfortunately, we had arrived in Raja Ampat a few weeks after the end of manta season, so we hadn’t been able to spot one yet! Manta Point was on the way back to Kri, and took about an hour to get to from Piaynemo.
As the name implies, Manta Point is the best spot to encounter the majestic creatures, due to the manta cleaning station located there. A manta cleaning station is where mantas gather to receive cleaning services from smaller cleaner fish. Mantas often have parasites and other organisms attached to their bodies, which can impact their health. The cleaning stations provide an opportunity for the mantas to have their parasites removed by the cleaner fish, which are specialised in feeding on the parasites. Isn’t nature neat!
We pulled up to the manta point free standing dock, and enjoyed a pre-prepared lunch provided by our homestay. After lunch, we snorkelled a bit under the dock and then went out with Dedy in search of the beautiful mantas. The water was murky and quite deep, so it was hard to tell what was on the ocean floor. Dedy said that he spotted 2 mantas while we were swimming, but they darted away before he had the chance to alert us.
Sadly, we did not get to see any mantas in Raja Ampat, but it was still amazing to snorkel at manta point and we got to see two GIANT and colourful lobsters! If you come to Raja Ampat during manta season (September through April), it is basically guaranteed that you will get to swim and snorkel with the majestic creatures.
After our afternoon snorkel, we hopped back on the boat and drove the rest of the way home back to Kri. It was an absolutely amazing day seeing some of the most stunning scenery, and it is more than worth it to go and visit Piaynemo if you’re visiting Raja Ampat.
Different homestays probably have different itineraries, but they are generally very flexible in allowing you to see everything you want to see, so work out with your homestay the itinerary that works best for you!
THINGS TO BRING FOR PIAYNEMO
- Sunscreen & a hat – there’s not much shade on the viewpoints!
- Water – there are a few stores you can buy water if you run out but it’s always better to come prepared with your own reusable bottle
- Drone – if you have a drone, Piaynemo looks amazing from above
- Snorkel & fins – there are so many amazing snorkelling spots in the area to explore
We planned our Piaynemo day trip on our last day in Raja Ampat, because we were flying out the next day and couldn’t scuba dive anyways. It was the perfect conclusion to an incredible week in paradise!
