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An Indonesian Navy Liquid Oil Support Ship (BCM) and a Traditional Outrigger Canoe
Sorong Harbour, like the Southwest Papuan city itself, is a study in contrasts.
Sorong, the largest city in the newly-formed Indonesian province of Southwest Papua, is the sort of place people usually go through rather than to. As the logistics hub for Indonesia’s thriving eastern oil and gas frontier, it harbours a busy industrial port. For tourists and scientists, it is the gateway to Raja Ampat, a collection of over 1,500 islands famous for its magnificent coral reefs and the richest marine biodiversity on earth.
Unlike most tourists who simply transit, myself and roughly 100 other travellers had limped into harbour on an incapacitated vessel and were anchored there for several days. Our small ship, the Australian-registered Coral Geographer, was meant to be in the waters of Raja Ampat. Unfortunately, mechanical, bureaucratic, and communication problems had forced our unexpected return to Sorong, barely a week after we had set off from there.
On the plus side, we were serviced by a wonderful tour crew who did their best to organise impromptu off-vessel excursions using the ship’s tenders.
One day, we headed to the nearby island of Doom (see: Midday Sun on the Island of Doom). Later, some of us explored another, very different destination: Pulau Soop. Sometimes know as Tsiof, this is a small island with less than 1500 inhabitants
The next day a small group of us took a cab from Sorong Harbour to the Sapta Ratna Pagoda, a Buddhist landmark attached to the Vihara (Temple) Buddha Jayanti. We then indulged in some shopping for batik fabrics.
Even within these three destinations, the contrasts were remarkable: the island of Doom that I have talked about before (see: Midday Sun on the Island of Doom) has Dutch-influenced colonial architecture and Second World War Japanese war-relics; the soporific Pulau Soop, is quiet with small houses, a simple Lutheran Protestant church, and sandy coconut groves; and finally, the city of Sorong features bustling streets. We passed multiple mosques and churches on our way to its surprising Buddhist landmark.
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The Colours and Textures of Fishing Boats
The flaking paint and rusty fittings on the traditional outrigger canoes in the waters around Pulau Soop speak to a simple, laid-back lifestyle.
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A Long Jetty
Fortunately, we had opted for a beach landing – I’m not sure how stable that pier is!
Outrigger at Rest
Seen all across Indonesia, this type of small wooden outrigger boat is known as a jukung, cadik, or kano.
A Boat in the Shallows
A Solemn Sandy Face
Southwest Papua has more than 52 ethnic groups living across its many islands.
Cutting the Coconut
Drinking a freshly cut coconut was the perfect way for me to rehydrate in the equatorial heat – and to contribute to the local economy at the same time.
Dappled Light
Mangroves shade the water’s edge, throwing shadows across the sand.
Metal Sheeting
The huts and houses here are simple affairs making use of ‘found’ materials.
In the Coconuts
Soop’s main settlement is on the north of the island; here in the southeast, mangroves give way to coconut palms and life is quiet.
Direction Signpost
We are about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) west of the city of Sorong on the mainland and 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) west of the very-different island of Doom that we visited earlier in the day (see: Midday Sun on the Island of Doom). (iPhone15Pro)
Fish Drying
Food here is in the sea and in the trees. As I wander past the coconut trees, I find fish on corrugated iron sheeting, drying in the sun.
Washing on the Line
The small houses are neatly marked off from each other.
Marthen Luther Church
Lutheran missionaries made inroads into this region in the mid-1800s, and over 60% of people in Southwest Papua are Christian.
Young Women
Mother and Child
The local women are happy to show off their children; the little ones are less certain.
Kids Sending Us Off
The older children rush to the jetty to wave us off as our tender leaves the island.
Malaillo Wooden Liveaboard Schooner
The next day, our tenders take us into the busy Sorong Harbour, where the ships range from traditional fishing vessels to oil tankers and elegant luxury tourist boats like these ones.
Scenes from a Taxi: Mosques Everywhere
Our ship’s passengers head off in all directions; four of us jump in a taxi to visit a Buddhist temple I had spotted on TripAdvisor. We pass all manner of mosques and churches on the busy streets enroute.
Sapta Ratna Pagoda
It was a steep and winding drive up to the temple complex – which seems to go by many names. After checking in at the office and paying a small fee, we climbed up to the pagoda itself.
View from Vihara Buddha Jayanti
From the top of the stairs, we have quite a view over Sorong Harbour and the many islands there. (iPhone15Pro)
Prayers in the Temple
The pagoda was built in 1992 as a place to store the ashes of deceased local Buddhists – however, as Buddhists represent only 0.1% of the population of Southwest Papua, it doesn’t get used often for that purpose.
Giant Bell
The whole complex is built in Chinese Buddhist style. Back outside, we ring the bell for luck and blessings. (iPhone15Pro)
Boats on Sorong Harbour
After spending some time – and a bit of money – in a local batik shop, we return to the docks to wait for our transfer.
Ships on the Water
Tankers and other industrial vessels are at rest in the port.
Over the Waterfront to the Pagoda
As our tender pulls away from the harbour, we have views over the ramshackle waterfront buildings, and the pagoda high on the hill.
GKI Bethel Doom
On the way back to our ship, we pass the island Doom with its Protestant church standing prominently on the hill.
Sunset over the Seas
Night falls quickly in the tropics. Back on our ship, we are treated to beautiful orange skies. (iPhone15Pro)
It was very much a case of making lemonade from lemons: the shore trips were interesting and enjoyable.
Even so, we all hoped that the mechanical gods would line up, and we would finally be on our way to the nutmeg-rich Banda Islands that were a central focus of our planned itinerary.
Until then,
Safe Sailing!
Photos: 28-29March2025
