Home Stay at Raja Ampat.

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Centrals

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Stay Raja Ampat: The best Raja Ampat accommodation & travel information source
To those who prefer flexibility as well as freedom of choice on accommodation etc etc, this could be the best way to explore part of the world famous diving area.
There are only 8 Home Stays can provide diving and are divided equally between Palau Gam and Kri + another one at Aborek. Being land based operation there are limitation on dive sites available. There is extra cost for sites further afield.

My question to those who has extensive knowledge on diving in Raja Ampat: Are those sites around Gam and Kri (Dampier Strait) good enough to quench the thirst.

Cheers.
 
The video looks inspiring, thanks for posting it. I can't answer the question, yet. But as my experience of Indonesia grows I'm sure I will venture out to RA (I've gone as far as Bali diving to Komodo diving at the moment).
 
A quick calculation based on the info given, a two weeks trip starting and terminating at Sorong would cost about US$1,800.00.
13 night full board: IR500,000.00 x 13 = IR6,500,000.00. I am taking the average rate for the cottage ranging from 300k to 800k.
Round trip ferry from Sorong to Waisai = IR200,000.00
Round trip taxi between Sorong airport and ferry terminal = IR200,000.00
Park Permit = IR1,000,000.00
Transfer from Waisai to your Home Stay of choice = This is difficult to estimate because of location. IR1,500,000.00 would be a good estimate for a solo traveler with no one to share the boat.
Diving = 12 days of diving with 2-3 dives a day, 30 dives would be a nice number. The cost per dive is about IR500,000.00 so 30 dives =IR15,000,000.00. Operators might offer discount for various reasons.
Tips = Sky the limit.
Total = 24,400,000.00 = US$1,742.00(US$1.00 = IR14,000.00) + tips.

Not bad for a two weeks diving trip in Dampier Strait.
 
I did the homestay way last year. Stayed in Kri for 11 days.

Homestay 350,000 per night
26 dives at 400,000 per dive. Own equipment. Negotiated volume price.

Fam trip was an extra 700,000. Arborek trip extra 300,000.

There are times where we had storms so cancelled trip/dives.

Don't rent equipment as often its pretty bad.

Decent enough variety around Kri and Gam. I'm going back later this year doing pretty much the same thing.
 
I did the homestay way last year. Stayed in Kri for 11 days.

Homestay 350,000 per night
26 dives at 400,000 per dive. Own equipment. Negotiated volume price.

Fam trip was an extra 700,000. Arborek trip extra 300,000.

There are times where we had storms so cancelled trip/dives.

Don't rent equipment as often its pretty bad.

Decent enough variety around Kri and Gam. I'm going back later this year doing pretty much the same thing.
Which Home Stay and dive operator did you use in Kri? And what time of the yr when you encountered stormy weather?

Cheers.
 
Which Home Stay and dive operator did you use in Kri? And what time of the yr when you encountered stormy weather?

Cheers.

Nyampun Amber. Very small homestay. Many, many homestays on Kri.

I went with Wobbegong dive op.

The whole island is basically one big inter-related family ownership, both the homestays and the homestay dive ops.

I went over easter period.. there's occasional storms lasting a few hours. Often overnight but sometimes on the mornings. I lost the opportunity to do 2 or 3 dives due to storms. So not a big deal really.
 
Thought I'd throw my experience in, too.

Spent 3 weeks in the Dampier Strait in January this year between Kri & Gam. Stayed at Yenkoranu on Kri and then Corepen on Gam.

Yenkoranu was spacious, had a great overwater dining/relaxing space, and wasn't too busy. Over the peak period of
November to February the dive centre is run by an experienced French couple who are lovely. They'll give you the option
of which sites you want to do and run a tight ship. The house reef wasn't world class but made a nice afternoon/night dive
and had heaps of Sharks & Napoleon Wrasses. They tend to run out of Bintang from time to time.

Corepen over on Gam was delightful. Little huts on a secluded corner of a beach. The diving is run superbly by an Indonesian
couple with great English who absolutely refuse to designate the next day's diving until they have spoken to the group.
The owners don't speak much English at all but were awesome; they made eggs everyday for us ('saya tidak makan ikan dan ayam'
is your friend here - clunky Indonesian, I know). They would also go to Waisai nearly every day and were more than happy to pick
up Cokes and Bintangs for us at cost price. Baby Black-Tips cruising the beach and Epaulette sharks on the house reef make it magical.

DO NOT, and I cannot stress this enough, DO NOT take your own beer from Sorong. I had an over-zealous policeman in the harbour confiscate my beers (Only 2 cases of tall bottles between 2 guys - no biggie). I think they're protecting profits but I also felt bad that we'd maybe
been culturally insensitive; though the supply in Waisai seems endless so probably not.

Hope that helps. :)

Nick
 
Thank you very much guys, much appreciated.
Now all I need is two wks to cover both Gam and Kri.

My Indonesian is limited to "saya makan nasi"!!!!!
 
Just to add a bit to the discussion and clarify something, the dive sites accessible from Gam and Kri are essentially the same. Hence, to me there is no point to pack/commute/unpack (essentially wasting time and some money) just to move between Kri and Gam.

Gam is more quiet and a bit more pristine but with fewer accommodation options. Kri is busier with more options. Based on these, I'd suggest you make a choice and stick with it - both are really nice so you won't be disappointed.

In order to see different dive sites one needs to move at least to Arborek (Arborek jetty, Manta point, Manta sandy etc), or better to Pam (Pam wall, mellisa's gardens etc) but to stay there scheduling/time and money become more critical. Depending on demand, Kri/Gam homestays and dive operators arrange day trips there (some times including diving) for an extra cost.

To answer your question, I've been to the area 2 times for 3 weeks in total and it is definitely much more than good enough to quench the thirst.

Good luck
 

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