Best Islands in Raja Ampat For Every Kind of Traveler

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Summary: Where to stay in Raja Ampat depending on what you want to do and see on your visit.

As our small wooden boat rocketed over the rough waves and churning currents of the Indian and Pacific oceans, I reflected on my time in this corner of Indonesia. Raja Ampat was spectacularly beautiful. On land and under sea. I’ve dove and snorkeled in the nearby Togian Islands of Indonesia, Santa Catalina Island in Panama, and all across the many inhabited islands of the Maldives. But I’d never seen reefs and marine life like in Raja Ampat. The little collection of islands clumped onto Indonesia lived up to its hype. But when planning my trip, I found myself struggling to determine which of the 20 or so inhabited islands I should base myself on. Or how many islands of Raja Ampat I should plan to visit during a 2-week jaunt to the islands?

This guide will do the legwork for you. Here’s what I wish I had known about the islands of Raja Ampat before my visit.

Read More: If you’re a budget traveler hoping to visit Raja Ampat, fear not, it is possible. I wrote a full guide on how to budget travel in Raja Ampat. (*coming soon*)

A Quick Note About Travel in Raja Ampat

My biggest regret about visiting Raja Ampat when I did was that I was not a certified and experienced diver. I had tried my hand at it a few times and planned to do the same in Raja Ampat, but I didn’t realize how DIFFICULT the dives in this part of the ocean are.

Raja Ampat is known as the diver’s capital of the world. The best diving left on our planet. But if you only have a PADI certification you will not be able to dive at most of the sites in Raja. The currents are simply too powerful and the ecosystem too fragile.

This is also NOT a good place to get certified. Most dive centers won’t do basic certifications here.

But the good news is you don’t HAVE to dive to see the magnificent sealife and underwater wonders of the islands. There are lots of people who just come to snorkel and enjoy the beauty of this region of the world. The only caveat I have for travelers is, that you should be very comfortable in the water before you plan a trip to this country because you’ll be spending a lot of time in it.

Also, Keep In Mind…

If you’re an experienced diver you will likely be joining either a liveaboard boat trip or staying at a dive-specific resort. This guide is geared toward people choosing to stay in local guesthouses for the most part.

This is a local guesthouse.

Many of these islands also have dive centers, but if you’re certified and serious about diving you’ll probably find your needs better met at the more expensive but better equipt dive resorts. Here are a few of our favorites.

Raja Ampat Hotels

How Many Islands Should I Visit in Raja Ampat

This is entirely dependent on the length of your trip. We visited 3 islands throughout 12 days and felt like that was a perfect balance. But if you plan on doing a lot of diving in the islands you might prefer to stay at one island longer.

Note: Due to the time it takes to reach the islands themselves from where you’ll fly into Raja Ampat, I don’t recommend a trip shorter than 2 weeks.

Getting to the Islands in Raja Ampat

As I mentioned, getting to these islands on Raja Ampat requires that you fly into Sorong on the island of West Papua. From there you will take a public ferry to Waigeo. Then from there, additional privately hired boats to the islands of your choosing.

Like I said, getting around is a lot. Be sure to read my full guide on budget travel in Raja Ampat for all the tips on how to book your tickets and get around.

Booking Places to Stay in Raja Ampat

There are essentially two types of accommodations in Raja Ampat.

Dive Resort: Expensive, Well-Equipped for Diving

Guesthouses: Bare Bones Accommodation, Cheaper, Supports locals, Located on 10 or so Islands in Raja Ampat.

Dive Resorts can be booked on your typical booking platforms but DO NOT book guesthouses on booking.com. All the Raja Ampat Guesthouses MUST be booked on StayRajaAmpat.

The booking process is a little weird. Basically, you submit a form on their website to book the property and the property then has three days to get back to you via email to let you know if they have availability on those dates. Then you, in turn, have three days to confirm your reservation and pay in full through the Stay Raja Ampat website.

It’s 100% legit and the only way to book these properties. The reason is because of the unreliable and all-around poor internet on the islands. While some of the properties ARE listed on booking.com they don’t honor those reservations because they often don’t get them in time.

Reservations are a good idea, especially in high season.

Here’s the link again to start browsing properties: Stay Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat Map

Best Islands in Raja Ampat (Where to Stay in Raja Ampat)

Now let’s get to why you are here. What are the best islands in Raja Ampat to add to your itinerary?

Best Island For Beginner Diving in Raja Ampat – Kri

I know that diving is a huge draw for travelers to Raja Ampat, so Kri is the perfect place to start. Kri has a few dive resorts and centers on the small island and gets the most travelers of any island on this list.

And that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Raja Ampat is not a well-trodden destination so “more travelers” just means some other people on the island. This is helpful when you are planning off-island excursions because you can split the costs.

Kri also has incredible off-shore snorkeling from the main pier and really spectacular beaches. I put this island first because I think that all travelers should add Kri to their list of must-visit islands. We visited Kri on a day trip and I was kicking myself for not staying here.

Day Trips: You can take day trips to nearby islands rather easily but transportation in Raja Ampat is super expensive. So, it’s better to stay on the islands that you plan to explore.

Best Island For Snorkeling Straight From the Beach – Friwen

Friwen is a tiny speck of sand with very few guesthouses and fewer travelers. It’s perfect if you want a quiet, romantic getaway with spectacular off-the-beach snorkeling.

Specifically, from Nyandetor Homestay. We saw cuttlefish, sharks, colorful reefs, and rainbow-colored peacock-mantis shrimp every morning and enjoyed spectacular sunsets. Trust me, if you want a quiet place to snorkel with great healthy home-cooked meals…stay here.

Another perk of Friwen Island, you’re very close to a handful of dive and snorkel sights in the middle of the ocean. The Friwen wall for example. Which I 100% recommend to all undersea enthusiasts. We saw massive fish and some really unique coral formations here. Runner-up is the excursion to Batu Lima where carpet sharks are known to be found.

Best Island For Solitude in Raja Ampat – Rufus, Fam Island

It doesn’t get quieter or more isolated than this. Rufus is a tiny tiny little (smaller than Friwen) island very near the super popular Playaneimo Viewpoint Island. The island itself harbors a lagoon and is stunningly picturesque. Around the unsheltered exterior is some of the best snorkeling we experienced in all of Raja Ampat.

We even saw an octopus!

There is just one accommodation on the island called Lagoon Homestay and according to online, they can facilitate divers.

But this spot is OUT there. And there is little to do on the small island besides play in the water. But I mean, you’re in Raja Ampat, what else did you want to do anyway?

Best Island for to Join Tours in Raja Ampat – Arborek

The island of Arborek looks like a Maldivian Atoll. It’s perfectly oval-shaped and rimmed with soft white sand. This is a rarity in Raja Ampat because they aren’t particularly known for their beaches. But the real reason to stay here is the economical tour options. Many travelers plan on snorkeling sites out in the ocean (like Melissa Garden), visiting other islands on day trips, or making their way to the famed Playaneimo (or Wayag if you have the money). But the cost of these trips is split by boat. This means you benefit from more travelers around. Arborek is popular and centrally located with access to large speed boats so you can reach anywhere and have other humans to split the cost with.

Arborek has an excellent dive center that is willing to work with people who are uncertified. Again, super rare in Raja Ampat. They also have good snorkeling off the main pier and all around the island.

Another perk to Arborek is there are plenty of homestays to choose from, shops to buy snacks at, and even a few places to grab a sun-downer beer. My personal favorite homestay is Sunset Homestay. They have overwater bungalows and fans!

Best Island For Land Activities in Raja Ampat – Gam

Unlike other islands on this list, Gam is huge. It’s a massive forested island with steep inner “mountains” that hide the Red Bird of Paradise and other animal life.

If you’re interested in hiking, exploring an island, and spotting the Red Bird of Paradise, Gam is for you.

While Gam definitely has underwater activities and great snorkeling sites, it’s more known for its mangroves and on-land activities. The abundance of mangroves around the island hides large populations of archer fish too!

Gam was personally, my least favorite island, but I think it’s because we stayed too close to the main town of Gam and we were looking to spend all our Raja Ampat time in the water.

If you want to see the Red Bird of Paradise it only costs about $13 per person from here and consists of a short early morning hike with a local wildlife expert. We saw the unique bird, so I would call visiting the island a success. I wouldn’t, however, spend more than 2-3 days here.

Island I would Add to My Next Itinerary If I have Time- Mansuar

Mansuar is a weird-shaped, less-traveled island attached to Kri by a sandbar. It has great diving, pristine reefs, and nice beaches. It’s on my list, but we haven’t visited yet.

Raja Ampat Island Honorable Mentions: Misool + Wayag

These two islands are without a doubt the most stunning in Raja Ampat.

They are also ridiculously far away from everywhere else in Raja Ampat. Trips out to Wayag cost upwards of $400 per person. Misool is popular with liveaboard boats, for good reason. I don’t think there’s any conceivable reason that the average traveler would make the effort to go alllll the way out to these islands unless they had a full month and some money to spend. Even then, splurge on the liveabroad instead.

These 6 islands were my favorite islands in Raja Ampat. For all different reasons. Snorkeling, diving, beaching, solitude, whatever you are looking for as long as it’s wet, there is an island in Raja Ampat for you. Be sure to read my other blog post with all my tips and tricks for traveling in Raja Ampat on a budget to help you plan the perfect getaway. And browse my full page of posts helping you travel Indonesia independently.

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