RAJA AMPAT

1. Stay in a homestay

We stayed for 3 nights at Beser Bay Homestay and 5 nights at Raja Ampat Blue Sea. We really felt like we had found the “last paradise.” For two people, we paid $38 per night including all of our meals.

Some people think the homestays in Raja Ampat are really simple to be so affordable, but these ones are so comfortable.

From our deck, we could fall asleep in the hammock, listening to the luminous birds, watching schools of fish or a baby shark swim by . . . . It really is paradise.

The food is absolutely delicious! 😋 Some of the best food we had in all of Indonesia. And the homemade cakes in the morning? Just perfect.

There’s a house reef you can walk to that’s just beautiful with colorful coral, lots of fish, and so many clownfish—my favorite! And you can rent a kayak for 100,000 IDR a day.

We even saw a cuttlefish float past our bungalow!

2. Choose a homestay with a house reef

Even though we went on scuba diving and snorkeling trips to popular sites like Friwen and Mioskon, while snorkeling at our homestays we had the best sightings! To see plenty of sea turtles, stay at a homestay on Kri Island and snorkel from the Soul Scuba jetty. To find clownfish and truly giant clams, stay on either Kri Island or in Yenuba Village to snorkel from the Yenuba jetty. Our favorite snorkeling was at Raja Ampat Blue Sea, where we spotted lionfish, cuttlefish, sea turtles, eels, and sea snakes right from the jetty!

3. Stay on only one or two islands

Since the biggest expense of traveling in Raja Ampat is getting from island to island by speedboat, you’ll save the most money by picking only one or two islands to stay on. For the best budget homestays, make sure to stay at either Beser Bay or Raja Ampat Blue Sea homestays on Gam Island! You can even have a great time (like we did) staying at both.

4. Share the cost of day trips

When we visited Raja Ampat, we really wanted to see Piaynemo Point. Next to Wayag, it might be the most famous image of Raja Ampat. So when I was quoted 176 euros per person plus a snorkeling or diving fee, I was heart broken. Piaynemo looked beautiful, but I couldn’t justify spending over 300 euros to get there.

We did manage to see the famous Piaynemo, and we did it for $50 a person—much less than 176 euros! Here’s how.

We booked a stay at Beser Bay Homestay and met another family to share the trip with (5,000,000 split between 5 people). Staying at a homestay is one of the best ways to meet likeminded budget travelers to share trips like Piaynemo with.

5. Meet other travelers on Facebook

The best, budget way to get around Raja Ampat is by connecting with other travelers at your homestay or in this Facebook group. Speed boats can carry between four and six people, so you’ll be able to share the cost of the trip.

A speed boat from Wasai to Gam Island costs around 700,000 IDR, Gam Island to Kri Island costs around 500,000 IDR, and Gam or Kri Island to Wasai costs around 800,000 IDR. Prices are by boat, so sharing with other travelers is the best way to save money.

If you’re traveling during low season (June to August), there might be less travelers looking to share the costs of day trips and transportation with, but for all other times of year, the Facebook group is great.

6. Travel during the off-season

The off season from May to September is the best time to visit Raja Ampat for budget travelers. That’s because homestays on Booking.com offer the biggest discounts on stays! At two homestays, Beser Bay Homestay and Raja Ampat Blue Sea, we booked for just $38 a night with a Booking.com getaway deal, while these homestays usually charge up to $70 per night!

7. Don’t forget travel insurance and dive insurance!

When planning a budget trip, the last thing you want to happen is getting stuck with a tens of millions of rupiah medical bill. Since Raja Ampat is so remote, if you have a medical emergency, you’ll also need to pay for the cost of emergency transport like a helicopter, costing thousands of dollars. We always travel with insurance from HeyMondo and have already saved thousands of dollars on medical bills!

Did you know it’s illegal to scuba dive in Indonesia without dive insurance? If you’re planning to scuba dive in Raja Ampat, you need dive insurance first. Especially since Raja Ampat is so remote, emergency assistance like getting to a decompression chamber can cost thousands of dollars. That’s why dive resorts and dive shops won’t let you dive without it. We purchased dive insurance from DAN for about $130 per year for two people! Sign up for DAN dive insurance here.

How to Visit Raja Ampat

How to Get There

One of the best things about Raja Ampat is how remote it is, but that means getting there takes some planning. First, you’ll need to fly into Domine Eduard Osok Airport in Sorong. The flight takes around three hours from Bali and most flights leave around 2:15am. From Sorong, you’ll take the ferry to Wasai, a two-hour journey. Ferries leave every day at 9:00am and 2:00pm. From Wasai, you’ll need to hire a speedboat to take you to your resort or homestay. A speed boat from Wasai to Gam Island costs around 700,000 IDR, Gam Island to Kri Island costs around 500,000 IDR, and Gam or Kri Island to Wasai costs around 800,000 IDR.

Best Time to Go

For the best weather, the best time to visit is October to April. For birding, September is a great month for both the Red Bird of Paradise and the Wilson’s Bird of Paradise. From June to August, the weather in Raja Ampat can be windy and rainy, so you’ll spend more time to wait for the right time to go out on boats for transfer, diving, or snorkeling. And you might not be able to get to farther islands like Wayag. We still went in mid-July and had a great time.

Where to Stay

Beser Bay Homestay – One of two best budget accommodations in Raja Ampat. (The second is Raja Ampat Blue Sea). Spacious two-story bungalows, kayaks on rent, a nearby house reef, and delicious homemade food.

Raja Ampat Blue Sea – The second of the best budget accommodations in Raja Ampat. Blue Sea has the best house reef of anywhere we stayed. Add to that the only private bathrooms of any homestay we stayed, spacious bungalows, and delicious homestay food, and this place really is a home away from home in paradise.

Rumah Marianne (Sorong) – Stay at this comfortable, budget-friendly hotel while transiting in Sorong.​​​​

How to Get There

One of the best things about Raja Ampat is how remote it is, but that means getting there takes some planning. First, you’ll need to fly into Domine Eduard Osok Airport in Sorong. The flight takes around three hours from Bali and most flights leave around 2:15am. From Sorong, you’ll take the ferry to Wasai, a two-hour journey. Ferries leave every day at 9:00am and 2:00pm. From Wasai, you’ll need to hire a speedboat to take you to your resort or homestay. A speed boat from Wasai to Gam Island costs around 700,000 IDR, Gam Island to Kri Island costs around 500,000 IDR, and Gam or Kri Island to Wasai costs around 800,000 IDR.

Tips for Making the Most of Your Trip

Make sure to bring enough cash! There are no ATM’s outside of Sorong and Wasai. While you can book your accommodation online on Booking.com and Stay Raja Ampat, you’ll need cash to pay homestays for experiences and transfer between islands. (Resorts and dive centers like Soul Scuba have online or card payments available).

There’s almost no Wifi or cell coverage. Most people come there for that reason, but Telkomsel is the best network! It won’t always be enough to send photos or videos, but you should be able to send texts over Whatsapp. Both Beser Bay and Blue Sea homestays have great Telkom cell coverage. Make sure to download the “MyTelkomsel” app to but more data during your trip. (International card payments are available through the app).

Download these apps before your trip! Download PADI for logging your dives, and iNaturalist and Lembeh Resort House Reef for identifying fish. (The last app was made for a resort on Sulawesi but much of the marine life is similar).