How to get to Raja Ampat
Where to fly
To get to Raja Ampat, you need to book a flight to Sorong (SOQ) airport. There is direct flight from Jakarta, Bali and Manado, but from other destination around Indonesia, usually there'll be a layover in Makassar or Manado before you Sorong as your final airport. Buckle up and have some rest because it's going to be a long travel. Bring your favorite snacks and keep your self warm during your flight to Sorong
Where to go after Sorong
After a long flight, you've finally arrived in Sorong. You can take taxi from the airport which cost around IDR 100.000 to "Pelabuhan Rakyat" or book online transportation. You can let them know you're going to Waisai so they know where to take you. The fee for online transportation will depend on the platform you're using. Please note that online transportation isn't allowed to pick you up directly from the airport, you need to walk outside the airport to get your online transportation. Once you've arrived at "Pelabuhan Rakyat", you can buy the ferry ticket at the blue building located near the port. The ferry cost IDR 125.000/person for economy seat and IDR 250.000/person for VIP seat. There's also tax retribution for IDR 12.000/person to validate your ticket. This tax retribution only applies in Sorong and not in Waisai. There are two ferry schedules, the morning ferry leave at 09.00AM and the afternoon ferry leave at 2.00PM. Unless there's a big event or celebration in Indonesia like election, Christmas or Eid, the schedule applies from Monday - Sunday. The travel time from Sorong to Waisai will take approximately two hours.
How to get to Gam from Waisai
Once you've arrived in Waisai harbor, you can go to the Falaya harbor which located on the left side of Waisai harbor. In this harbor, there's also a small office where you can pay for your entrance permit and marine park card. There's a small floating harbor with a roofing where your pickup usually parks. We offer pick up from Waisai to Gam Island for IDR 500.000/boat for 1 way (shareable if we have another guest with the same pick up time at Waisai) with long boat and IDR 800.000/boat for 1 way (shareable if we have another guest with the same pick up time at Waisai) with speedboat. The travel time from Waisai to Gam Island will take approximately forty-five minutes depending on the weather condition.
Entrance Permit and Marine Park Card
There are two types of permits you need to pay when you enter Raja Ampat. The first is the entrance permit which cost IDR 300.000/person that can be pay directly on your arrival at Falaya harbor. For marine park card, it cost IDR 700.000/person and can be pay directly upon arrival or you can visit this website to book it online : Marine Park Fees - Kawasan Konservasi Perairan di Raja Ampat
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You can also contact this number to book your MarinePark Card
Nana: +6285243022825
Olivia: +6281272741714
Yoan: +6282198450540
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or send email to
How to pay
Most places in Raja Ampat usually take cash as their preferred method of payment, but nowadays we already adapt to accept payment with bank transfer from bank account or via apps like Wise and Revolut. We would suggest bringing some cash during your vacation as there are still lots of places require cash as method of payment. It would be easier to exchange some cash to IDR from your local banks or take some cash at the international airport you've arrived before Sorong. At the international airport, there are lots of machine you can try because sometimes you can't withdraw money from certain ATM. Please note that there are ATM that can only give you IDR 1.000.000/transaction so if you want to withdraw more, you need to make several transactions.
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There are ATM in Sorong, but it's limited to a few banks and the distance from one ATM to another is quite far. There are also ATM in Waisai, but it's located at the city center and only limited to BNI, Mandiri and BRI. It will cost IDR 50.000/bike if you wanted to go to withdraw the money from ATM using motorbike at the harbor. Please note that there's no ATM on Pulau Gam
How to prepare myself
Please do you own research before going to Raja Ampat. If you have certain diet or allergies, please communicate your diet or allergies to your homestay. Most homestay able to accommodate vegetarian or vegan, but your choice will be limited. Most homestay also serves rice as their primary source of carbohydrate. We would suggest bringing your own snacks in moderation. You can ask your homestay if they have plastic box to store your food to keep it from the rats
Around our area, you can buy alcohol or soda from the locals and at our homestay. Please bring cash with you if you want to buy the beverages from the locals.
There's also no waste management available in Waisai, so please be mindful on your consumption
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We would suggest bringing your own first aid kit and hygiene products because what's available in Waisai or Sorong might be different from what you are used to. Please note that for the ladies, there's no tampons available and only pads available.
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For Internet, we only have Telkomsel as internet provider in Raja Ampat. You can buy the SIM card at the international airport or buy the e-sim online. Please note that you need to register your IMEI number from your phone on your arrival at international airport, otherwise the internet might not be working.
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Bring your own waterproof bag as you can get quite wet during boat ride around the island. Reusable water bottle also important to keep you hydrated. You can fill them up at your homestay and avoid single use plastic bottles. You can pack your reef friendly sunscreen to protect fragile environment of Raja Ampat. In addition, mosquito repellent will be your best friend to avoid mosquito or bug bites. Papua used to have a high number of Malaria and dengue, but nowadays the number is dropped. If you need to take some anti malaria, please consult with your health care provider.
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For diving or snorkeling, dive center around the area do provide rental equipment. We would suggest bringing your own mask as it fits you best and there's also limited selection for the mask. For snorkeling gear, if your homestay owned a dive center, they'll be able to lend snorkeling gear for you. Please do your research about your homestay because most homestay who didn't have dive center, probably won't have the equipment you need.
Snorkel at our homestay
If you are a non-diver interested in experiencing the breathtaking nature of Raja Ampat, we are pleased to accommodate your needs. Please note that not all dive sites are suitable for snorkeling, as some, particularly in the pinnacles, may have stronger currents. However, there are protected areas within Raja Ampat that offer calmer conditions, ensuring a safe and enjoyable snorkeling experience. At our dive center, we charge IDR 200,000/person for snorkeling access on the morning boat, with additional fees applicable for trips. For a wider selection of snorkeling opportunities, we recommend visiting Kri or Arborek, as our offerings are limited compared to the diving sites in the region.