Papua Explorers Eco Resort
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Booking by Tour Leader Club
3 room types · 50+, most of them 10–30 minutes away dive sites · house reef
Papua Explorers sits on the southern tip of Gam Island, right on the shore of the Dampier Strait — the middle of Raja Ampat, where the archipelago’s most famous dive sites are. Fifteen stilted bungalows line the shore, rainforest behind, reef in front.
The resort is built from local materials the traditional Papuan way: walls of daun bobo, a daun nipa roof, ironwood for floors and frames. It was put up as a project of the neighbouring village of Yenwaupnor, with the work given to different families and each trade staffed by one master and two apprentices from the village. Many former fishermen stayed on as the resort’s carpenters, mechanics and dive guides.
The PADI 5-Star dive centre stands at the end of the main jetty, directly over the house reef. There are more than fifty sites and almost all are 10–30 minutes away: Odtima five minutes, Mike’s Point ten, Cape Kri fifteen, Manta Point twenty, Blue Magic, Sardines Reef and Mioskon twenty-five. There is no surcharge for diving the Dampier Strait and no cap on how often you dive it.
The Dampier Strait means current and a great deal of life: schools of tuna, trevally and barracuda, napoleon wrasse, bumpheads, reef sharks on virtually every day, reef mantas at the cleaning stations and oceanic mantas out in the blue. Plankton keeps visibility at 15–20 metres at times, which is exactly why the encounters are frequent. Groups are capped at six with a head guide and an assistant each; everyone does a check dive and is eased into the currents.
The resort runs as an eco project and since 2018 funds its own Papua Explorers Foundation and SEA Centre: cassava bin liners, steel straws, reusable bottles for guests, water stations in every bungalow and on the boats, harvested rainwater for irrigation and laundry, low-flow showers. It holds the ISTA 2018 and ADTO 2019 sustainability awards.
Diving, snorkelling and excursions are for house guests only — outside visitors are not taken.
No markup
You pay exactly the rate the resort publishes. On top of that, only the actual bank costs of currency conversion and the international transfer — no commission of ours.
We run the deal
Correspondence with the resort, holding the room, the contract, booking confirmation and all paperwork are on our side. There is nothing for you to arrange yourself.
Card payment
We accept payment by card through Stripe and issue an invoice. The transfer to the resort is our job — you do not have to find a way to pay abroad.
Support all the way
We help you choose the room and dates, work out the dive package, answer questions about flights and gear, and stay in touch until you are home.
The exact amount is confirmed when we hold your booking: it includes the resort's rate at the day's exchange rate plus the actual transfer costs. No hidden fees.
About the resort
- Country
- Indonesia
- Location
- Raja Ampat, Gam Island, Dampier Strait
- Nearest airport
- Sorong (SOQ), West Papua
- Transfer
2–3 hours on the resort boat from Sorong, transfers on Sundays and Wednesdays
- House reef
- Yes — the house reef is right under the dive centre
- Dive sites
- 50+, most of them 10–30 minutes away
- Dive centre
- PADI 5-Star, groups of up to 6 divers
- Nitrox
- Free, except on night dives
- Rooms
- 15 overwater bungalows
- Internet
- Wi-Fi included in the package
- Languages
English, German, French, Italian, Indonesian, Turkish
At the resort
Diving
The Dampier Strait has current, and some sites do not suit beginners. Guides check the current before anyone enters and change the plan or the site if needed, starting the week on the calmer spots. Everyone does a check dive. All dives are planned without deco stops; a computer is mandatory, as are dive insurance, your own surface marker buoy and whistle. Bring your own reef hook.
Dining
Water, tea, coffee and afternoon snacks are included. Beer, soft drinks, wine and spirits are extra and settled in cash at the end of the stay. Special diets need to be flagged at booking.
Beyond diving
Rooms
Stilted bungalow
View: Dampier Strait
Beds: Double bed, a third can be added
The resort's main category: a spacious stilted bungalow of about 72 m². Walls of daun bobo, a nipa roof, ironwood floors. Inside there is a bed under a mosquito net, a seating area, a desk, a ceiling fan and an en-suite bathroom with hot water. The veranda opens straight onto the water with sun loungers, a hammock and steps down into the sea. Set up for one, two or three guests.
Smaller stilted bungalow
View: Dampier Strait
Beds: Double or twin
Two smaller bungalows — 55 m² rather than 72. Fittings and outlook are identical to the Deluxe: the same veranda with a hammock and steps into the sea, the same en-suite with hot water, the same handmade furniture. The resort offers them to solo travellers and couples who want to save a little. Set up for one or two guests.
Stilted villa with two bedrooms
View: Dampier Strait
Beds: Two bedrooms
The resort's only villa, also built over the water. Two generous bedrooms with their own bathrooms, a large living room between them, and an extra-wide veranda with a two-level sundeck running down into the sea. The resort recommends it for families, but two couples travelling together or a group of friends take it just as often.
Rates
Accommodation and diving packages, 2026
| Package | Twin share | Single |
|---|---|---|
| 8 days / 7 nights, Deluxe | 2973 € | 3624 € |
| 8 days / 7 nights, Superior | 2873 € | 3524 € |
Per person for the whole package. Includes an overwater bungalow on full board, up to four boat dives a day plus unlimited house reef, scheduled transfers, Wi-Fi and laundry. The resort does not publish rates on its site — these figures come from a dive tour operator's price list valid to 31 December 2026. Superior bungalows are EUR 100 less per person per week.
Discounts
| Condition | Discount |
|---|---|
| Summer season, May to September | 15 % |
| Returning guests | 10 % |
| Groups of 7 or more | eighth guest free |
Discounts can be combined, but 15 % is the maximum total. The group discount applies to double or triple occupancy with full board, diving and return transfer.
Compulsory fees
| Fee | Price |
|---|---|
| Raja Ampat marine park entry, per person | IDR 1,000,000 (about €65) |
| Visa on arrival, if your country needs one | $35 |
Paid separately. The fee is set by the Raja Ampat government and changes without notice. The tag is valid for a year from purchase — keep it if you return within that year.
Drinks at the resort
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Beer, can | €4 |
| Soft drinks | €3 |
| Coconut or fresh juice | €4 |
| Wine, bottle | €40–70 |
| Spirits, glass | €10 |
Settled in cash on the last evening — rupiah, euros and dollars accepted. Cards are not taken on site; accommodation is paid in advance by bank transfer.
Rates and availability can change. Message us — we will confirm current dates and prices.
When to go
- Best time
- Year-round, best visibility June to September
- Water temperature
- 28–29 °C
Raja Ampat works all year: air 30–35 °C, water 28–29 °C, and tropical rain is possible in any month but never lasts long. Visibility is at its best from June to September. From October to May plankton blooms drop it slightly — and bring far more frequent manta encounters. The resort gives 15 % off packages from May to September.
Getting there
Fly internationally to Jakarta or Denpasar, then take a domestic flight to Sorong (SOQ) in West Papua.
Resort transfers run on Sundays and Wednesdays. A staff member in a resort shirt meets you at the airport in the morning and takes you to a hotel for breakfast while the group gathers; the boat leaves at 12:00. Airport to hotel and hotel to harbour are 10–15 minutes each by car, then 2–3 hours on the water depending on conditions. You reach the resort between 14:30 and 15:00, with lunch waiting.
Going back, the boat leaves the resort around 06:00, which covers flights out of Sorong after 10:30. If your flight is later, you are taken to a hotel near the airport to rest.
You can arrive on another day too: the resort will arrange a night in Sorong and an unscheduled transfer, though in busy months an unscheduled boat may not be possible. Your passport must be valid for at least six months and you need a return ticket; visa on arrival is $35 where it applies.
Included in the price
Not included
Mandatory extras
Optional extras
Extras are per person and paid on site.
from 2873 EUR per person for 7 nights with diving
Papua Explorers Eco Resort
Availability for your dates will be confirmed before any payment. Estimated wait time — 24 hours
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Stilted bungalow
The resort's main category: a spacious stilted bungalow of about 72 m². Walls of daun bobo, a nipa roof, ironwood floors. Inside there is a bed under a mosquito net, a seating area, a desk, a ceiling fan and an en-suite bathroom with hot water. The veranda opens straight onto the water with sun loungers, a hammock and steps down into the sea. Set up for one, two or three guests.
- View
- Dampier Strait
- Beds
- Double bed, a third can be added
- Size
- about 72 m²
- Maximum guests
- 3
- Rooms of this type
- 12
Smaller stilted bungalow
Two smaller bungalows — 55 m² rather than 72. Fittings and outlook are identical to the Deluxe: the same veranda with a hammock and steps into the sea, the same en-suite with hot water, the same handmade furniture. The resort offers them to solo travellers and couples who want to save a little. Set up for one or two guests.
- View
- Dampier Strait
- Beds
- Double or twin
- Size
- 55 m²
- Maximum guests
- 2
- Rooms of this type
- 2
Stilted villa with two bedrooms
The resort's only villa, also built over the water. Two generous bedrooms with their own bathrooms, a large living room between them, and an extra-wide veranda with a two-level sundeck running down into the sea. The resort recommends it for families, but two couples travelling together or a group of friends take it just as often.
- View
- Dampier Strait
- Beds
- Two bedrooms
- Maximum guests
- 4
- Rooms of this type
- 1
Papua Explorers Eco Resort
from 2873 EUR
