Tight Travellers

Ey up! We need to have a serious conversation about Raja Ampat.

Generally, most travellers who make it to Indonesia go to Bali. The slightly more adventurous ones make it to Lombok or the Gili Islands. A growing number get to Komodo. Raja Ampat lies off West Papua’s northwest tip. It comprises about 1,500 islands. Some marine biologists who have dived here regard its reefs as the most bio-diverse on the planet. More species of fish, coral and marine life than anywhere else on Earth.

We stayed at Gam Bay Bungalows on Pulau Gam in the Dampier Strait. This is the honest account of what it was like. It explains how to get there, what it costs, and why it rewrote our travel expectations.

This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission if you shop through our links on this site. This comes at no extra cost to you. Thanks for taking the time to read and helping us keep the blog going!

What is Raja Ampat ?

Raja Ampat (which translates as “Four Kings”) sits in the Coral Triangle, the global centre of marine biodiversity. Its reefs hold over 1,400 species of fish. The snorkelling is exceptional, with many sites beginning in knee-deep water right off the jetty. You don’t need to be a diver. You don’t even need to be an experienced snorkeler. Put on some goggles. Slide off the deck. Within five minutes, you will have seen more marine life than in any aquarium you have ever visited.

It is not an easy destination to reach. It is not the cheapest destination in Indonesia. And it is, without question, one of the most extraordinary places we have ever been.

Getting to Raja Ampat

Getting to Raja Ampat requires commitment. Here’s the exact route:

Fly into Sorong (SOQ) in West Papua. Most international travellers connect via Jakarta or Makassar on domestic budget carriers including Lion Air or Batik Air. Use Skyscanner to find the cheapest routing from the UK, which typically connects via Doha, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur before a domestic connection to Sorong.

From Sorong, take the Bahari Express ferry from Sorong Harbour to Waisai on Waigeo Island, the main port of Raja Ampat. Express ferry tickets cost IDR 125,000 for economy (about £5) or IDR 250,000 for VIP (about £10) there is also a boarding fee of IDR 5000. The crossing takes about 2 hours.

From Waisai, Aron at Gam Bay Bungalows arranges boat transfers to the property. Contact him directly via WhatsApp before arriving to coordinate timing. The journey from Waisai to Gam Bay takes roughly 45 minutes to an hour by speedboat, depending on sea conditions, and costs IDR 1,000,000. Same rate for everyone though, and there ain’t much bargaining going!

Entry Fee’s

One non-negotiable cost before anything else: the Raja Ampat Marine Park entry permit costs IDR 1,000,000 per person (approximately £40) for international visitors. This is mandatory, goes directly to conservation and local communities, and is valid for one year. Pay it at the permit office in Waisai on arrival, at Sorong ferry terminal before boarding, or online (if you can). Budget for this separately from accommodation and activities.

The fees don’t stop there. You must also pay the Raja Ampat Tourist Entry Pass; a fee that was introduced by the Raja Ampat Government in December 2019. Its purpose is to help defray the cost of installing and maintaining tourism infrastructure at the various tourist attractions in the islands. This costs IDR 1,000,000 (another £40).

And this is exactly why you need to be committed to travelling to Raja Ampat; that’s IDR 3,130,000 spent before you have even arrived at your destination! About 130 quid!

Make sure to get an eSIM: Mobile coverage is limited throughout Raja Ampat but Sorong has good signal. Download all offline maps before leaving Sorong and get an eSIM before arriving in Indonesia. After 12 months of travelling, we have consistently found the cheapest E-Sims on Trip.com.

Gam Bay Bungalows: What to Expect

Gam Bay Bungalows sits in a stunning little bay on Pulau Gam, surrounded by crystal-clear sea and lush nature. The bungalows are over water, which sounds like a marketing phrase until you step onto the veranda in the morning and realises the sea is literally underneath thy feet. The view from any bungalow takes in small limestone karst islands rising from the water in every direction, the kind of view that makes it very easy to get up for breakfast sit on the veranda with a coffee watching the light change.

Breakfast is delivered directly to the bungalow every morning, making a good start to the day. Fresh Indonesian food, coffee; the meal is small and basic but there is nothing basic about the view. Eaten on the veranda with nobody around and nowhere to be. We are not morning people. We became morning people here.

The owner, Aron, is genuinely one of the best hosts we’ve encountered across eight months of travel in Asia. Aron speaks English, responds on WhatsApp when the limited signal allows, arranges all boat tours and transfers, and has a quiet, unhurried approach to hospitality that fits perfectly with the pace of Gam Bay. He doesn’t hover, doesn’t hard-sell. He sorts everything you need and leaves you alone to enjoy it. Exactly right.

The bungalows themselves are traditional in style: wooden construction, with a decked area and a hammock where you can enjoy sea views, and the kind of setting that makes any shortcomings in the fixtures entirely irrelevant. The view from the bungalow is simply stunning, especially at sunrise, which we are now able to confirm from direct personal experience.

Snorkelling in Raja Ampat

Right, this is what everyone actually comes for, and it is extraordinary.

The coral reef accessible directly from the Gam Bay Bungalows jetty is the kind of thing that doesn’t seem real. Put a mask on, slide off the wooden deck, and within minutes you’ll be looking at a reef system that contains more life per square metre than anywhere we’d been in the Philippines, Borneo, Japan or the South Pacific. Reef sharks move past completely unbothered by thy presence. Sea turtles glide. Schools of fish part around you and reform without a second thought. The visibility on a calm day is exceptional.

The snorkelling is stunning and slightly different at every location. Aron organises boat trips to multiple snorkel spots throughout the bay and beyond, each one noticeably different from the last. Of all the excursions on offer, do not miss the Gam Special Trip, which includes exploring a stunning area and the chance to swim with moon jellyfish in a sheltered lagoon. It is one of those experiences that you read about and don’t quite believe until you’re actually floating among hundreds of them in warm, perfectly still water with karst islands on every horizon.

We did the half day trip to Manta Point (though we were not lucky enough to see any; making sure to visit during Manta season, October-April, would have definitely helped), Arborek Village and the reef just off its beach where we swam amongst some incredibly healthy coral, an abundance of fish, and even a sting ray! If you have enough time, and can pull yoursen out of that hammock long enough, also check out Citrus Reef, Korbaken Reef, and Friwan Wall.

For those who dive: Raja Ampat is considered by most experienced divers to be the finest dive destination in the world. Nearby sites in the Dampier Strait include Manta Sandy (for manta ray encounters, best from December to March), Cape Kri (wall diving with extraordinary biodiversity) and Blue Magic (schooling fish in volumes that beggar belief). Aron can arrange diving connections from Gam Bay.

Things to Do Beyond the Water

Bird of Paradise at Sawinggrai Village: The village of Sawinggrai is a short boat ride from Gam Bay Bungalows and is home to one of the most accessible Red Bird of Paradise viewing experiences in Papua. An early morning walk with a local guide to the forest above the village gives a genuine chance of seeing this extraordinary bird displaying in the wild. This is a legitimate bucket-list wildlife encounter that barely appears on mainstream travel itineraries. The birds are wild, the guides know exactly where to go, and the moment one displays in the trees above is something we will be describing to people for a very long time.

Piaynemo: The viewpoint that every Raja Ampat photograph you have ever seen comes from. A stepped wooden walkway climbs to a viewpoint over an astonishing panorama of turquoise lagoons surrounded by limestone karst islands. Aron arranges boat trips here. Go at opening time to have the viewpoint to thyself before the day tour boats arrive.

Arborek Village: A traditional Papuan fishing village on a small island in the Dampier Strait, one of the most visited in Raja Ampat and a good illustration of why. The villagers have managed tourism thoughtfully, the crafts are genuinely local rather than mass-produced, and the house reef at the end of the village jetty has walking sharks in the shallows most evenings.

Sunset from the veranda: Genuinely no further instructions needed. Pour something cold, sit down, look west. Some evenings the sky over the karst islands turns colours that don’t seem architecturally possible. And you may as well head back when the sun has well and truly set for some incredible star gazing.

The Food

All meals at Gam Bay Bungalows are prepared by the family and friends and served in the communal dining area. Fresh fish caught that day, rice, vegetables, fruit. Simple, excellent, perfectly suited to a day of snorkelling and boat trips. The food quality was consistently above what we’d expected from a home stay this remote, and the all-inclusive nature of the package means no decision-making beyond how you’re going to spend each day in paradise.

How to Book

Gam Bay Bungalows is bookable directly via Booking.com or through WhatsApp with Aron directly. We’d recommend contacting Aron via WhatsApp regardless of where you book as he coordinates transfers and activity scheduling that are easier sorted before arrival than on the day. Make sure to go with an idea of what sort of day trips you would like to do so you can bring enough cash!

Best time to visit: October to April is the optimal time for calm seas, excellent visibility for diving and snorkelling, and the chance to see migrating manta rays. May to September brings rougher seas that can limit boat trips and reduce snorkelling visibility. If you’re visiting specifically for manta rays, December to March is peak season. We visited Gam Bay Bungalows for 1 week in August; the weather was consistently sunny, visibility was good, but there were a few days of rough sea’s where plans did have to get changed.

How long to stay: Minimum three nights to properly explore the bay, see the Bird of Paradise and do at least one full day trip. Five nights is the right amount of time, and you will still leave wishing for more. Because of the amount of money it costs just to enter Raja Ampat, we would seriously consider spending as much time there as you can! It is likely a once in a lifetime trip, so make the most of it. Plan which islands you want to visit, and keep your fingers crossed there are fellow travellers you can share the boat costs with!

A Note On Responsible Tourism in Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat is one of the last truly unspoiled marine environments on Earth and it stays that way only with the active effort of operators, visitors and local communities. Take all plastic waste out with thee when leaving. Do not touch or stand on coral. Use reef-safe sunscreen only, or better yet – take a UV top. The marine park permit fee funds conservation directly. Aron at Gam Bay Bungalows has a clear approach to responsible reef access and guest expectations around marine conservation, which is one of the reasons we chose to work with them.

Our Verdict

Reyt. Emphatically, completely, without the shadow of a doubt.

Gam Bay Bungalows offers something genuinely rare in modern travel: an over water bungalow experience in one of the most extraordinary marine environments on Earth, hosted by someone who clearly cares about the place and the experience rather than just the booking numbers. The reef is extraordinary. The Bird of Paradise sighting is extraordinary. The sunrise from a wooden veranda above a turquoise bay with karst islands in every direction is extraordinary.

Raja Ampat takes effort to reach and a meaningful budget to visit properly. It returns both investments many times over. We went in expecting remarkable marine life and came out with one of the best travel experiences of eight months across Asia.

If you’re planning a visit to Gam Bay Bungalows, reach out to Aron in advance, sort the transfers, pay the marine park permits without complaint, and then let it be whatever it turns out to be. It will be more than you expect.