Papua Explorers Dive Resort

Raja Ampat can be visited any time of the year. The temperature is between 30-35 degrees Celsius and the sea is at 28-29 degrees Celsius throughout the year. It is possible to have tropical rains any time, but like most tropical rains, these will not last for too long.
The best visibility underwater is typically between June and September. From October to May there will be plankton blooms which means slightly lower viz, but more frequent encounters with manta rays.

You have to take an international flight to Jakarta or Denpasar and then take a domestic flight to Sorong . We will arrange your transport from Sorong airport to the resort

On the morning of your arrival in Sorong, our assistant will meet you either inside the airport arrival hall or just outside at the exit and assist you until the boat. You will recognize him/her as he/she will be wearing a shirt with Papua Explorers logo. First, you will be taken to a hotel for breakfast and clean toilets while we wait for everyone to arrive and the boat to get ready to leave. The boat will leave at 12:00.

Our transfers are on Sundays and Wednesdays

From Sorong airport to the hotel it is a 10-15-minute car ride. Later, from the hotel to the harbor it’s a 10-15 minute car ride. Depending on the weather conditions the boat ride to the resort takes between 2 and 3 hours. Please allow ample time when booking your flights.

The scheduled transfers on Sunday and Wednesday depart at 12:00 noon at the latest, so depending on the weather conditions you will arrive at Papua Explorers Resort between 14:30 and 15:00 in the afternoon. Lunch will be waiting for you at the resort. For non-scheduled transfers this may differ depending on the ferry schedule.

To be able to reach all outgoing guest flights and to bring new guests in on time, the resort usually depart from the resort at 6:00 o’clock in the morning. That way we can reach flights departing from Sorong after 10:30 o’clock. Please kindly arrange your domestic flight tickets according to these transfer times. If your outgoing flight is later in the afternoon the resort will bring you to a nearby hotel where you can refresh and relax in the lobby before we pick you up again and bring you to the airport.

Yes, you can arrive on a day other than Sunday or Wednesday. If you arrive one day earlier, you can stay overnight in a hotel in Sorong. The Resort will be happy to arrange that for you. In case you need a non-scheduled transfer to the resort, we can arrange that as well. However, in months with a high occupancy, a non-scheduled transfer might not be possible, as the resort don’t want to disturb the operations. Please ask the
booking team, too.

Here is an open list of things we recommend to bring along (underlined items are mandatory):

• • • Money and Documents:
    • Passport (valid for at least 6 months)
    • Proof of return ticket
    • 35 USD for Visa on Arrival, if it applies to your country
    • Your insurance documents (travel, health, dive insurance)
    • Some Indonesian Rupiah in cash (e.g. to pay overweight luggage fees, or just to buy a bottle of water during transit)
    • Cash for paying your extra drinks, excursions, dives, snorkels (if non-diver package), souvenirs at the resort (we accept Rupiah, Euro, USD)
    • Dive certification cards (also: Nitrox certification card, if you’d like to use Nitrox)
    • Dive logbook (if you have one)

CLOTHES and PROTECTION:

• • • Jacket for the domestic flights as it can get cold there
    • Sun lotion (please make sure it’s ocean safe)
    • Mosquito repellant (although Malaria is not very wide-spread in this reason it is advisable to take precautions); all our bungalows are equipped with mosquito net, electric mosquito repellant and will be sprayed with chemical mosquito repellant in the evening
    • Long sleeved light clothes (another precaution against Malaria in the evening)
    • Swimwear
    • Sun hat and Sunglasses
    • Sandals/flipflops
    • A pair of sturdy walking shoes in case you want to make an excursion and a raincoat

ELECTRONICS:

• Camera / UW Camera
• Chargers for your electric devices
• Power plug adapter for non-European plugs

DIVING RELATED:

• Your dive gear, if you have any (especially bring your reef-hook, safety buoy and a whistle)
• Spare parts for your dive gear, should you have any (e.g. spare mouth piece, mask strap, batteries)
• Snorkelers: rash guard (we recommend that for sun protection)
• Contact lenses to wear under you mask if you need them
• Mask defog
• A waterproof pouch or dry bag (something to put your camera in when you go on a trip)

MEDICINE, FOOD and NECESSITTIES:

• For the ladies: tampons
• Any kind of necessities (deodorant, toothbrush etc.)
• Medicine:
• If there are pills that you need to take regularly, please bring enough stock for all the days of your stay
  o If you have any medicine allergies and you need to use special medications in case of sickness, bring
  these with you as well
• Something against diarrhea, just in case
• Seasickness medicine if you need it
• Special food you might need (e.g. if you are on a diet, like gluten-free cereals or bread)
• If you bring your child: all necessities, special food and medicine for the child

OTHERS:

• Anything else you might specifically need or cannot live without (laptop, cuddle-teddy, chocolate…)
• Binoculars for spotting birds
• Some guests like to bring donations for our neighbor village Yenwaupnor (e.g. children’s clothes, pens, books, toys…). Do not feel obliged to that as we make regular donations to the village already.