Have you ever heard of a place called THE LAST PARADISE? This name belongs to Raja Ampat, located on the easternmost island of the Indonesian archipelago of Waigeo, Salawati, Batanta and Misool. It is especially known for its colourful underwater life and ideal conditions for diving.
You can expect to live in overwater bungalows, which at first glance look like luxury resorts in the Maldives. In reality, however, these are very simply furnished houses (largely open) in which you only have a canopy bed and a fan. If you’re into luxury, this may not be the right destination for you.
Toilets and showers are very basic, it’s often mixed salt and fresh water and you share lunch and dinner with other visitors. Nevertheless, it is a place that has left us with the most beautiful memories.
How to get to Raja Ampat?
If you decide to come to this paradise, look for flights to Sorong. From there you need to take the local ferry to Waisai Island, which runs 2 times a day, at 9am and 2pm. Everything from people, motorbikes, food and sometimes even animals are transported on this boat.
You can choose between two types of tickets – economy class, which is usually quite full but still in relatively good condition. You will pay 7,5€ for an economy class ticket. The second option is the VIP ticket, which costs once as much 15€. You will find there an air-conditioned room with comfortable seats, and they even show a film in English during the ride. The journey from Sorong Town to Waisai Port will take approximately 2 hours.
From the port of Waisai, you will take a boat to the island you have chosen as your holiday destination. We recommend contacting the homestay where you will be staying to arrange this transfer. Alternatively, you can find someone to share the boat with, which will save you a lot of money. We searched for this information in a Facebook group called Stay Raja Ampat Travellers Forum or Raja Ampat Sharing Boat and Trips.
If you’re in Indonesia and going to Bali, don’t forget to check out the 14-day itinerary we’ve prepared for you in our article: Are you travelling to Bali? Here’s the perfect itinerary for 14 days!
Accommodation in Raja Ampat
Life on Raja Ampat works a little differently than everywhere else in Indonesia. You won’t find any accommodation on well-known platforms such as Booking or Airbnb. The complete offer of accommodation in homestays can be found on the website Stayrajaampat, where you can see the facilities of each place and guest reviews.
The price is reasonable and includes a full board along with unlimited drinking water, coffee, tea and some snacks during the day. So when you decide to spend your holiday in Raja Ampat, everything will be taken care of. Your task will be just to relax and enjoy the surrounding beauty.
From our own experience we can recommend Beser Bay Homestay, Nus Homestay on the island of Kri and Lagoon Homestay on the island of Rufas. You will live in overwater bungalows. Inside there is only a canopy bed, a fan and in some cases a wardrobe.
On some islands they also have problems with rats, so you will be given a container to put all your food and drugs in to avoid unnecessary problems.
What you need to prepare for, however, is limited electricity. The electricity in Raja Ampat usually works only in the evening, from about 6 pm to 6 am. Be sure to bring an external charger that you can use throughout the day to recharge your stuff.
Which island should you choose?
There are many islands in Raja Ampat and each of them is special. So it’s up to you whether you want an island that is more touristy or, on the contrary, completely secluded. Some of the islands are also ideal for diving enthusiasts as they have the best diving centres.
The best islands are Arborek and its surroundings, Rufas and island Kri because of its location and accommodation offer. All these places offer great conditions for snorkelling and are also strategically located for excursions.
Kri Island
Our favourite island was Kri. It has a great location for excursions in the area, offers a great range of accommodation and is also home to the best scuba diving centre – Soul Scuba Divers. We stayed at Nus Homestay, which was the best accommodation during our two-week adventure in Raja Ampat. In addition to offering a bungalow with a sunset view, we liked the varied food – a combination of vegetables, rice and fresh fish.
The homestay has several water bungalows, which means that there will probably be other tourists there during your stay. It is therefore an ideal opportunity to share trips and save a lot of money on boat transfers, which can be considered the most expensive item of the whole holiday in Raja Ampat. Among the best excursions in the area of Kri we rank definitely sandbank Pasir Simbul or Cape Kri.
Shared showers and toilets can be a drawback. The showers have salty-sweet water and you also need to be prepared for a very weak flow of water. Often you will have to wash yourself with small water containers. But it’s nothing that can’t be handled.
The biggest plus of Nus Homestay is the manager Afri. She speaks excellent English and will help you plan trips and transportation from one island to another one.
During our stay at Nus Homestay, it was my birthday and she helped Thomas to organize the surprise. She provided him with a beer and a cake with my name on it. Children from the surrounding islands also came to the island, built a huge bonfire and we sang together after dinner and had a really nice time with the locals. I’m sure I won’t forget this birthday easily.
Rufas Island
The island of Rufas is a bit different from the Kri Island. It is located in a secluded location, which, however, has a very good strategic position. You will stay in the lagoon, where there are only 8 houses. There are two homestays – Lagoon Homestay and Rufas Homestay. We stayed at the Lagoon Homestay because it has slightly nicer showers and rooms. You will enjoy much more privacy here. The signal on this island is very weak and therefore it is ideal for someone who likes peace and solitude.
Rufas Island is just a 10-minute boat ride from the famous Piaynemo viewpoint. You will pay only 30€ for the trip (price for the whole boat, which has a capacity of 4 people). If you are lucky enough to have other guests staying at the homestay at the time, you can share the boat and save extra money.
Around the island of Rufas there are also perfect conditions for snorkeling or diving. If you don’t have a snorkel or fins with you, you can rent them here for 3€ per day. There are many trips from other islands to Rufas Island and Piaynemo viewpoint, which cost tens of euros for snorkeling and sightseeing. So living directly on the Rufas island is definitely worth it. However, be prepared for the fact that hardly anyone on the island speaks English.
Arborek Island / Gam Island
A great place for a holiday in Raja Ampat is also Arborek or the Gam Island. If you opt for the Gam, we recommend the Beser Bay Homestay, which offers up to two-storey overwater bungalows There are only 3 houses in total.
Of all the accommodations we visited, this one had the nicest shower and toilet (also shared, though). We were well looked after, even though the hosts didn’t speak much English. We had plenty of drinking water, coffee and tea in our room at all times. We also always got a tasty snack in the afternoon.
You can also choose to live on the Arborek, which offers great conditions for snorkelling. You can go on several excursions from here such as watching the Manta Rays at Manta Point, or a trip to the famous Wayag, or just to observe the animals in the area.
Trip to Wayag
Wayag is one of the most famous places in the entire Raja Ampat. It is an iconic place with dozens of small islands. The sight of them is truly majestic and we have never seen anything like it before. Among other things, the trip also includes a visit to the so-called Shark Point, where you can swim with sharks.
Prepare for a very long boat trip (about 3 hours one way). We did this trip from Kri Island and shared it with 12 other people. At first glance, it may seem like an extremely large number of people, but we wanted to do this trip for as little money as possible. The trip cost us 60€ per person.
If you want more privacy, you can also take a private trip or a trip with a smaller group of people, for which you will pay from 300-500€. However, again, you are not guaranteed not to meet a similarly large group as we were. We were looking for people for the trip through the Stay Raja Ampat Travellers Forum Facebook group.
What should you know before your holiday in Raja Ampat?
- It is essential to bring plenty of cash – there are no ATMs on the islands. Alternatively, you can pay via Wise.
- There is no internet in some places – but Telkomsel has the best coverage.
- There is no shop or restaurant in most of the islands. If there are any,
they only have very basic things like toothpaste, water or soft drinks. For example, you will pay 6€ for a beer there. - Don’t forget to bring repellent and factor 50 sunscreen!
- Not a step without a snorkel and gopro in Raja Ampat!
- Before travelling to Raja Ampat, be sure to join the Stay Raja Ampat Facebook group.
Travellers Forum a Raja Ampat Sharing Boat and Trips.
Do you want to visit a place that is only visited by a few hundred tourists a year? Read our article: First Slovaks on Banggai Islands in Indonesia!
You can buy the e-book at a special price here.
* All links in this article including accommodation through booking are affliliate. All in one place. It won’t cost you any extra money or effort, it will make your planning easier and save you time. We would be delighted if you booked your dream holiday through them 🙂
