The far flung Indonesian archipelago of Raja Ampat, 1,500 emerald islands scattered off the coast of Western Papua, are home to an incredible two thirds of the world’s coral species, more than 1,600 species of reef fish and 700 varieties of mollusc. It’s also possibly the most beautiful place I’ve ever been.

I explored this incredible region on Aqua Blu, a former Royal Navy coastal survey vessel that’s been converted to a superyacht, offering a commitment to sustainable exploration and a level of opulence that should keep any oligarch happy.

Aqua Expeditions acquired the ship in 2019. Inside, it’s a haven of calm, with colour schemes of soft grey and cream, with gold and silver accents and tasteful objets d’art, potted palms and sprays of orchids dotted around.

The route is dictated by the weather. From the bustling city of Sorong, we visited Waigeo island, before looping south overnight to Misool and back to Soring via Batanta island.

I emerged from the semi-coma of jetlag, after three flights and two nights in the air, to a world in high definition. Sheer-sided sugarloaf karst formations rise vertically out of the sea, sculpted by waves around the base so they appear to be hovering. Bottle-green rainforest plummets into improbably turquoise shallows, the shadows of the reefs below clearly defined. The beaches are white powder, scattered with fallen coconuts and pieces of broken coral.

Every day, we snorkelled over dramatic underwater landscapes and coral gardens in scarlet, lime green and electric blue, drifting in the strong currents as the underwater world unfurls like a speeded up movie.

At Daram, off the coast of Misool, the coral beds fall away into deep blue valleys where black-tipped reef sharks glide and sea turtles drift gracefully. A squadron of yellow batfish swam in perfect formation over the abyss, while a superhighway of thousands of bright blue yellowtail fusiliers streamed just beneath me, cutting across the path of a family of silvery squid. At Neptune’s Fan, we floated the length of an underwater gorge, over giant sea fans in scarlet, with delicate filigree patterns.

Another day, we paddled half a mile into the blackness of Tolomol cave, our torch revealing a soaring ceiling, more than 100 feet high, dripping with giant stalactites. Late one afternoon, the crew set up umbrellas and a pop-up bar on a tiny island, plying us with Tiger’s Spice, rum, lime, ginger beer and garam masala, as the sun sanks towards a horizon tumbled with storm clouds, lightning flickering inside them.

Every meal on Aqua Blu is sublime, fresh, imaginative and sustainably sourced by chef Adrian Broadhead, the ship’s food and beverage manager. Chilled cucumber soup, grilled barramundi, Vietnamese salad and mango sorbet for lunch. Long, laughter-filled, boozy dinners on deck under a starlit sky, featuring tuna with sweet potatoes and ginger puree, or slow-roasted lamb, followed by a rich peanut parfait under a dark chocolate dome.

Saving the best till last, we anchored off Dayang, on Batanta island, jumping into the water above shallow reefs where manta rays congregate to be cleaned by smaller wrasse. Dark shadows quickly appeared beneath us, three rays circling, tilting sideways to reveal their white underbellies, graceful and enormous, with wingspans of more than 12 feet.

Raja Ampat might not be everybody’s cup of tea. You certainly need to love snorkelling or diving. There’s no nightlife, zero shopping or culture and not even much chance to sit on a beach. But the exquisite beauty of the place, the marine life and admittedly, the extreme comfort of Aqua Blu to me are the dream: the absolute pinnacle of barefoot luxury.

I sailed as a guest of Aqua Expeditions and Steppes Travel. We flew from London Heathrow to Singapore, Singapore to Jakarta and Jarkarta to Sorong. Reaching paradise takes commitment!