glina
Registered
Hello all,
It is a common belief that diving Raja Ampat is exclusively for the wealthy, but recently new opportunities opened up.
The homestays on the Island of Kri (the same island where Kri Eco Resort and Sorido Bay resort are located) now offer diving. As per October 2012 there were 3 homestays on the island: Yenkoranu, Mangkur Kodon and Koranu Fyak.
The accomodation is very, very basic. All places have wooden bungalows built with locally sourced material. We stayed at Yenkoranu, which at the time of our stay had one bungalow with 4 rooms and one bungalow with 2 rooms. Do not expect much privacy. Several new, part concrete part wooden bungalows were under construction as of October 2012.
The nearby Koranu Fyak (<50m on foot along the beach) has a couple of basic, single room bungalows, and if I remember correctly, the bungalows at Magur Kodon all have 2 rooms.
The rooms have nothing but a bed and a mosquito net + electricity sockets (only useful in the evening).
Magur Kodon has the nicest location at the western tip of the Island with a large patch of sandy beach where bungalows are located, but it's also the priciest.
Yenkoranu bungalows are not directly at sea, but they have a jetty where guest can enjoy the breeze while resting on hammocks. We spent a lot of time there.
Koranu Fyak had no jetty which I'd consider a drawback, but on the contrary their private bungalows offer most privacy.
The accomodation prices as of October 2012 were 300000 IDR (~30 US$) per person per day including 3 meals at Mangkur Kodon, and 250000 IDR (~25 US$) at Yenkoranu and Koranu Fyak, also with meals. There are no single-supplements.
Food was an usual fare of fresh fish, chicken, rice, noodles, veggies and fruit plus snacks (fried bananas, buns etc) served after diving. All was very tasty. People from other resorts were also very happy with their food.
During our 6 days at Yenkoranu, we were diving every day. We were diving together with people from Magur Kodon - these guys share boats, equipment and dive guides. There were 3 guides diving with us: Raymond (the owner of Magur Kodon homestay), Ellis and Alfian (both from Yenkoranu).
I've been told that other homestays on other islands also offer diving, but I was not able to verify this. I'm sure the Raja Ampat tourist office can provide more information.
Out of the three guides we had, Raymond seemed the most experienced. Ellis and Alfian were also very reliable and were very good spotters.
Rental equipment was all from Aqualung - brand new and in excellent condition. You only need to bring a mask, they have everything else. Nitrox is not available.
Diving at Yenkoranu was 450000 IDR (~45 US$) per dive, and included equipment rental. Divers with their own equipment get a discount. I think Magur Kodon was slightly more expensive at 550000 IDR per dive, but certainly negotiable.
Things were generally running without schedule and we would leave once everything and everyone was ready. Because of this, only 2 dives per day were possible. On Sunday we could only do 1 dive in the afternoon, as morning is reserved for church. Once things were running, they were running fine. Once at the dive site the guides would usually jump in the water first to check the current, and if the conditions were unfavorable, we'd venture to another location. On one day we went further away and had lunch on a beach between dives. This was a very pleasant day.
Then of course was the obligatory trip to the Manta Point (cleaning station) for which they charged no additional fuel surcharge. The nearby Kri Eco Ripoff (sorry, resort)) charges 25 EUR per person (not per boat!) for what is a 30minute ride in a country where petrol costs <1$ per liter. They probably know everyone will want to go there, and take their harvest.
We left early in the morning and arrived before people from other resorts and liveaboards. We sat there on sand for about 70 minutes watching the amazing spectacle with 6 mantas swimming around. Great memories.
Overall, the diving in Raja Ampat was nothing short of amazing. The guides certainly knew their sites and had excellent eyes. All dives were fantastic and packed with unique sightings. On one dive (Mike's reef) we were able to spot at least 20 different species of Nudibranch during a single dive (plus 4 sharks, Barracudas, Stonefish, Pipefish and an unimaginable number of different fish). For our final dive (on Sardine reef), Raja Ampat really knew how to say "goodbye". We had Black tips, White tips, Mantas, Wobbegongs, Bumpheads, Crocodile fish, tens of Nudibranch and all sorts of other smaller things, all on one dive. And to top it up, a huge school of Dolphins on our trip back during sunset hours. We all came back laughing with joy. Unforgettable.
Just one word of caution - do not go there and expect to be pampered. You should be very well aware of the risks, have a dive computer, check your air often and in general be wary of safety. Help is very far away (too far, in fact). On most dives the currents were strong to very strong. It's not a bad idea to have a reef hook in case a longer deco stop is needed in such conditions. The guides are supposedly Rescue Diver certified, and I think Raymond is a Divemaster. They are all trustworthy, but sometimes perhaps a bit too relaxed. Just be careful and things will be allright.
Additional information:
Getting there:
Only ExpressAir flies direct from Jakarta to Sorong and back (daily). Tickets can not be booked online and their website is not up do date. An Indonesian agent (such as ticketindonesia.info) can help book tickets, but ExpressAir only allows for bookings of 1 month in advance.
Sriwijaya Air, Lion Air and Merpati operate flights with stops in Makassar, Manado or Ambon. You can use ticketindonesia.info to easily compare prices and book. DO NOT plan to connect on an international flight on the same day when coming back from Sorong. Delays and misplaced baggage on connecting flights are the rule, not an exception!
The Boeing 737-300 operated by ExpressAir seemed quite old. With Sriwijaya Air we flew on 737-500 (Sorong-Makassar) and 737-800 for the second leg (Makassar-Jakarta). Lion Air has brand new planes (737-900 and ATRs), but with very tight seating and they serve no food on board. Their conenctions through Manado have limited baggage allowance (15kg). Merpati is a mixed bag of old and new - they have a bad reputation for delays but most of the travellers with met flew with them and had no bad experiences. They often have special offers and I once saw the Jakarta-Sorong and return flights offered for ~60 US$ each, but they were not on a convenient date.
Once in Sorong, go directly to the JE Meridien hotel opposite the airport. You can buy your entrance tag there (50000IDR=50$ per person, but they already have posters advertising the new price of 1000000 IDR=100$ per person. It's not clear when and if it will be introduced) They can organize transport to the harbor, where you will need to take a 2pm ferry from Sorong to Waisai. There are no other ferries so plan to arrive before noon. You'll need to arrange pickup from Waisai (another 45 minutes by boat) with your homestay or the Tourist Office in JE Meridien can do this for you. It's not a bad idea to book a room at JE Meridien for the night before your departure (Superior double was 450 000 IDR (~45$)).
Accomodation:
Cheap accommodation in Raja Ampat - Raja Ampat Homestays
Mangkur Kodon Homestay
Raja Ampat tourist office
Secretariat of Raja Ampat Tourism Management Team, JE Meridien Hotel Sorong
Tel +62 951 328358 | Fax +62 951 326576
info@diverajaampat.org
(excellent English and possibly also German is spoken!)
It is a common belief that diving Raja Ampat is exclusively for the wealthy, but recently new opportunities opened up.
The homestays on the Island of Kri (the same island where Kri Eco Resort and Sorido Bay resort are located) now offer diving. As per October 2012 there were 3 homestays on the island: Yenkoranu, Mangkur Kodon and Koranu Fyak.
The accomodation is very, very basic. All places have wooden bungalows built with locally sourced material. We stayed at Yenkoranu, which at the time of our stay had one bungalow with 4 rooms and one bungalow with 2 rooms. Do not expect much privacy. Several new, part concrete part wooden bungalows were under construction as of October 2012.
The nearby Koranu Fyak (<50m on foot along the beach) has a couple of basic, single room bungalows, and if I remember correctly, the bungalows at Magur Kodon all have 2 rooms.
The rooms have nothing but a bed and a mosquito net + electricity sockets (only useful in the evening).
Magur Kodon has the nicest location at the western tip of the Island with a large patch of sandy beach where bungalows are located, but it's also the priciest.
Yenkoranu bungalows are not directly at sea, but they have a jetty where guest can enjoy the breeze while resting on hammocks. We spent a lot of time there.
Koranu Fyak had no jetty which I'd consider a drawback, but on the contrary their private bungalows offer most privacy.
The accomodation prices as of October 2012 were 300000 IDR (~30 US$) per person per day including 3 meals at Mangkur Kodon, and 250000 IDR (~25 US$) at Yenkoranu and Koranu Fyak, also with meals. There are no single-supplements.
Food was an usual fare of fresh fish, chicken, rice, noodles, veggies and fruit plus snacks (fried bananas, buns etc) served after diving. All was very tasty. People from other resorts were also very happy with their food.
During our 6 days at Yenkoranu, we were diving every day. We were diving together with people from Magur Kodon - these guys share boats, equipment and dive guides. There were 3 guides diving with us: Raymond (the owner of Magur Kodon homestay), Ellis and Alfian (both from Yenkoranu).
I've been told that other homestays on other islands also offer diving, but I was not able to verify this. I'm sure the Raja Ampat tourist office can provide more information.
Out of the three guides we had, Raymond seemed the most experienced. Ellis and Alfian were also very reliable and were very good spotters.
Rental equipment was all from Aqualung - brand new and in excellent condition. You only need to bring a mask, they have everything else. Nitrox is not available.
Diving at Yenkoranu was 450000 IDR (~45 US$) per dive, and included equipment rental. Divers with their own equipment get a discount. I think Magur Kodon was slightly more expensive at 550000 IDR per dive, but certainly negotiable.
Things were generally running without schedule and we would leave once everything and everyone was ready. Because of this, only 2 dives per day were possible. On Sunday we could only do 1 dive in the afternoon, as morning is reserved for church. Once things were running, they were running fine. Once at the dive site the guides would usually jump in the water first to check the current, and if the conditions were unfavorable, we'd venture to another location. On one day we went further away and had lunch on a beach between dives. This was a very pleasant day.
Then of course was the obligatory trip to the Manta Point (cleaning station) for which they charged no additional fuel surcharge. The nearby Kri Eco Ripoff (sorry, resort)) charges 25 EUR per person (not per boat!) for what is a 30minute ride in a country where petrol costs <1$ per liter. They probably know everyone will want to go there, and take their harvest.
We left early in the morning and arrived before people from other resorts and liveaboards. We sat there on sand for about 70 minutes watching the amazing spectacle with 6 mantas swimming around. Great memories.
Overall, the diving in Raja Ampat was nothing short of amazing. The guides certainly knew their sites and had excellent eyes. All dives were fantastic and packed with unique sightings. On one dive (Mike's reef) we were able to spot at least 20 different species of Nudibranch during a single dive (plus 4 sharks, Barracudas, Stonefish, Pipefish and an unimaginable number of different fish). For our final dive (on Sardine reef), Raja Ampat really knew how to say "goodbye". We had Black tips, White tips, Mantas, Wobbegongs, Bumpheads, Crocodile fish, tens of Nudibranch and all sorts of other smaller things, all on one dive. And to top it up, a huge school of Dolphins on our trip back during sunset hours. We all came back laughing with joy. Unforgettable.
Just one word of caution - do not go there and expect to be pampered. You should be very well aware of the risks, have a dive computer, check your air often and in general be wary of safety. Help is very far away (too far, in fact). On most dives the currents were strong to very strong. It's not a bad idea to have a reef hook in case a longer deco stop is needed in such conditions. The guides are supposedly Rescue Diver certified, and I think Raymond is a Divemaster. They are all trustworthy, but sometimes perhaps a bit too relaxed. Just be careful and things will be allright.
Additional information:
Getting there:
Only ExpressAir flies direct from Jakarta to Sorong and back (daily). Tickets can not be booked online and their website is not up do date. An Indonesian agent (such as ticketindonesia.info) can help book tickets, but ExpressAir only allows for bookings of 1 month in advance.
Sriwijaya Air, Lion Air and Merpati operate flights with stops in Makassar, Manado or Ambon. You can use ticketindonesia.info to easily compare prices and book. DO NOT plan to connect on an international flight on the same day when coming back from Sorong. Delays and misplaced baggage on connecting flights are the rule, not an exception!
The Boeing 737-300 operated by ExpressAir seemed quite old. With Sriwijaya Air we flew on 737-500 (Sorong-Makassar) and 737-800 for the second leg (Makassar-Jakarta). Lion Air has brand new planes (737-900 and ATRs), but with very tight seating and they serve no food on board. Their conenctions through Manado have limited baggage allowance (15kg). Merpati is a mixed bag of old and new - they have a bad reputation for delays but most of the travellers with met flew with them and had no bad experiences. They often have special offers and I once saw the Jakarta-Sorong and return flights offered for ~60 US$ each, but they were not on a convenient date.
Once in Sorong, go directly to the JE Meridien hotel opposite the airport. You can buy your entrance tag there (50000IDR=50$ per person, but they already have posters advertising the new price of 1000000 IDR=100$ per person. It's not clear when and if it will be introduced) They can organize transport to the harbor, where you will need to take a 2pm ferry from Sorong to Waisai. There are no other ferries so plan to arrive before noon. You'll need to arrange pickup from Waisai (another 45 minutes by boat) with your homestay or the Tourist Office in JE Meridien can do this for you. It's not a bad idea to book a room at JE Meridien for the night before your departure (Superior double was 450 000 IDR (~45$)).
Accomodation:
Cheap accommodation in Raja Ampat - Raja Ampat Homestays
Mangkur Kodon Homestay
Raja Ampat tourist office
Secretariat of Raja Ampat Tourism Management Team, JE Meridien Hotel Sorong
Tel +62 951 328358 | Fax +62 951 326576
info@diverajaampat.org
(excellent English and possibly also German is spoken!)
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