Kri

Pulau Kri, Raja Ampat
PULAU KRIVITAL STATISTICS
Attractions

  • Dive centers
  • Good beaches
  • Great homestay house reefs
  • Lots of homestays
  • Lots of other guests
Size1.6 square kilometres
Coastline length~7.5 kilometres
Number of villagesNone
Number of Homestay Association homestays20
Average cost of 1 way transfer from Waisai to Kri homestays IDR [USD]700,000 [$47.00]
Average one way travel time~1 hour
Other nearby islands with homestaysMansuar, Gam, Friwen

Kri location map


Quick links
Waisai Homestay Information Center
Kri north shore homestays
Kri west end homestays
Kri south coast homestays
All Kri homestays
High resolution Raja Ampat map (PDF 3.59MB)
Step by step trip planning guide

Kri is quite a small island. It’s a long, narrow, forested island that is really part of the neighbouring Pulau Mansuar, from which it is separated by a narrow and shallow strait.

In fact, Kri has always been known to its traditional owners as Mansuar Kecil (“Little Mansuar”). It was effectively renamed by an early foreign resort owner who relocated from the original Pulau Kri at Batanta. He didn’t want to change all his promotional material, so… but that’s another story.

Kri’s attractions are its surrounding reefs, great beaches and the several homestay dive centers on the island. Thanks to the “Lonely Planet Effect”, Kri is by far the most popular island in Raja Ampat and – as a consequence – is the location of Raja Ampat’s largest and busiest homestays. If you’re looking for lots of interaction with other visitors, then Kri is the place for you. If you want the quietest experience possible, head for the south coast homestays.

The concentration of homestays along Kri’s north shore means that Kri is also one of the few places you can arrive without a booking and walk from place to place until you find a room. (In the December/January high season though, you’d almost certainly have a better chance of success doing that between the villages of Sawinggrai and Kapisawar on Gam.)

Kri’s forests, although not being home to Birds of Paradise, are rich in birdlife. Reptiles are well represented too, with large monitors occasionally making an appearance.

Jungle trekking isn’t really possible due to the steep terrain and lack of trails, although there is one path that climbs to a high point near the island’s western end. Fabulous panoramas of the Dampier Strait and neighbouring islands are available from there, and sunset from the lookout is spectacular. Be sure to wear sturdy shoes though – and to carry flashlights or headtorches if staying for the sunset!

A note about rats: Many guests on Kri are dismayed by the fact that the island’s native rat population has exploded in tandem with tourism. The rats are really only troublesome if you keep food (or anything that smells like food) in your bungalow. Toothpaste, soap and cosmetics will attract them, as will any material which bears the scent of anything like food. They can be very persistent, and plastic containers aren’t much of a deterrent. The magnitude of the problem varies from homestay to homestay. Be sure to check reviews. If the possibility of rats entering your bunaglow is unacceptable, then Kri is probably not a good choice for you.

Another issue for some guests is Kri’s slightly brackish groundwater. The lack of good fresh water is the reason villages were never established on many small islands like Kri. If the idea of bathing in slightly salty water is more than you can bear, then it would probably be better to choose a place elsewhere.

Diving and snorkelling

Diving and snorkelling are pretty much what it’s all about at Kri. Many say that Kri’s reefs are the best in Raja Ampat – but that’s more than likely only because they haven’t seen the reefs at Batanta and West Waigeo.

Great snorkelling is available from every Kri homestay beach and there are a number of homestays with onsite dive centers on the island.

All homestay dive centers dive all of the popular Raja Ampat sites, so (as far as diving opportunities go) it doesn’t matter which one you choose. Raja Ampat can be a challenging dive environment though, so be sure to do your research and choose a reputable operator.

Diving can be arranged by the homestays without dive centers, but if diving is your main aim then you’d be better off booking at a homestay with its own dive center, as you’ll have preference when demand is high.

Please note: In October 2019, dive centers at Kri made an agreement that they will not ‘steal’ clients from each other. This means that, if you are a guest of a Kri homestay with an on-site dive center, then you will only be able to dive with that dive center. If you want to be free to try different dive centers on Kri, then do not book Kri accommodation at a homestay with an on-site dive center.

Hiking

Although jungle hiking possibilities are very limited on Kri, long beachwalks are possible along the north coast at low tide. There are extensive sandbanks that connect Kri to Mansuar and the small islet of Ransiwor that lies between Kri’s western end and Mansuar’s Yenbuba village.

At low tide it’s possible to cross the sandbanks to Ransiwor and Mansuar. The sandbank shallows contain lots of interesting critters awaiting the tide’s return, and there’s excellent snorkelling around Ransiwor and Yenbuba’s jetty. Be sure you know the time the tide returns if you plan to walk back! If you get caught, you should be able to find someone in Yenbuba that you can pay for a boat ride back to your homestay.

Once on Mansuar, it’s possible to walk the long path that connects the villages on that island’s north shore. If you go to the extreme western end of the path, you can also cross Mansuar past a lake to the south coast village of Sauwandarek. There’s great snorkelling available there too. The complete trek would be a whole day’s adventure though, so you’d need to arrange for your homestay to pick you up from Sauwandarek.

If trekking is high on your agenda, the best treks in Raja Ampat have been set up in Waigeo’s jungles by the Maya communities of that island’s Mayalibit Bay.

Cultural performances

Most of Kri’s homestay owners come from the village of Yenbuba on neighbouring Pulau Mansuar. Members of the Yenbuba community will organise dancing and drumming performances on request. These performances are delivered at Pulau Ransiwor, the tiny islet between Kri and Mansuar. Performance guests can also share a table and partake of traditional cakes, fruit and drinks. The entire cost of attending goes to the Yenbuba community.

In September 2022, Lumba Lumba Homestay was the only homestay advertising these performances. If you would like to attend, contact Lumba Lumba or ask your Kri hosts if they can arrange a performance for you.

How to choose accommodation on Pulau Kri

Individual homestay pages provide photos and more detail about the specific attractions and tours, services and facilities available at each place.

Note that all homestays can organise almost any trip you want to do: With the exception of Wayag visits, if the trip you want isn’t mentioned on the homestay’s page, it may well still be available. Especially if it’s to a location not too distant from the homestay.

Use the accommodation page search filters to quickly find all homestays offering the features and facilities that are important to you.

Here is how to book. Please note that booking in advance is recommended at Kri. Advance bookings are essential if you want to stay at a homestay with a dive center, and at all Kri homestays during peak season (October-February).

How to get to Kri

All Kri homestays can provide pickups from Waisai and transfers to/from anywhere else. Average cost and travel time from Waisai is shown in the table above. Individual homestay transport prices are provided on their pages.

If you’re staying somewhere else first, it’s usually quicker to have your current host transfer you to your next place, rather than to ask your next host to come and pick you up. See this page for more information about the high cost of boat travel in Raja Ampat.

Kri phone signal & internet access

Cell phone reception is very good at most homestays on Kri, thanks to the nearby tower on Mansuar. Most of the north coast homestays receive a strong signal which supports a 3G and sometimes a (slow) 4G data connection. The signal is weaker at south coast homestays, and at those at the easternmost end of the north coast. Refer to individual homestay pages for location specific reception information.

Note that free WiFi connections are extremely rare in Raja Ampat. You will need a local SIM for your phone. See this page for details.

Comments

Add Comment
  1. Chelsea Smetana on

    Looking at a map, cape kri looks incredibly close to shore. Is it possible to do a shore dive?

    1. You’d have to ask the resort that controls the shore at that end of the island, Chelsea.

  2. sebastian martinez on

    hi! could you tell me which one is the best place to stay to do snorkel and stay at the beach and go to pyanemo tour? may be 3or 4 islands 3 days in each one, i’m thinking kri, arborek, gam and pam but i don’t know if it is too expensive to move between this islands and if its possible? i want to do a cheap travel as backpacker…thanks for your answer!

    1. Hi Sebastian

      Travel between islands can be easily arranged with your host, or with your destination homestay, and all the islands you mention have good snorkelling available from the beach.

      There are no standardised prices for transfers between islands, but some homestays advertise transfer prices that give an indication of what to expect. (Look for those in the Transport/Getting There section of each homestay’s page.)

      Minimising boat travel is definitely the best way to keep costs down when visiting Raja Ampat.

  3. Christophe on

    Hello,
    I would like to come in July and August …
    I read that there were sandflies on Arborek
    are they also on Kri?
    Do you know which places to avoid to be sure of not meeting sandflies?

    1. Yes, they are also on Kri, Christophe. There is nowhere on land in Raja Ampat that you can be guaranteed that you won’t encounter sandflies.

  4. RITA on

    Hi,
    about the rats, this issue exists also in Gam and Arborek or only in Kri?

    1. Rats (including native rats) live everywhere, but they are only ever a problem when food for them is kept in your room or luggage.

  5. Armi Dumadag on

    Hello,
    We are a couple of diving instructors. I am wondering if it’s possible to hire a boat and a local dive guide. How much would be the average price? Which island is this arrangement possible?
    Thanks,
    Armi

    1. Hello Armi

      All homestay dive centers provide boats and guides for their guests. You would need to ask them if what you are looking for is a boat to take the 2 of you diving privately. You will find links to all dive center pages here. Click through for full details including location and prices.

  6. Francescoch on

    Hi,
    I would like to know how far the house reef are in Kri.
    Thanks in advance,
    FC

    1. Hello Francescoch

      “House reef” means the reef at the homestay door, so, not far at all! :) In many cases, reefs begin at the high water mark. In others, a short swim might be required. See the photographs in the galleries on individual Kri homestay pages.

  7. Fong Lung CHOW on

    Two of us stayed at Mambetron and dived with Yenkoranu, a perfect combination.
    Tina did all she could to look after us at Mambetron while Paul at Yenkoranu guided us to all those amazing sites around the area.

  8. Supito Ali on

    Hi,

    Is it easy to find shared boat trip for snorkeling (not diving) in Kri? do we need to arrange it through homestay owner or find a dive center in an island? if we want to do share boat trip to pianemo . is it better hop to arborek and find a sharing boat over there or just do it from Kri . is it really save a lot of money..we are thinking to be around 4 or 5 days in rajaampat ….

    1. Hi Supito Ali

      All homestays can provide boats for snorkelling. You don’t need to go to a dive center. Just ask your homestay host. As Kri is the most popular island, you will have more chance of finding people to share a Piaynemo trip with if you stay there.

  9. Dita on

    Hi, if i book a homestay here at Kri, will it include the transportation from and to Sorong?

    1. Hi Dita. No – homestays all pick up from Waisai, not Sorong. Here is how to get to Waisai. Prices for transfers from Waisai to each homestay are provided on individual homestay pages.

      (There are a few homestays which offer Sorong pickups, but as it is a lot more expensive, less comfortable and somewhat less safe, most visitors choose to get the public ferries to Waisai. If a homestay offers Sorong pickups, it will say so in the “Transport/Getting there” section of the homestay page.)

  10. Dexter on

    Hi, Im having a hard time selecting islands to be on as I wanna dive, plus I wanna see Piaynemo as well…I think Mansuar / Kri is based well, based on distance, in the middle of the best dive sites? What is your opinion? And the option to walk to sand bank sounds very appealing as well.

    Could I ask , do any of the dive shops dive the Passage in the north?

    Thanks

    1. All the homestay dive centers dive all the same popular sites Dexter, so as far as the diving itself goes, it doesn’t matter where you stay. Kri is the place most people choose. Almost all homestays (whether having dive centers or not) offer trips to Piaynemo. Prices for those and diving can be found on each establishment’s page. All the dive centers can arrange a dive at Kabui Passage. Dives there are usually more expensive than the Dampier Strait sites because of the extra travel involved, and some dive centers only do them if they have a group that wants to go. (Kri is probably the best location from which to get a group together.)

  11. Cris on

    Hi!!

    If I stay in Kri is it possible to dive West Waigeo or is it too far?

    1. Hi Chris

      The nearest most dive centers go to West Waigeo is the Kabui Passage. There are so many excellent sites in the Dampier Strait/Kabui/Pam Islands region that none are diving West Waigeo as far as we know. Is is a long way! Fairly certain that if you could get a group together and be prepared to pay what was asked that someone would take you though.

  12. Andrew on

    Hi!

    What is the little island between Kri and Mansuar? It looks like there maybe a homestay on it as well but can’t find it listed here.

    Thank you!

    1. That’s Pulau Ransiwor Andrew. The last time we were there, those buildings weren’t completed. If they are being built by Homestay Association members, then they’ll be added to the site as soon as they are open.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *