Uluwatu Retreat
Uluwatu Estate is an eight suite property on the cliffs high above one of the most dramatic surf beaches on the island, overlooking the vast expanse of the Indian ocean.
Misool Resort is a love story. It’s the story of being so completely captivated by a place and a project that no hurdle is insurmountable.
Misool Resort
This is a once in a lifetime experience. You won’t want to leave...
Misool Resort is located a four-hour speed boat ride south west from Sorong in Raja Ampat. Due to our remote location, we only offer stays for the duration of 7, 9 and 12 nights. These trips are pre-scheduled and the dates in which these trips start and finish are the only dates in which we have our transfer boat scheduled to depart and return to Sorong.
How would you describe Misool Resort in a nutshell?
Our resort is an intimate, tropical holiday hideaway, built on a private island in an archipelago of uninhabited islands. We are 165 km away from the nearest port, blissfully secluded and largely untethered from the modern world. No light pollution, no noise pollution, no mobile phone signal... in fact there is very little to distract you from the surrounding natural beauty.
Our resort island is leased from the local community, along with 1220 sq km of surrounding reefs. This No-Take Zone, which is nearly twice the size of Singapore, is patrolled by our Rangers. All our dive sites are inside this area, which means the reefs are just astounding... gorgeous corals, massive sea fans, patrolling reef sharks, pygmy seahorses, schooling tuna, giant manta rays, walking sharks...
When did you open the resort and what was your inspiration?
Our inspiration was the spectacular natural beauty of Raja Ampat. It’s hard not to be moved by the scenery, both above and below the water. This is the heart of marine biodiversity, and there just are no richer reefs on earth. The underwater world here is still pristine, and visiting is like stepping through a portal into an different time, before the global pressures of overfishing, shark-finning, and human overpopulation were rife.
We opened in 2008 on the site of a former shark-finning camp. Our respect for the natural surroundings and our commitment to the local community defined the way we built the resort. We didn’t buy any lumber and instead set up our own sawmill. When we opened, we had milled over 600m3 of reclaimed tropical hardwood. We used local labour as much as possible, and created apprenticeship programs to train our staff. We are so proud that many of our waiters, dive guides, and housekeepers started with us years ago as unskilled labourers. We’ve grown together.
Misool Resort is all about environmental and social responsibility. How would you describe your philosophy?
We want to raise the bar for tourism while rewriting conservation strategies. We no longer have the luxury of time, and we cannot wait for governments and NGOs to implement solutions to our environmental crises. All of us, including private enterprise, have a responsibility to our children and grandchildren to leave things better than we found them.
We must find sustainable solutions which decouple local economies from extractive practices which target diminishing resources. When it’s done consciously and intelligently, tourism can be that mechanism. Responsible tourism can empower local communities to reclaim stewardship over their ancestral lands and safeguard them from overfishing, mining, logging, etc.
To you personally, what is so special about this holiday resort?
Misool Resort is a love story. It’s the story of being so completely captivated by a place and a time and a project that no hurdle is insurmountable. And of course, the evolution of the resort runs parallel to the evolution of Marit and Andrew. We fell in love in Raja Ampat, and got engaged on the beach where the restaurant now stands...
Tell us a bit about Raja Ampat. What made you fall in love with this remote part of Indonesia?
Raja Ampat is like no place else on earth. It’s a network of thousands of islands, with a very low population density. The ecosystems here are comparatively intact, with unbroken swathes of monsoon jungle meeting the sea, and then pristine reefs below. It’s breathtaking.
The industrialised communities are already so far removed from nature that it’s easy to believe that we’re not actually connected at all, that we humans exist independently from the rest of nature. But that’s simply not true. The great gift of living here has been that I am reminded of this fact each day.
The local communities of this area are directly linked to the health of their natural resources. This interdependence resulted in generations’ worth of accumulated local knowledge. Our staff and our local hosts have been so generous with us and our guests, sharing their knowledge, remedies, and myths. Once you start learning all this and feeling the connection, it’s hard not to fall in love with this place.
To you personally, what has been the biggest reward about running a dive resort?
It’s like a huge puzzle. The project started as a tiny seed hoping to grow into a conservation centre, but the course changed very quickly. We couldn’t come up with a viable funding model for a conservation centre. And the more research we did, the more convinced we became that private enterprise with healthy reefs as its primary asset could be a very effective conservation tool.
So we ended up building a holiday resort, and the puzzle became even more complex. It’s been such a rewarding journey, especially to see how people are transformed by the place. Our holiday guests leave with a much deeper appreciation of nature’s magnificence and the threats against it. And hopefully they feel that they can be involved with finding solutions. Through contact with our guests, our 120 staff are reminded that their backyard is someplace really really special. It’s worth protecting, for their own children and grandchildren as well as for the rest of the world.
How would you like your holiday guests to remember their stay?
We want our guests to leave refreshed, relaxed, reconnected, and above all inspired. There is so much beauty in the world, so much to appreciate. It is my greatest hope that our story and our mission can encourage other folks to take a look at the corner of the world they inhabit and spend a few moments figuring out how they can leave it better than they found it. We all have that capacity, perhaps even that duty.
All of our facilities are built of reclaimed tropical hardwoods - we didn't cut down a single tree to build the resort. Our main resort area is inside a placid horseshoe-shaped lagoon. We have eight Water Cottages built on stilts over the water, each with a hammock integrated into the veranda and steps leading down into the sea. We also offer several Villas for those who prefer a more exclusive experience.
Our Dive Centre is fitted with a massive camera and equipment area, adjoining a comfortable lounge. The restaurant is tucked under the palm trees on the lagoon’s beach, offering a tasty combination of Asian and Western fare.
We have four dedicated dive boats at Misool Resort as well as a snorkelling boat and kayaks.
Our Water Cottages are built around a horseshoe-shaped lagoon, on stilts over the water. With steps leading down from your veranda and into the sea, the House Reef is just a few fin-kicks away. Each cottage is equipped with a hammock built right into the veranda. The en-suite bathroom features a Balinese-style shower open to the sky.
These two neighbouring villas are built on stilts over the House Reef. They feature a hammock built into the verandas. This is the ideal spot for early evening shark-gazing while the sun goes down. Villas Nasnoos and Wakachom each feature a master bedroom and an indoor living area with sofa. The sofa can be converted into another twin or double bed, and there is a partition to add privacy to the master bedroom. These Villas also have lounge seating sunken into the veranda as well as steps down into the sea. Perfect for 2-3 guests.
Villa Tabisasu is located on the eastern edge of the North Lagoon. This Villa, named after the local word for 'orchid,' features an en-suite bedroom and adjoining living area. The outdoor living-area face east and enjoys glorious sunrise views, all your own. This Villa is perfect for couples who appreciate a bit more space.
Deluxe Villa Utara is built on stilts over the water on the western edge of the lagoon and overlooks the House Reef and the spectacular dive sites of Fiabacet beyond. The villa consists of two en-suite bedrooms with a shared living area, loft, and a massive outdoor living area overlooking the house reef. We especially recommend this Villa for families or groups of 4-6 friends. Private dinners can be arranged on your veranda.
Villa Waya Biru is tucked into the jungle under a wild almond tree, this Villa features unrivalled views over the far southern horizon, with the powder-white South Beach just a stone's through away. This octagonal shaped room has a separate 'pod,' which you may like to use for meditation, yoga, writing, spa treatments, or simply snoozing. The bathroom is built into the surrounding rocks, with a view from the shower that cannot be beat. Hence the name Waya Biru, which means 'Blue Water' in the Misool tribal language. This Villa also features an extra octagonal shaped 'pod,' perfect for meditation or yoga.
Villa Moro Laiyn is named after the Misool language word for 'South Breeze.' This villa has a decidedly tree house feel to it. Like its neighbor Waya Biru, this Villa is surrounded by trees and jungle sound. From the octagonal-shaped bedroom, you'll be able to see baby sharks cruising along in the shallows of the South Beach. This Villa also features an extra octagonal shaped 'pod,' perfect for meditation or yoga.
Named after one of our island's most important spirits, Villa Kalanme is a complex of three separate en suite bedroom units, with a shared octagonal-shaped lounge area and huge outdoor living space. This Villa is particularly well-suited to those who enjoy greater privacy and gorgeous white-sand beaches. Private dinners may be arranged in the shared lounge area. Recommended for groups of 4-6 guests or families with small children.
Villa Santai is located towards the end of the South Beach, tucked under the coconut palms. This stunning en suite bedroom features expansive views over the Southern horizon from its huge terrace. Outdoor showers are the perfect place to admire cockatoos and hornbills flying overhead.
Villa Tenang is the last accommodation at the end of the South Beach. Enjoy the sounds of the jungle, with the sea right at your doorstep.
Most of our holiday guests keep to a pretty busy schedule of diving, punctuated by dining. We offer up to four tasty meals a day plus tea time each afternoon in our beach-front restaurant. In between, our guides are leading 3 to 4 dives each day. There are nightly lectures on what you can expect to see underwater as well as related conservation issues. We also organise non-diving adventures, like snorkelling trips, visits to ancient petroglyphs, tours of mangroves, kayaking expeditions, and picnics on deserted beaches.
If all this sounds like too much activity for you, I can personally recommend spending an afternoon lounging in one of the hammocks built into the Water Cottage verandas. There’s no better vantage point from which to watch the water colour change from incandescent turquoise to shimmering deep blue as the light changes. And then of course there is the spa...
The reefs surrounding our resort island are the richest on earth, and they’re utterly pristine. Our House Reef is accessible from the steps of your Water Cottage. We have a great variety of local reefs, all within 20 mins of the resort. And best of all, you rarely need to share a dive site with anyone else!
Deserted beach excursions are another favourite – we can drop you and your sweetie off on private beach with some loungers and a bottle of bubbly. One of my favourite tours is to a nearby mangrove area, which is a fruit bat roosting site. The surrounding rocks also happen to be full of wild orchids.
We can also organise a variety of excursions and expeditions, depending upon guests’ interests. We highly recommend a visit to the village, escorted by one of our local staff. This gives holiday guests a great insight into the local culture. Another favorite is a tour of 5,000 year old petroglyphs, which are hidden inside a labyrinthine network of lagoons and karst outcroppings. It’s an eerie and beautiful place, and it’s not hard to imagine why it’s been a place imbued with spiritual importance for so many generations.
Raja Ampat is like no place else on earth. It’s a network of thousands of islands, with a very low population density. The ecosystems here are comparatively intact, with unbroken swathes of monsoon jungle meeting the sea, and then pristine reefs below. It’s breathtaking.
Misool private island resort is located a four-hour speed boat ride south west from Sorong in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. Due to our remote location we only offer stays for the duration of 7 nights, 9 nights, and 12 nights. These trips are pre-scheduled for each season and the dates in which these trips start and finish are the only dates in which we have our transfer boat scheduled to depart and return to Sorong. You will need to be in Sorong on the start date of your trip by no later than 8am. On the departure day from the resort you will arrive back into Sorong at approximately 5 - 6pm, and will spend one night there (this is included in your accommodation package price). You are then able to fly out of Sorong again at any time on the following day.
My favourite time of year is at the start of our season, in September. This time of year is characterised by huge glittering schools of anchovies, moving in swathes of synchronised silver. In hot pursuit are mobula rays hunting in formation, dog tooth tuna, giant travelly, Spanish mackerel and other pelagics. All that fish and plankton in the water means the visibility is not fantastic, but who cares? There is so much action.
As the season progresses, all those anchovies are decimated by predators and the visibility clears up. By mid-November, we typically have absolutely flat seas and 25+ meters visibility. I’d recommend this time as well as February/March for those who are looking for clear water and expansive reef scenes. No matter what time of year you come, the lush soft corals and expansive hard coral gardens are beautiful and crowded with bizarre lifeforms like ghost pipefish, pygmy seahorses, and porcelain crabs. We close from mid-June to mid-September for the windy season.
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