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Features
- Has email contact
- Seagrass
- Has family bungalows
- Sandy Beach
- Above IDR 600,000
- Near village
Details
Ayau Homestay is in a very remote location. There two requirements to be aware of before booking a stay there:
- Bookings must be confirmed at least two weeks before arrival. (To allow time for preparation of the homestay and food supplies.)
- Minimum booking is 3 nights. (Because the investment required to prepare for guests makes shorter stays unprofitable.)
Ayau Homestay lies above the equator in far northern Raja Ampat.
Two beach bungalows are available. There is a private bungalow that sleeps two, and a family bungalow that sleeps four.
Bedding is mattresses on the floor. Mosquito nets, pillows, bolsters, sheets and a blanket are provided. bath towels are also provided for guests.
The bungalows are situated on the edge of the beach, and have covered verandahs with sea views. A table, chairs and a hammock are provided..
Meals are served in Ayau Homestay’s beachside dining room. Free drinking water and tea and coffee making supplies are provided there for guests.
A two-room bathroom building provides dip mandi (bucket) bathing in one room and a squat toilet in the other.
Electricity is provided by generator and is available from sunset to around midnight.
In 2023, Ayau Homestay guests reported that a good 4G signal was available, but it seems things have changed: On our visit in May 2024, only a weak 4G phone signal and unreliable internet connection was available. You should probably expect to be offline while at the homestay. If a data connection is essential, try visiting
Only a little English is spoken at Ayau Homestay, so bringing a phrasebook or translation app will make communication a lot easier.
Ayau Homestay lies between two villages where basic supplies can be found, but do be sure to bring all essential items with you. Please also take away all your inorganic trash – especially plastic and dead batteries: There’s no safe waste disposal in these remote islands. Anything left there (or anywhere else in Raja Ampat) will eventually find its way to the sea.
For more information and a couple of detailed trip reports from earlier visitors to Ayau Homestay, see our Ayau and Asia Islands page.
Transport / Getting there
Transfers between Waisai and Ayau Homestay cost IDR 13,000,000. Depending on sea conditions, it’s a five hour trip by twin engined longboat. The cost is shared by passengers. (Maximum of six.)
Alternatively, you can fly Susi Air from Sorong or Waisai to Kabare, and have Pak Risyard pick you up from there.
Transfers between Kabare and Ayau cost IDR 2,500,000. Cost is shared by up to six passengers.
Sorong transfers are also available. The cost is IDR 16,000,000 shared by up to six passengers.
If you have plenty of time, and want to minimise costs, you might want to consider the fortnightly supply vessel Sabuk Nusantara.
See this Google doc for May 2024 prices and details about the above methods. (Thanks Yusril! 🙏)
Activities
Be sure to bring snorkelling gear, because there is great snorkelling both inside and outside the atoll’s central lagoon.
Ayau Homestay Tours
Kanober Island snorkelling day trip – IDR 1,000,000
A full day trip that visits three snorkelling sites. The boat used can carry up to four passengers, and the cost is shared by trip participants.
Shipwreck snorkelling day trip – IDR 500,000
A full day trip to snorkel a shipwreck. The trip cost is shared by a maximum of four participants.
Pelagic fishing trip – IDR 1,000,000 (Bring your own equipment)
A full day fishing trip for pelagic fish outside Ayau’s fringing reef. (Fishing is not permitted inside the atoll.) Cost is shared by a maximum of four particpants, and you must supply your own fishing gear.
Island exploration
Long walks are possible on Ayau’s beaches, and along the path that joins the island’s three villages. Dorekar is Ayau’s largest village, and is built around a sheltered lagoon near the island’s western end. Carry on to the island’s south-western point where, at low tide, wide sand banks emerge from the sea.
Hunt Insonem for dinner!
If you want to try a local delicacy, you can hunt for Insonem at low tide. Insonem are a large (~30cm) marine worm that can be found in the sand at low tide. Your hosts will prepare them for you. Pictures of Insonem can be found in the photo gallery above.
The Ayau and Asia Islands
See our Ayau and Asia Islands page for an overview of these remote atolls and some detailed trip reports from earlier visitors.
