Features
- Reef dropoff
- Mangroves
- Seagrass
- Quiet hideaway
- Good phone signal
- Coral
- Child discount
- Good house reef
- Has family bungalows
- Calm beach
- Wayag trips
- Sandy Beach
- Has raised beds
- Western style toilet
- IDR 400,000 to 500,000
Details
Beser Bay offers three over-water private family bungalows in a sheltered location at the entrance to Gam Bay.
Please note that single occupancy booking requests will be refused. The minimum number of guests in a bungalow is two.
The double storey bungalows have two bedrooms, both of which have covered verandahs. Hammocks and recliners are provided. Each bungalow room sleeps two on a raised double bed. Bedding includes sheets, pillows, bolsters and a mosquito net. The upstairs room is accessed via a stairway, and both rooms have light switches and power outlets. The bungalow rooms are not rented separately: Other guests will not be sharing your bungalow.
All bungalows are accessed from a common boardwalk that runs behind the bungalows. Each bungalow has a deck at the front, which provides easy access to the water and views across the seagrass-filled channel that separates Beser Bay from Gam Island.
Beser Bay’s dining room extends from small limestone cliff behind the bungalows. A large table with bench seating is provided. Power outlets are provided and free drinking water, tea and coffee are always there available for guests.
Guests share bathroom building that provides western style toilets, showers and bucket bathing.
Electricity at Beser Bay Homestay is supplied by generator and is available from sunset to around midnight.
There is usually a good 4G signal at Beser Bay. Data connections are supported.
A note about rubbish: There’s no effective waste treatment or recycling facilities in Raja Ampat, so leaving inorganic trash like plastics and dead batteries at Beser Bay will only contribute to Raja Ampat’s growing rubbish problem. Please do take all your inorganic trash away with you when you leave.
Only a little English is spoken at Beser Bay, so if you don’t speak Bahasa Indonesia, a translation app or phrasebook will be useful.
Please note: Coconut crabs are a protected species. Please don’t buy them. Beser Bay Homestay will refuse to cook any you might bring and will instead ask that you release them.
Transport / Getting there
Transfers between Waisai and Beser Bay Homestay cost IDR 1,000,000. The cost is for a one way transfer, and is shared by boat passengers. The boat used can carry a maximum of three passengers
See Beser Bay's June 2024 price list (JPG 58KB) for transfer prices for other destinations
Read more about Raja Ampat boat transport prices here.
Activities
If you're looking to get away from it all and relax in a spectacular tropical island environment, then Beser Bay's perfect.
Beser Bay is perfect for a family getaway, as it's situated on a channel between islands and the waters around the homestay are free of strong currents. The beach at Beser Bay slopes gently into shallow water over a sand bottom dominated by seagrass and you'll often see the children of the Beser Bay and Anno families playing there.
At the entry to Gam Bay, Beser Bay Homestay is perfectly positioned to explore the karst islands, hidden waterways and rich marine life of the bay. Quite near the homestay are sheltered bays where moon jellyfish rise to the surface - sometimes in their thousands. In Gam Bay there are caves where roosting bats can be observed, including the seldom observed Raffray’s sheath-tailed bat. Orchids adorn the bay's karst islets and stacks and the waterways conceal secrets like the "Hidden Lagoon" - a body of water that can only be entered via a cave and which shelters several intriguing species of marine life including soft corals, Synaptid sea-cucumbers and unusual jellyfish.
Great snorkelling (bring your own gear) over good coral is available in Gam Bay, as well as to the southwest of the homestay, just outside the channel the bungalows shelter in. Beware of tidal currents if you venture to the reef dropoff out there - they are extremely strong when in full flow. Mantas regularly cruise the surface currents nearby and there are a huge range of nudibranch species to be found on the reefs at the homestay.
Kapisawar village is nearby and a great day's outing can be had there and in Sawinggrai which lies a bit further to the east along a well made concrete path. The dawn display of Red Birds of Paradise can be seen at Sawinggrai and hordes of colourful reef fish gather every day for feeding at the jetty there.
See Beser Bay's June 2024 price list (JPG 58KB) for a selection of popular tours.
Pulau Gam
See our Gam Island page for an overview of Gam and its attractions.
Beser Bay Homestay Reviews
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410 Reviews
Beautiful place, nice host. Great cuisine. We enjoyed this peaceful stay in the middle of beautiful nature.
We only stayed at Besser Bay for 1 night but it was amazing. Beautiful location, reasonable snorkeling from the over water bungalow, my son went fishing with the kids who live at the homestay and caught coral trout and a 90 cm travally. Food was fantastic and the lady who ran the accomodation had good English and could easily organise trips to manta Ray cleaning station. Would love to have stayed longer
We really enjoyed Besser Bay Homestay. The food is very good and plentiful, the bungalows are very comfortable and welcoming, and the staff are very friendly and helpful.
Very professional.
I recommend it
We really enjoyed Besser Bay Homestay. The food is very good and plentiful, the bungalows are very comfortable and welcoming, and the staff are very friendly and helpful.
Very professional.
I recommend it
The question is, what else, more recommendable, can be written in the reviews of this homestay. Yes, I can only confirm everything written. Overall, we stayed in five homestays on RA and Beser Bay was really the best. The quality of the food, the nice accommodation and the attitude of everyone who took care of us. Thank you.
The question is, what else, more recommendable, can be written in the reviews of this homestay. Yes, I can only confirm everything written. Overall, we stayed in five homestays on RA and Beser Bay was really the best. The quality of the food, the nice accommodation and the attitude of everyone who took care of us. Thank you.
Not enough good things to say about this wonderful homestay experience that me, my wife and 2 kids ( 8 and 10 year old) had in the last couple of weeks. A huge thank you from all of us to Antony and his family, Patryck and his wife, his lovely beautiful children, Alex -1 and Alex -2 , and the kind and gentle cook who fed us well with great meals.
We explored Gam bay guided by Alex-2 , swam with benigh jellyfish, walked into a bat cave, and snorkeled to our hearts content around Kri, Mansuar, Pianemo, Arborkek and the nearby villages of Sawingrai and Kapisawar and the jetties around there.
We slept on the deck enjoying the sea breeze, snorkeled right around besar bay as well. We saw a resident sea snake right there, an octopus at night and tons of other marine life that other visitors have also talked about in earlier reviews.
It can be a little warm if there is no sea breeze, but the fan helps. Having an extension cord to position the fan closer to the bed can help as well.
The kids visited Patryck’s family at the nearby kampung and had a blast playhing with them. We did hike up to an area at dawn there to see birds of paradise, and that’s a hit or a miss. We did see a couple of birds but from far, there is not exactly a vanatage point to see birds close up even with binoculars.
Overall, we were touched by the hospitality of our guide Alex-2, Patryck’s family and Anotony’s family and the cook. Besar Bay is a delightful, safe yet adventurous and gorgeous place that can nourish the soul. Thank you all- Rama, Deepa, Navya and Vihaan
Not enough good things to say about this wonderful homestay experience that me, my wife and 2 kids ( 8 and 10 year old) had in the last couple of weeks. A huge thank you from all of us to Antony and his family, Patryck and his wife, his lovely beautiful children, Alex -1 and Alex -2 , and the kind and gentle cook who fed us well with great meals.
We explored Gam bay guided by Alex-2 , swam with benigh jellyfish, walked into a bat cave, and snorkeled to our hearts content around Kri, Mansuar, Pianemo, Arborkek and the nearby villages of Sawingrai and Kapisawar and the jetties around there.
We slept on the deck enjoying the sea breeze, snorkeled right around besar bay as well. We saw a resident sea snake right there, an octopus at night and tons of other marine life that other visitors have also talked about in earlier reviews.
It can be a little warm if there is no sea breeze, but the fan helps. Having an extension cord to position the fan closer to the bed can help as well.
The kids visited Patryck’s family at the nearby kampung and had a blast playhing with them. We did hike up to an area at dawn there to see birds of paradise, and that’s a hit or a miss. We did see a couple of birds but from far, there is not exactly a vanatage point to see birds close up even with binoculars.
Overall, we were touched by the hospitality of our guide Alex-2, Patryck’s family and Anotony’s family and the cook. Besar Bay is a delightful, safe yet adventurous and gorgeous place that can nourish the soul. Thank you all- Rama, Deepa, Navya and Vihaan
Sono stato due notti al Beser.
Struttura fantastica, luogo incantevole, proprietario super disponibile, gentile e professionale. Consiglio a chiunque di soggiornare in questo paradiso terrestre.
Sono stato due notti al Beser.
Struttura fantastica, luogo incantevole, proprietario super disponibile, gentile e professionale. Consiglio a chiunque di soggiornare in questo paradiso terrestre.
We stayed here for 2 nights, and it was by far the best homestay that we visited. The rooms are enormous and clean. The food is great. Gam Lagoon offers great sightseeing tours (jellyfish lake, bat cave, etc) and the nearby snorkelling is excellent. Petrik speaks perfect English and the whole team are extremely kind. Thank you so much Beser Bay!
We stayed here for 2 nights, and it was by far the best homestay that we visited. The rooms are enormous and clean. The food is great. Gam Lagoon offers great sightseeing tours (jellyfish lake, bat cave, etc) and the nearby snorkelling is excellent. Petrik speaks perfect English and the whole team are extremely kind. Thank you so much Beser Bay!
By far and above the best of the Homestays in RA. Everything is brilliant. It started with a warm arrival from the team of people who are on the ground and what hospitality offered to you, a tour of the property ( lots of places just leave you find the toilets and dinning area yourself ) how to get the most out of your stay with regard to excursions and transfers.
The huts over the water are gorgeous and big airy and have shaded areas and sunny areas to enhance your comfort. Tea and coffee is supplied to your room for your convenience and the food is incredible. We even had an afternoon snack which was so welcomed and delicious. The cook is excellent and everything was so perfectly cooked and presented.
The team to take you out onto the reef is wonderful. We had Patrick and Alex take us out to the ‘passage’ and citrus point. It was a long day out visiting lots of beautiful places seeing incredible reefs full of life and colours. Alex led the snorkel in the passage and I was thankful for his guidance and Patrick watched us to make sure he was nearby with the boat. We enjoyed a hot lunch half way through the excursion and followed up with more snorkelling.
The evening meal was followed by up with a visit from Patrick to sort out the following day’s activities for all the guests and organising the needs of everyone .
Our stay was without fault – everything is so clean and tidy they are very proud of their Homestay and it shows.
The home reef isn’t abundant and that would be the only negative. That said there is so much bird life and there is still heaps to do and it was the most comfortable place to relax. You can arrange to rent a canoe and if you are prepared to go on excursions from the Homestay the fact that the home reef isn’t that exciting isn’t such an issue.
I urge you to book – the Homestay sleeps 4-5 but we took it for just us two. It’s incredible
By far and above the best of the Homestays in RA. Everything is brilliant. It started with a warm arrival from the team of people who are on the ground and what hospitality offered to you, a tour of the property ( lots of places just leave you find the toilets and dinning area yourself ) how to get the most out of your stay with regard to excursions and transfers.
The huts over the water are gorgeous and big airy and have shaded areas and sunny areas to enhance your comfort. Tea and coffee is supplied to your room for your convenience and the food is incredible. We even had an afternoon snack which was so welcomed and delicious. The cook is excellent and everything was so perfectly cooked and presented.
The team to take you out onto the reef is wonderful. We had Patrick and Alex take us out to the ‘passage’ and citrus point. It was a long day out visiting lots of beautiful places seeing incredible reefs full of life and colours. Alex led the snorkel in the passage and I was thankful for his guidance and Patrick watched us to make sure he was nearby with the boat. We enjoyed a hot lunch half way through the excursion and followed up with more snorkelling.
The evening meal was followed by up with a visit from Patrick to sort out the following day’s activities for all the guests and organising the needs of everyone .
Our stay was without fault – everything is so clean and tidy they are very proud of their Homestay and it shows.
The home reef isn’t abundant and that would be the only negative. That said there is so much bird life and there is still heaps to do and it was the most comfortable place to relax. You can arrange to rent a canoe and if you are prepared to go on excursions from the Homestay the fact that the home reef isn’t that exciting isn’t such an issue.
I urge you to book – the Homestay sleeps 4-5 but we took it for just us two. It’s incredible
Nous sommes restés 3 nuits chez Beser Bay.
Le meilleur homestay de tout notre séjour à Raja Ampat !
Notre bungalow était immense, avec un matelas extérieur parfait pour la sieste.
L’endroit est merveilleux, plein d’oiseaux devant le bungalow.
Les activités proposées sont très sympas.
Sur place, tout était parfait : chambre, matelas super confortable, draps propres.
Les espaces communs sont superbes.
Les repas étaient très bons et variés 🙂 On avait toujours une petite collation très appréciée !
Les échanges avec Patryk étaient parfaits, il parle très bien anglais.
Nous avons fait une sortie en bateau pour visiter un lagon avec des méduses non urticantes, puis une petite grotte avec des chauves-souris : super sympa !
Nous sommes aussi allés au village pour voir les fameux oiseaux du paradis.
Encore un grand merci à Tina et Patryk, et je vous souhaite beaucoup de prospérité
Nous sommes restés 3 nuits chez Beser Bay.
Le meilleur homestay de tout notre séjour à Raja Ampat !
Notre bungalow était immense, avec un matelas extérieur parfait pour la sieste.
L’endroit est merveilleux, plein d’oiseaux devant le bungalow.
Les activités proposées sont très sympas.
Sur place, tout était parfait : chambre, matelas super confortable, draps propres.
Les espaces communs sont superbes.
Les repas étaient très bons et variés 🙂 On avait toujours une petite collation très appréciée !
Les échanges avec Patryk étaient parfaits, il parle très bien anglais.
Nous avons fait une sortie en bateau pour visiter un lagon avec des méduses non urticantes, puis une petite grotte avec des chauves-souris : super sympa !
Nous sommes aussi allés au village pour voir les fameux oiseaux du paradis.
Encore un grand merci à Tina et Patryk, et je vous souhaite beaucoup de prospérité
Séjour très agréable dans ce Homstay. La nourriture est délicieuse à l’exception du petit déjeuner. Les sorties proposées sont très agréables et variées et présentent un bon rapport qualité-prix. Bonne convivialité. Le village est très accueillant. Je le conseillerais sans hésitation, même si le confort est basique. Il y a de petites attentions, comme de l’eau chaude et froide, à boire dans chaque bungalow.
Séjour très agréable dans ce Homstay. La nourriture est délicieuse à l’exception du petit déjeuner. Les sorties proposées sont très agréables et variées et présentent un bon rapport qualité-prix. Bonne convivialité. Le village est très accueillant. Je le conseillerais sans hésitation, même si le confort est basique. Il y a de petites attentions, comme de l’eau chaude et froide, à boire dans chaque bungalow.
Spent 4 nights at this fantastic homestay in June 2025. As others have mentioned, the bungalows (there are three) were the most spacious, well-designed and comfortable of any homestay we visited. A great outside deck (covered and uncovered), hammock, mattress outside for lounging, downstairs room with lots of storage space and shelf space, upstairs room with double mattress and another covered outside area which can accommodate an additional mattress. Lots of power outlets, power from 6 pm to about 8 am next morning. Edi let us use his internet hotspot but I wouldn’t rely on it. Bathroom/shower was definitely a bit rustic, the only thing not great about this place, but newly constructed toilet/shower blocks looked to be near completion. The weather was windy and rainy 3 of the 4 days we were there, at most other local homestays this would have greatly limited outdoor activities, but Beser Bay is very sheltered and we snorkeled for hours. Sand and sea grass immediately outside had filefish, stonefish, nudibranchs (Pleurobranchus, Doriprismatica atromarginata, Plakobranchus, aeolids on the rocks), shrimp blennies, a field of giant clams with one about 1m across, cardinalfish and tiny cuttlefish under the mangroves. The flats out toward the reef edge SW of the cabins were great for night snorkelling, lots of invertebrates, walking shark, wobbegong shark patrolling the shallows. The reef itself isn’t great by Raja Ampat standards, maybe too exposed to rough seas, but the flats, shallows, reefs on the inside of Gam Bay (N of the cabins), and the channel and inland bay SE of the cabins still provide lots of fascinating creatures and corals whatever the weather. Another stand-out feature of this homestay is the wildlife visible from the cabin decks, especially birds, which pass through constantly and land at a convenient distance on the wall of forest on the opposite side of the channel. We did a 3 hr trip around Gam Bay with Edi to visit jellyfish lake (Edi was correct, there were no jellyfish) and to snorkel an island where supposedly there are mandarinfish (we didn’t see any but we were there around 4.30 pm, probably too early, and the reef there was very nice anyway) – cost was 500000 (35 USD)/hr. Apparently it’s possible to get taken to Arborek to go diving with one of the dive operations there, but I guess that would be quite expensive and it was too rough for us to consider anyway. There were two small kayaks, which was great, although one was badly damaged and tended to fill up and sink after a while. Food was very authentic, flavorsome and varied.
Spent 4 nights at this fantastic homestay in June 2025. As others have mentioned, the bungalows (there are three) were the most spacious, well-designed and comfortable of any homestay we visited. A great outside deck (covered and uncovered), hammock, mattress outside for lounging, downstairs room with lots of storage space and shelf space, upstairs room with double mattress and another covered outside area which can accommodate an additional mattress. Lots of power outlets, power from 6 pm to about 8 am next morning. Edi let us use his internet hotspot but I wouldn’t rely on it. Bathroom/shower was definitely a bit rustic, the only thing not great about this place, but newly constructed toilet/shower blocks looked to be near completion. The weather was windy and rainy 3 of the 4 days we were there, at most other local homestays this would have greatly limited outdoor activities, but Beser Bay is very sheltered and we snorkeled for hours. Sand and sea grass immediately outside had filefish, stonefish, nudibranchs (Pleurobranchus, Doriprismatica atromarginata, Plakobranchus, aeolids on the rocks), shrimp blennies, a field of giant clams with one about 1m across, cardinalfish and tiny cuttlefish under the mangroves. The flats out toward the reef edge SW of the cabins were great for night snorkelling, lots of invertebrates, walking shark, wobbegong shark patrolling the shallows. The reef itself isn’t great by Raja Ampat standards, maybe too exposed to rough seas, but the flats, shallows, reefs on the inside of Gam Bay (N of the cabins), and the channel and inland bay SE of the cabins still provide lots of fascinating creatures and corals whatever the weather. Another stand-out feature of this homestay is the wildlife visible from the cabin decks, especially birds, which pass through constantly and land at a convenient distance on the wall of forest on the opposite side of the channel. We did a 3 hr trip around Gam Bay with Edi to visit jellyfish lake (Edi was correct, there were no jellyfish) and to snorkel an island where supposedly there are mandarinfish (we didn’t see any but we were there around 4.30 pm, probably too early, and the reef there was very nice anyway) – cost was 500000 (35 USD)/hr. Apparently it’s possible to get taken to Arborek to go diving with one of the dive operations there, but I guess that would be quite expensive and it was too rough for us to consider anyway. There were two small kayaks, which was great, although one was badly damaged and tended to fill up and sink after a while. Food was very authentic, flavorsome and varied.
Wir waren vom 11.2 bis 17.2 in Beser Bay. Es gibt dort 3 homestays auf einer kleinen Insel inmitten von Mangroven. Unzählige kleine Fische suchen dort Schutz, um die 3 bingalows herum ist Sand mit Seegras und vom schönen Jetzy kann man zu dem Riff schnorcheln. Blaue und rote Seesterne, Nemos und Seeaale. Wir haben kurz ein dugong gesehen. Auf der Insel gibt es kein eigenes Wasser und Strom üner den Generator abends zum Laden. Mit telkomsel hatten wir guten Empfang, wenn der offizielle Sendemast an war. Wir haben mit fantastische Bootsausflüge gemacht, Aborek Jetty, kap Kri (fantastisch) und Jenbuban Jetty und noch einer auf Pula Mansur. Auf dem Weg dorthin könnten wir schnorcheln Mantas unter uns langziehen sehen, allerdings eine gewaltige Strömung. Lasst euch von Petric beraten. Sein Boot ist so groß, dass wir uns sogar die Kosten von 800 pro Tag mit 6 Personen teilen könnten. Sehr gern habe ich draussen geschlafen,bweil es sehr heiß war. Petric kann auch Bier oder anderes von der Hauptinsel Gam mitbringen, weil dort eingekauft wird. Insgesamt hatten wir eine prima Zeit dort, einziger Hinweis, ein neues helles Waschhaus und ein Waschbecken wäre toll. Danke liebe Familie für alles Gudrun und Marga aus deutschland
Wir waren vom 11.2 bis 17.2 in Beser Bay. Es gibt dort 3 homestays auf einer kleinen Insel inmitten von Mangroven. Unzählige kleine Fische suchen dort Schutz, um die 3 bingalows herum ist Sand mit Seegras und vom schönen Jetzy kann man zu dem Riff schnorcheln. Blaue und rote Seesterne, Nemos und Seeaale. Wir haben kurz ein dugong gesehen. Auf der Insel gibt es kein eigenes Wasser und Strom üner den Generator abends zum Laden. Mit telkomsel hatten wir guten Empfang, wenn der offizielle Sendemast an war. Wir haben mit fantastische Bootsausflüge gemacht, Aborek Jetty, kap Kri (fantastisch) und Jenbuban Jetty und noch einer auf Pula Mansur. Auf dem Weg dorthin könnten wir schnorcheln Mantas unter uns langziehen sehen, allerdings eine gewaltige Strömung. Lasst euch von Petric beraten. Sein Boot ist so groß, dass wir uns sogar die Kosten von 800 pro Tag mit 6 Personen teilen könnten. Sehr gern habe ich draussen geschlafen,bweil es sehr heiß war. Petric kann auch Bier oder anderes von der Hauptinsel Gam mitbringen, weil dort eingekauft wird. Insgesamt hatten wir eine prima Zeit dort, einziger Hinweis, ein neues helles Waschhaus und ein Waschbecken wäre toll. Danke liebe Familie für alles Gudrun und Marga aus deutschland
Highly recommend staying at Beser Bay. Beautiful, tranquil location, amazing food, and great excursions.
Highly recommend staying at Beser Bay. Beautiful, tranquil location, amazing food, and great excursions.
We had a wonderful time in Beaser bay, the accommodation, the food and beautiful people make this homestay a wonderful place.
The snorkling trips that petrick and Edi provided were incredible and we had such a great time.
If you find yourself in this tiny pocket of world make sure you make Beaser Bay your number one for accommodation.
101/100
We had a wonderful time in Beaser bay, the accommodation, the food and beautiful people make this homestay a wonderful place.
The snorkling trips that petrick and Edi provided were incredible and we had such a great time.
If you find yourself in this tiny pocket of world make sure you make Beaser Bay your number one for accommodation.
101/100
We were lucky to stay a couple of days at Beser during our last trip to Raja. It is getting busier because we assumed we could just extend but there were other bookings and we had to go. This is a testament to how lovely the place is. Tina’s cooking is impressive and Sara’s care to look after your bungalow is excellent. The location is good and the house reef excellent. The activities manager is not on site, so just be sure to be organised and let them know if you want tours. Lastly the rooms, I was very impressed, there is so much room, including a day mattress to use on your deck and watch stars at night. Upstairs there was another space that I did yoga and the foyer area with mirror and tea/coffee facilities makes it feel like I had so much room. Well done Tina and family, you are on a winner and I would recommend booking ahead, so you can stay as long as possible!
We were lucky to stay a couple of days at Beser during our last trip to Raja. It is getting busier because we assumed we could just extend but there were other bookings and we had to go. This is a testament to how lovely the place is. Tina’s cooking is impressive and Sara’s care to look after your bungalow is excellent. The location is good and the house reef excellent. The activities manager is not on site, so just be sure to be organised and let them know if you want tours. Lastly the rooms, I was very impressed, there is so much room, including a day mattress to use on your deck and watch stars at night. Upstairs there was another space that I did yoga and the foyer area with mirror and tea/coffee facilities makes it feel like I had so much room. Well done Tina and family, you are on a winner and I would recommend booking ahead, so you can stay as long as possible!
Of the 6 places we stayed in RA, this is the place we were best-taken care of. Reaaaaaally nice two-story over-water accommodations, with 3 realllllllyyy nice meals PLUS a nice snack delivered to our room every day. Three rooms and no diving offered meant a nice relaxing gap between dive homestays and lots of relaxation for us. Rooms situated over a shallow grassy sand area frequented sea stars and a couple of baby reef sharks. Farther out, snorkeling along the coast there’s a great stretch of coral that we never got to the end of.
For us, this wasn’t the best snorkeling destination out of all the places we stayed, though it’s very pleasant with still solid snorkeling. But the way these folks take care of their guests is 100/10. Couldn’t recommend enough as a good place to kick back and relax.
Of the 6 places we stayed in RA, this is the place we were best-taken care of. Reaaaaaally nice two-story over-water accommodations, with 3 realllllllyyy nice meals PLUS a nice snack delivered to our room every day. Three rooms and no diving offered meant a nice relaxing gap between dive homestays and lots of relaxation for us. Rooms situated over a shallow grassy sand area frequented sea stars and a couple of baby reef sharks. Farther out, snorkeling along the coast there’s a great stretch of coral that we never got to the end of.
For us, this wasn’t the best snorkeling destination out of all the places we stayed, though it’s very pleasant with still solid snorkeling. But the way these folks take care of their guests is 100/10. Couldn’t recommend enough as a good place to kick back and relax.
We had an amazing stay at Beser Bay. The bungalows were beautiful and clean, the surrounding was stunning and the food delicious, probably the best Indonesian food I had in Indonesia. Tina was very sweet and helpful. The pick up and drop off in Waisai went smoothly and the communication beforehand via what’s app was great.
The internet connection is unstable, sometimes we did not have connection for up to 35 hours. But that’s part of the deal when coming to Raja Ampat. Compared to other islands we were lucky to have connection at all.
The only minus point I am giving is the communication during our stay. We were dropped off at the property and were told about the dinner and lunch times but that’s it. No explanation about the facilities, surrounding, activities they offered whatsoever. That was a little sad but all in all we loved the place!
We had an amazing stay at Beser Bay. The bungalows were beautiful and clean, the surrounding was stunning and the food delicious, probably the best Indonesian food I had in Indonesia. Tina was very sweet and helpful. The pick up and drop off in Waisai went smoothly and the communication beforehand via what’s app was great.
The internet connection is unstable, sometimes we did not have connection for up to 35 hours. But that’s part of the deal when coming to Raja Ampat. Compared to other islands we were lucky to have connection at all.
The only minus point I am giving is the communication during our stay. We were dropped off at the property and were told about the dinner and lunch times but that’s it. No explanation about the facilities, surrounding, activities they offered whatsoever. That was a little sad but all in all we loved the place!
Beser Bays policy says they only accept single occupancy bookings for a minimum of 3 nights. I tried booking 3 nights on multiple dates and they kept rejecting my reservations. Booking.com showed that were 3 rooms available on the dates I requested. If you are a solo traveler, you will likely get rejected. Look elsewhere.
We did not have this issue (booked 3 rooms for 3 solo travellers)
Beser Bays policy says they only accept single occupancy bookings for a minimum of 3 nights. I tried booking 3 nights on multiple dates and they kept rejecting my reservations. Booking.com showed that were 3 rooms available on the dates I requested. If you are a solo traveler, you will likely get rejected. Look elsewhere.
We did not have this issue (booked 3 rooms for 3 solo travellers)
We had a 4 night stay at Besar Bay homestay and would give 6 stars if we could.
The bungalows were beautiful and cleaned every day.
The view and the surrounding was even better then expected.
You have mangroves, crystal clear water and sea grass around you and we could see black tips, stingrays, walking sharks and lots of birds while relaxing on the mattress on our private terrace.
The food was just amazing, the family leading the homestay is really lovely and is making the stay as perfect as possible.
We had two very nice tours with Patrick, one was snorkeling with the mantas and in front of Arborek, the other was a trip to Piaynemo including viewpoints, snorkeling and lunch on a stunning beach.
You get hot and cold water, coffee and tea, as much as you
want in your room. The four meals a day are more than you need.
We would have loved to stay longer in this beautiful place.
Thank you very much
we will definitely come back again!
We had a 4 night stay at Besar Bay homestay and would give 6 stars if we could.
The bungalows were beautiful and cleaned every day.
The view and the surrounding was even better then expected.
You have mangroves, crystal clear water and sea grass around you and we could see black tips, stingrays, walking sharks and lots of birds while relaxing on the mattress on our private terrace.
The food was just amazing, the family leading the homestay is really lovely and is making the stay as perfect as possible.
We had two very nice tours with Patrick, one was snorkeling with the mantas and in front of Arborek, the other was a trip to Piaynemo including viewpoints, snorkeling and lunch on a stunning beach.
You get hot and cold water, coffee and tea, as much as you
want in your room. The four meals a day are more than you need.
We would have loved to stay longer in this beautiful place.
Thank you very much
we will definitely come back again!
I stayed at Beser Bay in late 2023 for several days. It was a great experience.
Beser Bay is in a wonderful, peaceful location. I have stayed at several homestays in Raja Ampat and Beser Bay had the most beautiful, spacious and comfortable over water bungalows of all.
The bungalows would suit a family with children well.
As others have mentioned the shallow water around the bungalows makes snorkelling difficult and is only really possible at high tide. You either have to swim through seagrass to the lagoon or over very shallow water to reach the reef.
Being here with a group would be an advantage to take boat trips to get out to the reefs in deeper water. As we all know the costs of boat travel are the biggest expense at Raja Ampat so being with a group is more affordable for boat trips.
The food at Beser Bay was abundant and delicious. The women staff are very attentive and provided wonderful service. Thanks to Beser Bay.
Artha Holmes
I stayed at Beser Bay in late 2023 for several days. It was a great experience.
Beser Bay is in a wonderful, peaceful location. I have stayed at several homestays in Raja Ampat and Beser Bay had the most beautiful, spacious and comfortable over water bungalows of all.
The bungalows would suit a family with children well.
As others have mentioned the shallow water around the bungalows makes snorkelling difficult and is only really possible at high tide. You either have to swim through seagrass to the lagoon or over very shallow water to reach the reef.
Being here with a group would be an advantage to take boat trips to get out to the reefs in deeper water. As we all know the costs of boat travel are the biggest expense at Raja Ampat so being with a group is more affordable for boat trips.
The food at Beser Bay was abundant and delicious. The women staff are very attentive and provided wonderful service. Thanks to Beser Bay.
Artha Holmes
These were the best huts we had over the 6 homestay’s we’ve been to in Raja. They are very spacious, have everything you need and definitely feel like a step up compared to other places (the bathrooms are separate and not on the same level as the huts). The food was okay. The Gam Bay area is beautiful and unique, even if less exciting than other places we have been to Raja Ampat. Sadly we had an issue at Beser Bay which was the following:
The biggest problem was that the price of the tours on stayrajaampat were not the prices they asked at all. They asked for a lot more than listed and changed the numbers if either 2 or 4 people would be joining. When on the website it clearly says that the prices set are for max. 6 people. When we addressed the disparity we were told that the prices on the website are not up to date. Now, a couple of weeks after our stay, they have not updated it yet either.
After we declined to do a tour with the ‚new‘ prices Patrick agreed take us with the listed price. We had a great time on the tour, saw what we wanted and we could feel how much the guides know and love the sea. Whilst the tour was nice we felt like afterwards the other hosts were less friendly and we did not get fruit anymore and just plain toast as a „snack“. That was lamentable as we have not been impolite and did not feel like our request for the listed prices was unreasonable. The prices they originally asked for were triple of what nearby homestays wanted for the same tour. Even the listed prices are higher than the neighbour’s.
Overall we would recommend this place if you value comfort of the bungalows, don‘t care about spending more for a tour and prefer staying in a calm area to relax.
So sorry you had this experience Luisa and Luka, and thank you for taking the time to leave a review alerting everyone to the situation. 🙏
You should have been able to rely on the prices Beser Bay provided for publication, and you did the right thing by politely requesting that they honour them.
Homestays know that all they need to do is call or message SRA, and we will immediately update their information.
It’s lamentable indeed that your hosts reacted in the way they did to your entirely justified complaint – and that they still have not bothered to update their prices!
These were the best huts we had over the 6 homestay’s we’ve been to in Raja. They are very spacious, have everything you need and definitely feel like a step up compared to other places (the bathrooms are separate and not on the same level as the huts). The food was okay. The Gam Bay area is beautiful and unique, even if less exciting than other places we have been to Raja Ampat. Sadly we had an issue at Beser Bay which was the following:
The biggest problem was that the price of the tours on stayrajaampat were not the prices they asked at all. They asked for a lot more than listed and changed the numbers if either 2 or 4 people would be joining. When on the website it clearly says that the prices set are for max. 6 people. When we addressed the disparity we were told that the prices on the website are not up to date. Now, a couple of weeks after our stay, they have not updated it yet either.
After we declined to do a tour with the ‚new‘ prices Patrick agreed take us with the listed price. We had a great time on the tour, saw what we wanted and we could feel how much the guides know and love the sea. Whilst the tour was nice we felt like afterwards the other hosts were less friendly and we did not get fruit anymore and just plain toast as a „snack“. That was lamentable as we have not been impolite and did not feel like our request for the listed prices was unreasonable. The prices they originally asked for were triple of what nearby homestays wanted for the same tour. Even the listed prices are higher than the neighbour’s.
Overall we would recommend this place if you value comfort of the bungalows, don‘t care about spending more for a tour and prefer staying in a calm area to relax.
So sorry you had this experience Luisa and Luka, and thank you for taking the time to leave a review alerting everyone to the situation. 🙏
You should have been able to rely on the prices Beser Bay provided for publication, and you did the right thing by politely requesting that they honour them.
Homestays know that all they need to do is call or message SRA, and we will immediately update their information.
It’s lamentable indeed that your hosts reacted in the way they did to your entirely justified complaint – and that they still have not bothered to update their prices!
Magnifiques et spacieux bungalows très bien pensés dans un cadre enchanteur. Snorkeling diversifié dans les herbiers, mangroves, récifs … La nourriture était excellente et très copieuse, avec en plus un 4h. A noter que le petit déjeuner est servi dans les bungalows, ainsi que le 4h, il y a donc de l’eau chaude et froide toujours à disposition dans le bungalow. De petites attentions qui font souvent la différence, quelques bonbons, du sirop, des cacahuetes à disposition. Le seul bémol est qu’il fait très chaud dans cette baie, il y a moins de vent du fait de son encaissement, et que j’ai failli être victime d’un surbooking (ce qui devient presque la règle aux raja ampat maintenant)
Magnifiques et spacieux bungalows très bien pensés dans un cadre enchanteur. Snorkeling diversifié dans les herbiers, mangroves, récifs … La nourriture était excellente et très copieuse, avec en plus un 4h. A noter que le petit déjeuner est servi dans les bungalows, ainsi que le 4h, il y a donc de l’eau chaude et froide toujours à disposition dans le bungalow. De petites attentions qui font souvent la différence, quelques bonbons, du sirop, des cacahuetes à disposition. Le seul bémol est qu’il fait très chaud dans cette baie, il y a moins de vent du fait de son encaissement, et que j’ai failli être victime d’un surbooking (ce qui devient presque la règle aux raja ampat maintenant)
We have more than enjoyed our stay. The bungalow was big and clean. There even was a mattress on the terrace where we could watch the stars.
The food was incredibly tasty and varied. there was always enough to eat.
We took two trips with the homestay and had a wonderful time.
Lucia and Anthony treat their guests very well. They are very kind and helpful. They helped us with laundry and gave us hotspot when we had problems with our data.
Beser bay is the perfect place to relax and we would definitely come back.
We have more than enjoyed our stay. The bungalow was big and clean. There even was a mattress on the terrace where we could watch the stars.
The food was incredibly tasty and varied. there was always enough to eat.
We took two trips with the homestay and had a wonderful time.
Lucia and Anthony treat their guests very well. They are very kind and helpful. They helped us with laundry and gave us hotspot when we had problems with our data.
Beser bay is the perfect place to relax and we would definitely come back.
If you want a true Raja Ampat experience where the hospitality and the food equal the location. This is the place to come and stay. Stunning surroundings, amazing accommodation and a helpful family that make it feel like a home away from home. We stayed in three different homestays and Beser Bay had by far the best food. Afternoon tea helped to satisfy after active days. The two story bungalows are comfortable and the small touches like water, tea facilities etc in your room added to a positive experience. As others have mentioned it is difficult to swim, snorkel on the low tide but the family is working on rectifying that by adding a jetty to access the deeper water. We overcame this by taking boat trips each day to interesting places like Hidden Bay, Manta, Jelly fish lake. Thankyou to Antony, Lucia, Patrick, Tommy and the rest of the family for making our stay with you so special ❤️
If you want a true Raja Ampat experience where the hospitality and the food equal the location. This is the place to come and stay. Stunning surroundings, amazing accommodation and a helpful family that make it feel like a home away from home. We stayed in three different homestays and Beser Bay had by far the best food. Afternoon tea helped to satisfy after active days. The two story bungalows are comfortable and the small touches like water, tea facilities etc in your room added to a positive experience. As others have mentioned it is difficult to swim, snorkel on the low tide but the family is working on rectifying that by adding a jetty to access the deeper water. We overcame this by taking boat trips each day to interesting places like Hidden Bay, Manta, Jelly fish lake. Thankyou to Antony, Lucia, Patrick, Tommy and the rest of the family for making our stay with you so special ❤️
Beser Bay was one of the best homestay we visited in our trip in RA. The bungalow are big, clean and most importantly with a huge patio with hammock and a mattress to relax. The food is also great: breakfast and afternoon snack are served in the bungalow while lunch and dinner in the common area.
the surroundings are beautiful; you can vary from inner lagoon with mangroves, rocks formation or an amazing reef which unfortunately is not always easy to reach due to the low tide.
Overall i highly suggest a stay at Beser Bay.
Beser Bay was one of the best homestay we visited in our trip in RA. The bungalow are big, clean and most importantly with a huge patio with hammock and a mattress to relax. The food is also great: breakfast and afternoon snack are served in the bungalow while lunch and dinner in the common area.
the surroundings are beautiful; you can vary from inner lagoon with mangroves, rocks formation or an amazing reef which unfortunately is not always easy to reach due to the low tide.
Overall i highly suggest a stay at Beser Bay.
Such a beautiful place! The accommodation provides everything we needed, comfy beds with mosquito nets and a nice terrace with a hammock and perfect view. You can start snorkeling just in front of your hut and the wildlife is amazing. Just take a look at the tides and the currents before you go out.
Also they have a small boat that we could borrow and explore the area. That was fun, too.
The toilets and showers were good.
There are 4 meals included and it was one of the best food we had during our time in Raja Ampat. Super tasty local food and sometimes freshly baked cake, just yum!
Great place, we would definitely come back!
Such a beautiful place! The accommodation provides everything we needed, comfy beds with mosquito nets and a nice terrace with a hammock and perfect view. You can start snorkeling just in front of your hut and the wildlife is amazing. Just take a look at the tides and the currents before you go out.
Also they have a small boat that we could borrow and explore the area. That was fun, too.
The toilets and showers were good.
There are 4 meals included and it was one of the best food we had during our time in Raja Ampat. Super tasty local food and sometimes freshly baked cake, just yum!
Great place, we would definitely come back!
The three of us stayed at Beser bay for 4 nights and it was an amazing place! The huts are spacious and luxurious, with two floors and two bedrooms, a really nice sundeck with a matress, a hammock and a sunbed where you can relax. Baby sharks and a lot of fish were swimming under the veranda. You can watch a really nice sunrise and sunset from your bungalow as well as watching thousands of stars during the evening!
The food here was amazing, the best food we have eaten during our 2,5 weeks Raja Ampat trip! The family is so friendly and gave good service, and one of us got really sick and they went to the village and got medicine for her. We went on a snorkeling trip and went swimming with stingless moon jellyfish which was awesome! It is very close to nature and you can see a lot of wildlife around the bungalow which is really nice.
The only part that was a bummer was that the lowtide during the day made it hard to leave or really do any swimming/snorkelinh around the bungalow. It was possible in the morning and late afternoon when the high tide was there tho.
Overall beser bay was a really nice place to relax and a good place to be close to nature. It was comfortable and food was amazing! I would definitley recommend staying here and if we ever go back we will visit beser bay again 🙂
The three of us stayed at Beser bay for 4 nights and it was an amazing place! The huts are spacious and luxurious, with two floors and two bedrooms, a really nice sundeck with a matress, a hammock and a sunbed where you can relax. Baby sharks and a lot of fish were swimming under the veranda. You can watch a really nice sunrise and sunset from your bungalow as well as watching thousands of stars during the evening!
The food here was amazing, the best food we have eaten during our 2,5 weeks Raja Ampat trip! The family is so friendly and gave good service, and one of us got really sick and they went to the village and got medicine for her. We went on a snorkeling trip and went swimming with stingless moon jellyfish which was awesome! It is very close to nature and you can see a lot of wildlife around the bungalow which is really nice.
The only part that was a bummer was that the lowtide during the day made it hard to leave or really do any swimming/snorkelinh around the bungalow. It was possible in the morning and late afternoon when the high tide was there tho.
Overall beser bay was a really nice place to relax and a good place to be close to nature. It was comfortable and food was amazing! I would definitley recommend staying here and if we ever go back we will visit beser bay again 🙂
I stayed together with a friend for 8 nights with Beser Bay Homestay and it was very difficult for us to leave. We felt we found Paradise.
The nature is magical, fishes and birds everywhere, starry milkyway sky and luminous plankton at night.
They took us on beautiful snorkel trips close and far. Swimming with turtle, sharks and having amazing viewpoints. Also they organised diving for me.
The houses have everything we needed and are well builded and comfortable. With nice views.
The best at the end, the Family was so friendly and kind. They build a shower in 1 day for us (most of the accommodation don’t have running water showers), after trips we found baking, tea and coffee in front of our accommodation, the food in general was diverse and delicious. They did everything they could to welcome us, make ours stay in middle of nature as comfortable as possible and happy.
Thank you soo much, I will come back
I stayed together with a friend for 8 nights with Beser Bay Homestay and it was very difficult for us to leave. We felt we found Paradise.
The nature is magical, fishes and birds everywhere, starry milkyway sky and luminous plankton at night.
They took us on beautiful snorkel trips close and far. Swimming with turtle, sharks and having amazing viewpoints. Also they organised diving for me.
The houses have everything we needed and are well builded and comfortable. With nice views.
The best at the end, the Family was so friendly and kind. They build a shower in 1 day for us (most of the accommodation don’t have running water showers), after trips we found baking, tea and coffee in front of our accommodation, the food in general was diverse and delicious. They did everything they could to welcome us, make ours stay in middle of nature as comfortable as possible and happy.
Thank you soo much, I will come back
un soggiorno fantastico, bungalow super moderni sul mare, cibo ottimo e vario,TINA.ANNA e LUCIA le regine del homestay sempre sorridenti e pronte a soddisfare ogni tua esigenza che dire? solo grazie. il luogo davvero magico e ci si sente a casa, in famiglia, abbiamo trascorso 7 notti davvero stupende, valore aggiunto Tommy e Karim due ragazzi preparati e ottimi marinai, ci hanno fatto fare più immersioni con le mante in un contesto paradisiaco, vi ricordiamo con affetto Pierpaolo e Cristiana
un soggiorno fantastico, bungalow super moderni sul mare, cibo ottimo e vario,TINA.ANNA e LUCIA le regine del homestay sempre sorridenti e pronte a soddisfare ogni tua esigenza che dire? solo grazie. il luogo davvero magico e ci si sente a casa, in famiglia, abbiamo trascorso 7 notti davvero stupende, valore aggiunto Tommy e Karim due ragazzi preparati e ottimi marinai, ci hanno fatto fare più immersioni con le mante in un contesto paradisiaco, vi ricordiamo con affetto Pierpaolo e Cristiana
We Love it !
We stayed there for a week! Beser Bay is run by Anthony and the family team. Our room has the great view and super comfy. We were spoiled by sounds of the birds, great food from Kaka Tina (She is great cook ! ) We went there for snorkling, and everything was great !
We are in love with Beser Bay, and will definitely stay there again on our next trip
Big Hug from is to Beser Bay Family ! Yess you guys are our family ❤️
Hello sis Tesa & John!! We are also happy for your choice with us, and thank you for the review!! Hope to see you another time.
Greetings
Beserbay Homestay Team
We Love it !
We stayed there for a week! Beser Bay is run by Anthony and the family team. Our room has the great view and super comfy. We were spoiled by sounds of the birds, great food from Kaka Tina (She is great cook ! ) We went there for snorkling, and everything was great !
We are in love with Beser Bay, and will definitely stay there again on our next trip
Big Hug from is to Beser Bay Family ! Yess you guys are our family ❤️
Hello sis Tesa & John!! We are also happy for your choice with us, and thank you for the review!! Hope to see you another time.
Greetings
Beserbay Homestay Team
We had a 12-night stay in Beser Bay in July/August. The reason why we´ve decided for this homestay was the offer of tours to Wayag and the good reviews from the guests before.
The house was realy great and big. All was clean and nothing was damaged. The meals were realy nice and the size was absolutly okay. We had four meals a day. Sometimes we missed a shower.
It´s a very remote place, so it´s realy peaceful. The staff is friendly and helpful. They work every day to make our stay more comfortable. Fro examble, they build a wooden bank for the boat.
Patrick is a good guide. He knows many places for snorkling. Sometimes he has to learn how currents or low and high water influence the behavior of the wildlife.
The prices for the tours are okay and so we made a lot of them. We will comming back on our next trip to Raja Ampat.
Hello mr lars..thank you for your review. hope to see you another time.!!
We had a 12-night stay in Beser Bay in July/August. The reason why we´ve decided for this homestay was the offer of tours to Wayag and the good reviews from the guests before.
The house was realy great and big. All was clean and nothing was damaged. The meals were realy nice and the size was absolutly okay. We had four meals a day. Sometimes we missed a shower.
It´s a very remote place, so it´s realy peaceful. The staff is friendly and helpful. They work every day to make our stay more comfortable. Fro examble, they build a wooden bank for the boat.
Patrick is a good guide. He knows many places for snorkling. Sometimes he has to learn how currents or low and high water influence the behavior of the wildlife.
The prices for the tours are okay and so we made a lot of them. We will comming back on our next trip to Raja Ampat.
Hello mr lars..thank you for your review. hope to see you another time.!!
Hi. When are you planning to reopen? I’m hoping to visit your area in early June. Thanks
Hi Michael
Beser Bay have not said when they plan to reopen, but hopefully it will be before June.
Hi. When are you planning to reopen? I’m hoping to visit your area in early June. Thanks
Hi Michael
Beser Bay have not said when they plan to reopen, but hopefully it will be before June.
Just a first impression after 24 hours:I can’t agree with the last rather negative rewiew! The meals are very tasty and plenty is served. Even in the afternoon snacks are brought to our bungalow, where we also have cold and hot water for tea or coffee. The bungalows have a real bed with a good matress ( WE could move to the honeymoon suite, so I can compare ) and outside there is another mattress on the floor with complete linen and pillows. The bathroom is cleaned more than once a day, therefore not smelly or dirty. Snorkeling I have seen the blacktip reefshark, a Napoleon, many different kind of anemones with beautiful Nemos!
I love it and do recommend the homestay!
Just a first impression after 24 hours:I can’t agree with the last rather negative rewiew! The meals are very tasty and plenty is served. Even in the afternoon snacks are brought to our bungalow, where we also have cold and hot water for tea or coffee. The bungalows have a real bed with a good matress ( WE could move to the honeymoon suite, so I can compare ) and outside there is another mattress on the floor with complete linen and pillows. The bathroom is cleaned more than once a day, therefore not smelly or dirty. Snorkeling I have seen the blacktip reefshark, a Napoleon, many different kind of anemones with beautiful Nemos!
I love it and do recommend the homestay!
We came because of all the good comments and were a bit disappointed. The reef is interesting and the landscape beautiful. Even though we would opt for other islands in RA.
The Bungalows look nice but it was not clean at all. The sanitary was awfully dirty and smelling. The food was nice. The staff seemed to be not very motivated or interested in their guests.
We came because of all the good comments and were a bit disappointed. The reef is interesting and the landscape beautiful. Even though we would opt for other islands in RA.
The Bungalows look nice but it was not clean at all. The sanitary was awfully dirty and smelling. The food was nice. The staff seemed to be not very motivated or interested in their guests.
One of the most beautiful place on rajat ampat, beser bay is really amazing, very quiet place between the mangrove and the sea. This position offers a lot of diversity of fish and coral, the wall just at few meters from the bungalow is full power of diversity coral and fish(napoleon, turtle, walking shark, wobegong,…) You also have access by swin at the little island around with beautiful garden coral, many nudibranch and pipe fish… It’s just a paradise and may be one of the best place for snorkeling in raja ampat. We have stay 4 month on raja ampat,and we definetly find the paradise. You have all raja ampat around this place. The honner is also very nice, honest and professional, very respectful people. He do all the best for his customer, every day. He go fishing day to day so fresh fish, honest price, and if you need something he immediately make the best for you. It’s very pleasant to see family love people come to raja ampat. His mother cooking with love, very nice food and every day different. Good breakfast, good dinner, and she also good bakery, so very nice bake at 4h00. All around is also very nice, there are manta point with a lot of manta and no deep, arborek, and many atol very close.. You also can see Mandarin fish. From this place you have also a beautiful sunset every day the landscape around is spectacular with all this little island around you its a little pianeymo . I recommend for sure 100%this place for on raja ampat we have stay 4 month. Thanks very much of this family and all the best.
One of the most beautiful place on rajat ampat, beser bay is really amazing, very quiet place between the mangrove and the sea. This position offers a lot of diversity of fish and coral, the wall just at few meters from the bungalow is full power of diversity coral and fish(napoleon, turtle, walking shark, wobegong,…) You also have access by swin at the little island around with beautiful garden coral, many nudibranch and pipe fish… It’s just a paradise and may be one of the best place for snorkeling in raja ampat. We have stay 4 month on raja ampat,and we definetly find the paradise. You have all raja ampat around this place. The honner is also very nice, honest and professional, very respectful people. He do all the best for his customer, every day. He go fishing day to day so fresh fish, honest price, and if you need something he immediately make the best for you. It’s very pleasant to see family love people come to raja ampat. His mother cooking with love, very nice food and every day different. Good breakfast, good dinner, and she also good bakery, so very nice bake at 4h00. All around is also very nice, there are manta point with a lot of manta and no deep, arborek, and many atol very close.. You also can see Mandarin fish. From this place you have also a beautiful sunset every day the landscape around is spectacular with all this little island around you its a little pianeymo . I recommend for sure 100%this place for on raja ampat we have stay 4 month. Thanks very much of this family and all the best.
Worst and most expensive homestay that I have visited.
Pros:
Really nice bungalows, large, with a second mattress on the terrace, a fan, light switches, and walking sharks passing under the bungalow at night.
Some evenings a Cuscus can be seen around the dining area.
Cons:
Price
Scammy booking. I booked over the phone because StayRajaAmpat website was down when I booked. They lost it. Another guest that arrived on my same boat booked later, called the day before her arrival and they said that they would hold her a room. She also booked it via stayrajaampat and paid online. When she arrived, they said that they don’t have her booking either. Then when she asked for refund they found her a bungalow. For mine, they wanted to place me in a much worse bungalow from an abandoned homestay nearby at the same price (not negotiable). I ended up sharing a bungalow with another guest (otherwise I would have left). The food was OK, but the quantities were way too small and they refused to provide more, with the excuse of the cost.
No hikes are possible from the homestay (without chartering a boat). Snorkeling is possible on two site. On the back-site the visibility was horrible and nearly no-one there enjoyed it. On the front site, the snorkeling was better but possible only during high-tide (during my stay at 11h).
We asked to go for some tours (snorkeling, diving and hike to a viewpoint). After the trip, the price requested was always higher than when we asked for the trip. When I asked to go scuba-diving I was answered to just call the diving. I asked for the number, and I was answered “later, now I am busy”. Then I found none to ask for it for the remaining of the day (about 8 hours).
I also observed many other guests having problems with their bookings and being placed in other bungalows from Ano or the abandoned homestay for the same price.
About the Eco-friendliness: I tried to climb up the only small path going in the forest and found loads of thrashes abandoned there. Probably all the thrash produced by the homestay. These will end up at sea after a while…
For some reason, all the fishes in the snorkeling site were also abnormally scared of humans. Even turtles known for their phlegmatic “I don’t give a damn behavior” sprinted away when they noticed me in the distance. Something wrong is happening there…
Finally the coral on the front snorkeling site were nice during my stay, but I also found more than 10 fully developed crown of thorns starfish in a single hour snorkeling. So the local coral population is on the verge of collapsing.
To sum up: Just go somewhere else. Raja Ampat is full of nicer and friendlier homestays!
Worst and most expensive homestay that I have visited.
Pros:
Really nice bungalows, large, with a second mattress on the terrace, a fan, light switches, and walking sharks passing under the bungalow at night.
Some evenings a Cuscus can be seen around the dining area.
Cons:
Price
Scammy booking. I booked over the phone because StayRajaAmpat website was down when I booked. They lost it. Another guest that arrived on my same boat booked later, called the day before her arrival and they said that they would hold her a room. She also booked it via stayrajaampat and paid online. When she arrived, they said that they don’t have her booking either. Then when she asked for refund they found her a bungalow. For mine, they wanted to place me in a much worse bungalow from an abandoned homestay nearby at the same price (not negotiable). I ended up sharing a bungalow with another guest (otherwise I would have left). The food was OK, but the quantities were way too small and they refused to provide more, with the excuse of the cost.
No hikes are possible from the homestay (without chartering a boat). Snorkeling is possible on two site. On the back-site the visibility was horrible and nearly no-one there enjoyed it. On the front site, the snorkeling was better but possible only during high-tide (during my stay at 11h).
We asked to go for some tours (snorkeling, diving and hike to a viewpoint). After the trip, the price requested was always higher than when we asked for the trip. When I asked to go scuba-diving I was answered to just call the diving. I asked for the number, and I was answered “later, now I am busy”. Then I found none to ask for it for the remaining of the day (about 8 hours).
I also observed many other guests having problems with their bookings and being placed in other bungalows from Ano or the abandoned homestay for the same price.
About the Eco-friendliness: I tried to climb up the only small path going in the forest and found loads of thrashes abandoned there. Probably all the thrash produced by the homestay. These will end up at sea after a while…
For some reason, all the fishes in the snorkeling site were also abnormally scared of humans. Even turtles known for their phlegmatic “I don’t give a damn behavior” sprinted away when they noticed me in the distance. Something wrong is happening there…
Finally the coral on the front snorkeling site were nice during my stay, but I also found more than 10 fully developed crown of thorns starfish in a single hour snorkeling. So the local coral population is on the verge of collapsing.
To sum up: Just go somewhere else. Raja Ampat is full of nicer and friendlier homestays!
Nice over water Bungalows with a big balcony and a stunning sunset view.
Privat water/coffe/tea on our room and great food.
Nice over water Bungalows with a big balcony and a stunning sunset view.
Privat water/coffe/tea on our room and great food.
Price is not correct anymore. Boi asking us 400per person as a couple. So they raised..
Everything else was awesome. Food, reef, transport,rooms..
Great to hear you enjoyed it there Stefan, and thanks for taking the time to leave a review.
The prices listed on Stay Raja Ampat were confirmed by Beser Bay’s owner in August 2019 and are correct.
Guests who book via the Stay Raja Ampat website will never have to pay more than the price displayed on the website. The Homestay Association guarantees this and will help in the event of any problems.
Price is not correct anymore. Boi asking us 400per person as a couple. So they raised..
Everything else was awesome. Food, reef, transport,rooms..
Great to hear you enjoyed it there Stefan, and thanks for taking the time to leave a review.
The prices listed on Stay Raja Ampat were confirmed by Beser Bay’s owner in August 2019 and are correct.
Guests who book via the Stay Raja Ampat website will never have to pay more than the price displayed on the website. The Homestay Association guarantees this and will help in the event of any problems.
We stayed 3 nights at Beser bay, definitely the best food (I would say amazing food), the most comfortable room that we have during one month. If you add a very thoughtful host … it’s definitely a place to stay!
Go and stay few days here, you will enjoy!
Damien.
We stayed 3 nights at Beser bay, definitely the best food (I would say amazing food), the most comfortable room that we have during one month. If you add a very thoughtful host … it’s definitely a place to stay!
Go and stay few days here, you will enjoy!
Damien.
This was an epic spot for myself, wife and Hannah (8), Lily (5) to chill for a few days. We were lucky enough to have access to a friends boat to explore throughout the fantastic little bays and islands around here…… Would recommend hiring local fisherman and boat for day to do this…..also snorkelling awesome especially around the mangroves just in front of the bungalows….and multiple other spots….yes rubbish comes in off ocean at high tide….part of bigger problem….not enough to deter from the place….we found Pak Boi and family great hosts…good food also…love those greens…..Loved it
This was an epic spot for myself, wife and Hannah (8), Lily (5) to chill for a few days. We were lucky enough to have access to a friends boat to explore throughout the fantastic little bays and islands around here…… Would recommend hiring local fisherman and boat for day to do this…..also snorkelling awesome especially around the mangroves just in front of the bungalows….and multiple other spots….yes rubbish comes in off ocean at high tide….part of bigger problem….not enough to deter from the place….we found Pak Boi and family great hosts…good food also…love those greens…..Loved it
I stayed at Besar Bay 3 nights in June.
While the reef is truly amazing I would not stay at Besar Bay „guesthouse“ again. I won’t call it „homestay“ because it is actually not the home of a family unlike many other homestays in RA.
The owner, Antony, and his family live in Waisai and they are renting out the bungalows. They have staff employed that works there. And I had the impression that the staff was not happy.
I have paid 400.00 IDR for homestays in RA that are much cleaner and have way better food and friendlier staff. The dining area is below a roof next to a wet rockwall with plenty of mosquitoes that stung me at night although I had the net around the mattress (meshes too big?). The washrooms were sometimes smelly. Boy tried to charge me twice for the Bird of Paradise trip. He wanted the same amount (150.00 IDR) again even though I already paid the guide directly. I did not agree with him and I did not pay twice.
If you want to see the birds I would actually recommend booking a trip in Waisai (for example Warimpurem homestay) or in Yenbeser village. The birding spot are bigger and there are more birds to see.
The homestay is on a secluded island and you cannot go anywhere without a boat so you are dependent on the staff being around and being willing to drive you to the village, Atborek or wherever you want to go. If you are in a group or go as a couple or want some time for yourself then this secluded place might be a good consideration if you want to see the reef. If you are willing to pay more fore higher quality food and bungalow there is Methos Homestay nearby which is 2 min by boat and is at the end of the nearby village. I only explored the reef that extends all the way from the village to besar bay homestay. I didn’t go into the actual bay because the whole area looks like crocodile water and I was told by others later that crocs had been spotted in these bays. Lastly, be aware that THERE IS NO WASTE DISPOSAL in RA, Wasai and probably not even in Sorong. The local and also foreign people in Rajampat throw the trash in the water. You will see that when you take the ferry from Sorong. People throw all sort of plastic in the water (bottles, straws, cigarettes etc). If it continues like this, RA will be gone in 5 years. Although you will see garbage bins around the homestays and in the bungalows, be aware that they will throw it in the ocean. Sometimes they partially burn it but uncontrolled. The high tide will take all the unburned plastic if they burn it at all. SO, PLEASE BRING AND BUY AS LITTLE PLASTIC AS POSSIBLE AND TAKE IT BACK TO YOUR COUNTRY.
I stayed at Besar Bay 3 nights in June.
While the reef is truly amazing I would not stay at Besar Bay „guesthouse“ again. I won’t call it „homestay“ because it is actually not the home of a family unlike many other homestays in RA.
The owner, Antony, and his family live in Waisai and they are renting out the bungalows. They have staff employed that works there. And I had the impression that the staff was not happy.
I have paid 400.00 IDR for homestays in RA that are much cleaner and have way better food and friendlier staff. The dining area is below a roof next to a wet rockwall with plenty of mosquitoes that stung me at night although I had the net around the mattress (meshes too big?). The washrooms were sometimes smelly. Boy tried to charge me twice for the Bird of Paradise trip. He wanted the same amount (150.00 IDR) again even though I already paid the guide directly. I did not agree with him and I did not pay twice.
If you want to see the birds I would actually recommend booking a trip in Waisai (for example Warimpurem homestay) or in Yenbeser village. The birding spot are bigger and there are more birds to see.
The homestay is on a secluded island and you cannot go anywhere without a boat so you are dependent on the staff being around and being willing to drive you to the village, Atborek or wherever you want to go. If you are in a group or go as a couple or want some time for yourself then this secluded place might be a good consideration if you want to see the reef. If you are willing to pay more fore higher quality food and bungalow there is Methos Homestay nearby which is 2 min by boat and is at the end of the nearby village. I only explored the reef that extends all the way from the village to besar bay homestay. I didn’t go into the actual bay because the whole area looks like crocodile water and I was told by others later that crocs had been spotted in these bays. Lastly, be aware that THERE IS NO WASTE DISPOSAL in RA, Wasai and probably not even in Sorong. The local and also foreign people in Rajampat throw the trash in the water. You will see that when you take the ferry from Sorong. People throw all sort of plastic in the water (bottles, straws, cigarettes etc). If it continues like this, RA will be gone in 5 years. Although you will see garbage bins around the homestays and in the bungalows, be aware that they will throw it in the ocean. Sometimes they partially burn it but uncontrolled. The high tide will take all the unburned plastic if they burn it at all. SO, PLEASE BRING AND BUY AS LITTLE PLASTIC AS POSSIBLE AND TAKE IT BACK TO YOUR COUNTRY.
This was one of the nicest homestays I stayed in (February 2019). The food was the best in Raja Ampat – and after weeks of only rice and fish it was a relief to have vegetables and fruit. The bungalows are nicely fitted out, roomy with a covered verandah plus a deck. Built over the water, you have a prime view of fish swimming underneath. The coral reef is a couple of minutes snorkelling away and really rice. Plus visits from a cuscus! Definitely a homestay I will return to.
do the bungalows have a mattress off the ground or mattress on the floor?
This was one of the nicest homestays I stayed in (February 2019). The food was the best in Raja Ampat – and after weeks of only rice and fish it was a relief to have vegetables and fruit. The bungalows are nicely fitted out, roomy with a covered verandah plus a deck. Built over the water, you have a prime view of fish swimming underneath. The coral reef is a couple of minutes snorkelling away and really rice. Plus visits from a cuscus! Definitely a homestay I will return to.
do the bungalows have a mattress off the ground or mattress on the floor?
a week there , nice people , good food a lot really a lot of baby sharks and walking sharks with a special quest a female cuscus, what can I say more ? go there people !
a week there , nice people , good food a lot really a lot of baby sharks and walking sharks with a special quest a female cuscus, what can I say more ? go there people !
We stayed at Beser Bay for 5 nights in January 2019 and absolutely loved it!
Beautiful bay, clean and spacious bungalows, the best food we have had during 4 weeks in RA and accommodating to us being vegetarian, lots and lots of wildlife as soon as we stepped outside our bungalow and such a peaceful experience too.
They charged 700.000INR for our mantatrip which was a 5-6 minutes boatride away and lasted an hour and a half.
Compared to every other trip and distance we have done in RA in 4 weeks this was way, way too much.
We called ahead the day before and made the booking, but also experienced guests while we were there who arrived with a confirmed booking but were told they the accommodation was not available.
Overall, we loved it here and would definitely recommend this homestay to everyone!
We stayed at Beser Bay for 5 nights in January 2019 and absolutely loved it!
Beautiful bay, clean and spacious bungalows, the best food we have had during 4 weeks in RA and accommodating to us being vegetarian, lots and lots of wildlife as soon as we stepped outside our bungalow and such a peaceful experience too.
They charged 700.000INR for our mantatrip which was a 5-6 minutes boatride away and lasted an hour and a half.
Compared to every other trip and distance we have done in RA in 4 weeks this was way, way too much.
We called ahead the day before and made the booking, but also experienced guests while we were there who arrived with a confirmed booking but were told they the accommodation was not available.
Overall, we loved it here and would definitely recommend this homestay to everyone!
It was with some trepidation we came to this homestay having seen the previous three reviewers state their official bookings were dishonoured. We had had no response from SMS enquiries and I made my concerns know to the admin of this website.
It was therefore no complete surprise that had official booking had been stuffed up.
We had been expected but, for only one bungalow for 2 people, despite the fact the booking confirmation was absolutely clear – 2 bungalows for 4 people. This was affirmed one week prior to arrival when the booking reminder was sent.
But apparently, we were ‘lucky’ as there was a spare bungalow which was hastily prepared.
We were not lucky – that misses the point. We, like the previous 3 reviewers, had booked well in advance (3 months previously) and come along way for the dream holiday. Where the hell would we go if the room was not available? I gather they try to get away with this by shifting people to the adjacent Anno homestay (spelt Ano on this website?) which I gather the same family run as power, toilets and sometimes food are shared.
Anno does not compare. Beser Bay’s wildlife under the private jettys is vastly superior (see below).
This wanton and repeated disregard for the official booking system must stop. In the interim Beser Bay should be suspended from this website until they treat their fellow association homestays and those booking with the respect they deserve.
What’s the point of having an official booking site if Beser Bay treat it like a joke?
Ironically, if by some miracle your booking is honoured, Beser Bay is an exquisite homestay.
Truly excellent and imaginative food (including for vegetarians) with nice touches such as tea and coffee and a hot thermos always available at your bungalow. Afternoon tea is also brought to your room and snacks such as peanuts and shrimp crackers are always available gratis at the restaurant.
Super clean. Attentive staff.
Large bungalows with comfortable large queen beds and good mosquito nets. There is an extra mattress without a net on the veranda. There is a long walkway to the bungalow so you always look down in the water. This is where this homestay excels and especially at night.
The inlet where the homestay is based is a nursery and around the night high tide the fauna is mind blowing. Every night there were dozens of baby sharks and stingrays right under your sleeping quarters. Whatsmore, walking sharks were everywhere, especially on the waters edge between the huts. Have a spotlight handy.
We saw the walking sharks hiding during the day under rocks under the large rock opposite the bungalows (about 50m away).
We checked the Anno huts and they do not have this number of sharks etc and we did not see walking sharks here.
While snorkelling in front of the Beser Bay huts during the day there were many sea snakes. Garfish were hunting and fishing eagles? were taking fish as we reclined on our verandas.
The house reef is healthy with abundant clown fish. Go left out of the inlet and keep 50 to 100m offshore (directly in front of the mangroves which go all the way to the local village).
We hand feed a spotted cuscus at the restaurant. It craves bananas.
There is now a weak Telkomsel signal and phone calls were possible.
Beser Bay is an exceptional must go to homestay but only when they get their shit and do the right thing by everyone.
Mini Snorkelling Trip:
Based on this website we a 4 night expedition. We did two days at Waranus homestay (there are multiple adjoining homestays as alternates) where we did Sauwandarek Village, Yenbuba Jetty, Waranus house reef and Cape Kri (we were here at high tide so the currents were not strong).
On the way to Beser Bay we did Friwen wall, Aborek and added Manta point which was not on the website above. Manta was a highlight, swimming metres away from Mantas. We also did Beser Bay as described.
It worked well and all worth a visit.
It was a pleasure meeting the 4 of you!
– Jelle & Iben (the Belgian & the Dane)
It was with some trepidation we came to this homestay having seen the previous three reviewers state their official bookings were dishonoured. We had had no response from SMS enquiries and I made my concerns know to the admin of this website.
It was therefore no complete surprise that had official booking had been stuffed up.
We had been expected but, for only one bungalow for 2 people, despite the fact the booking confirmation was absolutely clear – 2 bungalows for 4 people. This was affirmed one week prior to arrival when the booking reminder was sent.
But apparently, we were ‘lucky’ as there was a spare bungalow which was hastily prepared.
We were not lucky – that misses the point. We, like the previous 3 reviewers, had booked well in advance (3 months previously) and come along way for the dream holiday. Where the hell would we go if the room was not available? I gather they try to get away with this by shifting people to the adjacent Anno homestay (spelt Ano on this website?) which I gather the same family run as power, toilets and sometimes food are shared.
Anno does not compare. Beser Bay’s wildlife under the private jettys is vastly superior (see below).
This wanton and repeated disregard for the official booking system must stop. In the interim Beser Bay should be suspended from this website until they treat their fellow association homestays and those booking with the respect they deserve.
What’s the point of having an official booking site if Beser Bay treat it like a joke?
Ironically, if by some miracle your booking is honoured, Beser Bay is an exquisite homestay.
Truly excellent and imaginative food (including for vegetarians) with nice touches such as tea and coffee and a hot thermos always available at your bungalow. Afternoon tea is also brought to your room and snacks such as peanuts and shrimp crackers are always available gratis at the restaurant.
Super clean. Attentive staff.
Large bungalows with comfortable large queen beds and good mosquito nets. There is an extra mattress without a net on the veranda. There is a long walkway to the bungalow so you always look down in the water. This is where this homestay excels and especially at night.
The inlet where the homestay is based is a nursery and around the night high tide the fauna is mind blowing. Every night there were dozens of baby sharks and stingrays right under your sleeping quarters. Whatsmore, walking sharks were everywhere, especially on the waters edge between the huts. Have a spotlight handy.
We saw the walking sharks hiding during the day under rocks under the large rock opposite the bungalows (about 50m away).
We checked the Anno huts and they do not have this number of sharks etc and we did not see walking sharks here.
While snorkelling in front of the Beser Bay huts during the day there were many sea snakes. Garfish were hunting and fishing eagles? were taking fish as we reclined on our verandas.
The house reef is healthy with abundant clown fish. Go left out of the inlet and keep 50 to 100m offshore (directly in front of the mangroves which go all the way to the local village).
We hand feed a spotted cuscus at the restaurant. It craves bananas.
There is now a weak Telkomsel signal and phone calls were possible.
Beser Bay is an exceptional must go to homestay but only when they get their shit and do the right thing by everyone.
Mini Snorkelling Trip:
Based on this website we a 4 night expedition. We did two days at Waranus homestay (there are multiple adjoining homestays as alternates) where we did Sauwandarek Village, Yenbuba Jetty, Waranus house reef and Cape Kri (we were here at high tide so the currents were not strong).
On the way to Beser Bay we did Friwen wall, Aborek and added Manta point which was not on the website above. Manta was a highlight, swimming metres away from Mantas. We also did Beser Bay as described.
It worked well and all worth a visit.
It was a pleasure meeting the 4 of you!
– Jelle & Iben (the Belgian & the Dane)
Stayed at Beser Bay for 4 nights in November, found the homestay to be great, spacious and well thought out hut with your own areas to lounge around in, in or out of the sun. The food was varied and plentiful with fresh fruit daily. The homestay was staffed as opposed to being run by the owners, not unique in my experience of Raja Ampat homestays, the staff were friendly and helpful. Hot water delivered to rooms twice a day, along with breakfast in the mornings when they see you’re up and about. I really enjoyed my time here/
Stayed at Beser Bay for 4 nights in November, found the homestay to be great, spacious and well thought out hut with your own areas to lounge around in, in or out of the sun. The food was varied and plentiful with fresh fruit daily. The homestay was staffed as opposed to being run by the owners, not unique in my experience of Raja Ampat homestays, the staff were friendly and helpful. Hot water delivered to rooms twice a day, along with breakfast in the mornings when they see you’re up and about. I really enjoyed my time here/
PROS:
– beautiful rooms and location
– good food
CONS:
– they screw up 7 out of 8 reservations
they doublebook constantly. this leads to people doing doublebookings themselves and therefore making the whole system unreliable.
this should not be supported.
our experience:
we’ve recieved a bookingconformation from this official system and they also confirmed it in private emails. 3 days before we where supposed to come they wrote us to not come. we called, they told us to not come. we went there in person to speak about it. they said we could come. the evening before our arrival they reconfirmed that we could come. the next morning, 20min before we went to them, they called us to say that we can’t come anymore.
we went there anyway and got a room from the neighbour-homestay.
we talked to other visitors there and found out that they screwed up 7 out of 8 reservations. tried to kick people out or make them sleep on other guests porches…
keep in mind:
since you have no phonesignal in beser bay you are stuck and can’t even reach other homestays in case they have no place for you…
on the other hand the bay itself is awesomly beautiful, calm and isolated.
all rooms are perfect lovenests and have their own jetty-terasses.
at low tide you can walk in the bay. at high tide you see babysharks hunting right below your feet.
the food is great and every bungalow gets their own portions. so the food is fair distributed which might be interesting for veggeterian guests. however, they don’t care whether you are veggeterian and you will always get veggetables and fish.
at high tide you can leave the bay to south where the reef has very nice corals and a steep dropoff to the ocean. colorfull corals and small fish in swarms, sometimes mantas we heard. beware of strong currents that occur depending on the tides.
you can always leave north to the bay where you also have very interesting rockwalls under water. definatly a place for snorkeling!
they don’t offer diving but daroyen homestay can pick you up and take you with on their dive trips.
all in all we have mixed feelings because the place itself is great but how they run it is super unreliable and should not be supported since it ruins the whole system.
for people who like taking risks it is worth fighting for your reservation.
but if you are looking for a chill and stressfree trip you might want to avoid this place.
thats a pitty
and therefore 2/5 stars
PROS:
– beautiful rooms and location
– good food
CONS:
– they screw up 7 out of 8 reservations
they doublebook constantly. this leads to people doing doublebookings themselves and therefore making the whole system unreliable.
this should not be supported.
our experience:
we’ve recieved a bookingconformation from this official system and they also confirmed it in private emails. 3 days before we where supposed to come they wrote us to not come. we called, they told us to not come. we went there in person to speak about it. they said we could come. the evening before our arrival they reconfirmed that we could come. the next morning, 20min before we went to them, they called us to say that we can’t come anymore.
we went there anyway and got a room from the neighbour-homestay.
we talked to other visitors there and found out that they screwed up 7 out of 8 reservations. tried to kick people out or make them sleep on other guests porches…
keep in mind:
since you have no phonesignal in beser bay you are stuck and can’t even reach other homestays in case they have no place for you…
on the other hand the bay itself is awesomly beautiful, calm and isolated.
all rooms are perfect lovenests and have their own jetty-terasses.
at low tide you can walk in the bay. at high tide you see babysharks hunting right below your feet.
the food is great and every bungalow gets their own portions. so the food is fair distributed which might be interesting for veggeterian guests. however, they don’t care whether you are veggeterian and you will always get veggetables and fish.
at high tide you can leave the bay to south where the reef has very nice corals and a steep dropoff to the ocean. colorfull corals and small fish in swarms, sometimes mantas we heard. beware of strong currents that occur depending on the tides.
you can always leave north to the bay where you also have very interesting rockwalls under water. definatly a place for snorkeling!
they don’t offer diving but daroyen homestay can pick you up and take you with on their dive trips.
all in all we have mixed feelings because the place itself is great but how they run it is super unreliable and should not be supported since it ruins the whole system.
for people who like taking risks it is worth fighting for your reservation.
but if you are looking for a chill and stressfree trip you might want to avoid this place.
thats a pitty
and therefore 2/5 stars
Before leaving France I made a booking at Besar Bay that was confirmed via the web site on the 16.11.2018 for an arrival on the 2.12.2018 in Waisai. I sent again the week before 2 text messages and 2 emails to Anthony to make sure that the pick up was well organised and that there was no problem. I got answer for all my messages even on the 1.12 before coming that everything was fine and that we would be picked up.
During my flight from Singapore to Sorong I got middle in the night on the 2.12.2018 the message that there was a mistake and that the homestay was full and there was no place for me and my daughter.
It was very unprofessionnal and not serious at all.
It made the beginning of our stay very stressfull.
We then met people that had been accepted at Besar Bay the same week without a booking just by popping up.
to book a place does not mean that you will be able to keep your booking even if it was confirmed.
Catherine
Before leaving France I made a booking at Besar Bay that was confirmed via the web site on the 16.11.2018 for an arrival on the 2.12.2018 in Waisai. I sent again the week before 2 text messages and 2 emails to Anthony to make sure that the pick up was well organised and that there was no problem. I got answer for all my messages even on the 1.12 before coming that everything was fine and that we would be picked up.
During my flight from Singapore to Sorong I got middle in the night on the 2.12.2018 the message that there was a mistake and that the homestay was full and there was no place for me and my daughter.
It was very unprofessionnal and not serious at all.
It made the beginning of our stay very stressfull.
We then met people that had been accepted at Besar Bay the same week without a booking just by popping up.
to book a place does not mean that you will be able to keep your booking even if it was confirmed.
Catherine
Dear fellow traveller
In our 5 weeks in RA visiting more than 10 homestays we realize how difficult it is to choose them upon the comments. We try to give one star for each: beeing welcome by the staff/owners, accomodation/cleanness, food, housereef and trips. In November 2018 we stayed 4 nights in Beser Bay.
No star for beeing welcome: This is like other places in RA a “homestay” the owners family live now in Waisai. The caretakers Eddy, Dena and Irene are managing two different homestays on one tiny island. They looked very tired from the work and told us they did not have had a day off since 3 months! In such a situation the owner should give them a break before they lack energy for a smile. We can understand that beeing 24/7 hours working for tourists is hard work.
1. star for accomodation: Beser Bay’s location in the small island groups in the entry of Beser Bay is more than unique. We got by chance the very airy and spacious sunset bangalow with a matrace in the overroofed terrace ideally for relaxing on hot or rainy days. There is drinking water and tea/coffee on the private terasse. The bathrooms were very clean, and while we were snorkelling the caretakers cleaned our bungalow and put new hot water. Thank you.
2. star for food: Food in this place was variant, fruits for desert, fresh fish. For breakfast we got tiny fresh muffin cakes per person- maybe they were a little bit too tiny for us.
3. We like to snorkell in the very healthy corall on the way to kapiswar village (however not arround the corner without boat due to strong currents), we saw turtles, sharks, sweetlips. The homestay is in a mangrove bay located, just arround the bungalows you have seagras with shrimps, octopodes and walking sharks.
No stars for trips: This is one of the most expensive places in RA when it comes to boat prices. For pickup in waisai they charge 5 times the fuel price back and forth. We bargained to do the daytrip to citrus with a 15 ps engine instead the 40 ps for a discount of 300. The owners brother took us- we jumped to the jellyfish (middle of november) and tried to go after a moment back to the boat were the boatman was already gone for fishing arround the corner out of sight -we discussed it- it will not happen again.
Dear fellow traveller
In our 5 weeks in RA visiting more than 10 homestays we realize how difficult it is to choose them upon the comments. We try to give one star for each: beeing welcome by the staff/owners, accomodation/cleanness, food, housereef and trips. In November 2018 we stayed 4 nights in Beser Bay.
No star for beeing welcome: This is like other places in RA a “homestay” the owners family live now in Waisai. The caretakers Eddy, Dena and Irene are managing two different homestays on one tiny island. They looked very tired from the work and told us they did not have had a day off since 3 months! In such a situation the owner should give them a break before they lack energy for a smile. We can understand that beeing 24/7 hours working for tourists is hard work.
1. star for accomodation: Beser Bay’s location in the small island groups in the entry of Beser Bay is more than unique. We got by chance the very airy and spacious sunset bangalow with a matrace in the overroofed terrace ideally for relaxing on hot or rainy days. There is drinking water and tea/coffee on the private terasse. The bathrooms were very clean, and while we were snorkelling the caretakers cleaned our bungalow and put new hot water. Thank you.
2. star for food: Food in this place was variant, fruits for desert, fresh fish. For breakfast we got tiny fresh muffin cakes per person- maybe they were a little bit too tiny for us.
3. We like to snorkell in the very healthy corall on the way to kapiswar village (however not arround the corner without boat due to strong currents), we saw turtles, sharks, sweetlips. The homestay is in a mangrove bay located, just arround the bungalows you have seagras with shrimps, octopodes and walking sharks.
No stars for trips: This is one of the most expensive places in RA when it comes to boat prices. For pickup in waisai they charge 5 times the fuel price back and forth. We bargained to do the daytrip to citrus with a 15 ps engine instead the 40 ps for a discount of 300. The owners brother took us- we jumped to the jellyfish (middle of november) and tried to go after a moment back to the boat were the boatman was already gone for fishing arround the corner out of sight -we discussed it- it will not happen again.
Beser Bay is the perfect place to relax with its beautiful and well tended bungalows which all have a hammac and sunchair and beautiful views over the bay. What’s different from the other homestays is that the owners are genuinely friendly and really care about their place and guests. Everything is done with a lot of love and the food was delicious! We especially loved having the breakfast and snacks brought to our bungalow in the morning and afternoon 🙂 The snorkelling is really beautiful just out of the bay (it’s not as directly in front of the bungalows as in other homestays though, but the bay serves as a nursery for bamboo and black tip sharks (and many other fish). In the bay you can see many birds, like kingfishers and sea eagles. Unfortunately they don’t have their rental kayak anymore…
Beser Bay is the perfect place to relax with its beautiful and well tended bungalows which all have a hammac and sunchair and beautiful views over the bay. What’s different from the other homestays is that the owners are genuinely friendly and really care about their place and guests. Everything is done with a lot of love and the food was delicious! We especially loved having the breakfast and snacks brought to our bungalow in the morning and afternoon 🙂 The snorkelling is really beautiful just out of the bay (it’s not as directly in front of the bungalows as in other homestays though, but the bay serves as a nursery for bamboo and black tip sharks (and many other fish). In the bay you can see many birds, like kingfishers and sea eagles. Unfortunately they don’t have their rental kayak anymore…
Totally recommended!
Really nice and ‘more than enough’ bungalows over the water, with sundeck, hammock and an extra bed outside! Tip: try to get the very last room and enjoy the loneliness and the sunsets. And in the night look for the walking sharks below you! 😉
The food is superb. The best tried in Raja Ampat by far. So tasty and always different. Would come back only for this!
The family is so kind and nice, trying to make you enjoy the stay.
The open sea reef is a bit far (take care on low tide or make the round) but was plenty of life and colorful corals. On the lagoon’s side was also beautiful, with some mangroves, but visibility was not that good.
Cus cus is coming down some nights!
Totally recommended!
Really nice and ‘more than enough’ bungalows over the water, with sundeck, hammock and an extra bed outside! Tip: try to get the very last room and enjoy the loneliness and the sunsets. And in the night look for the walking sharks below you! 😉
The food is superb. The best tried in Raja Ampat by far. So tasty and always different. Would come back only for this!
The family is so kind and nice, trying to make you enjoy the stay.
The open sea reef is a bit far (take care on low tide or make the round) but was plenty of life and colorful corals. On the lagoon’s side was also beautiful, with some mangroves, but visibility was not that good.
Cus cus is coming down some nights!
200% recomendable!! Una experiencia buenisima, comida increíble!! El dueño super amable, casitas preciosas! Y baño decente!
Hola Aroa. Estamos pensando ir en noviembre. Que tal es la ubicación del homestay para llegar, hacer excursiones,encontrar cerveza( jajaja) ? Estamos pensado pasar 4/5 días en este homestay otro tanto en kri o Arborek alguna recomendación?gracias
200% recomendable!! Una experiencia buenisima, comida increíble!! El dueño super amable, casitas preciosas! Y baño decente!
Hola Aroa. Estamos pensando ir en noviembre. Que tal es la ubicación del homestay para llegar, hacer excursiones,encontrar cerveza( jajaja) ? Estamos pensado pasar 4/5 días en este homestay otro tanto en kri o Arborek alguna recomendación?gracias
I’ve stayed at this homestay for two nights, and it was quite nice. The place is beautiful, hidden within the islets of Gam Bay. Bungalows are spacious, with hammocks and deck over water. Food is great, 3 meals plus afternoon snack (so 4 meals). Always colorful, tasty and plenty food. The family is nice and friendly, and they have a kayak that you can rent for the day, or half day, and you can go explore the mangroves and islets around. And because of the mangroves the water is so rich with plankton that in a dark night you can see the water glowing if you move it or swim in it. There is a nice coral reef near the bungalows, but sometimes the tide is too low to access; normally in the afternoon is better time to go. This place is a great spot to chill. But if snorkeling is a priority for you maybe Waranus Homestay at Kri or Friwmunday Wall Homestay at Friwen might be better options. Or you can experience both 🙂
I’ve stayed at this homestay for two nights, and it was quite nice. The place is beautiful, hidden within the islets of Gam Bay. Bungalows are spacious, with hammocks and deck over water. Food is great, 3 meals plus afternoon snack (so 4 meals). Always colorful, tasty and plenty food. The family is nice and friendly, and they have a kayak that you can rent for the day, or half day, and you can go explore the mangroves and islets around. And because of the mangroves the water is so rich with plankton that in a dark night you can see the water glowing if you move it or swim in it. There is a nice coral reef near the bungalows, but sometimes the tide is too low to access; normally in the afternoon is better time to go. This place is a great spot to chill. But if snorkeling is a priority for you maybe Waranus Homestay at Kri or Friwmunday Wall Homestay at Friwen might be better options. Or you can experience both 🙂
Much better than another homestays which we have tried. Food was also better, tasty and with perfect spice.+ delicious afternoon snack! everyday we looked forward for it Very quiet place!
Much better than another homestays which we have tried. Food was also better, tasty and with perfect spice.+ delicious afternoon snack! everyday we looked forward for it Very quiet place!
We loved Beser Bay, stayed there for 3 nights. Food was amazing, such a luxourious bungalow right on the bay and at night Cuscus and walking sharks & baby blacktips in front of your bungalow!
The cakes and homemade donuts were much appreciated and so delicious! At low tide it’s a bit difficult to go snorkel and the canoe was getting fixed when we arrived so not much to do but a beautiful location!
We loved Beser Bay, stayed there for 3 nights. Food was amazing, such a luxourious bungalow right on the bay and at night Cuscus and walking sharks & baby blacktips in front of your bungalow!
The cakes and homemade donuts were much appreciated and so delicious! At low tide it’s a bit difficult to go snorkel and the canoe was getting fixed when we arrived so not much to do but a beautiful location!
Hi Toni, Boy and his Family..
What a great Time on your so amazing Homstay. I have no words to describe it, it’s an Part of Paradise.. I remember every day here in Berlin and say – We come Back next Year!
Greetings dave & Ola
See some pictures
Hi Toni, Boy and his Family..
What a great Time on your so amazing Homstay. I have no words to describe it, it’s an Part of Paradise.. I remember every day here in Berlin and say – We come Back next Year!
Greetings dave & Ola
See some pictures
We stayed 6 nights here and we wish we could stay longer! It’s a hidden lagoon between small islands, where you can snorkel (just be careful on current sometimes), use kayak or just walk around island during low tide. Bungalows are comfy with a lot of choices where to relax, read, or sleep, or just think. 🙂 Food is so delicious and we got much of it (four times a day)…
You can see lot of birds here, sometimes couscous (at least what we heard), and so many fishes and other sea creatures from terrace of your bungalow (e.g. baby blacktip sharks, walking sharks at night, bluespotted stingrays, nemos, morays etc.). Boy and his whole family are super friendly and extremly attentive! What we agreed on, that happenned. Trips were always great! Everytime we saw something differrent and Boy always were a good snorkeling guide and showed us something special (like nudibranche or mandarinfish)!
So we would rate this homestay by 6 stars, if we could.
We will come back for our honeymoon here!!
Hi Jitka .. !! Thank you for your thoughts with us, hope to see you again .. !!
We stayed 6 nights here and we wish we could stay longer! It’s a hidden lagoon between small islands, where you can snorkel (just be careful on current sometimes), use kayak or just walk around island during low tide. Bungalows are comfy with a lot of choices where to relax, read, or sleep, or just think. 🙂 Food is so delicious and we got much of it (four times a day)…
You can see lot of birds here, sometimes couscous (at least what we heard), and so many fishes and other sea creatures from terrace of your bungalow (e.g. baby blacktip sharks, walking sharks at night, bluespotted stingrays, nemos, morays etc.). Boy and his whole family are super friendly and extremly attentive! What we agreed on, that happenned. Trips were always great! Everytime we saw something differrent and Boy always were a good snorkeling guide and showed us something special (like nudibranche or mandarinfish)!
So we would rate this homestay by 6 stars, if we could.
We will come back for our honeymoon here!!
Hi Jitka .. !! Thank you for your thoughts with us, hope to see you again .. !!
This was our 2nd stay in Beser Bay. First we were not sure where to go after Manyaifun, but we ended up choosing the comfort and “luxury” of Beser Bay: very big and clean bungalows with 2 mattresses (also 1 on the veranda), even a sunchair, coffee & tea facilities in the room, good and plenty food (even an afternoon snack), and very helpful friendly staff. As we noticed last year: this is a homestay with 5* service and comfort (even rooms are cleaned every day) and as a homestay the best we had in RA. This year the weather was not very stable, lots of rain and storm, but we would just relax on the veranda, reading books, using 1 of the canoes, and go for small snorkling trips aournd the nearby islands. There is not a spectacular reef like on Kri or Manyaifun with lots of (big) fish, but some nice corals around and nudibranches on the nearby rocks. Also we did a trip to Arborek and Manta Sandy and we had a wonderful daytrip to Kabui Bay and the Passage with Boi and Patrick (Highly recommended). As on Kri,we noticed the increase of tourists compared to last year. Beser Bay built 1 more bungalow and the nearby homestay Aino has now 5 bungalows running Last year most of the time we were only 4 or 6 people staying in the bay but this year (same period) most nights all bungalows were occupied, so we were 20 but it never felt crowded. Also, they have added more facilities like toilet and mandi. If you need any supllies, a cold cola or beer or wnat to have communication by mobile internet, ask them to bring you to the nearby village.
+ nice, very comfortable bungalows with 2 mattresses
+excellent food
+friendly, helpful people
+fast communication with Antony by SMS
+comfortable boat to do daytrips
-Without wind, it can become very hot in the bay
-Not an easy accesible house reef with lots of (big) fish like in Kri or Manyaifun
Hi Marjo & Trond .. !! Thank you for your thoughts with us, hope to see you again .. !!
This was our 2nd stay in Beser Bay. First we were not sure where to go after Manyaifun, but we ended up choosing the comfort and “luxury” of Beser Bay: very big and clean bungalows with 2 mattresses (also 1 on the veranda), even a sunchair, coffee & tea facilities in the room, good and plenty food (even an afternoon snack), and very helpful friendly staff. As we noticed last year: this is a homestay with 5* service and comfort (even rooms are cleaned every day) and as a homestay the best we had in RA. This year the weather was not very stable, lots of rain and storm, but we would just relax on the veranda, reading books, using 1 of the canoes, and go for small snorkling trips aournd the nearby islands. There is not a spectacular reef like on Kri or Manyaifun with lots of (big) fish, but some nice corals around and nudibranches on the nearby rocks. Also we did a trip to Arborek and Manta Sandy and we had a wonderful daytrip to Kabui Bay and the Passage with Boi and Patrick (Highly recommended). As on Kri,we noticed the increase of tourists compared to last year. Beser Bay built 1 more bungalow and the nearby homestay Aino has now 5 bungalows running Last year most of the time we were only 4 or 6 people staying in the bay but this year (same period) most nights all bungalows were occupied, so we were 20 but it never felt crowded. Also, they have added more facilities like toilet and mandi. If you need any supllies, a cold cola or beer or wnat to have communication by mobile internet, ask them to bring you to the nearby village.
+ nice, very comfortable bungalows with 2 mattresses
+excellent food
+friendly, helpful people
+fast communication with Antony by SMS
+comfortable boat to do daytrips
-Without wind, it can become very hot in the bay
-Not an easy accesible house reef with lots of (big) fish like in Kri or Manyaifun
Hi Marjo & Trond .. !! Thank you for your thoughts with us, hope to see you again .. !!
Beser Bay Homestay puts the “C” in Customer Service! This was our second visit to R4, and we felt the best homestay in terms of accommodation comfort and customer service. Lovely, spacious huts with two terraces and three (!) options for relaxing… hammock, outside mattress and lounge chair. We have stayed in several homestays and our biggest issue is there usually is no place to relax during the day, except maybe a plastic chair if you’re lucky. Comfy bed. Tons of tables and platforms for toiletries and belongings. At the outlet, there was an extremely convenient rack where you could place tablets, phones, camera batteries while charging. Food was great. Breakfast and afternoon snacks served on your own terrace. Lovely excursions. Great reef out in front and also very interesting snorkeling in the other direction around the island. Boi showed us a cuscus who visits on occasion. The only negative was there were lots of mosquitoes and the dining pavilion is a bit dark.
This is a homestay that we will return to in the future!
I wanted to add something about the snorkeling.
Snorkeling is great on the front reef but it’s not easy to get to at low tide. However, you can always reach great snorkeling on the Gam Bay side. The coral is not classic coral like the front reef but is very interesting and slightly different types of fish. You can explore the islands and make sure you go around to the right side.
Also, you can always swim around the island to get to the front reef. You might have to go around two islands though.
Directly across the bay from the homestay is a small area with some good snorkeling. Just be careful. When we were there there was a Banded Sea Krait. They are not aggressive at all though. This one swam under me in 2 feet of water and seemed to not care I was there at all.
I forgot to add a couple more things.
From our veranda we probably saw over 20 species of fish and other creatures including walking sharks, Black-tip reef sharks, barracuda, moray eel, Striped Catfish, mantis shrimp and the snapping shrimp goby symbiotic relationship described below.
Don’t miss a trip to the lagoon that can only be reached at low tide. It’s described as a bridge but it’s literally a 30m long tunnel the to water dug through the side of a hill to connect what would have been a fresh water pond to the sea. At high tide you can’t get a boat through the tunnel.
Hi Bill & Pam .. !! Thank you for your thoughts with us, hope to see you again .. !!
Beser Bay Homestay puts the “C” in Customer Service! This was our second visit to R4, and we felt the best homestay in terms of accommodation comfort and customer service. Lovely, spacious huts with two terraces and three (!) options for relaxing… hammock, outside mattress and lounge chair. We have stayed in several homestays and our biggest issue is there usually is no place to relax during the day, except maybe a plastic chair if you’re lucky. Comfy bed. Tons of tables and platforms for toiletries and belongings. At the outlet, there was an extremely convenient rack where you could place tablets, phones, camera batteries while charging. Food was great. Breakfast and afternoon snacks served on your own terrace. Lovely excursions. Great reef out in front and also very interesting snorkeling in the other direction around the island. Boi showed us a cuscus who visits on occasion. The only negative was there were lots of mosquitoes and the dining pavilion is a bit dark.
This is a homestay that we will return to in the future!
I wanted to add something about the snorkeling.
Snorkeling is great on the front reef but it’s not easy to get to at low tide. However, you can always reach great snorkeling on the Gam Bay side. The coral is not classic coral like the front reef but is very interesting and slightly different types of fish. You can explore the islands and make sure you go around to the right side.
Also, you can always swim around the island to get to the front reef. You might have to go around two islands though.
Directly across the bay from the homestay is a small area with some good snorkeling. Just be careful. When we were there there was a Banded Sea Krait. They are not aggressive at all though. This one swam under me in 2 feet of water and seemed to not care I was there at all.
I forgot to add a couple more things.
From our veranda we probably saw over 20 species of fish and other creatures including walking sharks, Black-tip reef sharks, barracuda, moray eel, Striped Catfish, mantis shrimp and the snapping shrimp goby symbiotic relationship described below.
Don’t miss a trip to the lagoon that can only be reached at low tide. It’s described as a bridge but it’s literally a 30m long tunnel the to water dug through the side of a hill to connect what would have been a fresh water pond to the sea. At high tide you can’t get a boat through the tunnel.
Hi Bill & Pam .. !! Thank you for your thoughts with us, hope to see you again .. !!
We had an amazing 8-night stay at Beser Bay. The booking process was quick and easy, and we sent Antony a text message the day before to confirm our arrival and pick up in Waisai. When we arrived the cottages were quite full, so we were put in cottage #3 for the first night. Within 5 minutes of arrival we were watching baby sharks and schools of various fish swimming all around our deck. The next morning when some of the guests departed they moved us to cabin #1 which had a larger mattress. Two days later when other guests checked out, we moved into the largest, newest cabin, with a fabulous view of the sunset.
The homestay was very clean, and the cabins were well maintained. The garden was lovely and there were several shared bathrooms with both shower and toilet. The food was amazing, each meal was different, tasty, and we could barely finish as the portions were quite generous. The afternoon snacks brought to the cabin were another delight. The homestay is quite remote so there is no phone reception, and electricity is supplied in the evenings via a generator. They do have a refrigerator, though, which was a nice bonus for cooling off a couple cans of Bintang 😀
Boy, his wife, and Patrick took us on a wonderful trip to Piyanemo, including several stops (Melissa’s Garden, Arborek, etc) for snorkeling along the way. We also joined up with other guests to do a snorkel trip around Mansuar, where we saw giant sea turtles and many amazing fish. Unfortunately we didn’t meet too many manta rays that day, but it was an adventure nonetheless. We also did the Birds of Paradise tour, and had the delight to see about 5 of these large, colorful birds in their morning dance.
Aside from the day trips, the house reef is also excellent, and we very much enjoyed taking in all the different types of coral and fish. We rented the kayak one day to explore the calm waters of the Gam bay, which was a fun activity. In the evenings, the resident cuscus family members would venture down from their trees to be fed bananas. As long as they had a banana in hand, they would hang out for photo ops, even letting us pet them, too cute!
We didn’t stay at any other homestay. This one was amazing and had everything we were looking for – hammocks, extra mattresses on the deck, amazing views, delicious food, and a very wonderful family who makes sure all the guests are happy and well taken care of.
It was magical and we will hope and dream about our return!
Hi Julie & Michael .. !! Thank you for your thoughts with us, hope to see you again .. !!
We had an amazing 8-night stay at Beser Bay. The booking process was quick and easy, and we sent Antony a text message the day before to confirm our arrival and pick up in Waisai. When we arrived the cottages were quite full, so we were put in cottage #3 for the first night. Within 5 minutes of arrival we were watching baby sharks and schools of various fish swimming all around our deck. The next morning when some of the guests departed they moved us to cabin #1 which had a larger mattress. Two days later when other guests checked out, we moved into the largest, newest cabin, with a fabulous view of the sunset.
The homestay was very clean, and the cabins were well maintained. The garden was lovely and there were several shared bathrooms with both shower and toilet. The food was amazing, each meal was different, tasty, and we could barely finish as the portions were quite generous. The afternoon snacks brought to the cabin were another delight. The homestay is quite remote so there is no phone reception, and electricity is supplied in the evenings via a generator. They do have a refrigerator, though, which was a nice bonus for cooling off a couple cans of Bintang 😀
Boy, his wife, and Patrick took us on a wonderful trip to Piyanemo, including several stops (Melissa’s Garden, Arborek, etc) for snorkeling along the way. We also joined up with other guests to do a snorkel trip around Mansuar, where we saw giant sea turtles and many amazing fish. Unfortunately we didn’t meet too many manta rays that day, but it was an adventure nonetheless. We also did the Birds of Paradise tour, and had the delight to see about 5 of these large, colorful birds in their morning dance.
Aside from the day trips, the house reef is also excellent, and we very much enjoyed taking in all the different types of coral and fish. We rented the kayak one day to explore the calm waters of the Gam bay, which was a fun activity. In the evenings, the resident cuscus family members would venture down from their trees to be fed bananas. As long as they had a banana in hand, they would hang out for photo ops, even letting us pet them, too cute!
We didn’t stay at any other homestay. This one was amazing and had everything we were looking for – hammocks, extra mattresses on the deck, amazing views, delicious food, and a very wonderful family who makes sure all the guests are happy and well taken care of.
It was magical and we will hope and dream about our return!
Hi Julie & Michael .. !! Thank you for your thoughts with us, hope to see you again .. !!
We stayed at Beser Bay Homestay in December of 2017, the fact that I’m writing a review when I finally have time, 3 months after our stay, should be an indication of how much we enjoyed our stay at Beser Bay. The crew at Beser Bay went above and beyond when it came to making the stay comfortable; From tasty snacks at afternoon tea to setting up a picnic on snorkeling trips to daily cleaning of the chalet to cleaning the chalet once a day, and preparing phenomenal meals. I still miss waking to the sounds of birds singing and water gently lapping underneath the chalet. Loved our stay, thank you Beser Bay!
Hi Ali .. !! Thank you for your thoughts with us, hope to see you again .. !!
We stayed at Beser Bay Homestay in December of 2017, the fact that I’m writing a review when I finally have time, 3 months after our stay, should be an indication of how much we enjoyed our stay at Beser Bay. The crew at Beser Bay went above and beyond when it came to making the stay comfortable; From tasty snacks at afternoon tea to setting up a picnic on snorkeling trips to daily cleaning of the chalet to cleaning the chalet once a day, and preparing phenomenal meals. I still miss waking to the sounds of birds singing and water gently lapping underneath the chalet. Loved our stay, thank you Beser Bay!
Hi Ali .. !! Thank you for your thoughts with us, hope to see you again .. !!
This was my second visit to Beser Bay and it really is my favourite of all the homestays I have visited in Raja Ampat. Antoni, Anna and family are the most wonderful hosts, the rooms are well maintained and the food plentiful and varied. Snorkelling and boat trips were wonderfull. I am already looking forward to coming back
Hi Paul .. !! Thank you for your thoughts with us, hope to see you again .. !!
This was my second visit to Beser Bay and it really is my favourite of all the homestays I have visited in Raja Ampat. Antoni, Anna and family are the most wonderful hosts, the rooms are well maintained and the food plentiful and varied. Snorkelling and boat trips were wonderfull. I am already looking forward to coming back
Hi Paul .. !! Thank you for your thoughts with us, hope to see you again .. !!
Beser Bay is so far the best homestay in Raja Ampat of the ones we stayed in, in terms of room quality, service and cleanliness. We can compare to Corepen 2018, Yenkarom 2018, Kordiris 2016 & 2013, and Koranu Fyak 2013.
At Beser Bay they have 4 bungalows, all over water, each having 2 terraces and an extra mattress with pillows to lay down outside the bungalow, a small table on the terrace with a vacuum flask, tea, coffee – where one gets breakfast and afternoon tea snacks, which might be very tasty pancakes with fruit jam. These meals are served directly in the bungalow. The room is equipped with a mattress on the floor, a mosquito net, electric sockets and plenty of ropes and small shelves to accommodate clothes, etc.
Snorkeling around Beser Bay is interesting. The bungalows are located in a shallow lagoon with sandy bottom and seagrass patches, one can see plenty of holes where shrimps and gobies live, also right next to the bungalows. Regrettably, I’ve seen guests from this and the neighboring homestays just walking in the lagoon. I think, some information display about gobies and shrimps and other bottom dwellers might help to conserve the biodiversity in this beautiful lagoon. Also arriving and departing boats use poles at low tide, but it makes significantly less damage than walking, I think.
During the day we have frequently seen 30-40 cm long baby black tip sharks cruising the lagoon right in front of the bungalow. At night we have once seen a Raja Ampat walking shark, and once a baby cuscus on a tree. Around a few small islands in the Gam Bay, about 300 m from the homestay, there are beautiful yellow and violet soft corals, like at Friwen Wall or Batu Lima (Five Rocks) – easily reachable from the homestay when snorkeling around low / high tide (less current).
The dropoff next to the homestay might be interesting, just we weren’t there at the best moment maybe, having done it only once during our 4-night stay. We have still seen a big black tip shark and other usual reef fishes.
We have taken part in 2 boat snorkelling trips from Beser Bay, and both run well.
Lunches and dinners were excellent in quality, variety and quantity – the best meals we had in Raja Ampat this year. We read in the reviews, there is sometimes sashimi served as a regular meal, and I asked Antony, the owner (who speaks English well), to arrange it if possible, and he promised, if the fish will be fresh enough. The next day everyone got it for dinner – it was a kind of “Poke”, a raw fish salad with soya sauce and spices.
There is no diving at Beser Bay, but it is an excellent, beautiful place for relaxation and snorkelling trips.
Here is an image of a goby and shrimp similar to those in the Beser Bay lagoon: https://goo.gl/images/Mx6CPB
Probably beacuse of this link our previous review of the homestay was still not visible at the time I’m writing this, in the status of “awaiting moderation” for more than 2 days.
Hi Mikhael & Anna .. !! Thank you for your thoughts with us, hope to see you again .. !!
Beser Bay is so far the best homestay in Raja Ampat of the ones we stayed in, in terms of room quality, service and cleanliness. We can compare to Corepen 2018, Yenkarom 2018, Kordiris 2016 & 2013, and Koranu Fyak 2013.
At Beser Bay they have 4 bungalows, all over water, each having 2 terraces and an extra mattress with pillows to lay down outside the bungalow, a small table on the terrace with a vacuum flask, tea, coffee – where one gets breakfast and afternoon tea snacks, which might be very tasty pancakes with fruit jam. These meals are served directly in the bungalow. The room is equipped with a mattress on the floor, a mosquito net, electric sockets and plenty of ropes and small shelves to accommodate clothes, etc.
Snorkeling around Beser Bay is interesting. The bungalows are located in a shallow lagoon with sandy bottom and seagrass patches, one can see plenty of holes where shrimps and gobies live, also right next to the bungalows. Regrettably, I’ve seen guests from this and the neighboring homestays just walking in the lagoon. I think, some information display about gobies and shrimps and other bottom dwellers might help to conserve the biodiversity in this beautiful lagoon. Also arriving and departing boats use poles at low tide, but it makes significantly less damage than walking, I think.
During the day we have frequently seen 30-40 cm long baby black tip sharks cruising the lagoon right in front of the bungalow. At night we have once seen a Raja Ampat walking shark, and once a baby cuscus on a tree. Around a few small islands in the Gam Bay, about 300 m from the homestay, there are beautiful yellow and violet soft corals, like at Friwen Wall or Batu Lima (Five Rocks) – easily reachable from the homestay when snorkeling around low / high tide (less current).
The dropoff next to the homestay might be interesting, just we weren’t there at the best moment maybe, having done it only once during our 4-night stay. We have still seen a big black tip shark and other usual reef fishes.
We have taken part in 2 boat snorkelling trips from Beser Bay, and both run well.
Lunches and dinners were excellent in quality, variety and quantity – the best meals we had in Raja Ampat this year. We read in the reviews, there is sometimes sashimi served as a regular meal, and I asked Antony, the owner (who speaks English well), to arrange it if possible, and he promised, if the fish will be fresh enough. The next day everyone got it for dinner – it was a kind of “Poke”, a raw fish salad with soya sauce and spices.
There is no diving at Beser Bay, but it is an excellent, beautiful place for relaxation and snorkelling trips.
Here is an image of a goby and shrimp similar to those in the Beser Bay lagoon: https://goo.gl/images/Mx6CPB
Probably beacuse of this link our previous review of the homestay was still not visible at the time I’m writing this, in the status of “awaiting moderation” for more than 2 days.
Hi Mikhael & Anna .. !! Thank you for your thoughts with us, hope to see you again .. !!
Hello Anthony,
This is Damon. I have emailed you several times but have not heard back from you. Is it possible for you to provide transfers pick up from Yenanas Paradise Homestay (Gam) on Tuesday, February 20 at 11am. If yes, please reply to my email and confirm boat transfer fees. I plan to stay for 3 nights from February 20 to 23. Thank you!
Hello Anthony,
This is Damon. I have emailed you several times but have not heard back from you. Is it possible for you to provide transfers pick up from Yenanas Paradise Homestay (Gam) on Tuesday, February 20 at 11am. If yes, please reply to my email and confirm boat transfer fees. I plan to stay for 3 nights from February 20 to 23. Thank you!
Heaven found!!!
This is by far, our favourite homestay in Raja Ampat.
Besar Bay is truly something special – You will not find anywhere else like this in Raja Ampat.
We booked 11 nights, but ended up staying for 27…We simply couldn’t bring ourselves to leave!
Thank you so much to our dear friends Tina, Boy, Patrick, Tommy, Anna & Anthony.
Your kindness and generosity touched our hearts.
Take care and we will see you all again soon!
Claire & Nick x
Hi Klaire & NIck..!! We thank you for your togetherness, this reviuw and hope to meet in another time 🙂
Heaven found!!!
This is by far, our favourite homestay in Raja Ampat.
Besar Bay is truly something special – You will not find anywhere else like this in Raja Ampat.
We booked 11 nights, but ended up staying for 27…We simply couldn’t bring ourselves to leave!
Thank you so much to our dear friends Tina, Boy, Patrick, Tommy, Anna & Anthony.
Your kindness and generosity touched our hearts.
Take care and we will see you all again soon!
Claire & Nick x
Hi Klaire & NIck..!! We thank you for your togetherness, this reviuw and hope to meet in another time 🙂
Beser Bay is so far the best homestay in Raja Ampat of the ones we stayed in, in terms of room quality, service and cleanliness. We can compare to Corepen 2018, Yenkarom 2018, Kordiris 2016 & 2013, and Koranu Fyak 2013.
At Beser Bay they have 4 bungalows, all over water, each having 2 terraces and an extra mattress with pillows to lay down outside the bungalow, a small table on the terrace with a vacuum flask, tea, coffee – where one gets breakfast and afternoon tea snacks, which might be very tasty pancakes with fruit jam. These meals are served directly in the bungalow. The room is equipped with a mattress on the floor, a mosquito net, electric sockets and plenty of ropes and small shelves to accommodate clothes, etc.
Snorkeling around Beser Bay is interesting. The bungalows are located in a shallow lagoon with sandy bottom and seagrass patches, one can see plenty of holes where shrimps and gobies live, also right next to the bungalows. Regrettably, I’ve seen guests from this and the neighboring homestays just walking in the lagoon. I think, some information display about gobies and shrimps and other bottom dwellers might help to conserve the biodiversity in this beautiful lagoon. Also arriving and departing boats use poles at low tide, but it makes significantly less damage than walking, I think. https://goo.gl/images/Mx6CPB
During the day we have frequently seen 30-40 cm long baby black tip sharks cruising the lagoon right in front of the bungalow. At night we have once seen a Raja Ampat walking shark, and once a baby cuscus on a tree. Around a few small islands in the Gam Bay, about 300 m from the homestay, there are beautiful yellow and violet soft corals, like at Friwen Wall or Batu Lima (Five Rocks) – easily reachable from the homestay when snorkeling around low / high tide (less current).
The dropoff next to the homestay might be interesting, just we weren’t there at the best moment maybe, having done it only once during our 4-night stay. We have still seen a big black tip shark and other usual reef fishes.
We have taken part in 2 boat snorkelling trips from Beser Bay, and both run well.
Lunches and dinners were excellent in quality, variety and quantity – the best meals we had in Raja Ampat this year. We read in the reviews, there is sometimes sashimi served as a regular meal, and I asked Antony, the owner (who speaks English well), to arrange it if possible, and he promised, if the fish will be fresh enough. The next day everyone got it for dinner – it was a kind of “Poke”, a raw fish salad with soya sauce and spices.
There is no diving at Beser Bay, but it is an excellent, beautiful place for relaxation and snorkelling trips.
Beser Bay is so far the best homestay in Raja Ampat of the ones we stayed in, in terms of room quality, service and cleanliness. We can compare to Corepen 2018, Yenkarom 2018, Kordiris 2016 & 2013, and Koranu Fyak 2013.
At Beser Bay they have 4 bungalows, all over water, each having 2 terraces and an extra mattress with pillows to lay down outside the bungalow, a small table on the terrace with a vacuum flask, tea, coffee – where one gets breakfast and afternoon tea snacks, which might be very tasty pancakes with fruit jam. These meals are served directly in the bungalow. The room is equipped with a mattress on the floor, a mosquito net, electric sockets and plenty of ropes and small shelves to accommodate clothes, etc.
Snorkeling around Beser Bay is interesting. The bungalows are located in a shallow lagoon with sandy bottom and seagrass patches, one can see plenty of holes where shrimps and gobies live, also right next to the bungalows. Regrettably, I’ve seen guests from this and the neighboring homestays just walking in the lagoon. I think, some information display about gobies and shrimps and other bottom dwellers might help to conserve the biodiversity in this beautiful lagoon. Also arriving and departing boats use poles at low tide, but it makes significantly less damage than walking, I think. https://goo.gl/images/Mx6CPB
During the day we have frequently seen 30-40 cm long baby black tip sharks cruising the lagoon right in front of the bungalow. At night we have once seen a Raja Ampat walking shark, and once a baby cuscus on a tree. Around a few small islands in the Gam Bay, about 300 m from the homestay, there are beautiful yellow and violet soft corals, like at Friwen Wall or Batu Lima (Five Rocks) – easily reachable from the homestay when snorkeling around low / high tide (less current).
The dropoff next to the homestay might be interesting, just we weren’t there at the best moment maybe, having done it only once during our 4-night stay. We have still seen a big black tip shark and other usual reef fishes.
We have taken part in 2 boat snorkelling trips from Beser Bay, and both run well.
Lunches and dinners were excellent in quality, variety and quantity – the best meals we had in Raja Ampat this year. We read in the reviews, there is sometimes sashimi served as a regular meal, and I asked Antony, the owner (who speaks English well), to arrange it if possible, and he promised, if the fish will be fresh enough. The next day everyone got it for dinner – it was a kind of “Poke”, a raw fish salad with soya sauce and spices.
There is no diving at Beser Bay, but it is an excellent, beautiful place for relaxation and snorkelling trips.
However we were there already in 2016 i got the time only now to write some words for Beser bay. We loved our stay at this absolutely wonderful spot behind the world with super nice hosts and amazing view from the bungalow. the bungalow above the sea was super clean as the whloe little camp of the tiny island. Anna cooks very well and we enjoyed her company really much as we did it with Patrik and the kids. snorkaing is perfect around there and you can get up with the birds hanging in hammock above the water.
Would love to return sometime, our most memorable time in life we spent there… thank you all!
However we were there already in 2016 i got the time only now to write some words for Beser bay. We loved our stay at this absolutely wonderful spot behind the world with super nice hosts and amazing view from the bungalow. the bungalow above the sea was super clean as the whloe little camp of the tiny island. Anna cooks very well and we enjoyed her company really much as we did it with Patrik and the kids. snorkaing is perfect around there and you can get up with the birds hanging in hammock above the water.
Would love to return sometime, our most memorable time in life we spent there… thank you all!
Me and four friends visited Beser Bay Homestay in January 2018, and it was truly a pleasure! The location is perfect – far away from all other homestays, and the overwater bungalows are both cool and well decorated. The staff are alle very kind, and the food is very good and well prepared.
Will recommend!
Me and four friends visited Beser Bay Homestay in January 2018, and it was truly a pleasure! The location is perfect – far away from all other homestays, and the overwater bungalows are both cool and well decorated. The staff are alle very kind, and the food is very good and well prepared.
Will recommend!
The best decision of our trip – It was a true dream! We felt incredibly comfortable. We did not have such a homestay on our whole trip. Every homestay and island is different, we know that. But this stay was very special. We stayed for 3 nights and would really like to have extended. The bungalows are big, clean and extremely well equipped. Breakfast you get “to bed” – delivered directly to the terrace. The same applies to cakes in the afternoon. All terraces have direct access to the water. Every night you can see a lot of reef sharks, walking shawks and stingrays. Couscous, an extremely cute cuddly toy, lives on the island itself. (http://de.nextews.com/b4251b19/) We borrowed a canoe here and explored nature itself. The reef right around the corner (you can snorkel directly) is lovely. It really is paradise on earth. We will come back!
Hello, our family has been out of contact for a couple of weeks and everyone is worried. Did you see or meet Adam, Robin and Io Fish? They are from US but live know england. Thank you
Hello Lyndsey
We’re not based in Raja Ampat, so can’t say for sure, but – as explained above – there’s no cell phone or internet signal at Beser Bay, so being out of touch is normal. We’re sure all is fine!
We thank you for your togetherness, this reviuw and hope to meet in another time 🙂
The best decision of our trip – It was a true dream! We felt incredibly comfortable. We did not have such a homestay on our whole trip. Every homestay and island is different, we know that. But this stay was very special. We stayed for 3 nights and would really like to have extended. The bungalows are big, clean and extremely well equipped. Breakfast you get “to bed” – delivered directly to the terrace. The same applies to cakes in the afternoon. All terraces have direct access to the water. Every night you can see a lot of reef sharks, walking shawks and stingrays. Couscous, an extremely cute cuddly toy, lives on the island itself. (http://de.nextews.com/b4251b19/) We borrowed a canoe here and explored nature itself. The reef right around the corner (you can snorkel directly) is lovely. It really is paradise on earth. We will come back!
Hello, our family has been out of contact for a couple of weeks and everyone is worried. Did you see or meet Adam, Robin and Io Fish? They are from US but live know england. Thank you
Hello Lyndsey
We’re not based in Raja Ampat, so can’t say for sure, but – as explained above – there’s no cell phone or internet signal at Beser Bay, so being out of touch is normal. We’re sure all is fine!
We thank you for your togetherness, this reviuw and hope to meet in another time 🙂
Beser Bay has some of the nicest bungalows of any homestay that we stayed in. With both covered and uncovered deck space over the water, the accommodations are really great for hanging out. The dining room is not as nice as some other homestays (dark, mosquitoey, and tucked against a cliff), however, so it can be a little more difficult to hang out with other guests as there isn’t much communal space. The location is remote-feeling, beautiful, and, with its mangroves, seagrass meadow, and limestone cliffs, feels quite a bit different from the more typical beachfront homestay. There’s lots of great marine life visible just from your over-the-water deck and there’s also a kayak you can take out for 50,000 IDR. The snorkeling is also good and includes both a coral reef and a seagrass meadow for something a little different. We also saw very good bioluminescence at 3am once all the lights were out—be sure to set an alarm or stay up late so you don’t miss it. Beser Bay isn’t for divers as there’s no dive guide on hand, but Boi is happy to take guests on snorkeling and other excursions. We went to Arborek as well as on a short local trip to a bat cave and lookout. The food was decent, although sometimes tasted a bit of cooking gas. Beser Bay was one of only two homestays that brought us afternoon snacks, which were lovely after a day of activity. There’s also a real shower (!!!). The nearby village—just a 5-10 minute boat ride away—has a store with snacks and cold (!!!) Bintang. We also stayed at Corepen (5/5), Yenmakrak (3/5), Mangkur Kodon (5/5), and Warimpurem (5/5) homestays if you want to check out our reviews for comparison.
Hi Adam..!! We thank you for your togetherness, this reviuw and hope to meet in another time 🙂
Beser Bay has some of the nicest bungalows of any homestay that we stayed in. With both covered and uncovered deck space over the water, the accommodations are really great for hanging out. The dining room is not as nice as some other homestays (dark, mosquitoey, and tucked against a cliff), however, so it can be a little more difficult to hang out with other guests as there isn’t much communal space. The location is remote-feeling, beautiful, and, with its mangroves, seagrass meadow, and limestone cliffs, feels quite a bit different from the more typical beachfront homestay. There’s lots of great marine life visible just from your over-the-water deck and there’s also a kayak you can take out for 50,000 IDR. The snorkeling is also good and includes both a coral reef and a seagrass meadow for something a little different. We also saw very good bioluminescence at 3am once all the lights were out—be sure to set an alarm or stay up late so you don’t miss it. Beser Bay isn’t for divers as there’s no dive guide on hand, but Boi is happy to take guests on snorkeling and other excursions. We went to Arborek as well as on a short local trip to a bat cave and lookout. The food was decent, although sometimes tasted a bit of cooking gas. Beser Bay was one of only two homestays that brought us afternoon snacks, which were lovely after a day of activity. There’s also a real shower (!!!). The nearby village—just a 5-10 minute boat ride away—has a store with snacks and cold (!!!) Bintang. We also stayed at Corepen (5/5), Yenmakrak (3/5), Mangkur Kodon (5/5), and Warimpurem (5/5) homestays if you want to check out our reviews for comparison.
Hi Adam..!! We thank you for your togetherness, this reviuw and hope to meet in another time 🙂
Quite and beautiful place. Front of the homestay we can swim and chilling. We can see some baby shark and lion fish around the homestay, schooling fish, the voice of birds, good food, great and friendly owner and staff (I miss them a lot). Not far for the homestay, there some spot to snorkling (Beautiful corals and millions fish) and trip around the resort by boat also good things, there is bat cave, some small islands. I wish I can back there soon.
From this trip also, I met some great visitors and we become very close like family members.
Thank you for the reviuw you provided, please meet the other time … !!!
Quite and beautiful place. Front of the homestay we can swim and chilling. We can see some baby shark and lion fish around the homestay, schooling fish, the voice of birds, good food, great and friendly owner and staff (I miss them a lot). Not far for the homestay, there some spot to snorkling (Beautiful corals and millions fish) and trip around the resort by boat also good things, there is bat cave, some small islands. I wish I can back there soon.
From this trip also, I met some great visitors and we become very close like family members.
Thank you for the reviuw you provided, please meet the other time … !!!
It so clean there, the staffs are very nice and would go the extra length to provide your needs help you out, and make you feel comfortable, the snorkeling around the area is amazing, we even spotted a double rainbow there one day after rain, the food are plenty and tasty, amazing experience, and from the other guests comments I think this is the best homestay in Raja Ampat .
Thank you for the reviuw you provided, please meet the other time … !!!
It so clean there, the staffs are very nice and would go the extra length to provide your needs help you out, and make you feel comfortable, the snorkeling around the area is amazing, we even spotted a double rainbow there one day after rain, the food are plenty and tasty, amazing experience, and from the other guests comments I think this is the best homestay in Raja Ampat .
Thank you for the reviuw you provided, please meet the other time … !!!
I stayed here for 6 nights! Fantastic! I would stay longer but all bungalows were booked. Great family providing 5 star service! I had a reservation at the other homestay but they didn’t pick me up due to patrol shortage. Antony and Boy delivered me to the other island of my choice and waited until I find where to stay so not to leave me there alone. Thank you so much guys! For Christmas all guests were invited to the village to see a special service at the church. We all felt like family!
Special thanks to Tina and Boy! Tina is fabulous chef and Boy is always looking after you if you need anything! Please continue your family business and I hope to see you again!!!!
Thank you for the reviuw you provided, please meet the other time … !!!
I stayed here for 6 nights! Fantastic! I would stay longer but all bungalows were booked. Great family providing 5 star service! I had a reservation at the other homestay but they didn’t pick me up due to patrol shortage. Antony and Boy delivered me to the other island of my choice and waited until I find where to stay so not to leave me there alone. Thank you so much guys! For Christmas all guests were invited to the village to see a special service at the church. We all felt like family!
Special thanks to Tina and Boy! Tina is fabulous chef and Boy is always looking after you if you need anything! Please continue your family business and I hope to see you again!!!!
Thank you for the reviuw you provided, please meet the other time … !!!
Absolutely perfect.
My second trip to Raja and Beser Bay is the best homestay around.
Really nice people, very clean, great food / snacks, amazing nature (view to limestone islands, local cuscus, baby sharks in the bay).
Couple of pics:
https://ibb.co/chqc0G
https://ibb.co/m0hqLG
https://ibb.co/gar6ub
https://ibb.co/fkhqLG
and from Pianemo trip
https://ibb.co/iHpgSw
https://ibb.co/c2tKEb
Will definitely be back.
Hi Denis .. !! thank you for your togetherness in our place, please meet at other times .. !!
Absolutely perfect.
My second trip to Raja and Beser Bay is the best homestay around.
Really nice people, very clean, great food / snacks, amazing nature (view to limestone islands, local cuscus, baby sharks in the bay).
Couple of pics:
https://ibb.co/chqc0G
https://ibb.co/m0hqLG
https://ibb.co/gar6ub
https://ibb.co/fkhqLG
and from Pianemo trip
https://ibb.co/iHpgSw
https://ibb.co/c2tKEb
Will definitely be back.
Hi Denis .. !! thank you for your togetherness in our place, please meet at other times .. !!
Anthony, Anna, Boy, Tommy, Patrick and Mina were absolutely wonderful hosts! Beser Bay is so peaceful and the family works so hard to keep everything looking nice. Cindy and I had the best time. It was like every tropical fantasy I ever had but real. Anna is indeed a great cook and everyone looked after us like we were family. So friendly! We had never been to Raja Ampat before so were not sure what to expect, but it was better than anything we could have imagined and the Beser Bay family made it so special. The day trips to different reefs, snorkeling with mantas, Piaynemo in the rain and Yenbuba were all great but it was just as amazing to sit on our little deck and watch the fish jumping while eating Anna’s home-made donuts, or petting Boy’s cuscus friend, and not wanting to be anywhere else. I’ve never been so sad to leave anyplace as I was to leave Beser Bay. We will definitely be back and hope to see you all again!
Hi Pete & Cindy .. !! thank you for the comment, see you later.
Anthony, Anna, Boy, Tommy, Patrick and Mina were absolutely wonderful hosts! Beser Bay is so peaceful and the family works so hard to keep everything looking nice. Cindy and I had the best time. It was like every tropical fantasy I ever had but real. Anna is indeed a great cook and everyone looked after us like we were family. So friendly! We had never been to Raja Ampat before so were not sure what to expect, but it was better than anything we could have imagined and the Beser Bay family made it so special. The day trips to different reefs, snorkeling with mantas, Piaynemo in the rain and Yenbuba were all great but it was just as amazing to sit on our little deck and watch the fish jumping while eating Anna’s home-made donuts, or petting Boy’s cuscus friend, and not wanting to be anywhere else. I’ve never been so sad to leave anyplace as I was to leave Beser Bay. We will definitely be back and hope to see you all again!
Hi Pete & Cindy .. !! thank you for the comment, see you later.
We had very good stay in Beser Bay and the food was excellent including a nice snack in the afternoon.
The corals just 100 meters away from the resort are wonderful.
although it main be difficult to reach them during low tide.
Gam lagoon by boat is unforgettable and so close
Hi Kristiand .. !! thank you for the comment, see you later.
We had very good stay in Beser Bay and the food was excellent including a nice snack in the afternoon.
The corals just 100 meters away from the resort are wonderful.
although it main be difficult to reach them during low tide.
Gam lagoon by boat is unforgettable and so close
Hi Kristiand .. !! thank you for the comment, see you later.
We had a wonderful, unforgettable stay at Beser Bay! I really enjoyed the location, the house reef, the day trips with Patric and Boy, and the huts. We enjoyed sitting on our porch watching baby reef sharks cruise by in the morning. The meals were good and the banana fitters for afternoon snack were amazing! They bring hot water and breakfast to your hut every morning. I do recommend making sure to send a quick confirmation email a couple days before arrival. I sent a confirmation email a couple weeks before arrival and our transfer from ferry to the homestay was forgotten ( not uncommon at Raja). After waiting at the ferry for an hour or so someone in town was able to get a hold of Anthony who immediately came to help arrange another boat ride to Beser bay. He got us motorbikes into town and negotiated with some fisherman to take us at a discounted rate. So although we had a big delay, they still came through in the end which we appreciated! We hope to come back soon and recommend it to anyone!!!
Hay Nikole .. !! thank you for the comment, see you later.
We had a wonderful, unforgettable stay at Beser Bay! I really enjoyed the location, the house reef, the day trips with Patric and Boy, and the huts. We enjoyed sitting on our porch watching baby reef sharks cruise by in the morning. The meals were good and the banana fitters for afternoon snack were amazing! They bring hot water and breakfast to your hut every morning. I do recommend making sure to send a quick confirmation email a couple days before arrival. I sent a confirmation email a couple weeks before arrival and our transfer from ferry to the homestay was forgotten ( not uncommon at Raja). After waiting at the ferry for an hour or so someone in town was able to get a hold of Anthony who immediately came to help arrange another boat ride to Beser bay. He got us motorbikes into town and negotiated with some fisherman to take us at a discounted rate. So although we had a big delay, they still came through in the end which we appreciated! We hope to come back soon and recommend it to anyone!!!
Hay Nikole .. !! thank you for the comment, see you later.
This homestay give me a wonderful experience.
It was perfect and magic, with an amazing view. You can sleep directly over the ocean, with an incredible sky. You wake up with sounds of hundreds different birds. I have seen small sharks, stars fish, a big eagle and a lot of different fish.
The food is very good. I suggest only to change sometimes because it’s always fish, eggs, vegetables, rice (cooked in different ways).
However it’s really one of the best experience of my life. Wonderful people also.
Thank you for your positive comments, hoping we’ll meet you later … Happy with you.
This homestay give me a wonderful experience.
It was perfect and magic, with an amazing view. You can sleep directly over the ocean, with an incredible sky. You wake up with sounds of hundreds different birds. I have seen small sharks, stars fish, a big eagle and a lot of different fish.
The food is very good. I suggest only to change sometimes because it’s always fish, eggs, vegetables, rice (cooked in different ways).
However it’s really one of the best experience of my life. Wonderful people also.
Thank you for your positive comments, hoping we’ll meet you later … Happy with you.
Perfect holidays at Beser Bay! The island is perfect, the family is really friendy and they always looked after us, the food is excelent. We did a few excursions with Patrick, and he always did his best. We wil defindly repet if we’ll have the chance! Thank you for everything!
Hi Patricia, Thanks for your positive reviuw, happy to be with you and hope to meet other time.
Perfect holidays at Beser Bay! The island is perfect, the family is really friendy and they always looked after us, the food is excelent. We did a few excursions with Patrick, and he always did his best. We wil defindly repet if we’ll have the chance! Thank you for everything!
Hi Patricia, Thanks for your positive reviuw, happy to be with you and hope to meet other time.
We booked 4 nights in an over water bungalow at Beser Bay using the Stay Raja Ampat website and this was confirmed at time of booking in January, and again 2 weeks prior to arrival in October. However, when we arrived we were told there was no accommodation for us at Beser Bay, only an on land bungalow at the homestay next door. This also happened to another 2 couples over the next few days. So please be mindful of when booking at Beser Bay, you may not get what you requested. After some discussion, we stayed at Ano Homestay, which is right next door. There were 2 over water bungalows, 1 of them is brand new, which have a much better aspect overlooking the bay and islands to to the north.
Hi … !! Thanks for your comments / feedback, hopefully this will motivate us to be better. As the beginning we have explained that Ano homestay, Jelivis Homestay. We are a family (Ano homestay Owner is Uncle) We do business together and same service, if Ano homestay gets many guest requests we share and vice versa us from beser bay. The concern for us in these two homestays is to do the best service. Once again we apologize if you are less pleased.
We booked 4 nights in an over water bungalow at Beser Bay using the Stay Raja Ampat website and this was confirmed at time of booking in January, and again 2 weeks prior to arrival in October. However, when we arrived we were told there was no accommodation for us at Beser Bay, only an on land bungalow at the homestay next door. This also happened to another 2 couples over the next few days. So please be mindful of when booking at Beser Bay, you may not get what you requested. After some discussion, we stayed at Ano Homestay, which is right next door. There were 2 over water bungalows, 1 of them is brand new, which have a much better aspect overlooking the bay and islands to to the north.
Hi … !! Thanks for your comments / feedback, hopefully this will motivate us to be better. As the beginning we have explained that Ano homestay, Jelivis Homestay. We are a family (Ano homestay Owner is Uncle) We do business together and same service, if Ano homestay gets many guest requests we share and vice versa us from beser bay. The concern for us in these two homestays is to do the best service. Once again we apologize if you are less pleased.
Anthony was easy to communicate by email before we arrived. He met us at Waisai and from there Patrick, Boy and Tina looked after us. Very well too. Good food. Saw Cuscus one night. Also lagoon near bungalows can see walking sharks and small reef sharks. Go out about 100 metres to good house reef on either side of lagoon. Nice coral and fish and sea snake, Lionfish (and some people saw some Dugongs too). Did a tour to Friwan wall 800,000 and saw dolphins on the way back. Patrick stopped the boat and dolphins came close and swam under the boat too. Beser Bay homestay transfers were reliable too.
Anthony was easy to communicate by email before we arrived. He met us at Waisai and from there Patrick, Boy and Tina looked after us. Very well too. Good food. Saw Cuscus one night. Also lagoon near bungalows can see walking sharks and small reef sharks. Go out about 100 metres to good house reef on either side of lagoon. Nice coral and fish and sea snake, Lionfish (and some people saw some Dugongs too). Did a tour to Friwan wall 800,000 and saw dolphins on the way back. Patrick stopped the boat and dolphins came close and swam under the boat too. Beser Bay homestay transfers were reliable too.
We stayed in Besser bay for a couple of days in july 2017 and we have only positive things to say about it. The family was friendly and very obliging. The homstey is incredibly tidy and well organised and I can say with confidence that the food was the best out of all homestays we stayed in.
I recomend this place to enyone who wants to visit Raja Ampat, because it has it all: great reef (with tidal pools to explore during low tide), the scenery is like out of fary tale, the family is frendly and a lot of attractions are close to Besser Bay like Arborek, Kri, Pienemo, etc. Alltoogether i think Besser Bay is a good choice for anyone who travels to Raja Ampat.
We stayed in Besser bay for a couple of days in july 2017 and we have only positive things to say about it. The family was friendly and very obliging. The homstey is incredibly tidy and well organised and I can say with confidence that the food was the best out of all homestays we stayed in.
I recomend this place to enyone who wants to visit Raja Ampat, because it has it all: great reef (with tidal pools to explore during low tide), the scenery is like out of fary tale, the family is frendly and a lot of attractions are close to Besser Bay like Arborek, Kri, Pienemo, etc. Alltoogether i think Besser Bay is a good choice for anyone who travels to Raja Ampat.
Raja Ampat is a paradise on earth! And Beser Bay home stay made our experience in this paradise even more special. The place is very quiet perfect to relax and chill out. We were astonished with the hospitality of Anthony and his family, such nice and polite people. Always smiling! The food was sooo delicious, we ate fresh fish every day and the flavours felt really “homemade”. Everything is well-cared-for and clean. Under our bungalow and around the home stay we saw colorful starfish and crabs, walking shark, baby shark, clown fish and so much other interesting sea life. We felt like we were part of a National Geographic documentary!! Patrick and Anthony also took us to other places to visit like Piyanemo, Arborek, Kri island etc and they were all beautiful but they also took us to places we didn’t know like a small island in the middle of the ocean where the snorkeling quality was just awesome. Or a sandbank near Kri which appears only in low tide where we enjoyed some amazing views. Thank you Anthony and everyone else for taking such a good care of us. We are already missing your island and your hospitality 🙂
Raja Ampat is a paradise on earth! And Beser Bay home stay made our experience in this paradise even more special. The place is very quiet perfect to relax and chill out. We were astonished with the hospitality of Anthony and his family, such nice and polite people. Always smiling! The food was sooo delicious, we ate fresh fish every day and the flavours felt really “homemade”. Everything is well-cared-for and clean. Under our bungalow and around the home stay we saw colorful starfish and crabs, walking shark, baby shark, clown fish and so much other interesting sea life. We felt like we were part of a National Geographic documentary!! Patrick and Anthony also took us to other places to visit like Piyanemo, Arborek, Kri island etc and they were all beautiful but they also took us to places we didn’t know like a small island in the middle of the ocean where the snorkeling quality was just awesome. Or a sandbank near Kri which appears only in low tide where we enjoyed some amazing views. Thank you Anthony and everyone else for taking such a good care of us. We are already missing your island and your hospitality 🙂
bonjour , j’aimerais réserver dans ce homestay mais sur votre site je n’arrive pas à rentrer mes dates du coup ça ne marche pas, auriez vous leur adresse mail direct ?
Hello jenny
The form is working. Are you receiving any error message when you try to use it?
bonjour , j’aimerais réserver dans ce homestay mais sur votre site je n’arrive pas à rentrer mes dates du coup ça ne marche pas, auriez vous leur adresse mail direct ?
Hello jenny
The form is working. Are you receiving any error message when you try to use it?
Hi Vincent
Beser Bay’s email address is as shown above (baserbay).
Hi Vincent
Beser Bay’s email address is as shown above (baserbay).
Beser Bay Homestay is our favorite place on earth! My husband and I have visited 3 times now and brought the family with us this last time. Anna is an amazing cook, and the whole family are some of the nicest hosts in the world. The place is overflowing in charm and simply beauty, and is very well cared for. Patrick is a wonderful guide and there are some many things to do and see right around this peaceful little oasis. We are already planning our return!!!! Thank you Beser Bay Homestay!!!!
Hi Katty .. !! Thank you for your reviuw, happy with you hope to meet in another time. Greetings from us all .. !!!
Beser Bay Homestay is our favorite place on earth! My husband and I have visited 3 times now and brought the family with us this last time. Anna is an amazing cook, and the whole family are some of the nicest hosts in the world. The place is overflowing in charm and simply beauty, and is very well cared for. Patrick is a wonderful guide and there are some many things to do and see right around this peaceful little oasis. We are already planning our return!!!! Thank you Beser Bay Homestay!!!!
Hi Katty .. !! Thank you for your reviuw, happy with you hope to meet in another time. Greetings from us all .. !!!
Cannot say how wonderful Anthony, his family and their homestay are. Gorgeous over water bungalow on a private Bay. So many animals visited our private dock., baby sharks, walking sharks, squid, eels – the list goes on!
Amazing food too, extremely clean, so friendly. We left and wish we went back.
Hi Louise & Kasper .. !! Thank you for your reviuw, happy with you hope to meet in another time. Greetings from us all .. !!!
Cannot say how wonderful Anthony, his family and their homestay are. Gorgeous over water bungalow on a private Bay. So many animals visited our private dock., baby sharks, walking sharks, squid, eels – the list goes on!
Amazing food too, extremely clean, so friendly. We left and wish we went back.
Hi Louise & Kasper .. !! Thank you for your reviuw, happy with you hope to meet in another time. Greetings from us all .. !!!
This was one of the most amazing experiences in our travels. We traveled for 15 months and Raja ampat was really the most beautiful one. I still think about it every day what a beautiful, unique place it really is. We stayed for 2 weeks but really wanted to stay much longer. Beser bay was amazing. The location, the food, the privacy, the snorkeling, it`s top notch. we spotted an octopus, lots of sharks, baby sharks swimming around your hut, pufferfish, sea snakes, boxfish, clownfish, rays, everything you want..Just watch out for the currents and tides.. Lots of birds: cockatoo,parrots, birds of prey, It feels like paradise. It`s really worth it to go snorkeling with the owner to the jetty at his home village nearby. There we saw a walking shark by day and a huge box fish! Breakfast and snacks are served at your porch, really nice. You have an extra mattress on the porch outside, it`s really beautiful and comfortable. We were totally alone for 3 days, amazing. We found a turtle skeleton and cut many coconuts. . if you bring your mosquito net, you can sleep outside if it`s too hot inside.You have a shared bathroom and shower but it`s always very clean. You can use shampoo, soap, and even washing powder to wash your clothes. perfect perfect perfect!
Just make sure you make good arrangements about prices with the owner. it`s easy to get `misunderstood` about that. But that`s really the only thing I could say. You get an instant relax, zen mode and you will always remember this. I m coming back here.
This was one of the most amazing experiences in our travels. We traveled for 15 months and Raja ampat was really the most beautiful one. I still think about it every day what a beautiful, unique place it really is. We stayed for 2 weeks but really wanted to stay much longer. Beser bay was amazing. The location, the food, the privacy, the snorkeling, it`s top notch. we spotted an octopus, lots of sharks, baby sharks swimming around your hut, pufferfish, sea snakes, boxfish, clownfish, rays, everything you want..Just watch out for the currents and tides.. Lots of birds: cockatoo,parrots, birds of prey, It feels like paradise. It`s really worth it to go snorkeling with the owner to the jetty at his home village nearby. There we saw a walking shark by day and a huge box fish! Breakfast and snacks are served at your porch, really nice. You have an extra mattress on the porch outside, it`s really beautiful and comfortable. We were totally alone for 3 days, amazing. We found a turtle skeleton and cut many coconuts. . if you bring your mosquito net, you can sleep outside if it`s too hot inside.You have a shared bathroom and shower but it`s always very clean. You can use shampoo, soap, and even washing powder to wash your clothes. perfect perfect perfect!
Just make sure you make good arrangements about prices with the owner. it`s easy to get `misunderstood` about that. But that`s really the only thing I could say. You get an instant relax, zen mode and you will always remember this. I m coming back here.
Loved our 6 nights any at Beser Bay Homestay. This was our third visit to Raja Ampat, and have stayed in around 12 different Hoestays, but this was our favourite! Thanks to Anthony and his lovey wife Anna..who is a fantastic cook, don’t think we had the same food twice, even the presentation was more like being at a Restaurant! Everything is super clean, even come in each day and make your bed and sweep…and even too our washing off the line one day when it rained! We were the only people staying there, so we got the best service, couldn’t have asked for more, incredibly hospitable! Great snorkelling out along the wall with many beautiful soft and hard corals and abundance of colourful fish as well. Out in the Bay around the many small islands the sort corals were amazing, saw many that I’d never seen before! Really like having the mattress on the verandah which was a great place to relax and take it easy, can also watch the baby sharks, stingrays and different fish swimming past. We will more than likely return to Raja again and Beser Bay Homestay will be our first stop!
Hi Karen & Karen .. !! Terima kasih untuk reviuw Anda, senang dengan Anda berharap untuk bertemu di lain waktu. Salam dari kami semua .. !!!
Hi Anthony,
I emailed you several times regarding returning in June this year…maybe we should just book through Stay Raja Ampat?
Hi Karen & Karen .. !! Thank you for your reviuw, happy with you hope to meet in another time. Greetings from us all .. !!!
Loved our 6 nights any at Beser Bay Homestay. This was our third visit to Raja Ampat, and have stayed in around 12 different Hoestays, but this was our favourite! Thanks to Anthony and his lovey wife Anna..who is a fantastic cook, don’t think we had the same food twice, even the presentation was more like being at a Restaurant! Everything is super clean, even come in each day and make your bed and sweep…and even too our washing off the line one day when it rained! We were the only people staying there, so we got the best service, couldn’t have asked for more, incredibly hospitable! Great snorkelling out along the wall with many beautiful soft and hard corals and abundance of colourful fish as well. Out in the Bay around the many small islands the sort corals were amazing, saw many that I’d never seen before! Really like having the mattress on the verandah which was a great place to relax and take it easy, can also watch the baby sharks, stingrays and different fish swimming past. We will more than likely return to Raja again and Beser Bay Homestay will be our first stop!
Hi Karen & Karen .. !! Terima kasih untuk reviuw Anda, senang dengan Anda berharap untuk bertemu di lain waktu. Salam dari kami semua .. !!!
Hi Anthony,
I emailed you several times regarding returning in June this year…maybe we should just book through Stay Raja Ampat?
Hi Karen & Karen .. !! Thank you for your reviuw, happy with you hope to meet in another time. Greetings from us all .. !!!
We stayed in Beser Bay for four nights and we LOVED it. In fact, we loved it so much that we actually thought of going back once we left the place. If we ever go back to Raja Ampat, we will without a doubt go to Beser Bay again.
Beser bay is located at the entry to Gam bay at a tiny passage where tons of species pass through at different times of the day. When it is low tide you can watch species like walking sharks, manta rays and squids from the balcony of the bungalows. The corals around the island are very beautiful as well.
First and foremost, Anthony, Anna, Patrik and the rest of the people at the homestay are very friendly, and they’re keen to make sure that you have the best possible stay. In the evening, Anthony helped us find walking sharks as well as other species. And in day time they were always ready to arrange trips – when going on day trips they will bring lunch boxes with Anna’s amazing food.
The food we had here was by far the best we had during our time in Raja Ampat (we had good food in other places as well, but nothing compared to this). Anna is simply a great chef, and the menu is also varied from day to day. Also, the daily afternoon snacks are amazing. The food alone is a reason to stay at Beser Bay!
We recommend this homestay to ANYONE going to Raja Ampat!
Thank you Antony & Co. for an amazing time! See you next time.
Hi Louise & Kasper .. !! Thank you for your reviuw, happy with you hope to meet in another time. Greetings from us all .. !!!
We stayed in Beser Bay for four nights and we LOVED it. In fact, we loved it so much that we actually thought of going back once we left the place. If we ever go back to Raja Ampat, we will without a doubt go to Beser Bay again.
Beser bay is located at the entry to Gam bay at a tiny passage where tons of species pass through at different times of the day. When it is low tide you can watch species like walking sharks, manta rays and squids from the balcony of the bungalows. The corals around the island are very beautiful as well.
First and foremost, Anthony, Anna, Patrik and the rest of the people at the homestay are very friendly, and they’re keen to make sure that you have the best possible stay. In the evening, Anthony helped us find walking sharks as well as other species. And in day time they were always ready to arrange trips – when going on day trips they will bring lunch boxes with Anna’s amazing food.
The food we had here was by far the best we had during our time in Raja Ampat (we had good food in other places as well, but nothing compared to this). Anna is simply a great chef, and the menu is also varied from day to day. Also, the daily afternoon snacks are amazing. The food alone is a reason to stay at Beser Bay!
We recommend this homestay to ANYONE going to Raja Ampat!
Thank you Antony & Co. for an amazing time! See you next time.
Hi Louise & Kasper .. !! Thank you for your reviuw, happy with you hope to meet in another time. Greetings from us all .. !!!
The more marvelous homestay where we went in june with my husband and my 2 tall children.it was fantastic, but we were in low season, so we could profit quiet area , but there is a thing who affraid us….in the pictures there are 3 bungallows, now there are 2 more and “Antons” speak about more bungallows!!! But in this case it will not be local accomodations but little “Resort”!!!And we don’t go in “resort” when we choose this kind of way to travel!!!! We are affraid this place, Raja Ampat at all, be victim to succes…
But all in Beser Bay Homestay is nice, bungallow, food, life under the sea, amazing bird and Anton and Ana really friendly !!!! But please, be carefull, simple people need simple accomodations
I hope next year….
Hi Barbara .. !! Thank you for your reviuw, happy with you hope to meet in another time. Greetings from us all .. !!!
The more marvelous homestay where we went in june with my husband and my 2 tall children.it was fantastic, but we were in low season, so we could profit quiet area , but there is a thing who affraid us….in the pictures there are 3 bungallows, now there are 2 more and “Antons” speak about more bungallows!!! But in this case it will not be local accomodations but little “Resort”!!!And we don’t go in “resort” when we choose this kind of way to travel!!!! We are affraid this place, Raja Ampat at all, be victim to succes…
But all in Beser Bay Homestay is nice, bungallow, food, life under the sea, amazing bird and Anton and Ana really friendly !!!! But please, be carefull, simple people need simple accomodations
I hope next year….
Hi Barbara .. !! Thank you for your reviuw, happy with you hope to meet in another time. Greetings from us all .. !!!
Halo Petric, I write you here because we really want to stay at your homestay, but you didn’t answer our mails and bookings. It would be 6 nights, from the 29th august to the 4th September. Please, contact me if you can! We will be so grateful!
Halo Petric, I write you here because we really want to stay at your homestay, but you didn’t answer our mails and bookings. It would be 6 nights, from the 29th august to the 4th September. Please, contact me if you can! We will be so grateful!
This was my third stay at Beser Bay Homestay. The standard was as high as previously. What I said about it in my last review is still up to date.
I would just recommend that you agree on the price of accommodation and transport ar the beginning of your stay. We had some disagreements at the end but solved them .
This was my third stay at Beser Bay Homestay. The standard was as high as previously. What I said about it in my last review is still up to date.
I would just recommend that you agree on the price of accommodation and transport ar the beginning of your stay. We had some disagreements at the end but solved them .
We stayed 4 nigths in beser bay, from the 26th of may. We went there, following glowing recommendations of Russian friends Victoria and alexandr, really crazy of beser bay ! Anna and Patrick are really nice people. They pay attention in every detail in order you feel great in their homestay. Beser bay is just the gate of gam bay, really interesting to snorkel. We stayed during really high tides, so you have to snorkel when le level of water is sufficient in the bay.
Anna is a sorceress, top chef ??, so creative, each day something different, every day 3 course-menu ! Just waouh!!
We never forgot the gifts given by Anna at the end of our stay. This was our last homestay, so we did not go outside the bay. We just enjoyed snorkel around.
Terima kasih banya.
We warmly recommend this homestay
Martine & Guy
Thanks Martine &Guy..!!
See you nekx time…!
We stayed 4 nigths in beser bay, from the 26th of may. We went there, following glowing recommendations of Russian friends Victoria and alexandr, really crazy of beser bay ! Anna and Patrick are really nice people. They pay attention in every detail in order you feel great in their homestay. Beser bay is just the gate of gam bay, really interesting to snorkel. We stayed during really high tides, so you have to snorkel when le level of water is sufficient in the bay.
Anna is a sorceress, top chef ??, so creative, each day something different, every day 3 course-menu ! Just waouh!!
We never forgot the gifts given by Anna at the end of our stay. This was our last homestay, so we did not go outside the bay. We just enjoyed snorkel around.
Terima kasih banya.
We warmly recommend this homestay
Martine & Guy
Thanks Martine &Guy..!!
See you nekx time…!
We stayed in Beser Bay in March 2017.
We actually stayed there twice…It was the first placed we stayed at in Raja Ampat, but as soon as we moved to another place we immediately missed Beser Bay so much we ended up going back there again at the end of our trip (Which, by looking at the comment below suggest we weren’t the only to have done this).
Everything is super clean, Anna keeps the place immaculate. She sneaks into your room and sweeps and tidies everything up whenever you go out.
She also brings you breakfast and afternoon snack to your bungalow every day along with fresh hot water and tea/coffee.
The bungalows are really well designed with lots of subtle attention to details that overall made it an great place to just hang out in all day and night. There are two balconies, one on the same level as the room, and a second lower level balcony that is right on the water. Aside from your mattress in the room, they also provide a second mattress for lounging with on the balcony…..perfect for relaxing (seemingly) on the water while reading books all day and watching the abundant birds and sealife go by.
The place is located in a bay and so is very secluded….there are no other places nearby so you really feel away from the world. Being a secluded bay, it seems that the location has become a sort of nursery for all the juvenile sealife. When the tide is up in the morning and evening, we were always visited by a few baby sharks and baby stingrays, along with an assortment of other juvenile fishes.
Because of the isolated location, you can only go anywhere by boat with Patrik. Patrik is a great guide and always fun to hang out with. He was always friendly and ready to help. There is also no phone reception there, but what I did was simply try to set up the messages/emails to send, then give my phone to Patrik whenever he was headed out somewhere so that it the phone would get a connection at some point and up/download messages (really I should’ve just disconnected and enjoyed the tranquility but…).
We did a few trips with him, but his specialty trip is the Gam lagoon trip with the stop at the batcaves. Best place to go snorkelling from Beser Bay for us was to go over to Yenbuba Jetty (it was 100 times better than Arborek jetty). You can also get to Manta Sandy from here but we had already done that when staying in Aborek.
The food was phenomenal. Anna consistently provided us with some of the best meals we’ve ever had. She is hands down the best chef in Raja Ampat. On our first night there, she made sashimi which totally took us by surprise and was delicious. There is usually way more food than you can eat. You are definitely fed well here….aside from breakfast in bed, lunch and dinner, Anna also provides amazing cakes or treats in afternoon. She makes an amazing pandan cake (kuih) with banana inside.
This place is really incredible….You really feel like you’re at a 5 star luxury hotel on a private islands (this is especially the case on days when there are no other guests there).
Overall, Anthony, Anna and Patrik were totally amazing and so helpful. We are definitely already thinking about when to go back.
Hi Kash .. !! Thank you for your togetherness, please be able to meet again at a later time. Greetings from us family beser bay .. !!
We stayed in Beser Bay in March 2017.
We actually stayed there twice…It was the first placed we stayed at in Raja Ampat, but as soon as we moved to another place we immediately missed Beser Bay so much we ended up going back there again at the end of our trip (Which, by looking at the comment below suggest we weren’t the only to have done this).
Everything is super clean, Anna keeps the place immaculate. She sneaks into your room and sweeps and tidies everything up whenever you go out.
She also brings you breakfast and afternoon snack to your bungalow every day along with fresh hot water and tea/coffee.
The bungalows are really well designed with lots of subtle attention to details that overall made it an great place to just hang out in all day and night. There are two balconies, one on the same level as the room, and a second lower level balcony that is right on the water. Aside from your mattress in the room, they also provide a second mattress for lounging with on the balcony…..perfect for relaxing (seemingly) on the water while reading books all day and watching the abundant birds and sealife go by.
The place is located in a bay and so is very secluded….there are no other places nearby so you really feel away from the world. Being a secluded bay, it seems that the location has become a sort of nursery for all the juvenile sealife. When the tide is up in the morning and evening, we were always visited by a few baby sharks and baby stingrays, along with an assortment of other juvenile fishes.
Because of the isolated location, you can only go anywhere by boat with Patrik. Patrik is a great guide and always fun to hang out with. He was always friendly and ready to help. There is also no phone reception there, but what I did was simply try to set up the messages/emails to send, then give my phone to Patrik whenever he was headed out somewhere so that it the phone would get a connection at some point and up/download messages (really I should’ve just disconnected and enjoyed the tranquility but…).
We did a few trips with him, but his specialty trip is the Gam lagoon trip with the stop at the batcaves. Best place to go snorkelling from Beser Bay for us was to go over to Yenbuba Jetty (it was 100 times better than Arborek jetty). You can also get to Manta Sandy from here but we had already done that when staying in Aborek.
The food was phenomenal. Anna consistently provided us with some of the best meals we’ve ever had. She is hands down the best chef in Raja Ampat. On our first night there, she made sashimi which totally took us by surprise and was delicious. There is usually way more food than you can eat. You are definitely fed well here….aside from breakfast in bed, lunch and dinner, Anna also provides amazing cakes or treats in afternoon. She makes an amazing pandan cake (kuih) with banana inside.
This place is really incredible….You really feel like you’re at a 5 star luxury hotel on a private islands (this is especially the case on days when there are no other guests there).
Overall, Anthony, Anna and Patrik were totally amazing and so helpful. We are definitely already thinking about when to go back.
Hi Kash .. !! Thank you for your togetherness, please be able to meet again at a later time. Greetings from us family beser bay .. !!
We loved Beser Bay so much that we went back again after having left.
We stayed with Anthony & Anna in Feb / March and had the best time – it is the perfect spot to relax and unwind.
The homestay is really well run – and the attention to detail from Anna really made our trip. The room was always kept clean and we even got breakfast and afternoon snacks delivered to our bungalow each day.
The food was delicious, with plenty of variety. And the bungalows have balcony’s to chill out on and sun bath if you like.
The house reef was the best we experienced in Raja Ampat – and we spotted everything you could wish for – turtles, sting rays, sea snakes, reef sharks etc. You need your own equipment though.
We did the trip to snorkel with the manta rays and it was a true highlight – swimming among 8-10 giant manta rays at one time. We also did the birds of paradise walk.
Anna and Anthony were very friendly and very keen to ensure we had a good stay.
We had a truly fantastic time and would recommend to anyone.
We’d love to come back!
Thanks for everything.
Anya & Sarah x
Hi Anya & Sarah .. !! Thank you for your togetherness, please be able to meet again at a later time. Greetings from us family beser bay .. !!
We loved Beser Bay so much that we went back again after having left.
We stayed with Anthony & Anna in Feb / March and had the best time – it is the perfect spot to relax and unwind.
The homestay is really well run – and the attention to detail from Anna really made our trip. The room was always kept clean and we even got breakfast and afternoon snacks delivered to our bungalow each day.
The food was delicious, with plenty of variety. And the bungalows have balcony’s to chill out on and sun bath if you like.
The house reef was the best we experienced in Raja Ampat – and we spotted everything you could wish for – turtles, sting rays, sea snakes, reef sharks etc. You need your own equipment though.
We did the trip to snorkel with the manta rays and it was a true highlight – swimming among 8-10 giant manta rays at one time. We also did the birds of paradise walk.
Anna and Anthony were very friendly and very keen to ensure we had a good stay.
We had a truly fantastic time and would recommend to anyone.
We’d love to come back!
Thanks for everything.
Anya & Sarah x
Hi Anya & Sarah .. !! Thank you for your togetherness, please be able to meet again at a later time. Greetings from us family beser bay .. !!
We stayed here for two nights at the end of March 2017 and we would have rated this 1 starfish had it not been for the amazing food that Anna cooked and the extreme cleanliness of the place. However, Petric was a real letdown. We organised to go to Friwen Wall in the morning and then to Hidden Lagoon and the Bat Cave in the afternoon. We joined another couple in the morning and one of them spoke fluent Indonesian. When we finished snorkelling the wall we asked if we could do it again and Petric then drove us to another spot altogether which wasn’t nearly as good as Friwen Wall. It’s not as if he couldn’t understand that we wanted to do Friwen Wall again. When we were snorkelling Petric drove the boat and parked right up the other end of the wall and wasn’t watching us at all. He was just sitting there on his mobile phone and not paying any attention. We had been to other homestays and the hosts were actually in the water with us and the boatsman watching us and with us the whole time. I mean, what if something happened to one of us in the water?? We then went back to Besar Bay and arranged for Petric to pick us up at 3:00pm to take us to Hidden Lagoon, etc in the afternoon because by that time the tide would have risen enough to go exploring. Well, he didn’t arrive till 5:20pm and by the time we got to Hidden Lagoon the tide was too high to enter by boat. I then asked him if we could swim through the opening and he simply said no – snorkelling is not good here. So he took us to a rock somewhere to swim around and the snorkelling was terrible. He didn’t even apologise for coming late and he didn’t tell us why he was late. When we finished snorkelling I called him over but he didn’t come so we had to swim back to the boat! His attitude was slack and appalling! He just couldn’t have cared less! One other thing about Besar Bay is that when the tide goes out then you are very isolated and cut off from the mainland which is fine if you are the sort of person who can kick back and relax with a book but if you’re get up and go people like we are then you are pretty stuck with nothing to do for at least 4 hours!
Hi … !! We apologize for the lack of care in your trip service, I am on behalf of Anna / Manager, representing Patrik’s guide. At that time the patric is in poor condition so it can do things that are not pleasing to you. Hopefully from the results of the reviuw can help us in improving the service for every guest who will be present at our place, salute and thank you for your input.
We stayed here for two nights at the end of March 2017 and we would have rated this 1 starfish had it not been for the amazing food that Anna cooked and the extreme cleanliness of the place. However, Petric was a real letdown. We organised to go to Friwen Wall in the morning and then to Hidden Lagoon and the Bat Cave in the afternoon. We joined another couple in the morning and one of them spoke fluent Indonesian. When we finished snorkelling the wall we asked if we could do it again and Petric then drove us to another spot altogether which wasn’t nearly as good as Friwen Wall. It’s not as if he couldn’t understand that we wanted to do Friwen Wall again. When we were snorkelling Petric drove the boat and parked right up the other end of the wall and wasn’t watching us at all. He was just sitting there on his mobile phone and not paying any attention. We had been to other homestays and the hosts were actually in the water with us and the boatsman watching us and with us the whole time. I mean, what if something happened to one of us in the water?? We then went back to Besar Bay and arranged for Petric to pick us up at 3:00pm to take us to Hidden Lagoon, etc in the afternoon because by that time the tide would have risen enough to go exploring. Well, he didn’t arrive till 5:20pm and by the time we got to Hidden Lagoon the tide was too high to enter by boat. I then asked him if we could swim through the opening and he simply said no – snorkelling is not good here. So he took us to a rock somewhere to swim around and the snorkelling was terrible. He didn’t even apologise for coming late and he didn’t tell us why he was late. When we finished snorkelling I called him over but he didn’t come so we had to swim back to the boat! His attitude was slack and appalling! He just couldn’t have cared less! One other thing about Besar Bay is that when the tide goes out then you are very isolated and cut off from the mainland which is fine if you are the sort of person who can kick back and relax with a book but if you’re get up and go people like we are then you are pretty stuck with nothing to do for at least 4 hours!
Hi … !! We apologize for the lack of care in your trip service, I am on behalf of Anna / Manager, representing Patrik’s guide. At that time the patric is in poor condition so it can do things that are not pleasing to you. Hopefully from the results of the reviuw can help us in improving the service for every guest who will be present at our place, salute and thank you for your input.
End of 2016 we stayed here for the 3rd time – and again loved it.
Thank you Anna and Antony
End of 2016 we stayed here for the 3rd time – and again loved it.
Thank you Anna and Antony
Anthony & Anna gave me such a good time. The Over water – Private bungalow are spacious and have a nice balcony over the water with a mattress. The area is beautiful and close to all kinds of activities.
Anna: thank you for taking such care of me and the best food in Raja.
Anthony: thank you for our experience with the manta’s, what an adventure!
Forgot to rate…
Anthony & Anna gave me such a good time. The Over water – Private bungalow are spacious and have a nice balcony over the water with a mattress. The area is beautiful and close to all kinds of activities.
Anna: thank you for taking such care of me and the best food in Raja.
Anthony: thank you for our experience with the manta’s, what an adventure!
Forgot to rate…
Just have the chance to write the review since we stayed there in Dec 16 for 4 nights. All reviews below is perfectly true! We have the best days in Raja Ampat just being relax at homestay with excellent services.
We met couple of other very friendly guests and arrange the boat trip together. The host, Antony, Patrick, Anna and Karim is very kind to us. We already miss them and the homestay, especially the food. Antony is very humble and keen to improve their services. When we auggest them to provide softdrinks in the fridge, they provide it the next day! Terima kasih Antony!! Mudahan biaa berjumpa lagi! Salam. Anton, Febri & Juri
Hallo Anton & Febri .. !! Thank you for your feedback, hope to meet other times.
Just have the chance to write the review since we stayed there in Dec 16 for 4 nights. All reviews below is perfectly true! We have the best days in Raja Ampat just being relax at homestay with excellent services.
We met couple of other very friendly guests and arrange the boat trip together. The host, Antony, Patrick, Anna and Karim is very kind to us. We already miss them and the homestay, especially the food. Antony is very humble and keen to improve their services. When we auggest them to provide softdrinks in the fridge, they provide it the next day! Terima kasih Antony!! Mudahan biaa berjumpa lagi! Salam. Anton, Febri & Juri
Hallo Anton & Febri .. !! Thank you for your feedback, hope to meet other times.
Superb friendly good food
We’ll come back for sure
Thanks to Anna and Anthony
,
Hallo Anton .. !! Thank you for your feedback, hope to meet other times.
Superb friendly good food
We’ll come back for sure
Thanks to Anna and Anthony
,
Hallo Anton .. !! Thank you for your feedback, hope to meet other times.
We stayed 4 nights in January 2017 in Beser Bay. When you enter the small bay, it is already like you are coming in a different world, very secluded, 4 water bungalows, jungle covered hills along the bay and the sound of many birds. The bungalow was very clean, with all kind of nice details, like many hooks to hang up clothes, a rack with a small mirror to put in toiletries, a small table with coffee / tea facilities, 1 mattress in the room and 1 mattress on the veranda, and another small veranda, from which you can jump straight into the water. The service is incredible, they make up your bed every day, several times a day they bring you fresh hot and cold water and as soon as they see you are awake in the morning, breakfast is brought to your room and in the afternoon with your fresh hot water you get a nice snack like bananafritters or cake. The food was very tasteful, made with love, and you even accompanied with small snacks like fried peanuts. 5* hotel service in a homestay! Toilet and mandi are basic but clean. Marine life: it was not that many big fish, but nice coral gardens and lots of small nudibranches on the islands in the bay, you could easily swim to. A french couple who stayed in Beser Bay before showed us all these small creatures, very interesting. Also we did several trips with Patrick, the very friendly and helpful boatman of Beser, to Gam Bay and some caves, and also to the Sawinggrai village and jetty, with lots of fish. At sunset we would often sit on our small plaform, down the sea, and we would see walking sharks and stingrays below us, accompanied by the concert of many birds in the jungle around. The only “negative” that I would say is that because of the secluded location, there was no breeze/ wind and it could become very hot.
Anyhow, we absolutely enjoyed our stay in Beser Bay and can heartly recommend this wonderful homestay! Thank you very much Anna, Mama and Patrick!!
We stayed 4 nights in January 2017 in Beser Bay. When you enter the small bay, it is already like you are coming in a different world, very secluded, 4 water bungalows, jungle covered hills along the bay and the sound of many birds. The bungalow was very clean, with all kind of nice details, like many hooks to hang up clothes, a rack with a small mirror to put in toiletries, a small table with coffee / tea facilities, 1 mattress in the room and 1 mattress on the veranda, and another small veranda, from which you can jump straight into the water. The service is incredible, they make up your bed every day, several times a day they bring you fresh hot and cold water and as soon as they see you are awake in the morning, breakfast is brought to your room and in the afternoon with your fresh hot water you get a nice snack like bananafritters or cake. The food was very tasteful, made with love, and you even accompanied with small snacks like fried peanuts. 5* hotel service in a homestay! Toilet and mandi are basic but clean. Marine life: it was not that many big fish, but nice coral gardens and lots of small nudibranches on the islands in the bay, you could easily swim to. A french couple who stayed in Beser Bay before showed us all these small creatures, very interesting. Also we did several trips with Patrick, the very friendly and helpful boatman of Beser, to Gam Bay and some caves, and also to the Sawinggrai village and jetty, with lots of fish. At sunset we would often sit on our small plaform, down the sea, and we would see walking sharks and stingrays below us, accompanied by the concert of many birds in the jungle around. The only “negative” that I would say is that because of the secluded location, there was no breeze/ wind and it could become very hot.
Anyhow, we absolutely enjoyed our stay in Beser Bay and can heartly recommend this wonderful homestay! Thank you very much Anna, Mama and Patrick!!
For us Beserbay Homestay is a small paradies. We stayed there two times for one week in january and february 2017. The hosts, Anna, Antony, and Petric are very friendly. Anna’s cooking is excellent. It’s a remote place, no supermarket where you can buy many things ! But she is really creative, so that the meals were never boring, always delicious, and more than we could eat. The bungalows are confortables with an extra mattress on the balcony, if you bring your own moskitonet you can sleeping outside. The whole homestay is kept very clean.
We love snorkeling, and for this Beserbay is really excellent. You don’t need a boat, you can just put on your flippers, and swim from your bungalow in the shallow water to reach a really beautiful reef with an amazing variety of hard corals and plenty of small reef fish, on the opposite side there are some tiny Islands very close by to snorkel around with many different soft corals
Beserbay is actually on a tiny island, just the Homestay, nothing else. No telephon signal, no WiFi. Telephon signal and cold drinks in a village in a distance of 10 minutes by boat. ..If you like a quiet place, just go and enjoy !!
For us Beserbay Homestay is a small paradies. We stayed there two times for one week in january and february 2017. The hosts, Anna, Antony, and Petric are very friendly. Anna’s cooking is excellent. It’s a remote place, no supermarket where you can buy many things ! But she is really creative, so that the meals were never boring, always delicious, and more than we could eat. The bungalows are confortables with an extra mattress on the balcony, if you bring your own moskitonet you can sleeping outside. The whole homestay is kept very clean.
We love snorkeling, and for this Beserbay is really excellent. You don’t need a boat, you can just put on your flippers, and swim from your bungalow in the shallow water to reach a really beautiful reef with an amazing variety of hard corals and plenty of small reef fish, on the opposite side there are some tiny Islands very close by to snorkel around with many different soft corals
Beserbay is actually on a tiny island, just the Homestay, nothing else. No telephon signal, no WiFi. Telephon signal and cold drinks in a village in a distance of 10 minutes by boat. ..If you like a quiet place, just go and enjoy !!
My partner and I stayed at Besser Bay Homestay for the first 3 nights of our Raja Ampat holiday at the end of January 2017.
Of all the places we stayed at, this was a stand out.
Relaxing, comfortable, great food, lovely hosts.
The bungalows are simple but have everything you need. They are over the water which gives you privacy, access to cool breezes as well as the lovely sound of the ocean. They have a second mattress on the front deck facing the water, allowing you to laze about during the day under cover and in privacy whilst still being outside. We travelled with our own double mosquito net so rigged this up outside and chose to sleep there on the hottest nights!
We snorkeled twice a day for the 3 days we were there and were constantly astounded by what we found. Even after snorkeling other places, for me, a lover or coral, the reefs around Besser Bay were extra special. Careful of the low tide tho as you don’t want to damage anything on your way back in.
We didn’t do any day trips from Besser bay as we didn’t feel that we needed to with such lovely reefs so close, and being the start of our holiday we were more than happy to just chill out. The hosts organised a shared long boat for us and a nice family we met at the guesthouse to take the “long way” back to Waisa via The Passage. Sadly for us it rained in the late afternoon, but the morning was fabulous with a really special snorkeling stop on the way and snorkeling in a cave at the start of The Passage. We all really appreciated them organizing this for us.
The food at Besser Bay was delicious and plentiful. Variations on fish, vegetables and rice, but always with different sauces and a lot of care. Lots of snacks were also provided and as much water as you needed.
The bathrooms were basic but clean. The only mosquitoes we encountered were by the bathrooms, or on very still days. There were no dog or rats to be seen so overall a very clean homestay.
The only little thing was that the inflatable kayak shown on this page was not present, but in the end we didn’t need it.
Id highly recommend Besser Bay homestay, and would love to revisit them one day
My partner and I stayed at Besser Bay Homestay for the first 3 nights of our Raja Ampat holiday at the end of January 2017.
Of all the places we stayed at, this was a stand out.
Relaxing, comfortable, great food, lovely hosts.
The bungalows are simple but have everything you need. They are over the water which gives you privacy, access to cool breezes as well as the lovely sound of the ocean. They have a second mattress on the front deck facing the water, allowing you to laze about during the day under cover and in privacy whilst still being outside. We travelled with our own double mosquito net so rigged this up outside and chose to sleep there on the hottest nights!
We snorkeled twice a day for the 3 days we were there and were constantly astounded by what we found. Even after snorkeling other places, for me, a lover or coral, the reefs around Besser Bay were extra special. Careful of the low tide tho as you don’t want to damage anything on your way back in.
We didn’t do any day trips from Besser bay as we didn’t feel that we needed to with such lovely reefs so close, and being the start of our holiday we were more than happy to just chill out. The hosts organised a shared long boat for us and a nice family we met at the guesthouse to take the “long way” back to Waisa via The Passage. Sadly for us it rained in the late afternoon, but the morning was fabulous with a really special snorkeling stop on the way and snorkeling in a cave at the start of The Passage. We all really appreciated them organizing this for us.
The food at Besser Bay was delicious and plentiful. Variations on fish, vegetables and rice, but always with different sauces and a lot of care. Lots of snacks were also provided and as much water as you needed.
The bathrooms were basic but clean. The only mosquitoes we encountered were by the bathrooms, or on very still days. There were no dog or rats to be seen so overall a very clean homestay.
The only little thing was that the inflatable kayak shown on this page was not present, but in the end we didn’t need it.
Id highly recommend Besser Bay homestay, and would love to revisit them one day
I stayed at Besar Bay Homestay the end of Jan. for 3 nights. Of the 3 Homestays I stayed at this was by far the best accommodation and tied for the best food. I was alone for 2 of the nights and shared the place with 6 kayaks on another. Its situated on a small island at the start of the bay.Anthony and Anna are great host very attentive ,bungalows are super clean with little small touches that make it a special place .Water is fresh from the well for washing and if you have come from Kri island where the water was a little brackish it is a great feeling to wash with clean water .Snorkeling was good everything in miniature ( quite funny )as its a fish nursery. but pretty hard to beat Kri island for fish and coral.Mantas can be seen morning and late afternoon just off of a small island at the head of the bay only a short 200 meter swim from the homestay no boat needed,ask Anthony where. I only found out the night before I left .Sure enough when I left the next morning there were at least 2 mantas on the surface.I told Anthony that this was very important info for guest to know as it could bring more tourist his way . A small info board with things to do and where to snorkel would be a big help.Great place to stay but a little isolated .So that can be a pro or a con depending . Highly recommended.Thanks Anthony and Anna. Also thanks to Stay Raja Ampat for a great web site.
I stayed at Besar Bay Homestay the end of Jan. for 3 nights. Of the 3 Homestays I stayed at this was by far the best accommodation and tied for the best food. I was alone for 2 of the nights and shared the place with 6 kayaks on another. Its situated on a small island at the start of the bay.Anthony and Anna are great host very attentive ,bungalows are super clean with little small touches that make it a special place .Water is fresh from the well for washing and if you have come from Kri island where the water was a little brackish it is a great feeling to wash with clean water .Snorkeling was good everything in miniature ( quite funny )as its a fish nursery. but pretty hard to beat Kri island for fish and coral.Mantas can be seen morning and late afternoon just off of a small island at the head of the bay only a short 200 meter swim from the homestay no boat needed,ask Anthony where. I only found out the night before I left .Sure enough when I left the next morning there were at least 2 mantas on the surface.I told Anthony that this was very important info for guest to know as it could bring more tourist his way . A small info board with things to do and where to snorkel would be a big help.Great place to stay but a little isolated .So that can be a pro or a con depending . Highly recommended.Thanks Anthony and Anna. Also thanks to Stay Raja Ampat for a great web site.
Most homestays are good, but Beser Bay and adjacent homestay both have something strikingly different that makes you to stay longer in these tranquil little gems.
Most homestays are good, but Beser Bay and adjacent homestay both have something strikingly different that makes you to stay longer in these tranquil little gems.
We stayed at Beser Bay for two nights at the end of January 2017 with our two young children. It was our favourite homestay and we would love to return for longer. The accommodation well laid out and is beautifully and simply designed to make magical use of the spectacular setting. Food was great and Anthony and family were very helpful in arranging trips. Good snorkelling nearby and a the shallow bay in front was an ideal safe place for the children to explore. Highly recommended.
We stayed at Beser Bay for two nights at the end of January 2017 with our two young children. It was our favourite homestay and we would love to return for longer. The accommodation well laid out and is beautifully and simply designed to make magical use of the spectacular setting. Food was great and Anthony and family were very helpful in arranging trips. Good snorkelling nearby and a the shallow bay in front was an ideal safe place for the children to explore. Highly recommended.
I’ve been here during November 2016. That place is amazing! Bungalows are one of the most comfortable that I’ve seen in R4! Everything is so clean and green – territory very quiet and lovely. Corals in good condition, not bleached. Thanks to Ana for very tasty food and big serving. I had one trip to hidden bay with Patrik – I liked it! We saw bats, spiders and mandarin fish. Also, Patrik was very punctual and pick up from Waisai harbour was very pleasant trip with some bottles of Bintan! Everybody in the harbour was very jealous that I had pick up with beer! ))) Thank you Patrik!
I really would recomend this homestay! But I afraid that it may become too popular and overcrowded because it’s really gr8! )))
I made video about snorkeling – some shots was made in Beser Bay. You can watch it here – https://youtu.be/TGicnrS0fsk
Sergei from Russia.
I’ve been here during November 2016. That place is amazing! Bungalows are one of the most comfortable that I’ve seen in R4! Everything is so clean and green – territory very quiet and lovely. Corals in good condition, not bleached. Thanks to Ana for very tasty food and big serving. I had one trip to hidden bay with Patrik – I liked it! We saw bats, spiders and mandarin fish. Also, Patrik was very punctual and pick up from Waisai harbour was very pleasant trip with some bottles of Bintan! Everybody in the harbour was very jealous that I had pick up with beer! ))) Thank you Patrik!
I really would recomend this homestay! But I afraid that it may become too popular and overcrowded because it’s really gr8! )))
I made video about snorkeling – some shots was made in Beser Bay. You can watch it here – https://youtu.be/TGicnrS0fsk
Sergei from Russia.
We were a b & b for 5 days in january 17. the rooms are very clean and regularly cleaned as well as the toilet. Antony and his family are very attentive. The meals are very good and copious, the lunches are served in the bungalows as well as the gouters. Whatever your request Antony will do the maximum to answer it. A little effort should be made and this for all Raja Ampat: there are exellent raja fish, why eat that tuna. I highly recommend beserbay, it is the best of the 4 G.H we have to visit in Raja. The reefs around are exellents , the place is quiet and relaxing. Philippe and brigitte from France
We were a b & b for 5 days in january 17. the rooms are very clean and regularly cleaned as well as the toilet. Antony and his family are very attentive. The meals are very good and copious, the lunches are served in the bungalows as well as the gouters. Whatever your request Antony will do the maximum to answer it. A little effort should be made and this for all Raja Ampat: there are exellent raja fish, why eat that tuna. I highly recommend beserbay, it is the best of the 4 G.H we have to visit in Raja. The reefs around are exellents , the place is quiet and relaxing. Philippe and brigitte from France
Besar Bay Homestay was an unexpected treat. It is just near an estuary entrance and is a must for nature lovers. There is a great diversity with the many mushroom shaped islands that surround it, the labyrinth of mangrove esturies are stunningly beautiful. I took the traditional canoe out and to be completely alone in this beauty and tranquility was sublime. You just ‘be’ and nature gradually reveals. The bungalows and service are the best I have had out of 5 different homestays. They are really big with a wide balcony that looks out to the ocean and catches a nice breeze. It has a 2nd bed on the balcony and I slept on this at night – surprisingly there were no mosquitos at all. Each bungalow has a second balcony close to the water. Good for sunbathing and watching the fish. You just roll into the water when it’s too hot. If you need a break from the peacefulness take a quick boat trip to the nearest village- I had a really fun visit here. While you are out they straighten your sheets and plump your pillows, replenish your refreshments and snacks in your room, there are lots of nice touches that make it really comfortable. Antony is a wonderful host and you feel well looked after. The cook is talented. Truly! I want his recipes! I didn’t get a reply to my Text message for booking. Not good reception here. But I just turned up and it was fine.
Besar Bay Homestay was an unexpected treat. It is just near an estuary entrance and is a must for nature lovers. There is a great diversity with the many mushroom shaped islands that surround it, the labyrinth of mangrove esturies are stunningly beautiful. I took the traditional canoe out and to be completely alone in this beauty and tranquility was sublime. You just ‘be’ and nature gradually reveals. The bungalows and service are the best I have had out of 5 different homestays. They are really big with a wide balcony that looks out to the ocean and catches a nice breeze. It has a 2nd bed on the balcony and I slept on this at night – surprisingly there were no mosquitos at all. Each bungalow has a second balcony close to the water. Good for sunbathing and watching the fish. You just roll into the water when it’s too hot. If you need a break from the peacefulness take a quick boat trip to the nearest village- I had a really fun visit here. While you are out they straighten your sheets and plump your pillows, replenish your refreshments and snacks in your room, there are lots of nice touches that make it really comfortable. Antony is a wonderful host and you feel well looked after. The cook is talented. Truly! I want his recipes! I didn’t get a reply to my Text message for booking. Not good reception here. But I just turned up and it was fine.
Beser Bay is a hidden gem in Raja Ampat. We stayed in a few homestays and the his was by far our favourite. We intended to stay for a few days and ended up staying for 2 weeks. We loved the attention to detail, the food was delicious and varied. Antoni and Anna are perfect hosts in every way, we arrived as guests and left as friends. We saw everything during our stay including manta rays, sharks, dolphins, turtles and myriads of fish on the incredibly healthy house reef. Another guest even snorkelled with a dugong! It sounds like a cliche but we will definitely be be back. Thank you once again Antoni, Anna and family for a simply stunning stay.
Beser Bay is a hidden gem in Raja Ampat. We stayed in a few homestays and the his was by far our favourite. We intended to stay for a few days and ended up staying for 2 weeks. We loved the attention to detail, the food was delicious and varied. Antoni and Anna are perfect hosts in every way, we arrived as guests and left as friends. We saw everything during our stay including manta rays, sharks, dolphins, turtles and myriads of fish on the incredibly healthy house reef. Another guest even snorkelled with a dugong! It sounds like a cliche but we will definitely be be back. Thank you once again Antoni, Anna and family for a simply stunning stay.
I returned to this home stay a second time and stayed for two weeks. It is a model of a homestay in every respect- maintenance and cleanliness, beds are made every day and the hut is cleaned, broken bits are repaired; food is exceptional and always something to look forward to; snorkeling is wonderful in the sea and the quiet bay; no need to go anywhere, but if you want they take you to wonderful places- I love Bun Jetty- and last but not least Antonio and Anna are great hosts, really caring , they give their best every day.
I have stayed at many homestays but , for me, this is definitely the best . I have just left and want to return as soon as possible.
I returned to this home stay a second time and stayed for two weeks. It is a model of a homestay in every respect- maintenance and cleanliness, beds are made every day and the hut is cleaned, broken bits are repaired; food is exceptional and always something to look forward to; snorkeling is wonderful in the sea and the quiet bay; no need to go anywhere, but if you want they take you to wonderful places- I love Bun Jetty- and last but not least Antonio and Anna are great hosts, really caring , they give their best every day.
I have stayed at many homestays but , for me, this is definitely the best . I have just left and want to return as soon as possible.
piece of paradise,amazing stay…walking sharks all around and food to die for. Thank you very much for your hospitality we’d love to come back!! maybe one day:)
piece of paradise,amazing stay…walking sharks all around and food to die for. Thank you very much for your hospitality we’d love to come back!! maybe one day:)
Antony was a great host..smiling, helpful suggested and organised trips that were amazing.. the food was excellent the bungalows are comfortable and the location is quiet and absolutely beautiful..I can’t recommend this place enough.
Antony was a great host..smiling, helpful suggested and organised trips that were amazing.. the food was excellent the bungalows are comfortable and the location is quiet and absolutely beautiful..I can’t recommend this place enough.
Our 14 days at Beser Bay have been very relaxing and we enjoyed every minute. The family took care of us very well providing very good service and exelent food.
The snorkling around the island is very nice and has a lot of variation in corall and fish so we nevery got bored by looking at the the same things. Every day we have ben visited by a small shark just under our terrace and together with other guests we organise nice trips arround Gam.
Among 5 Homestays this is the place we liked most.
Hallo Frank & Verena… !! thank you for your kind comments, see you on another occasion .. !!!
Our 14 days at Beser Bay have been very relaxing and we enjoyed every minute. The family took care of us very well providing very good service and exelent food.
The snorkling around the island is very nice and has a lot of variation in corall and fish so we nevery got bored by looking at the the same things. Every day we have ben visited by a small shark just under our terrace and together with other guests we organise nice trips arround Gam.
Among 5 Homestays this is the place we liked most.
Hallo Frank & Verena… !! thank you for your kind comments, see you on another occasion .. !!!
We stay only for 2 nights and than go back to Holland, ending our holiday, but wanna stay for longer.
The place was great, quiet and the food was really good, Anna trie every time to make different meals and suprie us with limonade.
Great was the cuscus in the night, we never saw one before, als the bird of Paradise in the morning to the village, patrick arranged this for us with a guide.
Hallo Kris & Anna .. !! Thank you for all that you give, I’ll see you on another occasion .. !!!
Regards
Anthony & Anna
We stay only for 2 nights and than go back to Holland, ending our holiday, but wanna stay for longer.
The place was great, quiet and the food was really good, Anna trie every time to make different meals and suprie us with limonade.
Great was the cuscus in the night, we never saw one before, als the bird of Paradise in the morning to the village, patrick arranged this for us with a guide.
Hallo Kris & Anna .. !! Thank you for all that you give, I’ll see you on another occasion .. !!!
Regards
Anthony & Anna
Thanks for all the positive comments, may be able to provide motivation for us to be working or to make the best for all to visit us. Motitifasi we are Making the best for each person who comes, so as to bring a beautiful story time at Raja Ampat (I Love Raja Ampat).
Thanks for all the positive comments, may be able to provide motivation for us to be working or to make the best for all to visit us. Motitifasi we are Making the best for each person who comes, so as to bring a beautiful story time at Raja Ampat (I Love Raja Ampat).
We stayed for 3 nights at Beser Bay Homestay in September 16. Like all the reviews, we found it an excellent Homestay – easily the best of the 3 we stayed at during our trip in terms of standard of accommodation and service. The food was always plentiful and very tasty – Anna is a great cook. Great little touches also made all the difference – afternoon snacks (banana fritters with chocolate sauce were our favourites!), hot water replenished frequently, the bin emptied & the bedding tidied.
The bungalows are pretty spacious, with a table & some hangers to keep things organised. The 2nd mattress on the verandah is brilliant – we hooked up the spare mossie net and slept outside for 2 nights which was much cooler & lovely. As well as the verandah, just below there was also a good sized private uncovered deck which was great for reading and sunbathing on during the day.
The setting is really peaceful and private – perfect for relaxing! Snorkelling is also good just a few 100 meters from the bungalow, with Walking Sharks & Nudibranches among the things seen. We also saw Walking Sharks mating at night from our deck.
We did one snorkelling trip to Arborek jetty, which was excellent. They also took us to try to see Mandarin fish in a spot in Gam Lagoon. They didn’t push or really suggest any trips to us unless we asked and if anything, it would have been good for them to have the list of trips and prices, which I can now see have been added to the website listing, available to look at at the Homestay, as I think we would definitely have gone on a full day trip and spent more money with them.
Finally, we are birders and found some good birdlife immediately around the Homestay, with sightings of Yellow-billed, Azure & Beach Kingfishers, Palm Cockatoos, Spice Imperial Pigeons and much more.
We stayed for 3 nights at Beser Bay Homestay in September 16. Like all the reviews, we found it an excellent Homestay – easily the best of the 3 we stayed at during our trip in terms of standard of accommodation and service. The food was always plentiful and very tasty – Anna is a great cook. Great little touches also made all the difference – afternoon snacks (banana fritters with chocolate sauce were our favourites!), hot water replenished frequently, the bin emptied & the bedding tidied.
The bungalows are pretty spacious, with a table & some hangers to keep things organised. The 2nd mattress on the verandah is brilliant – we hooked up the spare mossie net and slept outside for 2 nights which was much cooler & lovely. As well as the verandah, just below there was also a good sized private uncovered deck which was great for reading and sunbathing on during the day.
The setting is really peaceful and private – perfect for relaxing! Snorkelling is also good just a few 100 meters from the bungalow, with Walking Sharks & Nudibranches among the things seen. We also saw Walking Sharks mating at night from our deck.
We did one snorkelling trip to Arborek jetty, which was excellent. They also took us to try to see Mandarin fish in a spot in Gam Lagoon. They didn’t push or really suggest any trips to us unless we asked and if anything, it would have been good for them to have the list of trips and prices, which I can now see have been added to the website listing, available to look at at the Homestay, as I think we would definitely have gone on a full day trip and spent more money with them.
Finally, we are birders and found some good birdlife immediately around the Homestay, with sightings of Yellow-billed, Azure & Beach Kingfishers, Palm Cockatoos, Spice Imperial Pigeons and much more.
Would love to just say nothing… and hope that would keep Beser Bay as perfect as it was… , Thank you Anton, Anna, and Patrik. Left back to reality with heavy heart. Anton, for who nothing is ever to much trouble, Anna, who is this, I want to take her home, cook. It was was as perfect as I hoped it would be. The stay, the rooms, the food, and the company. Pablo, Peter, Clemance, Ester, Gee, and our hosts. Dont tell anybody… this is the perfect holiday.
Really battling to adapt to reality…
And my partner .. Ann… thank you….just perfected the picture…
Would love to just say nothing… and hope that would keep Beser Bay as perfect as it was… , Thank you Anton, Anna, and Patrik. Left back to reality with heavy heart. Anton, for who nothing is ever to much trouble, Anna, who is this, I want to take her home, cook. It was was as perfect as I hoped it would be. The stay, the rooms, the food, and the company. Pablo, Peter, Clemance, Ester, Gee, and our hosts. Dont tell anybody… this is the perfect holiday.
Really battling to adapt to reality…
And my partner .. Ann… thank you….just perfected the picture…
Amazing place! lovely people and excellent food!
Loved all about it and could not have any negative things to day anout the place or Anthony and Ana.
Thay are so welcoming, and always looking out for any of your needs!
The place is quiet and simple amazing, its paradise…
Would recomend and would always go back
thank you for everything!
Agreed! ??? So well cared for by Anton and Ana, I recommend this homestay highly.
Typo! 5 stars!!
Amazing place! lovely people and excellent food!
Loved all about it and could not have any negative things to day anout the place or Anthony and Ana.
Thay are so welcoming, and always looking out for any of your needs!
The place is quiet and simple amazing, its paradise…
Would recomend and would always go back
thank you for everything!
Agreed! ??? So well cared for by Anton and Ana, I recommend this homestay highly.
Typo! 5 stars!!
Very nice homestay and kind and helpful family! Spacious and very clean bungalows, toilet and bathroom. Felt like we were staying at a hotel. Everything looks so niece and the bungalows have a balcony where we enjoyed the evenings. The food is very tasty and varies every day and we even had desserts! Anna is a great cook 🙂 Location is amazing, nice beach to relax, swimming, snorkling and you can rent a kayak to explore area and the lagoon right in front of the homestay. The family can organise very nice day trips too, everything is possible. We stayed here for 4 nights in september and would definitely come back here next time! Anthony, Anna and Patrick, thanks again for a great stay!
Very nice homestay and kind and helpful family! Spacious and very clean bungalows, toilet and bathroom. Felt like we were staying at a hotel. Everything looks so niece and the bungalows have a balcony where we enjoyed the evenings. The food is very tasty and varies every day and we even had desserts! Anna is a great cook 🙂 Location is amazing, nice beach to relax, swimming, snorkling and you can rent a kayak to explore area and the lagoon right in front of the homestay. The family can organise very nice day trips too, everything is possible. We stayed here for 4 nights in september and would definitely come back here next time! Anthony, Anna and Patrick, thanks again for a great stay!
I can’t say enough about Beser Bay, it was incredible. We stayed in 3 homestays and it was easily the best among some very good ones. The location is unique and the service is hotel like with everything taken care of before you think of it. Patrik and his family were lovely. There is so much to explore in the area and the jellyfish lake right next to the cove is picturesque. This is a homestay you can’t miss.
I can’t say enough about Beser Bay, it was incredible. We stayed in 3 homestays and it was easily the best among some very good ones. The location is unique and the service is hotel like with everything taken care of before you think of it. Patrik and his family were lovely. There is so much to explore in the area and the jellyfish lake right next to the cove is picturesque. This is a homestay you can’t miss.
i stayed in Beserbay in April 2016. the location is a hideout so peaceful and relaxing on a small island at the entrance of Beser bay. You’ll need the boat of the owner to move around. The village of Kapisawar is very close to the bungalows. Negociate the price of boats. On menu, fresh fish and rice with often desserts several times a day made by the 2 sweet ladies in the kitchen. i defenitely recommend this homestay. it was amazing every day. daniel
Hi Daniel! We are going to Beser Bay in October with my wife for 6 night. What activity, place would you recommend?
And how much does the boat rental cost?
i stayed in Beserbay in April 2016. the location is a hideout so peaceful and relaxing on a small island at the entrance of Beser bay. You’ll need the boat of the owner to move around. The village of Kapisawar is very close to the bungalows. Negociate the price of boats. On menu, fresh fish and rice with often desserts several times a day made by the 2 sweet ladies in the kitchen. i defenitely recommend this homestay. it was amazing every day. daniel
Hi Daniel! We are going to Beser Bay in October with my wife for 6 night. What activity, place would you recommend?
And how much does the boat rental cost?
We stayed at Beser Bay for 2 weeks. Beautiful location, excellent food. Perfect!!
We stayed at Beser Bay for 2 weeks. Beautiful location, excellent food. Perfect!!
I forgot to leave the starfish!
I forgot to leave the starfish!
Beser Bay Homestay was our absolute FAVORITE place that we stayed during 5 months total in Indonesia! We loved it so much we came back twice!!! Truly feels like the ‘end of the road’, quiet, cozy, and romantic. Tucked among fantastic coral reefs and mangrove forests, we were able to find an array of wildlife – definately head out to the bat cave for a nice break from searching the reef for walking sharks. Anna is an amazing cook and the food in Beser Bay was the best we had in Papua. We miss the sound of the birds every morning and the wonderful people on the island…we will definatley be back! Thank you so much Patrik, Anna, Anthony, and family!!!!
Beser Bay Homestay was our absolute FAVORITE place that we stayed during 5 months total in Indonesia! We loved it so much we came back twice!!! Truly feels like the ‘end of the road’, quiet, cozy, and romantic. Tucked among fantastic coral reefs and mangrove forests, we were able to find an array of wildlife – definately head out to the bat cave for a nice break from searching the reef for walking sharks. Anna is an amazing cook and the food in Beser Bay was the best we had in Papua. We miss the sound of the birds every morning and the wonderful people on the island…we will definatley be back! Thank you so much Patrik, Anna, Anthony, and family!!!!
We stayed 4 night at this fabulous home stay! Anna is such a good cook and she does everything with passion. The bungalow overlook the mangrove and we’ve seen so much birds daily! The mattress on the porch is a nice touch to relax and just enjoy the beauty that surround you. Bungalows are cleaned daily, and sheets changed every 2 days!
Snorkeling is good and you can also rent out their kayak.
The only drawback is that the family doesn’t understand English so we couldn’t really communicate well, but otherwise it was a great stay!
We stayed 4 night at this fabulous home stay! Anna is such a good cook and she does everything with passion. The bungalow overlook the mangrove and we’ve seen so much birds daily! The mattress on the porch is a nice touch to relax and just enjoy the beauty that surround you. Bungalows are cleaned daily, and sheets changed every 2 days!
Snorkeling is good and you can also rent out their kayak.
The only drawback is that the family doesn’t understand English so we couldn’t really communicate well, but otherwise it was a great stay!
I started my Raja Ampat trip with a 4 night stay at Beser Bay. it was just fabulous, perfect. The idyllic location, bungalows over the crystal clear waters, great snorkeling just a few metres away. And more importantly, the friendliness and dedication of the people who make Beser Bay what it is, Anton and Anna, and Elia and friends. Bungalows well set up with outdoor mattress, hammock, tea & coffee on the balcony, homemade hangers to put stuff, all the attention to details. Breakfast brought every morning on the bungalow verandah, fantastic and varied food, prepared with love, fresh coconut. The perfect homestay in a perfect location! it set the bar high for the rest of my trip. Unfortunately, none of the other homestays came close…
I started my Raja Ampat trip with a 4 night stay at Beser Bay. it was just fabulous, perfect. The idyllic location, bungalows over the crystal clear waters, great snorkeling just a few metres away. And more importantly, the friendliness and dedication of the people who make Beser Bay what it is, Anton and Anna, and Elia and friends. Bungalows well set up with outdoor mattress, hammock, tea & coffee on the balcony, homemade hangers to put stuff, all the attention to details. Breakfast brought every morning on the bungalow verandah, fantastic and varied food, prepared with love, fresh coconut. The perfect homestay in a perfect location! it set the bar high for the rest of my trip. Unfortunately, none of the other homestays came close…
Great family. Very warm welcome. What a quiet and lovely place. Excellent cooking. Strongly recommended to any dreamer and snorkeler. You will love that place.
Great family. Very warm welcome. What a quiet and lovely place. Excellent cooking. Strongly recommended to any dreamer and snorkeler. You will love that place.
Yes it’s true, Anna is a great cook!
The place is very well kept and the bungalows are decorated with care. The toilet and dip mandi are very clean.
Snorkling around the rocks is nice and you can rent their kayak to explore the gam lagoon. Or just enjoy the peace from the extra mattress on the porch. We stayed here for 3 nights in february.
Yes it’s true, Anna is a great cook!
The place is very well kept and the bungalows are decorated with care. The toilet and dip mandi are very clean.
Snorkling around the rocks is nice and you can rent their kayak to explore the gam lagoon. Or just enjoy the peace from the extra mattress on the porch. We stayed here for 3 nights in february.
Yes, we did it again: after our first stay here in november 2015 we came back in february 2016 for 12 days – and we didn´t regret.
Food is still exceptionel and delicious
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/128483776
Some details in furnishing have even been improved and they now have a kayak for rent http://www.panoramio.com/photo/128501224 , very suitable for exploring the mangrove and the islets nearby or for paddling to the village.
Yes, we did it again: after our first stay here in november 2015 we came back in february 2016 for 12 days – and we didn´t regret.
Food is still exceptionel and delicious
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/128483776
Some details in furnishing have even been improved and they now have a kayak for rent http://www.panoramio.com/photo/128501224 , very suitable for exploring the mangrove and the islets nearby or for paddling to the village.
Nous venons de passer 9 jours à Beserbay homestay .Nous nous sommes régalés: le snorkeling a été exceptionnel.Nous qui aimons les nudibranches et les vers plats nous avons été comblés .Nous avons même vu des mandarin fish!!
Merci à toute l’équipe pour tous ces bons moments: les bons petits plats, le goûter et les promenades en bateau.
Une chose aussi très rare aux Rajah Ampat: notre chambre faite tous les jours et les draps changés très souvent.
Enfin le petit plus:le matelas sur la véranda!!!!
On sera encore là l’année prochaine !!!!
Nous venons de passer 9 jours à Beserbay homestay .Nous nous sommes régalés: le snorkeling a été exceptionnel.Nous qui aimons les nudibranches et les vers plats nous avons été comblés .Nous avons même vu des mandarin fish!!
Merci à toute l’équipe pour tous ces bons moments: les bons petits plats, le goûter et les promenades en bateau.
Une chose aussi très rare aux Rajah Ampat: notre chambre faite tous les jours et les draps changés très souvent.
Enfin le petit plus:le matelas sur la véranda!!!!
On sera encore là l’année prochaine !!!!
Just left Raja Ampat after almost 3 weeks and this is the best homestay I/we have ever stayed at. The family is very friendly and attentive and the food is the best! Petric will help with snorkeling trips and bird watching…can’t say enough good things about Beser Bay!
Hello Sean and Charly, here´s the snorkelling-link I told you
https://whatsthesnorkellinglike3.wordpress.com/2015/11/08/Indonesia_Raja-Ampat/
for your upcoming travels 😉
Just left Raja Ampat after almost 3 weeks and this is the best homestay I/we have ever stayed at. The family is very friendly and attentive and the food is the best! Petric will help with snorkeling trips and bird watching…can’t say enough good things about Beser Bay!
Hello Sean and Charly, here´s the snorkelling-link I told you
https://whatsthesnorkellinglike3.wordpress.com/2015/11/08/Indonesia_Raja-Ampat/
for your upcoming travels 😉
Baserbay is the third homestay where we have stayed, and in my opinion is the best of all.
Is possible there are better coral in Kri or Mansuar, but Baserbay have a good coral and we can see a lot of little sharks
In front of the homestay there is a wonderful lagoon, a very nice place to visit with a local boat.
Is a very clean homestay, with a good water to shower ( not salt ).
And the best, the family is very friendly, and have an excelent food. Original, imaginative and you can feel a little part of love in every taste.
Thank you very much Patrick and family
Baserbay is the third homestay where we have stayed, and in my opinion is the best of all.
Is possible there are better coral in Kri or Mansuar, but Baserbay have a good coral and we can see a lot of little sharks
In front of the homestay there is a wonderful lagoon, a very nice place to visit with a local boat.
Is a very clean homestay, with a good water to shower ( not salt ).
And the best, the family is very friendly, and have an excelent food. Original, imaginative and you can feel a little part of love in every taste.
Thank you very much Patrick and family
I’m planning to arrive in Waisai by the afternoon ferry living Sorong at 2 pm. does this leave enough time to reach the homestay?
I’m a solo traveller so how do I know there will be others to share the cost?
I am also planning to visit Mansuar island and stay at Mangrove Homestay. Would that be easier to get there first?
Plenty of time Paula, and as long as they know you are coming they will be there to meet you. (There’s no way to reach there except by private boat.) You won’t know if anyone else is going to Beser Bay on the same day as you until you get there.
Mangrove Homestay is closer to Waisai than Beser Bay is, so it’s easier to reach in that regard, but again you need to organise a Waisai pickup to get there.
I’m planning to arrive in Waisai by the afternoon ferry living Sorong at 2 pm. does this leave enough time to reach the homestay?
I’m a solo traveller so how do I know there will be others to share the cost?
I am also planning to visit Mansuar island and stay at Mangrove Homestay. Would that be easier to get there first?
Plenty of time Paula, and as long as they know you are coming they will be there to meet you. (There’s no way to reach there except by private boat.) You won’t know if anyone else is going to Beser Bay on the same day as you until you get there.
Mangrove Homestay is closer to Waisai than Beser Bay is, so it’s easier to reach in that regard, but again you need to organise a Waisai pickup to get there.
We stayed there for 4 nights in January and we highly recommend it. Anton and Ana are excellent hosts. Petric is great for day trips. The food is good and plentiful and the they keep the place super clean.
My wife and I are well traveled in Indonesia and we consider this one of the best guesthouse experiences yet.
We stayed in Mansuar after this and found the snorkelling way better there. A lot of the stuff some posters mentioned below we didn’t see. Maybe we weren’t snorkelling in the right spot 🙂
We stayed there for 4 nights in January and we highly recommend it. Anton and Ana are excellent hosts. Petric is great for day trips. The food is good and plentiful and the they keep the place super clean.
My wife and I are well traveled in Indonesia and we consider this one of the best guesthouse experiences yet.
We stayed in Mansuar after this and found the snorkelling way better there. A lot of the stuff some posters mentioned below we didn’t see. Maybe we weren’t snorkelling in the right spot 🙂
I stayed 2 weeks at Beser Bay after having kayaked around Gam. In my opinion, this homestay has the most diverse site in the whole area.
Mangroves, reef, islands, rocks, calm waters, currents. It is quiet and peaceful. The snorkeling is really good and the soft and hard corals are beautiful. Plenty of fish, including sharks, and lots of interesting macro life.
The hosts are amazingly friendly. Anna and Anthony, thank you so much for the delicious food and the great hospitality! Nalis and Sony, thank you for showing me so much 🙂
I stayed 2 weeks at Beser Bay after having kayaked around Gam. In my opinion, this homestay has the most diverse site in the whole area.
Mangroves, reef, islands, rocks, calm waters, currents. It is quiet and peaceful. The snorkeling is really good and the soft and hard corals are beautiful. Plenty of fish, including sharks, and lots of interesting macro life.
The hosts are amazingly friendly. Anna and Anthony, thank you so much for the delicious food and the great hospitality! Nalis and Sony, thank you for showing me so much 🙂
7 weeks and 12 homestays in Raya Ampat. In november I stayed 10 days in Beser Bay. It was by far the best place. You can feel that you are welcome and Anna really loves to care for you. Very tasty food, many different dishes, also various vegetable and always fruits. And all this to the same price as others cook every day the same rice fish and maybe vegetable.
The place is very clean (also the sea!), I loved also the hammok and the second matress on the veranda. In low tide you can not swimm in the sea in front of the bungalow but just walk 50 meters. Behind the island it is always deep enough. Snorkelling is also interesting with many different fishes, even bumpheads, stingrays, walking sharks, skorpionfish, nudibranches, morae eels and seasnakes. good coral, sponges, seagrass.
If ever I come back to RA, this is my place.
7 weeks and 12 homestays in Raya Ampat. In november I stayed 10 days in Beser Bay. It was by far the best place. You can feel that you are welcome and Anna really loves to care for you. Very tasty food, many different dishes, also various vegetable and always fruits. And all this to the same price as others cook every day the same rice fish and maybe vegetable.
The place is very clean (also the sea!), I loved also the hammok and the second matress on the veranda. In low tide you can not swimm in the sea in front of the bungalow but just walk 50 meters. Behind the island it is always deep enough. Snorkelling is also interesting with many different fishes, even bumpheads, stingrays, walking sharks, skorpionfish, nudibranches, morae eels and seasnakes. good coral, sponges, seagrass.
If ever I come back to RA, this is my place.
Beserbay is , in my opinion, the very best homestay for many reasons:
Corals are good. If it is difficult to get into the water because of very low tides, you can ask to be taken to Bun jetty where the snorkelling is always possible and extremely nice.
The huts are nice, they are cleaned and the beds are made every day. Breakfast is served when they see that you are awake. In the afternoon a home made snack is served on your terrace. There is always tea and coffee and water. Lunch and dinner are delicious, imaginative, a delight.
They try to improve their accommodTion all the time: when I was there they fitted a clothes rack, bought coat hangers and even an umbrella.
The children took me into the mangroves with their local canoe. It was magic. No sound but the birds.
I felt like a queen, they did everything to please me.
Their transport prices are fair. 350 000 per day is extremely good value.
Their village, 10 minutes by boat, is pleasant.
I stayed 14 days instead of 5 and loved every minute.
Beserbay is , in my opinion, the very best homestay for many reasons:
Corals are good. If it is difficult to get into the water because of very low tides, you can ask to be taken to Bun jetty where the snorkelling is always possible and extremely nice.
The huts are nice, they are cleaned and the beds are made every day. Breakfast is served when they see that you are awake. In the afternoon a home made snack is served on your terrace. There is always tea and coffee and water. Lunch and dinner are delicious, imaginative, a delight.
They try to improve their accommodTion all the time: when I was there they fitted a clothes rack, bought coat hangers and even an umbrella.
The children took me into the mangroves with their local canoe. It was magic. No sound but the birds.
I felt like a queen, they did everything to please me.
Their transport prices are fair. 350 000 per day is extremely good value.
Their village, 10 minutes by boat, is pleasant.
I stayed 14 days instead of 5 and loved every minute.
we stay in raja ampat the second time and have visited about 6 homestays.
we are surprised by the food made by anna. comparing to the circumstances it was a 5 star restaurant and the food is definitly the best of all homestays.
the surrounding is really nice, as well as the condition of the bungalows and the area. the family is kind and nice.
sometimes baby blacktips just a few meters in front of the bungalow.
not perfect:
– it is not as easy to get to the drop off to go snorkeling as at most other homestays
– when we stay there sometimes the brise to not reach the bungalow ( because the are behind the island ), so it is getting really hot.
never the less: highly recommended.
Which other Homestays did you stay at? Which was your favorite and why?
we stay in raja ampat the second time and have visited about 6 homestays.
we are surprised by the food made by anna. comparing to the circumstances it was a 5 star restaurant and the food is definitly the best of all homestays.
the surrounding is really nice, as well as the condition of the bungalows and the area. the family is kind and nice.
sometimes baby blacktips just a few meters in front of the bungalow.
not perfect:
– it is not as easy to get to the drop off to go snorkeling as at most other homestays
– when we stay there sometimes the brise to not reach the bungalow ( because the are behind the island ), so it is getting really hot.
never the less: highly recommended.
Which other Homestays did you stay at? Which was your favorite and why?
The first thing that comes to my mind when I think back of Beser Bay is the extraordinary food. Anna is such a good cook. She even served sushi!! The bungalows are nice und equipped with a second mattress so I slept on the veranda next to the stars. Keep in mind that the place runs almost dry when there is low tide. So it can be a liitle bit tricky to get in to the water. The snorkelling is nice at Gam Bay. Try to reach the lone standing rocks. The corals are amazing the mangroves too. A lot of friendly seasnakes!!!
The first thing that comes to my mind when I think back of Beser Bay is the extraordinary food. Anna is such a good cook. She even served sushi!! The bungalows are nice und equipped with a second mattress so I slept on the veranda next to the stars. Keep in mind that the place runs almost dry when there is low tide. So it can be a liitle bit tricky to get in to the water. The snorkelling is nice at Gam Bay. Try to reach the lone standing rocks. The corals are amazing the mangroves too. A lot of friendly seasnakes!!!
In october/ november 2015 we spent 15 nights in Raja Ampat. At 11 of the 15 nights we were the only guests. Weather was fine – it used to rain once a day but mostly at night and only for short times, so this didn´t matter or even was a welcome refreshing.
Communication in advance by SMS and e-mail was not easy but it worked.
Given the prices partially called for boat transports – as incredible as impudent – I recommend to arrange boat transports in advance and negotiating with the one you (maybe!) are heading to gives you a better position.
We stayed at 3 homestays: Mangrove/Mansuar, Beser Bay/Gam and Yenros/Gam and I can recommend all the three accommodations.
But as there are differences, I can not rate them all equally with 5 stars.
About all the three homestays I can tell: Located in nice surroundings, bungalows spacious and in good shape; great snorkelling just off the beach; food plentiful and varied, every day fish, rice and vegetable though, (One word about the handling of fish: Sometimes it would have been better to fry the fish not as long and not as hot as they did 😉
BeserBay: Spectacular remote location (no phone signal); very good coral all around the place; at low tide, access to the sea for swimming is not easy.
Over-water bungalows with huge verandah, Very well equipped : Hammock, chairs, dish, second mattress on the verandah, so we slept outside over the water. http://www.panoramio.com/photo/125849695
Mandi was spacious, well equipped and always clean.
Thanks to Anna, catering was extraordinary: Breakfast and afternoon snacks were served on the private verandah (Terima kasih Anna, pisang goreng enak!), every day fresh fruits, and beside the usual fish, rice , vegetables every day a surprise, for example Sashimi as starter!
Worth mentioning as it´s not self evident: There were no “misunderstandings” at the end of our stay about the agreements we made in advance 😉
All in all: Beser Bay is the place I see, when I´m daydreaming of Raja Ampat!
In october/ november 2015 we spent 15 nights in Raja Ampat. At 11 of the 15 nights we were the only guests. Weather was fine – it used to rain once a day but mostly at night and only for short times, so this didn´t matter or even was a welcome refreshing.
Communication in advance by SMS and e-mail was not easy but it worked.
Given the prices partially called for boat transports – as incredible as impudent – I recommend to arrange boat transports in advance and negotiating with the one you (maybe!) are heading to gives you a better position.
We stayed at 3 homestays: Mangrove/Mansuar, Beser Bay/Gam and Yenros/Gam and I can recommend all the three accommodations.
But as there are differences, I can not rate them all equally with 5 stars.
About all the three homestays I can tell: Located in nice surroundings, bungalows spacious and in good shape; great snorkelling just off the beach; food plentiful and varied, every day fish, rice and vegetable though, (One word about the handling of fish: Sometimes it would have been better to fry the fish not as long and not as hot as they did 😉
BeserBay: Spectacular remote location (no phone signal); very good coral all around the place; at low tide, access to the sea for swimming is not easy.
Over-water bungalows with huge verandah, Very well equipped : Hammock, chairs, dish, second mattress on the verandah, so we slept outside over the water. http://www.panoramio.com/photo/125849695
Mandi was spacious, well equipped and always clean.
Thanks to Anna, catering was extraordinary: Breakfast and afternoon snacks were served on the private verandah (Terima kasih Anna, pisang goreng enak!), every day fresh fruits, and beside the usual fish, rice , vegetables every day a surprise, for example Sashimi as starter!
Worth mentioning as it´s not self evident: There were no “misunderstandings” at the end of our stay about the agreements we made in advance 😉
All in all: Beser Bay is the place I see, when I´m daydreaming of Raja Ampat!
Wonderful homestay ! peaceful location and lovely family !
The food was worthy of a great cook, excellent desserts , cakes , shellfish and an amazing algae recipe !
Very kind and attentive family
Bungalows and bathroom cleaner than elsewhere
Remote and quiet area really inspiring for a contemplative stay
We highly recommend this place , one of the best experience we lived in Raja Ampat
Cathy Philippe Titouan ( hosted in july )
Wonderful homestay ! peaceful location and lovely family !
The food was worthy of a great cook, excellent desserts , cakes , shellfish and an amazing algae recipe !
Very kind and attentive family
Bungalows and bathroom cleaner than elsewhere
Remote and quiet area really inspiring for a contemplative stay
We highly recommend this place , one of the best experience we lived in Raja Ampat
Cathy Philippe Titouan ( hosted in july )
OUAWWWWW!
Dès l’arrivée en bateau nous avons été ému par ce lieu absolument magnifique. Un environnement sublime, autant sur l’eau que sous l’eau. Une diversité et une richesse incroyable lors de nos excursion en snorkeling. Uniquement 3 jolis bungalows…donc ambiance intimiste et calme.
Dans ce homestay nous avons rencontré une famille très accueillante, une cuisinière extra qui nous préparait les sashimis à la demande et plein d’autres petits plats excellents….Chaque jour nous avions le droit à de petites attentions adorables (une noix de coco fraiche, une nouvelle table dans notre bungalow pour déposer nos affaires, nos draps changés etc). Nous devions rester 3 nuits, finalement nous sommes resté 7 jours. Ce qui nous a vraiment séduit dans cet endroit c’est la rencontre avec Alex, un guide extraordinaire. Alex parle un peu l’anglais et connait parfaitement les alentours. Il nous proposait tous les jours des excursions et des activités. Il était super disponible, souriant et vraiment adorable. Nous avons eu de la chance de pouvoir partager tous ces moments avec lui et nous nous souviendrons pour longtemps de chacune de nos sorties en bateau:):):) Merci à toute la famille pour les 7 jours passés ensemble et merci à Alex de nous avoir accompagné dans le découverte de son îles et de sa magnifique région. On rêve que d’une chose…d’y retourner!
OUAWWWWW!
Dès l’arrivée en bateau nous avons été ému par ce lieu absolument magnifique. Un environnement sublime, autant sur l’eau que sous l’eau. Une diversité et une richesse incroyable lors de nos excursion en snorkeling. Uniquement 3 jolis bungalows…donc ambiance intimiste et calme.
Dans ce homestay nous avons rencontré une famille très accueillante, une cuisinière extra qui nous préparait les sashimis à la demande et plein d’autres petits plats excellents….Chaque jour nous avions le droit à de petites attentions adorables (une noix de coco fraiche, une nouvelle table dans notre bungalow pour déposer nos affaires, nos draps changés etc). Nous devions rester 3 nuits, finalement nous sommes resté 7 jours. Ce qui nous a vraiment séduit dans cet endroit c’est la rencontre avec Alex, un guide extraordinaire. Alex parle un peu l’anglais et connait parfaitement les alentours. Il nous proposait tous les jours des excursions et des activités. Il était super disponible, souriant et vraiment adorable. Nous avons eu de la chance de pouvoir partager tous ces moments avec lui et nous nous souviendrons pour longtemps de chacune de nos sorties en bateau:):):) Merci à toute la famille pour les 7 jours passés ensemble et merci à Alex de nous avoir accompagné dans le découverte de son îles et de sa magnifique région. On rêve que d’une chose…d’y retourner!
One of the most beautiful & special places I’ve ever been to.
Such a soulful, peaceful but powerful location. The lovely family takes such a good care of their guests, they put so much attention in everything they do, from breakfast to dinner. Food was amazing, varied, made of local fish & shellfish. Sleeping on the bungalow’s balcony, under the stars, above the water & in front the mangrove is such a unique feeling; I could have stayed there for weeks. Just listening to jungle bird life & staring at sunsets & sunrises.
Such a different experience compared to much less remote places on Kri Island for example, where we feel like simple tourists.
Stay as you are & keep your spirit; you’re unique.
One of the most beautiful & special places I’ve ever been to.
Such a soulful, peaceful but powerful location. The lovely family takes such a good care of their guests, they put so much attention in everything they do, from breakfast to dinner. Food was amazing, varied, made of local fish & shellfish. Sleeping on the bungalow’s balcony, under the stars, above the water & in front the mangrove is such a unique feeling; I could have stayed there for weeks. Just listening to jungle bird life & staring at sunsets & sunrises.
Such a different experience compared to much less remote places on Kri Island for example, where we feel like simple tourists.
Stay as you are & keep your spirit; you’re unique.
This is the very best I could have dreamed of!!!!
We got to Raja Ampat without knowing what to expect!!! We had red and listened a lot about it but could have never imagined that getting to Baserbay Homestay could be SUCH a WONDERFUL experience!!!
This is an “out of this world” place…
Peaceful, wild, natural, clean, exquisite!!!!
The people that work there are unbelievably kind, lovely, giving, and EXPERTS in what they do!!!
Thina and Ana surprised us every day with diferent dishes, each one more delightful than the others, Alex took us to incredibly beautiful secret spots, Petric always listening to what we needed and wanted, keeping this piece of paradise always comfortable, clean and shining, even the little Annes was a main character in this unforgettable experience, playing with us and being always ready to help in whatever was necessary…
Very very recommendable place, and please… keep it simple and pure as it is…
Will surely go back!!!!!!!
Gito and Alum
This is the very best I could have dreamed of!!!!
We got to Raja Ampat without knowing what to expect!!! We had red and listened a lot about it but could have never imagined that getting to Baserbay Homestay could be SUCH a WONDERFUL experience!!!
This is an “out of this world” place…
Peaceful, wild, natural, clean, exquisite!!!!
The people that work there are unbelievably kind, lovely, giving, and EXPERTS in what they do!!!
Thina and Ana surprised us every day with diferent dishes, each one more delightful than the others, Alex took us to incredibly beautiful secret spots, Petric always listening to what we needed and wanted, keeping this piece of paradise always comfortable, clean and shining, even the little Annes was a main character in this unforgettable experience, playing with us and being always ready to help in whatever was necessary…
Very very recommendable place, and please… keep it simple and pure as it is…
Will surely go back!!!!!!!
Gito and Alum
Into the wild!
We thought staying 5 days and we stayed 26 days in this little paradise!
Snorkeling is fantastic!
Small island surrounded by reefs, mangroves, karst tiny islands and seagrass. Snorkeling is very varied and rich: octopus, nudibranchs, black tip sharks, walking sharks, jellyfish, reef fishes, archer fishes, sea horses, devil ray, snakes, eels, Napoleon fishes and beautiful soft and hard corals, every day a new discovery. Simply lift his head to see orchids and birds flying, amazing! We’ve seen also Kuskus, Hornbills, fireflies, Parrots, cockatoos and many birds….
Very comfortable, private and spacious bungalow, bring your hammock and it will be perfect….Ability to send sms behind the island during low tide, 5mn of walk from the bungalow.
Remember to visit Gam Bay (beautiful karst islands) and the bats cave.
Very relaxing place, songs birds, sheltered by a bay.
We ate differently each day during 26 days, we discovered a mix of Indonesian and Papua receipts, Ana and Tina always discreet with a great talent for cooking, worker, always make the best for us, cleaning the bungalow, find a new dessert, cakes in the afternoon, fresh fishes and shells (if you want Gohu you can ask), vegetables. Alex always cheerful, talk a bit English (bring him an Indonesian and English dictionnary) and Petric the boatman make the perfect team.Transport prices are reasonable…..The best value in 42 days in Raja Ampat.
Thanks very much to you, we spend our best journey since 18 years we travel in Indonesia. Everything was perfect! Change nothing…..
Toto and Kty
Into the wild!
We thought staying 5 days and we stayed 26 days in this little paradise!
Snorkeling is fantastic!
Small island surrounded by reefs, mangroves, karst tiny islands and seagrass. Snorkeling is very varied and rich: octopus, nudibranchs, black tip sharks, walking sharks, jellyfish, reef fishes, archer fishes, sea horses, devil ray, snakes, eels, Napoleon fishes and beautiful soft and hard corals, every day a new discovery. Simply lift his head to see orchids and birds flying, amazing! We’ve seen also Kuskus, Hornbills, fireflies, Parrots, cockatoos and many birds….
Very comfortable, private and spacious bungalow, bring your hammock and it will be perfect….Ability to send sms behind the island during low tide, 5mn of walk from the bungalow.
Remember to visit Gam Bay (beautiful karst islands) and the bats cave.
Very relaxing place, songs birds, sheltered by a bay.
We ate differently each day during 26 days, we discovered a mix of Indonesian and Papua receipts, Ana and Tina always discreet with a great talent for cooking, worker, always make the best for us, cleaning the bungalow, find a new dessert, cakes in the afternoon, fresh fishes and shells (if you want Gohu you can ask), vegetables. Alex always cheerful, talk a bit English (bring him an Indonesian and English dictionnary) and Petric the boatman make the perfect team.Transport prices are reasonable…..The best value in 42 days in Raja Ampat.
Thanks very much to you, we spend our best journey since 18 years we travel in Indonesia. Everything was perfect! Change nothing…..
Toto and Kty