The region of Raja Ampat in Indonesia is now only a single stop-over away for British travellers thanks to a new flight launched by Garuda Indonesia.

The Indonesian airline will now offer connections on its London-Jakarta non-stop service twice a week.

The national flag carrier, the operator of the only non-stop flight between the island nation and the United Kingdom, will launch a daily service between Jakarta and the city of Sorong in West Papua this month.

The industrial city is the key gateway to Raja Ampat, with travellers able to reach the destination via a two-hour speed boat ride to the capital of Waigeo Island, Waisai, the largest and most popular tourist island in the region.

Raja Ampat is famed as a maritime tourist area and has received worldwide attention thanks to its picturesque landscape and underwater scenery.

Beaches and coral reefs are dotted throughout hundreds of small, jungle-covered islands that jut out from the turquoise waters, with many luxury accommodation options offering Instagram-worthy villas sat out over lagoons. 

The Jakarta-Sorong route will be serviced by a Boeing 737-800NG aircraft able to carry 162 passengers, with 12 business class seats and 150 in economy.

“The new service from Jakarta to Sorong plays a key role in our strategy to encourage British travellers to travel beyond Bali and to see the diversity of destinations on offer in Indonesia,” says Micky Irfandi, UK & Ireland general manager for Garuda Indonesia.

“The new flight connects seamlessly with our service between London and Jakarta meaning it is only a single stopover away from London, just like Bali.

“It is our hope that it will entice travellers to experience a different part of Indonesia that previously may have seemed too complicated to visit.”