Dugong Homestay

Batanta - Batanta

(30)


Rooms

2 x On beach - Private bungalow

A single room bungalow (no ensuite bathroom/toilet) Sleeps max. 3 persons / room.

1 x On land - Private bungalow

A single room bungalow (no ensuite bathroom/toilet) Sleeps max. 3 persons / room.

Rates

Use the booking form to calculate exact pricing for your booking

Twin share from USD 30.76 per person / night including 3 meals daily

Single occupancy from USD 30.76 per person / night including 3 meals daily

Discount for children under 12

Features

  • Reef dropoff
  • Mangroves
  • English speaking
  • Seagrass
  • Coral
  • Good house reef
  • Quiet hideaway
  • Calm beach
  • Child discount
  • Sandy Beach
  • Remote/isolated
  • Western style toilet
  • IDR 400,000 to 500,000
  • Has private bungalows

    Details

    September 2022: Dugong Homestay has not yet reopened after the pandemic. Please contact us if you want to be notified when/if Dugong reopens.

    Dugong Homestay is located at Raspapir, an east-facing beach on a peninsula on the central north coast of Batanta. The homestay is named for the dugongs that regularly graze the seagrass meadows in front of the homestay during high tides.

    Dugong Homestay has three private bungalows, two on the beach and one on land. All have enclosed verandahs with a table, comfortable chairs and ocean views. The beach bungalows have mattresses on the floor, while the land bungalow has a raised bed. All rooms have the usual bedding consisting of sheets, pillows, bolsters and mosquito net and also have small mirror cabinets and power outlets for charging devices.

    There’s no dining room at Dugong Homestay yet, so meals are taken on the (usually unoccupied) land bungalow verandah.

    Bathroom facilities are shared by guests and consist of a sand floored bathroom shelter with a dip mandi bathroom in one room and a western style toilet in the other.

    Electricity is provided by generator and is available from sunset to around midnight. There was no phone signal at Dugong Homestay when we visited in June 2016.

    Yensawai village is a ten minute boat ride away and basic supplies can be  found there, but be sure to bring all essential items with you. Please also take home all the inorganic waste you create – especially plastic and dead batteries! There’s no safe waste disposal at Raspapir or Yensawai, or indeed anywhere in Raja Ampat!

    English is spoken at Dugong Homestay, so there won’t be any communication difficulties.

    Transport / Getting there

    Transport between Waisai and Dugong Homestay costs IDR 1,500,000 each way and is by longboat capable of carrying up to 4 passengers. The trip cost is shared by passengers.

    Speedboat transfers (6 passengers max) are also available and cost IDR 2,000,000 each way

    NOTE: The 2 pm ferry from Sorong doesn’t leave enough time to get to Batanta before nightfall, so if you want to go direct from Waisai to the homestay you’ll need to be on the morning ferry. If you’re on the afternoon ferry and organise a Waisai pickup by Dugong, you’ll spend the night at Koryau Kayem Homestay, and then cross the strait to Batanta in the morning calm.

    Alternatively, you could book a Waisai homestay first and arrange a morning pickup from there.

    Sorong pickup: Pickups from Sorong can be arranged via twin engine speedboat. The boat can carry up to 6 passengers and costs IDR 5,000,000 each way

    Read more about Raja Ampat boat transport prices here.

    Public Boat to Batanta

    If you have plenty of time, you don’t mind a bit of discomfort, and you want spend as little as possible on transport costs, then there are cargo boats that you can use to get to Batanta. (Obviously, if you are going to arrive on the cargo boat, then you don’t need to request a Waisai pickup when submitting the booking form above.)

    Here’s what you need to know about getting the cargo boat to Batanta.

    Activities

    Dugong Homestay has a beautiful sheltered beach, a rich coral reef and seagrass meadows that regularly draw the dugongs the homestay is named for. You’ll certainly see them if you spend more than a couple of days there.

    A pearl farm inhabits the bay at the foot of the Raspapir peninsula. The farm is testament to the area’s pristine waters and visits there can be arranged by Dugong Homestay.

    Snorkelling Batanta

    In addition to a house reef that provides great snorkelling, Dugong Homestay’s longboat is available for snorkelling at any other Batanta site you wish. A few of the many choices include:

    • Pulau Urun: IDR 400,000
    • Pulau Way: IDR 600,000
    • Pulau Dayan: IDR 700,000

    Batanta sightseeing and cultural tours

    Explore the Batanta jungle, waterfall and Yensawai village, or get some hands on experience with traditional instruments…

    • Batanta waterfall and Yensawai village tour: IDR 500,000
    • Yensawai village traditional suling tambur (flute and drum) performance: IDR 1,000,000 (2 hours)
    • Yensawai village traditional guitar and bass performance: IDR 1,000,000 (2 hours)

    All prices quoted above are per trip and are shared by up to max of 4 passengers.

    Batanta

    See our Batanta page for an overview of Batanta, its neighbouring islands, and their attractions.

    Dugong Homestay Location Map