Features
- Sorong transfers available
- Reef dropoff
- Seagrass
- Quiet hideaway
- Coral
- Good house reef
- Calm beach
- Sandy Beach
- Has raised beds
- Western style toilet
- Remote/isolated
- IDR 400,000 to 500,000
- Has ensuite bathroom/toilet
- Diving available
Details
Biryei Homestay has four private VIP bungalows that lie between the beach and bird-filled jungle of Batanta’s Birie Island.
The bungalows have raised beds, with sheets, pillows, bolsters and a mosquito nets supplied. Bathtowels are provided and bedside tables with lamps and shelves and hooks. A room light switch and power outlets for charging devices are provided.
The bungalow ensuite bathrooms have western style toilets, a piped water supply and bucket bathing.
Meals are served at Biryei’s beachside dining shelter. Drinking water, tea and coffee are always freely available there.
Electricity is provided by generator and is available from sunset to around midnight. Biryei Homestay receives a phone signal. A weak and variable data connection is sometimes possible.
The nearest village is Arefi, which is about a 20 minute boat journey away, so you’ll need to bring all the supplies you feel are essential with you. Basic supplies can be purchased in Arefi’s small local shops if you run low.
It’s especially important at a remote homestay like Biryei that you take all your inorganic rubbish away with you when you leave. You’ll definitely be contributing to the trashing of paradise if you don’t.
Only a little English is spoken at Biryei Homestay, so we recommend you bring a phrasebook if you don’t speak Bahasa Indonesia.
Transport / Getting there
Waisai transfers are by longboat that can carry up to 8 passengers. For 1 to 5 passengers, the cost is IDR 2,000,000 shared. Extra passengers are charged IDR 500,000 each.
If you're arriving on the public boat and need picking up from Yensawai, the pickup cost is IDR 500,000 for 1 to 4 pax.
Transfers between Biryei and Gam cost IDR 2,000,000 for 1 to 4 pax. Extra passengers are charged IDR 500,000 each.
Transfers between Biryei and Kri/Mansuar cost IDR 1,500,000 for 1 to 4 pax. Extra passengers are charged IDR 500,000 each.
Biryei Homestay can also organise transfers directly between the homestay and Sorong. The cost is IDR 5,000,000 each way.
Read more about Raja Ampat boat transport prices here.
Public Boat to Batanta
If you have plenty of time, you don’t mind a bit of discomfort, and you want spend as little as possible on transport costs, then there are cargo boats that you can use to get to Batanta. (Obviously, if you are going to arrive on the cargo boat, then you don’t need to request a Waisai pickup when submitting the booking form above.)
Here’s what you need to know about getting the cargo boat to Batanta.
Activities
Be sure to bring your snorkelling gear, because Pulau Birie and the nearby islands provide excellent snorkelling. In addition to the usual hosts of fish and coral, you're likely to see turtles, dugongs, mantas and dolphins.
Birdwatchers will be in their element: Birie's jungles host a huge range of birds and their dawn chorus is a delight.
The villages of Arefi and Yensawai are relatively nearby and well worth exploring, and trips can be made to see waterfalls and Wilson's Bird of Paradise on Batanta.
Best of all, Biryei Homestay is fabulous place for your own private tropical island retreat. A lovely beach, the music of the jungle and ocean and the lack of phone or online intrusions make it easy to laze the day way on your verandah, waiting for another blazing sunset over paradise.
Diving with Biryei Homestay
Diving is available at Kandipi Dive Center at Pulau Birie. Kandipi offers free transport to and from Biryei Homestay.
Sunday Diving: Only available after conclusion of church services at 1100.
Please see this January 2025 Pricelist (PDF 54KB) for details.
Note that the dive pricing is per person for two dives. When we asked for clarification, this is what we were told:
Example:
If 3 people dive at Dayan:
3,600,000 (3 pax) + 1,500,000 (boat to Dayan) = 5,100,000 (total)
Since it's 2 dives, the homestay provides 1 guest with 2 tanks.
Also, the 2 dives are for only one location.
And price for the spot is per boat
Biryei Homestay Raja Ampat multi-day sightseeing package tours
See this April 2024 package tour price list (PDF 28KB)
Biryei Homestay snorkelling and sightseeing trips
A selection of the many possibilities is below. Prices are in Indonesian Rupiah and are per trip, not per person.
| TRIP | PRICE |
|---|---|
| Pulau Urun | 500.000 |
| Pulau Wai | 600,000 |
| Kri Batanta | 700,000 |
| South Arefi | 300,000 |
| East Arefi | 300,000 |
| Yenadwak | 200,000 |
| Pulau Ayof | 400,000 |
| Batanta waterfall | 1,000,000 |
| Mansuar/Kri half day | 1,500,000 |
| Sauwandarek (Mansuar) | 1,500,000 |
| West Mansuar | 1,500,000 |
| Piaynemo (incl entrance fee) | 5,000,000 |
| Red Bird of Paradise watching at Ron Island (max 5 pax) | 1,000,000 |
Catch and release fishing trips
Biryei Homestay can provide catch and release fishing trips for sports fishers. You'll need to bring all your own gear.
Trips can cater to up to 3 participants at a time. Trip costs quoted below are shared by participants.
- Urun reef IDR 400,000
- Napnuk IDR 400,000
- Wai IDR 500,000
Batanta
See our Batanta page for an overview of Batanta, its neighbouring islands, and their attractions.
Biryei Homestay Location Map
Biryei Homestay Reviews
The reviews we publish are written by verified guests of Biryei Homestay. Please do add yours!
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211 Reviews
Very happy with our 7nights in Biryei homestay. Ricky was a great host. He and his son Yamen took us on many snorkeling and sightseeing trips(we found his prices very reasonable). Our favourite snorkeling trips were Urun, Arefi village reef, and Kri Batanta. We also enjoyed the hike to the large Batanta waterfall and the 4am wake-up to go see the birds of paradise – saw lots of bioluminescent plankton and night stars during the boat ride, hiked through banana plantations and up into the jungle in the dark to be there at first light. We did see the birds of paradise but from a distance. A few times we saw mantas and dolphins in the water on our way to an outing and Ricky made sure to stop so we could observe them and take pictures (this is the only home stay that did this of the 5 places we’ve stayed at). The bungalows are very comfortable (large bathrooms with soft water showers, great bed and mosquito net, tables, chairs, hooks, mirror) although a fan would have been nice on one or two nights. Also, they came in to tidy our room, sweep, empty garbages, and change the sheets twice while we were there which went beyond our expectations. Ado prepared most of our meals which were plentiful and always included veg, tofu or fish, and rice. We found the food delicious and varied at first but we found that once more guest arrived there was less variety, everything seemed to have a strong kefir lime sauce and we had hardly any fruit. As for the house reef we found it quite interesting. To us the best parts were from in front of the dining hut around the corner to the left and to the right after the home stay all the way to the eco resort (at high tide you can explore the coral closer to shore all the way to the drop off). The coral is spotty as it seems to be everywhere but there are some really good spots with lots of life, rays, elks, black tip sharks, turtles, walking sharks, and lots of reef fish. Take the time to explore and you will see lots.
We had a wonderful stay for four nights.we were 4 persons so we have all the place for ourselves.it was great.so many little attentions.yacob and ricky are wonderful hosts.with my wife it’s our second visit and we were very pleased that things have not change in 3 years.a real Raja ampat expérience.
We had a wonderful stay for four nights.we were 4 persons so we have all the place for ourselves.it was great.so many little attentions.yacob and ricky are wonderful hosts.with my wife it’s our second visit and we were very pleased that things have not change in 3 years.a real Raja ampat expérience.
Amazing! Jacob and Ricky was wonderful hosts, I would love to come again! My friend and I stayed for 5 nights, enjoying every second!
The house reef is beautiful, the options for activities are many, well planned, cheap and all will become memories for life! The wife of Ricky cooked good and plenty of food. We got fresh fruit, donuts, freshly caught fish and more, and nothing was too spicy.
The bungalow is nicer than on the pictures, it was very comfortable. The water in the bathroom was clean. There was a showerhead, which was a very nice touch. Water, coffee and tea was always available. The beach was beautiful and clean, and there was plenty of options to snorkle, fish, hike in the forest or see animals. We asked to go see Bird of Paradise and even though it wasn’t stated as an activity, Jacob knew a place and we saw Red Bird of Paradise as well as had an amazing hike through a village and pristine rainforest and mangroves.
The other guests (only two bungalows were available when we visited, meaning that we were just 4 people – amazing!) fished, Ricky knew the best fishing places and they caught more than they had dreamt of. Biodiversity is through the roof. We watched dolphins from the porch, and also saw Cuscus up close.
Only negative was that the pictures on the website aren’t very good. The house reef has a stretch of seaweed before the corals, and compared to other reefs the visability was lower. Be sure to remember to bring snorkel gear and mosquito repellent!
But all in all, a lovely, unforgetable experience made possible by amazing people!
Amazing! Jacob and Ricky was wonderful hosts, I would love to come again! My friend and I stayed for 5 nights, enjoying every second!
The house reef is beautiful, the options for activities are many, well planned, cheap and all will become memories for life! The wife of Ricky cooked good and plenty of food. We got fresh fruit, donuts, freshly caught fish and more, and nothing was too spicy.
The bungalow is nicer than on the pictures, it was very comfortable. The water in the bathroom was clean. There was a showerhead, which was a very nice touch. Water, coffee and tea was always available. The beach was beautiful and clean, and there was plenty of options to snorkle, fish, hike in the forest or see animals. We asked to go see Bird of Paradise and even though it wasn’t stated as an activity, Jacob knew a place and we saw Red Bird of Paradise as well as had an amazing hike through a village and pristine rainforest and mangroves.
The other guests (only two bungalows were available when we visited, meaning that we were just 4 people – amazing!) fished, Ricky knew the best fishing places and they caught more than they had dreamt of. Biodiversity is through the roof. We watched dolphins from the porch, and also saw Cuscus up close.
Only negative was that the pictures on the website aren’t very good. The house reef has a stretch of seaweed before the corals, and compared to other reefs the visability was lower. Be sure to remember to bring snorkel gear and mosquito repellent!
But all in all, a lovely, unforgetable experience made possible by amazing people!
If you’re looking for a remote and authentic place, this is the right spot. Here, you truly live in harmony with nature. The reef right in front of the guesthouse is perfect for snorkeling, with a wide variety of fish to see. Ricky also offers several snorkeling trips around the area — he’s an excellent guide who knows the marine life extremely well.
The bungalow is very clean and comfortable. And if you get the chance, take a walk to the nearby village — it’s a great way to experience the local life.
Hi Valerie Wery, thank you very much for your second visit to Biryei Homestay. We are very happy to have you here. We hope you are always happy there and we hope we can meet again.
If you’re looking for a remote and authentic place, this is the right spot. Here, you truly live in harmony with nature. The reef right in front of the guesthouse is perfect for snorkeling, with a wide variety of fish to see. Ricky also offers several snorkeling trips around the area — he’s an excellent guide who knows the marine life extremely well.
The bungalow is very clean and comfortable. And if you get the chance, take a walk to the nearby village — it’s a great way to experience the local life.
Hi Valerie Wery, thank you very much for your second visit to Biryei Homestay. We are very happy to have you here. We hope you are always happy there and we hope we can meet again.
We stayed 2 nights at Biryei with Ricky and his family. This is the place to go if you want an adventure! The food was delicious (and plenty for us) and made by Ricky’s lovely wife, and hanging out with Ricky was a lot of fun. We really enjoyed our day trip to Pulau Wei and saw Cus cus, and also the trip to the Hornbill Island (amazing!). Ricky also took us to his village, and snorkelling to another island. We loved learning Indonesian with him. The room was comfortable, although it does get hot at night and there isn’t a fan. The toilet is attached to the hut and was clean, but did smell a little bit (just because of its close proximity to the bed). This didn’t really bother us, but may not suit some less adaptable travellers. We really liked that Ricky had a print out sheet of all the day trip options available. You really do feel you are in the wilderness at Biryei with the beautiful jungle and birds, there is nothing within walking distance to this homestay. We will definitely be returning! Thank you Ricky and family. Sampai jumpa!
We stayed 2 nights at Biryei with Ricky and his family. This is the place to go if you want an adventure! The food was delicious (and plenty for us) and made by Ricky’s lovely wife, and hanging out with Ricky was a lot of fun. We really enjoyed our day trip to Pulau Wei and saw Cus cus, and also the trip to the Hornbill Island (amazing!). Ricky also took us to his village, and snorkelling to another island. We loved learning Indonesian with him. The room was comfortable, although it does get hot at night and there isn’t a fan. The toilet is attached to the hut and was clean, but did smell a little bit (just because of its close proximity to the bed). This didn’t really bother us, but may not suit some less adaptable travellers. We really liked that Ricky had a print out sheet of all the day trip options available. You really do feel you are in the wilderness at Biryei with the beautiful jungle and birds, there is nothing within walking distance to this homestay. We will definitely be returning! Thank you Ricky and family. Sampai jumpa!
We spent 6 nights in Biryei and everything was fantastic! The family managing the homestay is so charming and helpful. The food was very good and the bungalows are spacious and they have ensuite toilet (good point!, no so common in the area).
The housereef is good for snorkeling and the trips to the surrounding areas are spectacular!
Hope to go back to Biryei someday, thanks!
We spent 6 nights in Biryei and everything was fantastic! The family managing the homestay is so charming and helpful. The food was very good and the bungalows are spacious and they have ensuite toilet (good point!, no so common in the area).
The housereef is good for snorkeling and the trips to the surrounding areas are spectacular!
Hope to go back to Biryei someday, thanks!
The homestay is in a state of disrepair. Water is leaking through the roof (two of them have covered it with plastic), and the other one is raining inside. The food is monotonous and barely contains any protein. The boat is small and has a single engine, and the driver is inexperienced. We hit a storm, bouncing around for two hours, and copious amounts of water entered the boat. At one point, the engine stalled, but it started again. It’s not clean. Maybe it was okay, but not now. The mosquito net is torn, and the toilet is broken.
Hi Jose Gomes, thank you for your response and we apologize for the inconvenience you experienced while you were here. We will fix it 🙏
The homestay is in a state of disrepair. Water is leaking through the roof (two of them have covered it with plastic), and the other one is raining inside. The food is monotonous and barely contains any protein. The boat is small and has a single engine, and the driver is inexperienced. We hit a storm, bouncing around for two hours, and copious amounts of water entered the boat. At one point, the engine stalled, but it started again. It’s not clean. Maybe it was okay, but not now. The mosquito net is torn, and the toilet is broken.
Hi Jose Gomes, thank you for your response and we apologize for the inconvenience you experienced while you were here. We will fix it 🙏
Of the 3 homestays we stayed at in Raja Ampat, this was our favourite.
Ricki and Yacob were fantastic hosts and are wonderful humans. They made us feel welcome and comfortable. Yacob has good English and both the snorkelling excursion to Wai, the excursion to the Batanta waterfall and hornbill outing was great, and affordable. Yacob even took us to his village to buy powdered milk when we ran out. I really appreciated having a list of available activities and prices handed to me as we arrived – it made the organisation of activities easy.
The bungalows are basic and clean, with a raised bed and table for your things. The bonus is you have your own ensuite with shower. The bed was comfortable and the dining space was good. The only thing I could fault is that the last bungalow was missing a hammock while we were there. Also, I felt a few spits of water when it rained heavily one night. These are nothing that ruined my sleep or my stay. There are a couple of portable clothes racks available which are super handy for drying clothes and towels. Just don’t do what I did and forget to move it before the tide comes in – the rack was knocked into the sea and my fresh, clean clothes were full of sand and sea water!
The food was varied, plentiful and delicious and the hot water thermos was always full (a tough job considering how much tea we drank as a group).
There is nice coral out from the beach which kept us happy when we weren’t going out for the day.
I would highly recommend this homestay – the family here are the best and the area is beautiful.
Of the 3 homestays we stayed at in Raja Ampat, this was our favourite.
Ricki and Yacob were fantastic hosts and are wonderful humans. They made us feel welcome and comfortable. Yacob has good English and both the snorkelling excursion to Wai, the excursion to the Batanta waterfall and hornbill outing was great, and affordable. Yacob even took us to his village to buy powdered milk when we ran out. I really appreciated having a list of available activities and prices handed to me as we arrived – it made the organisation of activities easy.
The bungalows are basic and clean, with a raised bed and table for your things. The bonus is you have your own ensuite with shower. The bed was comfortable and the dining space was good. The only thing I could fault is that the last bungalow was missing a hammock while we were there. Also, I felt a few spits of water when it rained heavily one night. These are nothing that ruined my sleep or my stay. There are a couple of portable clothes racks available which are super handy for drying clothes and towels. Just don’t do what I did and forget to move it before the tide comes in – the rack was knocked into the sea and my fresh, clean clothes were full of sand and sea water!
The food was varied, plentiful and delicious and the hot water thermos was always full (a tough job considering how much tea we drank as a group).
There is nice coral out from the beach which kept us happy when we weren’t going out for the day.
I would highly recommend this homestay – the family here are the best and the area is beautiful.
I base my reviews and stars on our experience overall at a Homestay.
Yacob and family were super nice. Very welcoming. Room was good with a really comfortable bed and en suite. We did point out a small hole in the roof but it was covered straight away. It had a small amount of leakage but this was during heavy rain and wind and was not a big issue.
Food was plentiful and varied each day. Afternoon snacks provided.
Really nice snorkelling from the beach. We saw turtle and reef shark and lots of nice coral and fish.
We went on a trip to Wai with Yacob and his brother in a shared boat and Yacob was a great guide, snorkelling and pointing out anything interesting and found us a coconut crab to see on the Island. They even took a hot flask for tea/coffee there for us as it was raining.
Communication was good. Yacob spoke good English. Limited data signal here but again not a big issue for us. We had a comfortable onward transfer also
I would stay there again. Very nice people.
I base my reviews and stars on our experience overall at a Homestay.
Yacob and family were super nice. Very welcoming. Room was good with a really comfortable bed and en suite. We did point out a small hole in the roof but it was covered straight away. It had a small amount of leakage but this was during heavy rain and wind and was not a big issue.
Food was plentiful and varied each day. Afternoon snacks provided.
Really nice snorkelling from the beach. We saw turtle and reef shark and lots of nice coral and fish.
We went on a trip to Wai with Yacob and his brother in a shared boat and Yacob was a great guide, snorkelling and pointing out anything interesting and found us a coconut crab to see on the Island. They even took a hot flask for tea/coffee there for us as it was raining.
Communication was good. Yacob spoke good English. Limited data signal here but again not a big issue for us. We had a comfortable onward transfer also
I would stay there again. Very nice people.
I enjoyed my stay at biryei a lot. It was my first homestay in raja empat ever… after a few more homestays it seems that biryei is exceptional in cooking!!
I enjoyed my conversations in really good English with yacob. He keeps in touch after my stay making sure I’m ok travelling alone
Punctual in appointments
Easy to get in touch with
And really enjoyed the quietness of a small homestay.
I’ll most certainly would come again given the chance
I enjoyed my stay at biryei a lot. It was my first homestay in raja empat ever… after a few more homestays it seems that biryei is exceptional in cooking!!
I enjoyed my conversations in really good English with yacob. He keeps in touch after my stay making sure I’m ok travelling alone
Punctual in appointments
Easy to get in touch with
And really enjoyed the quietness of a small homestay.
I’ll most certainly would come again given the chance
We really enjoyed the stay here, just three bungalows in front of the sea! Good snorkeling from the Beach and wanderfull tour offered ( we were able to spot birds of paradise and hornbills)
Jacob the new manager was amazing, helpfull and he speaks a very good English!
We really enjoyed the stay here, just three bungalows in front of the sea! Good snorkeling from the Beach and wanderfull tour offered ( we were able to spot birds of paradise and hornbills)
Jacob the new manager was amazing, helpfull and he speaks a very good English!
In total we were 6 weeks on 6 different islands and 9 different accommodations.
Yacob is very friendly, helpful and attentive, we felt very welcome. Large bungalow with its own shower and toilet. Good water pressure. Best varied food of all. Bed and mosquito net good. Quiet location, fishing trip possible. We were able to attend a party in Arefi where the whole village had lunch together.
House reef at the large jetty opposite is beautiful. Big fish, turtles, reef sharks and much more. Trip to the island “Kri Batanta” beautiful reef, trip to “Urun” highly recommended as it has a beautiful, colorful, healthy coral reef. Thank you very much Yacob, we would stay with you again any time.
In total we were 6 weeks on 6 different islands and 9 different accommodations.
Yacob is very friendly, helpful and attentive, we felt very welcome. Large bungalow with its own shower and toilet. Good water pressure. Best varied food of all. Bed and mosquito net good. Quiet location, fishing trip possible. We were able to attend a party in Arefi where the whole village had lunch together.
House reef at the large jetty opposite is beautiful. Big fish, turtles, reef sharks and much more. Trip to the island “Kri Batanta” beautiful reef, trip to “Urun” highly recommended as it has a beautiful, colorful, healthy coral reef. Thank you very much Yacob, we would stay with you again any time.
Wir warn zum zweitenmal im Biryei Homestay. Uns hat es wieder sehr gut gefallen. Eine traumhafte Lage mit schönem Strand und einem tollen Hausriff.
Jacob hat schöne Ausflüge organisiert, Transfer hat super geklappt. Essen war auch gut.
Jacob hat einen Tauchausflug organisiert bei einem neueröffneten Tauchcenter in der Nähe, 10 Minuten mit dem Boot.
Wir freuen uns aufs nächste Mal.
Wir warn zum zweitenmal im Biryei Homestay. Uns hat es wieder sehr gut gefallen. Eine traumhafte Lage mit schönem Strand und einem tollen Hausriff.
Jacob hat schöne Ausflüge organisiert, Transfer hat super geklappt. Essen war auch gut.
Jacob hat einen Tauchausflug organisiert bei einem neueröffneten Tauchcenter in der Nähe, 10 Minuten mit dem Boot.
Wir freuen uns aufs nächste Mal.
We stayed 9 nights in January 2025.
If you like a lonely beach Bireys Homestay is perfekt.
The Accommodation is as you see at the fotos basic but OK.
The food was very good and the owner Jakob is speaking English well and organizes what you want.
We had a direct transfer from Sorong and snorkeling expeditions – everything was OK
Gladly again
Chris
We stayed 9 nights in January 2025.
If you like a lonely beach Bireys Homestay is perfekt.
The Accommodation is as you see at the fotos basic but OK.
The food was very good and the owner Jakob is speaking English well and organizes what you want.
We had a direct transfer from Sorong and snorkeling expeditions – everything was OK
Gladly again
Chris
We had a bad experience here, first the transfer we requested was not there at 7:30 am, but did not arrive until 1:30 pm. I texted Jacob several times and he said every time, yes, my brother is on his way. Eventually he came, but he had no idea of our wishes. He knew nothing about excursions we wanted to do or what they would cost. There is no telephone reception at the homestay itself, so we had to sail a bit before we could make a connection with Jacob, who turns out to live in Sorong because he is studying. The beds in the room were sealed in plastic and the mosquito net was also made of plastic, it was really hot in the room, I slept in the hammock outside because it was impossible to sleep inside. Until it started raining and it was also raining in the room. We decided after 1 night that we did not want to stay here anymore, even though we had booked for 5 nights.
We had a bad experience here, first the transfer we requested was not there at 7:30 am, but did not arrive until 1:30 pm. I texted Jacob several times and he said every time, yes, my brother is on his way. Eventually he came, but he had no idea of our wishes. He knew nothing about excursions we wanted to do or what they would cost. There is no telephone reception at the homestay itself, so we had to sail a bit before we could make a connection with Jacob, who turns out to live in Sorong because he is studying. The beds in the room were sealed in plastic and the mosquito net was also made of plastic, it was really hot in the room, I slept in the hammock outside because it was impossible to sleep inside. Until it started raining and it was also raining in the room. We decided after 1 night that we did not want to stay here anymore, even though we had booked for 5 nights.
This was our second visit to Biryei homestay as we loved it so much in our last visit.
Biryei homestay beach is really beautiful and the garden around the homestay is well kept. There are palm cockatoos in the trees and we saw dolphins and dugongs from the beach. All bungalows have ensuite toilets, a rare treat in Raja Ampat. The food is good and there was always enough of it.
The family is really nice and guests are well taken care of.
Royce doesn’t speak much English, but enough to arrange trips & transfers. (And the family slept in the homestay the whole time during our visit so they were always available.)
Ricky is the best snorkeling guide in Raja Ampat. He is very safety oriented, knows all the reefs in the area and always checks currents before he lets guests enter the water and he is really good at spotting things, even the extremely shy dugongs.
And he is the only guide we saw collecting plastic underwater.
We can warmly recommend Biryei homestay.
This was our second visit to Biryei homestay as we loved it so much in our last visit.
Biryei homestay beach is really beautiful and the garden around the homestay is well kept. There are palm cockatoos in the trees and we saw dolphins and dugongs from the beach. All bungalows have ensuite toilets, a rare treat in Raja Ampat. The food is good and there was always enough of it.
The family is really nice and guests are well taken care of.
Royce doesn’t speak much English, but enough to arrange trips & transfers. (And the family slept in the homestay the whole time during our visit so they were always available.)
Ricky is the best snorkeling guide in Raja Ampat. He is very safety oriented, knows all the reefs in the area and always checks currents before he lets guests enter the water and he is really good at spotting things, even the extremely shy dugongs.
And he is the only guide we saw collecting plastic underwater.
We can warmly recommend Biryei homestay.
Our arrival was very difficult. The manager Ricky looked annoyed and did not explain anything. We did not feel welcome because of this. The bungalow is large and neat. The ensuite bathroom is very welcome. There were various birds around the homestay!
The food is simple. You do not get fish or meat but they serve eggs every day. After 10 days of eating fish every day we didn’t mind. But the kitchen: We have never seen such a disgusting kitchen! And next to the kitchen is a huge puddle of water which may be the reason for the extreme amount of mosquitoes, especially compared to other homestays.
Actually this is not a homestay because no one lives there. The guests are left alone every night because the manager sleeps in the village, 20 minutes away. And the owner does not live here. You have no phone signal.
So if something happens in the evening or if you are sick, you are on your own. The roof of the bungalow needs maintenance because after 1 rainy night we got wet in bed. It rains even harder in the bathroom.
The other guests also suffered from this. Despite the reservation we left after 1 day. We would not recommend this place.
Our arrival was very difficult. The manager Ricky looked annoyed and did not explain anything. We did not feel welcome because of this. The bungalow is large and neat. The ensuite bathroom is very welcome. There were various birds around the homestay!
The food is simple. You do not get fish or meat but they serve eggs every day. After 10 days of eating fish every day we didn’t mind. But the kitchen: We have never seen such a disgusting kitchen! And next to the kitchen is a huge puddle of water which may be the reason for the extreme amount of mosquitoes, especially compared to other homestays.
Actually this is not a homestay because no one lives there. The guests are left alone every night because the manager sleeps in the village, 20 minutes away. And the owner does not live here. You have no phone signal.
So if something happens in the evening or if you are sick, you are on your own. The roof of the bungalow needs maintenance because after 1 rainy night we got wet in bed. It rains even harder in the bathroom.
The other guests also suffered from this. Despite the reservation we left after 1 day. We would not recommend this place.
This was my favourite homestay! The bungalow was nice and big with a table and line for hanging clothes, and an ensuite bathroom! The deck had 2 chairs, a table, more line for hanging clothes, and an amazing view. The bed was comfy, good mozzie net, roof was good during the 3 nights that it rained.
The grounds are cute and well taken care of. I love the size of this homestay with its 3 (or 4?) bungalows. Great snorkeling trips nearby. I really enjoyed the food and thought they had good variety – fish, chicken, eggs, etc.
But mostly of all, I loved the family running this homestay! They are so humble and kind, and they made me feel so welcome. They treated us like gold 🙂
We even had a day at the village with them during election time, and it was so cool to see how they were involved and helping, caring about their community.
Thank you all of you! Ricky, Wahyu, Karunti, Alfred, Jacob, everyone that helps at the homestay and everyone I got to meet – thank you!
This was my favourite homestay! The bungalow was nice and big with a table and line for hanging clothes, and an ensuite bathroom! The deck had 2 chairs, a table, more line for hanging clothes, and an amazing view. The bed was comfy, good mozzie net, roof was good during the 3 nights that it rained.
The grounds are cute and well taken care of. I love the size of this homestay with its 3 (or 4?) bungalows. Great snorkeling trips nearby. I really enjoyed the food and thought they had good variety – fish, chicken, eggs, etc.
But mostly of all, I loved the family running this homestay! They are so humble and kind, and they made me feel so welcome. They treated us like gold 🙂
We even had a day at the village with them during election time, and it was so cool to see how they were involved and helping, caring about their community.
Thank you all of you! Ricky, Wahyu, Karunti, Alfred, Jacob, everyone that helps at the homestay and everyone I got to meet – thank you!
Si vous recherchez un endroit où laisser glisser le temps entre 2 snorkelling 5 étoiles, l’endroit est pour vous.
Vous vous endormirez et réveillerez au son des oiseaux, mangerez une cuisine délicieuse et variée.
Le snorkeling devant le homestay est fort sympathique, et Jacob et Roy vous conduiront sur des spots 5 étoiles, où vous serez seuls.
Jacob pourra aussi vous conduire observer des oiseaux de paradis au petit matin, ou observer les Hornbills préparer leur nuit au coucher du soleil.
Les bungalows sont très bien entretenus et propres, avec une salle de bain privative, un luxe que nous n’avons pas retrouvé sur d’autres homestay.
Enfin, Jacob, Roy et sa femme sont d’une discrétion absolue, mais toujours présents si besoin, et toujours avec le sourire.
Le homestay que nous avons le plus apprécié aux Raja Ampat !
If you’re looking for a quite place to let time slip away between two 5-star snorkelling trips, this is the place for you.
You’ll fall asleep and wake up to the sound of birds, eat delicious and varied cuisine.
The snorkelling in front of the homestay is great, and Jacob and Roy will take you to 5-star spots where you’ll be on your own.
Jacob can also take you out to watch birds of paradise in the early morning, or to watch the Hornbills prepare for their night at sunset.
The bungalows are very well maintained and clean, with en-suite bathrooms, a luxury we haven’t found on other homestays.
Finally, Jacob, Roy and his wife are absolutely discreet, but always there when you need them, and always with a smile.
The homestay we enjoyed the most in Raja Ampat!
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Si vous recherchez un endroit où laisser glisser le temps entre 2 snorkelling 5 étoiles, l’endroit est pour vous.
Vous vous endormirez et réveillerez au son des oiseaux, mangerez une cuisine délicieuse et variée.
Le snorkeling devant le homestay est fort sympathique, et Jacob et Roy vous conduiront sur des spots 5 étoiles, où vous serez seuls.
Jacob pourra aussi vous conduire observer des oiseaux de paradis au petit matin, ou observer les Hornbills préparer leur nuit au coucher du soleil.
Les bungalows sont très bien entretenus et propres, avec une salle de bain privative, un luxe que nous n’avons pas retrouvé sur d’autres homestay.
Enfin, Jacob, Roy et sa femme sont d’une discrétion absolue, mais toujours présents si besoin, et toujours avec le sourire.
Le homestay que nous avons le plus apprécié aux Raja Ampat !
If you’re looking for a quite place to let time slip away between two 5-star snorkelling trips, this is the place for you.
You’ll fall asleep and wake up to the sound of birds, eat delicious and varied cuisine.
The snorkelling in front of the homestay is great, and Jacob and Roy will take you to 5-star spots where you’ll be on your own.
Jacob can also take you out to watch birds of paradise in the early morning, or to watch the Hornbills prepare for their night at sunset.
The bungalows are very well maintained and clean, with en-suite bathrooms, a luxury we haven’t found on other homestays.
Finally, Jacob, Roy and his wife are absolutely discreet, but always there when you need them, and always with a smile.
The homestay we enjoyed the most in Raja Ampat!
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
I’ m sorry but I cannot confirm the reviews. My experience here was bad. First: I booked a pickup for 9 am some days before the arrival ,the night before I asked a re-confirmation and they said “sure ,no problem”, the day after at 8am they contacted me for informing that there was the election day and they arrived in the afternoon,I told them it was not correct because they know about the election day so they told me” ok we come for 11/12″ ,but ar 11:30 ,after my message ,they informed me they arrived in the early afteroon so I need to ask a lunch at the homestay where I was. I also asked before about a fridge and they told me ” yes we have at the village,bring with you what you want and we put on our fridge”,but unfortunately the village was 20minutes far by boat from the homestay and I discovered only when arrived there!
When I arrived there anyone was at homestay,only 2 guests who informed me about the time for breakfast,lunch and dinnet and that anyone of the family live at homestay. I was very disappointed about it! The bungalow was ok,a parte there were hole in the roof and during the night it was raining into the room ,espacially in the bathroom and a little bit on the bed. Another big problem was a food: every day omelette,rice and vegetable, when we were in 6 also 1 time noodles and fruit, 2 time fish but the last dinner,the fish was terrible,you couldn’t eat. I spoke also with other guests who stay there and all of them had the same problem with the roof/rain and with food.
The location is nice and Ricky is a good person even if I saw him for very shortly time.
I spoke with Jakob only by whatsapp because he live in Sorong and only him speak a good english so to organize everything is difficult, and you cannot use the google translate because the connection is bad.
I’ m sorry but I cannot suggest this homestay.
I’ m sorry but I cannot confirm the reviews. My experience here was bad. First: I booked a pickup for 9 am some days before the arrival ,the night before I asked a re-confirmation and they said “sure ,no problem”, the day after at 8am they contacted me for informing that there was the election day and they arrived in the afternoon,I told them it was not correct because they know about the election day so they told me” ok we come for 11/12″ ,but ar 11:30 ,after my message ,they informed me they arrived in the early afteroon so I need to ask a lunch at the homestay where I was. I also asked before about a fridge and they told me ” yes we have at the village,bring with you what you want and we put on our fridge”,but unfortunately the village was 20minutes far by boat from the homestay and I discovered only when arrived there!
When I arrived there anyone was at homestay,only 2 guests who informed me about the time for breakfast,lunch and dinnet and that anyone of the family live at homestay. I was very disappointed about it! The bungalow was ok,a parte there were hole in the roof and during the night it was raining into the room ,espacially in the bathroom and a little bit on the bed. Another big problem was a food: every day omelette,rice and vegetable, when we were in 6 also 1 time noodles and fruit, 2 time fish but the last dinner,the fish was terrible,you couldn’t eat. I spoke also with other guests who stay there and all of them had the same problem with the roof/rain and with food.
The location is nice and Ricky is a good person even if I saw him for very shortly time.
I spoke with Jakob only by whatsapp because he live in Sorong and only him speak a good english so to organize everything is difficult, and you cannot use the google translate because the connection is bad.
I’ m sorry but I cannot suggest this homestay.
We got off to a rocky start at Biryei but this was quickly remedied (within a few hours) and we had the most INCREDIBLE time. We dived beautiful reefs out in the middle of the ocean, experienced jungle waterfalls and ate very good food. The ensuite is a treat especially after 2.5 weeks of sharing 🙂 Batanta is wilder than all the other islands by miles with varied topography and dense jungle. This island was our absolute favourite not just for the scenery but also the people. Waui pulled out all the stops and was a fantastic guide.
We got off to a rocky start at Biryei but this was quickly remedied (within a few hours) and we had the most INCREDIBLE time. We dived beautiful reefs out in the middle of the ocean, experienced jungle waterfalls and ate very good food. The ensuite is a treat especially after 2.5 weeks of sharing 🙂 Batanta is wilder than all the other islands by miles with varied topography and dense jungle. This island was our absolute favourite not just for the scenery but also the people. Waui pulled out all the stops and was a fantastic guide.
Biryei was the fifth and last guest house on Raja Ampat (20/10-08/11/2024). Three wigwams on a very quiet sandy beach in the shade of trees. A few minutes by boat on the right is the multi-star “Papua Paradise Eco Resort” with an expensive restaurant. Beautiful corals, a drop-off in the depths 40 meters from the shore, we saw little marine life, although we did meet a few times a bevy of huge “bump heads”, weighing 30-50 kg. We took an excursion to the neighboring bay to see dugongs, but did not meet them, alas. Overall, we liked it here. when traveling long trips, I recommend stocking up on a couple of sticks of raw smoked sausage
===============
Biryei был пятым и последним гостевым домиком по Раджа Ампат (20/10-08/11/2024). Три вигвама на очень спокойном песчаном пляже в тени деревьев. В нескольких минутах на лодке справа находится многозвездный «Papua Paradise Eco Resort» с дорогим рестораном. Красивые кораллы, свал в глубину в 40 метрах от берега , морской живности видели немного, хотя и несколько раз встречались со стаей огромных «bump heads», 30-50 кг весом.. Мы брали экскурсию в соседний залив посмотреть дюгоней, но не встретили, увы. В целом, нам здесь понравилось. При длительных путешествиях рекомендую запастись парой палок сырокопченой колбасы
Biryei was the fifth and last guest house on Raja Ampat (20/10-08/11/2024). Three wigwams on a very quiet sandy beach in the shade of trees. A few minutes by boat on the right is the multi-star “Papua Paradise Eco Resort” with an expensive restaurant. Beautiful corals, a drop-off in the depths 40 meters from the shore, we saw little marine life, although we did meet a few times a bevy of huge “bump heads”, weighing 30-50 kg. We took an excursion to the neighboring bay to see dugongs, but did not meet them, alas. Overall, we liked it here. when traveling long trips, I recommend stocking up on a couple of sticks of raw smoked sausage
===============
Biryei был пятым и последним гостевым домиком по Раджа Ампат (20/10-08/11/2024). Три вигвама на очень спокойном песчаном пляже в тени деревьев. В нескольких минутах на лодке справа находится многозвездный «Papua Paradise Eco Resort» с дорогим рестораном. Красивые кораллы, свал в глубину в 40 метрах от берега , морской живности видели немного, хотя и несколько раз встречались со стаей огромных «bump heads», 30-50 кг весом.. Мы брали экскурсию в соседний залив посмотреть дюгоней, но не встретили, увы. В целом, нам здесь понравилось. При длительных путешествиях рекомендую запастись парой палок сырокопченой колбасы
Inutile d’en écrire des pages, simplement dire que si vous avez besoin de vous ressourcer, si vous aimez le snorkeling, la nature, et le chant des oiseaux cette île merveilleuse est faite pour vous !
Il y a très peu de bungalow donc tranquillité assuré.
Merci beaucoup à Roys et Jacob pour leur gentillesse et leur dévouement. Merci également à leurs épouses et à leurs beaux enfants.
J’ai déjà envie de revenir …
Inutile d’en écrire des pages, simplement dire que si vous avez besoin de vous ressourcer, si vous aimez le snorkeling, la nature, et le chant des oiseaux cette île merveilleuse est faite pour vous !
Il y a très peu de bungalow donc tranquillité assuré.
Merci beaucoup à Roys et Jacob pour leur gentillesse et leur dévouement. Merci également à leurs épouses et à leurs beaux enfants.
J’ai déjà envie de revenir …
We stay 3 days there. Huts are good and have ensuite bathroom (a luxury in RA). The food was simple but tasty and the place is absolutely stunning: deep silence and good snorkeling .
We stay 3 days there. Huts are good and have ensuite bathroom (a luxury in RA). The food was simple but tasty and the place is absolutely stunning: deep silence and good snorkeling .
I have stayed twice at Biryei homestay, in 2023 and again this year. Staying at Biryei was a great experience. It is an amazing peaceful place. The bungalows are comfortable and spacious and have an en-suite which is rare for Raja Ampat. The bungalows face the sea with steep jungle behind.
The house reef is easily accessible from the beach. There is some damage to the reef swimming to the east but once past that it is quite beautiful. Swimming around to the bay to the west is teeming with fish and abundant coral.
Ricky and his brothers Jacob, Pascal and Royce are wonderful hosts and it is an absolute pleasure to stay with them, they have welcomed me and made me feel part of the family.
I made several boat trips with Ricky, Royce and Jacob to nearby islands which was fantastic.
I snorkelled with Ricky a few times which was a privilege. His knowledge and experience is such a bonus. He showed me underwater wonders I never would have spotted on my own including nudibranchs, frogfish, lionfish, wobbegongs and other myriad creatures
Ricky is fun to be with and his brother Jacob is so helpful. Jacob speaks good English and can assist you with whatever you need. The food at Biryei is good and abundant.
If you want to drop in to a deeply quiet and peaceful experience and enjoy the wonders of the coral reefs then I highly recommend Biryei homestay. I have stayed in many homestays in Raja Ampat and Biryei is my favourite.
Artha
I have stayed twice at Biryei homestay, in 2023 and again this year. Staying at Biryei was a great experience. It is an amazing peaceful place. The bungalows are comfortable and spacious and have an en-suite which is rare for Raja Ampat. The bungalows face the sea with steep jungle behind.
The house reef is easily accessible from the beach. There is some damage to the reef swimming to the east but once past that it is quite beautiful. Swimming around to the bay to the west is teeming with fish and abundant coral.
Ricky and his brothers Jacob, Pascal and Royce are wonderful hosts and it is an absolute pleasure to stay with them, they have welcomed me and made me feel part of the family.
I made several boat trips with Ricky, Royce and Jacob to nearby islands which was fantastic.
I snorkelled with Ricky a few times which was a privilege. His knowledge and experience is such a bonus. He showed me underwater wonders I never would have spotted on my own including nudibranchs, frogfish, lionfish, wobbegongs and other myriad creatures
Ricky is fun to be with and his brother Jacob is so helpful. Jacob speaks good English and can assist you with whatever you need. The food at Biryei is good and abundant.
If you want to drop in to a deeply quiet and peaceful experience and enjoy the wonders of the coral reefs then I highly recommend Biryei homestay. I have stayed in many homestays in Raja Ampat and Biryei is my favourite.
Artha
Biryei homestay est une tres belle guesthouse.
Le lieu est très beau, très sauvage et on est bercé par le chant des oiseaux.
Les bungalows sont très confortables avec les toilettes et la salle de bain privatives. Le lit est confortable et en hauteur avec une bonne moustiquaire. Tout est bien pensé avec par exemple de nombreux endroits pour suspendre les habits à sécher.
La famille est extrêmement sympathique en particulier Jacob qui parle bien anglais. On se sent bien accueillis dans cette guesthouse.
La nourriture ressemble à ce qu’on mange un peu partout ici mais en très bonne quantité.
Il y a à proximite de belles excursions commes Urun island avec des coraux superbes ais aussi 2 cascades sympas ainsi que des villages traditionnels.
Le seul défaut est qu’il n’y a pas de jetée ce qui empêche de profiter du reef à marée basse. Mais ils sont en train de la construire et quand cela sera fait cette guesthouse deviendra un incontournable absolu.
Thankyou so much marie-flore. for your time we had a great time with you
Regards..
Biryei homestay est une tres belle guesthouse.
Le lieu est très beau, très sauvage et on est bercé par le chant des oiseaux.
Les bungalows sont très confortables avec les toilettes et la salle de bain privatives. Le lit est confortable et en hauteur avec une bonne moustiquaire. Tout est bien pensé avec par exemple de nombreux endroits pour suspendre les habits à sécher.
La famille est extrêmement sympathique en particulier Jacob qui parle bien anglais. On se sent bien accueillis dans cette guesthouse.
La nourriture ressemble à ce qu’on mange un peu partout ici mais en très bonne quantité.
Il y a à proximite de belles excursions commes Urun island avec des coraux superbes ais aussi 2 cascades sympas ainsi que des villages traditionnels.
Le seul défaut est qu’il n’y a pas de jetée ce qui empêche de profiter du reef à marée basse. Mais ils sont en train de la construire et quand cela sera fait cette guesthouse deviendra un incontournable absolu.
Thankyou so much marie-flore. for your time we had a great time with you
Regards..
Overall really great stay. Great wildlife, great tours, good food, good views, more off the beaten path.
Room: The bungalow closest to the canteen is the best, the worst is the furthest. We first were in the furthest which smelled strongly of sewage, but then got to move to the one nearest to the canteen which was wonderful in comparison. If there is no breeze then its very hot in all the bungalows and there are a LOT of mosquitos here so bring your bug spray.
Staff: The staff/host was super good, and we really enjoyed their hospitality. The food overall was good.
Dugong: Our main reason to visit here was the chance of seeing a dugong. Unfortunately we got really bad luck and never saw one. The house reef wasn’t very good either.
Tours: BUT! the tours were really incredible. We saw a lot of stuff and every tour was really rewarding. If you want to explore some lesser visited parts of Raja Ampat this is a great homestay for you. We also saw the mantas really well with them. As tour guides they really know what they are doing. 🙂
If you want to visit Biryei this is the homestay for you, just bring bug spray!
Overall really great stay. Great wildlife, great tours, good food, good views, more off the beaten path.
Room: The bungalow closest to the canteen is the best, the worst is the furthest. We first were in the furthest which smelled strongly of sewage, but then got to move to the one nearest to the canteen which was wonderful in comparison. If there is no breeze then its very hot in all the bungalows and there are a LOT of mosquitos here so bring your bug spray.
Staff: The staff/host was super good, and we really enjoyed their hospitality. The food overall was good.
Dugong: Our main reason to visit here was the chance of seeing a dugong. Unfortunately we got really bad luck and never saw one. The house reef wasn’t very good either.
Tours: BUT! the tours were really incredible. We saw a lot of stuff and every tour was really rewarding. If you want to explore some lesser visited parts of Raja Ampat this is a great homestay for you. We also saw the mantas really well with them. As tour guides they really know what they are doing. 🙂
If you want to visit Biryei this is the homestay for you, just bring bug spray!
I had a great time at Biryei. It is a beautiful spot with wonderful views. I especially enjoyed seeing hornbills, bird of paradise and cockatoos.
I had a great time at Biryei. It is a beautiful spot with wonderful views. I especially enjoyed seeing hornbills, bird of paradise and cockatoos.
Beautiful setting with comfortable bungalows. The food is mixed; sometimes yummy and sometimes bland. The excursions are great and the staff takes you to some great places for snorkeling. Also, there is wonderful snorkeling right off the beach.
Beautiful setting with comfortable bungalows. The food is mixed; sometimes yummy and sometimes bland. The excursions are great and the staff takes you to some great places for snorkeling. Also, there is wonderful snorkeling right off the beach.
Bellissimo bungalow con con letto e bagno privato con doccia.
Terrazza con amaca.
Splendida barriera corallina a pochi metri dalla riva.
Possibilità di belle escursioni.
Atmosfera tranquilla e rilassata.
Buon cibo e Waihu sempre disponibile per ogni nostra necessità
Grazie di tutto
Bellissimo bungalow con con letto e bagno privato con doccia.
Terrazza con amaca.
Splendida barriera corallina a pochi metri dalla riva.
Possibilità di belle escursioni.
Atmosfera tranquilla e rilassata.
Buon cibo e Waihu sempre disponibile per ogni nostra necessità
Grazie di tutto
I stayed 7 nights in Biryei Homestay and I enjoyed my stay a lot! Biryei is an amazing place with a nice private beach, where you can walk around during low tide.
The bungalows are big and very comfi with a lot of space inside.
The ensuited bathroom was clean with a mirror an possibilities for hanging your things.
Also the verandas are big with 2 chairs, a table and a hammock, where you can relax and read a book.
Right in the front of the bungalows is a fantastic reef with a lot of different, colourful fishes, unichornfishes, frogfishes, scorpionfishes and a lot more.
I did a lot of trips and everyone for itself was wonderful.
So I went twice to Dokry island for snorkeling and I saw a dugong,many sharks, huge bumbhead parrot fishes, turtle and a lot of colourful fishes and very nice and healthy coralls.
I did a sunset trip and birdwatching in the evening, where we saw a lot of hornbills, settling down on a small island for the night.
I also snorkeled around some other small islands (I forgot the names, sorry) where the reefs were always amazing.
One of the Highlights was to snorkel with Giant Mantas, next to Wai island, where we after visited the Couscous, bats and coconutcrabs:):)
This was an unbelievable beautiful experience. Thank you so much.
Another highlight was the visit in the village where we could participate the birthdayparty of Wahyu’s son.
This warm welcome preparing food for us, showing us how happy they are, we are there, touched my heart very deep. And when we went back to the homestay the family came with us to the jetty to say goodbye, I nearly cried for such a warm kindness!! Injonabor!!
All of you, Ricky, Wahyu, Jacob Rois, Ada (who cooked a delecious food for us) and the boys who went with me to the beautiful waterfall, I thank you so much for the great time!
I felt so welcomed with your big hearts!
Thank you very very much, injonabor!
I’ll come back for sure!
I stayed 7 nights in Biryei Homestay and I enjoyed my stay a lot! Biryei is an amazing place with a nice private beach, where you can walk around during low tide.
The bungalows are big and very comfi with a lot of space inside.
The ensuited bathroom was clean with a mirror an possibilities for hanging your things.
Also the verandas are big with 2 chairs, a table and a hammock, where you can relax and read a book.
Right in the front of the bungalows is a fantastic reef with a lot of different, colourful fishes, unichornfishes, frogfishes, scorpionfishes and a lot more.
I did a lot of trips and everyone for itself was wonderful.
So I went twice to Dokry island for snorkeling and I saw a dugong,many sharks, huge bumbhead parrot fishes, turtle and a lot of colourful fishes and very nice and healthy coralls.
I did a sunset trip and birdwatching in the evening, where we saw a lot of hornbills, settling down on a small island for the night.
I also snorkeled around some other small islands (I forgot the names, sorry) where the reefs were always amazing.
One of the Highlights was to snorkel with Giant Mantas, next to Wai island, where we after visited the Couscous, bats and coconutcrabs:):)
This was an unbelievable beautiful experience. Thank you so much.
Another highlight was the visit in the village where we could participate the birthdayparty of Wahyu’s son.
This warm welcome preparing food for us, showing us how happy they are, we are there, touched my heart very deep. And when we went back to the homestay the family came with us to the jetty to say goodbye, I nearly cried for such a warm kindness!! Injonabor!!
All of you, Ricky, Wahyu, Jacob Rois, Ada (who cooked a delecious food for us) and the boys who went with me to the beautiful waterfall, I thank you so much for the great time!
I felt so welcomed with your big hearts!
Thank you very very much, injonabor!
I’ll come back for sure!
We had amazing three nights at Biryei homestay.
There are three bungalows with a small private beach and we could do snorkelling just in front our bungalow, which is really convenient – just get changed and go into the sea. Moreover, the coral is very rich and beautiful. We snorkelled every day, sometimes twice a day in the morning and afternoon.
The hut is comfortable with a private toilet and shower, which is really important for us, just cold water for shower but good enough. Big trees provided shade for us.
Besides snorkeling, we went for a short walk following the beach when tide was low. Walking while collecting beautiful seashells and beautiful large leaves also relaxed ourselves.
The homestay could arrange other activities as well. There is a
leaflet on dinner table and all activities were listed on it.
Family did a really great job. They provided coffee, tea, drinking water and boiled water. You can have it all in dining place at anytime you want. Food was nice, different kind of fish, sufficient vegetables. Jacob was very friendly, always being there when we need help.
We had amazing three nights at Biryei homestay.
There are three bungalows with a small private beach and we could do snorkelling just in front our bungalow, which is really convenient – just get changed and go into the sea. Moreover, the coral is very rich and beautiful. We snorkelled every day, sometimes twice a day in the morning and afternoon.
The hut is comfortable with a private toilet and shower, which is really important for us, just cold water for shower but good enough. Big trees provided shade for us.
Besides snorkeling, we went for a short walk following the beach when tide was low. Walking while collecting beautiful seashells and beautiful large leaves also relaxed ourselves.
The homestay could arrange other activities as well. There is a
leaflet on dinner table and all activities were listed on it.
Family did a really great job. They provided coffee, tea, drinking water and boiled water. You can have it all in dining place at anytime you want. Food was nice, different kind of fish, sufficient vegetables. Jacob was very friendly, always being there when we need help.
Des six Homestay d’une semaine que nous avons fréquenté au Raja Ampat, Birye est à coup sûr en haut tableau.
Bien sûr c’est toujours perfectible (matelas à changer d’urgence), mais la gentillesse des hôtes,l’excellente nourriture,le jardin de corail superbe au pied du bungalow(et un dugong qui passe) , et le chant des oiseaux le matin (qu’on n’a plus entendu ailleurs depuis, à part l’horrible cri des corbeaux),bref, un super souvenir
Des six Homestay d’une semaine que nous avons fréquenté au Raja Ampat, Birye est à coup sûr en haut tableau.
Bien sûr c’est toujours perfectible (matelas à changer d’urgence), mais la gentillesse des hôtes,l’excellente nourriture,le jardin de corail superbe au pied du bungalow(et un dugong qui passe) , et le chant des oiseaux le matin (qu’on n’a plus entendu ailleurs depuis, à part l’horrible cri des corbeaux),bref, un super souvenir
Wonderful place, paradise of the world❤️ beautiful snorkeling , shown to us by Wahyu, he took care of us during our stay and did great! I will be very happy if I go back🥰
Wonderful place, paradise of the world❤️ beautiful snorkeling , shown to us by Wahyu, he took care of us during our stay and did great! I will be very happy if I go back🥰
Our stay at Biryei did not start well: first we were amazed by the beautiful sandy beach and the luxury of having an ensuite bathroom, but our happiness did not last long as after our arrival Jacob told us that there is overbooking and we need to leave the next day. They offered 2 other homestays to stay at and agreed to show us before we say yes: they were in-progress homestays, without water, electricity and nobody around.. so understandably we declined the offer.
We got in touch with stay raja ampat, and they solved our situation amazingly quickly by booking another homestay and even arranged a transfer with them (thanks again for helping us out so quickly)! But after this we were told by Jacob that the other group cancelled so we can stay. We stayed in the end, as these were our last days on Raja Ampat and we did not want to lose time with moving into another homestay and with the transfer, but starting our stay like this was not the best feeling.
Having said that, I want to add that the place is beautiful (white sandy beach, like a dream!), the food is varied and delicious, and Jacob was very nice with us. There is a garden and pathway between the bungalows and the dining room, which makes the place even more magical!
We went to see the hornbills preparing for their evening sleep, it was such a great experience and also an amazing boat trip!
We also visited the waterfalls with Jacob, i recommed to take that trip as well as it is really something special, swimming in the fresh spring water of the waterfalls.
If somebody would go there only for the snorkelling though, i think there are better places for that, with more diverse corals close. But we already snorkelled and dived a lot before coming to this homestay, so it was so nice to have the trips and to just chill in the hammock watching the beautiful view with the sandy beach.
Our stay at Biryei did not start well: first we were amazed by the beautiful sandy beach and the luxury of having an ensuite bathroom, but our happiness did not last long as after our arrival Jacob told us that there is overbooking and we need to leave the next day. They offered 2 other homestays to stay at and agreed to show us before we say yes: they were in-progress homestays, without water, electricity and nobody around.. so understandably we declined the offer.
We got in touch with stay raja ampat, and they solved our situation amazingly quickly by booking another homestay and even arranged a transfer with them (thanks again for helping us out so quickly)! But after this we were told by Jacob that the other group cancelled so we can stay. We stayed in the end, as these were our last days on Raja Ampat and we did not want to lose time with moving into another homestay and with the transfer, but starting our stay like this was not the best feeling.
Having said that, I want to add that the place is beautiful (white sandy beach, like a dream!), the food is varied and delicious, and Jacob was very nice with us. There is a garden and pathway between the bungalows and the dining room, which makes the place even more magical!
We went to see the hornbills preparing for their evening sleep, it was such a great experience and also an amazing boat trip!
We also visited the waterfalls with Jacob, i recommed to take that trip as well as it is really something special, swimming in the fresh spring water of the waterfalls.
If somebody would go there only for the snorkelling though, i think there are better places for that, with more diverse corals close. But we already snorkelled and dived a lot before coming to this homestay, so it was so nice to have the trips and to just chill in the hammock watching the beautiful view with the sandy beach.
We stayed at Biryei Homestay for 3 nights at the end of November and had an amazing time. Wahi, Ricky and everyone else around were very friendly and did a great job. Communication in English worked well with Wahi and he suggested two trips, which we both really enjoyed and can highly recommend. One was snorkeling in Wai including a walk to see the flying foxes. The reef was very beautiful with lots of healthy coral and a variety of marine life. Ricky also pointed out an interesting little crab and a turtle. The other one was a boat trip to see the dugong (without snorkeling because of ear problems). It was a great way to see Birie, the many reefs surrounding it as well as the dugong, turtles, bumpheads and a beautiful sunset. On our way back we passed by Arefi, which looked interesting too. The food was good, there was always a vegetarian option for us and we especially enjoyed the breakfast, the delicious afternoon snacks and the fresh coconuts. Our bungalow was comfortable, the ensuite bathroom was a luxury and we very much enjoyed the hammock on the verandah. Everything at Biryei, from the dining area to the path, is made lovingly and with attention to detail. There were various butterflies and birds to see and listen to. We had a wonderful time at Biryei and can highly recommend it. Thank you very much!
We stayed at Biryei Homestay for 3 nights at the end of November and had an amazing time. Wahi, Ricky and everyone else around were very friendly and did a great job. Communication in English worked well with Wahi and he suggested two trips, which we both really enjoyed and can highly recommend. One was snorkeling in Wai including a walk to see the flying foxes. The reef was very beautiful with lots of healthy coral and a variety of marine life. Ricky also pointed out an interesting little crab and a turtle. The other one was a boat trip to see the dugong (without snorkeling because of ear problems). It was a great way to see Birie, the many reefs surrounding it as well as the dugong, turtles, bumpheads and a beautiful sunset. On our way back we passed by Arefi, which looked interesting too. The food was good, there was always a vegetarian option for us and we especially enjoyed the breakfast, the delicious afternoon snacks and the fresh coconuts. Our bungalow was comfortable, the ensuite bathroom was a luxury and we very much enjoyed the hammock on the verandah. Everything at Biryei, from the dining area to the path, is made lovingly and with attention to detail. There were various butterflies and birds to see and listen to. We had a wonderful time at Biryei and can highly recommend it. Thank you very much!
My brother and me stayed 4 nights with Rikki and Ado. They were wonderful hosts. The food Ado made was always delicious and plentiful ! Rikki was always attentive and ready to help. We were very happy to have en-suite bathrooms and a private, secluded beach all to ourselves. Because there are only 3 cottages it gives one the feeling of a small close-knit group, all well looked after by Rikki and Ado!
I would like to suggest that a fan in the bed room, and a mirror in the bathroom would add very much to the wonderful experience.
We liked Biryei the most out of the 3 homestays we stayed at.
My brother and me stayed 4 nights with Rikki and Ado. They were wonderful hosts. The food Ado made was always delicious and plentiful ! Rikki was always attentive and ready to help. We were very happy to have en-suite bathrooms and a private, secluded beach all to ourselves. Because there are only 3 cottages it gives one the feeling of a small close-knit group, all well looked after by Rikki and Ado!
I would like to suggest that a fan in the bed room, and a mirror in the bathroom would add very much to the wonderful experience.
We liked Biryei the most out of the 3 homestays we stayed at.
Biryei has only 3 bungalows but they are very nice with a private bathroom. A good bed, exellent comfort good food and very friendly host. A homestay which was better than the others homestays. A place in paradise with rest, calm sea with little current there are parts with good coral at the house reef if you go a bit left and right. We saw lots of birds. One evening we went by boat to see where the Hornbills come together at night to sleep. Special experience. We also did a excursion to palau Wai Island for snorkeling and watching the big bats.
We were sad to leave this beautiful place. Thanks a lot.
Biryei has only 3 bungalows but they are very nice with a private bathroom. A good bed, exellent comfort good food and very friendly host. A homestay which was better than the others homestays. A place in paradise with rest, calm sea with little current there are parts with good coral at the house reef if you go a bit left and right. We saw lots of birds. One evening we went by boat to see where the Hornbills come together at night to sleep. Special experience. We also did a excursion to palau Wai Island for snorkeling and watching the big bats.
We were sad to leave this beautiful place. Thanks a lot.
Absolutely perfect. Location is remote and secluded. Coral is out of this world. Our hosts were very accommodating and the food was great. The huts are beautiful and the ensuite is quite the luxury compared to other homestays. Highly recommend and will definitely be back. Loved every minute of my time at Biryei Homestay.
Absolutely perfect. Location is remote and secluded. Coral is out of this world. Our hosts were very accommodating and the food was great. The huts are beautiful and the ensuite is quite the luxury compared to other homestays. Highly recommend and will definitely be back. Loved every minute of my time at Biryei Homestay.
Very nice place, clean, lovely beach and some good snorkeling on the house reef. Nice extra snorkelling trips with guidance. Hornbill bird trip was also pleasant.
Very nice place, clean, lovely beach and some good snorkeling on the house reef. Nice extra snorkelling trips with guidance. Hornbill bird trip was also pleasant.
We had an amazing 3 days at Biryei homestay and wish we could have stayed longer. The accommodation is rustic but so beautiful and has everything you need. The food is delicious and ample. The afternoon fried treats with hot coffee under the trees was a real highlight. The snorkelling was incredible – warm, clear water that you can stay and explore for hours. We saw turtles, dolphins, rays, colourful coral and anemones, clown fish and more. It really was so stunning. Highly recommend a trip to Wai island for snorkelling too. Another highlight was fresh coconuts to drink on the beach. Anything you want to do just ask and the brothers will make it happen. A real island paradise.
We had an amazing 3 days at Biryei homestay and wish we could have stayed longer. The accommodation is rustic but so beautiful and has everything you need. The food is delicious and ample. The afternoon fried treats with hot coffee under the trees was a real highlight. The snorkelling was incredible – warm, clear water that you can stay and explore for hours. We saw turtles, dolphins, rays, colourful coral and anemones, clown fish and more. It really was so stunning. Highly recommend a trip to Wai island for snorkelling too. Another highlight was fresh coconuts to drink on the beach. Anything you want to do just ask and the brothers will make it happen. A real island paradise.
Thank you Ricky and family for a wonderful 5 days!
The Homestay: the bungalows are fantastic, and the ensuite bathrooms a luxury. They’re nestled into a quiet beach under gorgeous shade trees that make it comfortable throughout the day. The food was delicious (especially the eggplant!) and plentiful. The family are friendly and happy to make your stay a great one!
Location and Activities: The house reef and seagrass make for great snorkelling! Ricky is happy to arrange local tours to other snorkelling locations and bird watching. I highly recommend the snorkel and birdwatching combo to Palau Wei, and an evening visit to the Hornbills’ roosting tree.
Sublime and relaxing way to experience Raja Ampat with a wonderful Papuan family!
Thank you Ricky and family for a wonderful 5 days!
The Homestay: the bungalows are fantastic, and the ensuite bathrooms a luxury. They’re nestled into a quiet beach under gorgeous shade trees that make it comfortable throughout the day. The food was delicious (especially the eggplant!) and plentiful. The family are friendly and happy to make your stay a great one!
Location and Activities: The house reef and seagrass make for great snorkelling! Ricky is happy to arrange local tours to other snorkelling locations and bird watching. I highly recommend the snorkel and birdwatching combo to Palau Wei, and an evening visit to the Hornbills’ roosting tree.
Sublime and relaxing way to experience Raja Ampat with a wonderful Papuan family!
Fantastic place, wonderful to have a snorkel guide who found us things we would never have seen. Good house reef, nice accommodation. Would definitely stay again. Great trips to surrounding reefs and bird watching too from the boat. Pity we missed the Dugong.
Fantastic place, wonderful to have a snorkel guide who found us things we would never have seen. Good house reef, nice accommodation. Would definitely stay again. Great trips to surrounding reefs and bird watching too from the boat. Pity we missed the Dugong.
We stayed in Biryei Homestay for 2 nights, March 2023. In 2018 we visited for 5 nights, now we had only 2 nights left because initially Biryei was still closed due to repairs.
It was very special to be back again in this wonderful place on the other end of the world. The new bungalows are very beautiful and spacious, with half open-air en-suite bathrooms. Our bungalow had a raised bed and a real shower and was right on the beach with the jungle as our backyard.
The family is very friendly and the three family dogs were well fed and well behaved. Because our short stay we had to minimize our trips, so the waterfall, bird-of-paradise, Wai (with manta’s) and Urun trips will remain treasured memories of 2018. This time we had an interesting late afternoon visit by boat to a little island where approximately 50 hornbills came roosting for the night. For the next day Rickie arranged a second boat so we could go snorkeling at Sauwandarek and Yenbuba Jetty while other guests were brought to Wasai for the afternoon ferry. The house reef was still interesting and very clean, with great coral diversity. We also saw a black kakatua in the trees near the bungalows. Food was delicious and plentiful, we especially liked the tempeh with ketjap and the green pancakes! A little bahasa could be helpful.
Thanks Riky and family for again a lovely stay, although a bit short this time. Injo nabor!
We stayed in Biryei Homestay for 2 nights, March 2023. In 2018 we visited for 5 nights, now we had only 2 nights left because initially Biryei was still closed due to repairs.
It was very special to be back again in this wonderful place on the other end of the world. The new bungalows are very beautiful and spacious, with half open-air en-suite bathrooms. Our bungalow had a raised bed and a real shower and was right on the beach with the jungle as our backyard.
The family is very friendly and the three family dogs were well fed and well behaved. Because our short stay we had to minimize our trips, so the waterfall, bird-of-paradise, Wai (with manta’s) and Urun trips will remain treasured memories of 2018. This time we had an interesting late afternoon visit by boat to a little island where approximately 50 hornbills came roosting for the night. For the next day Rickie arranged a second boat so we could go snorkeling at Sauwandarek and Yenbuba Jetty while other guests were brought to Wasai for the afternoon ferry. The house reef was still interesting and very clean, with great coral diversity. We also saw a black kakatua in the trees near the bungalows. Food was delicious and plentiful, we especially liked the tempeh with ketjap and the green pancakes! A little bahasa could be helpful.
Thanks Riky and family for again a lovely stay, although a bit short this time. Injo nabor!
We thoroughly enjoyed our 4 night stay at this lovely, authentic Papuan homestay. The family went above and beyond to accommodate our needs. The food provided was delicious and ample and gave us a great taste of local Papuan food. A great place to stay for an authentic and peaceful Papuan experience. The huts are simple and comfortable and are right on the beach – a very beautiful setting where the beach by the jungle meets the most beautiful reef. The family was very accommodating and took us on daily excursions as per our request – to nice reefs for snorkelling and to the beautiful batanta waterfall. The home reef is also spectacular with abundance of diverse reef fish and beautiful coral reef. We also did some spectacular bird watching and and managed to spot some hornbills and beautiful pitta birds. We will surely stay here again for our next stay to raja ampat.
We thoroughly enjoyed our 4 night stay at this lovely, authentic Papuan homestay. The family went above and beyond to accommodate our needs. The food provided was delicious and ample and gave us a great taste of local Papuan food. A great place to stay for an authentic and peaceful Papuan experience. The huts are simple and comfortable and are right on the beach – a very beautiful setting where the beach by the jungle meets the most beautiful reef. The family was very accommodating and took us on daily excursions as per our request – to nice reefs for snorkelling and to the beautiful batanta waterfall. The home reef is also spectacular with abundance of diverse reef fish and beautiful coral reef. We also did some spectacular bird watching and and managed to spot some hornbills and beautiful pitta birds. We will surely stay here again for our next stay to raja ampat.
We stayed 3 nights at Biryei homestay at the beginning of April. We really enjoyed it.
The three bungalows (first they had 5) are newly built after the pandemic. They are spacious and clean, and come with a private bathroom (toilet + shower (!)). Only the quality of the matresses could be improved.
Food (also vegetarian) is really good and plentiful. Snacks are served between lunch and diner, and bananas are available. You won’t get hungry here!
We were lucky that Yacob (brother of Ricky, who studies English in Sorong) had a holiday during our stay. His English is excellent, and he enjoys guiding.
With Yacob and Ricky, we went on several trips: to both waterfalls, the hornbill island, and Kri Batanta. We even went searching for dugong together but didn’t succeed, unfortunately (dugong sightings are becoming rare).
The housereef is nice. In front of the reef, there is a huge seagrass bed (great nursery habitat for reef fish species and foraging grounds for turtles). At the drop, you will find nice patches of corals, diverse fish species including a bumphead parrotfish cruising by every morning, and turtles.
The forest at the back of the bungalows is full with bird life. Especially calm (no hard wind) mornings are wonderful! Unfortunately (but also: luckily), the forest is almost inaccessible due to the steepness of the terrain.
Thank you very much for your review, our family is very happy for your visit to biryei homestay, we hope we will visit next time.
We stayed 3 nights at Biryei homestay at the beginning of April. We really enjoyed it.
The three bungalows (first they had 5) are newly built after the pandemic. They are spacious and clean, and come with a private bathroom (toilet + shower (!)). Only the quality of the matresses could be improved.
Food (also vegetarian) is really good and plentiful. Snacks are served between lunch and diner, and bananas are available. You won’t get hungry here!
We were lucky that Yacob (brother of Ricky, who studies English in Sorong) had a holiday during our stay. His English is excellent, and he enjoys guiding.
With Yacob and Ricky, we went on several trips: to both waterfalls, the hornbill island, and Kri Batanta. We even went searching for dugong together but didn’t succeed, unfortunately (dugong sightings are becoming rare).
The housereef is nice. In front of the reef, there is a huge seagrass bed (great nursery habitat for reef fish species and foraging grounds for turtles). At the drop, you will find nice patches of corals, diverse fish species including a bumphead parrotfish cruising by every morning, and turtles.
The forest at the back of the bungalows is full with bird life. Especially calm (no hard wind) mornings are wonderful! Unfortunately (but also: luckily), the forest is almost inaccessible due to the steepness of the terrain.
Thank you very much for your review, our family is very happy for your visit to biryei homestay, we hope we will visit next time.
Roy and Adriana
We stayed at Biryiein in mart The pickup from the previous homestay worked well. We had booked for tree nights. Arrived at Biryie homestay we got the newest bungalow which is beautifully built with lovely details such as a carved whale as doorknob. Food was always plenty and delicious,
Staff was motivated Yakob and Ricky were very kind, always asking if everything is fine a
The house reef is very beautiful. In the trees at homestay lived hornbills and black kakadus. No rats, but many dogs. As in most other places we were also here happy to have our own mosquito net wat was de best of the whole trip .
Roy and Adriana
We stayed at Biryiein in mart The pickup from the previous homestay worked well. We had booked for tree nights. Arrived at Biryie homestay we got the newest bungalow which is beautifully built with lovely details such as a carved whale as doorknob. Food was always plenty and delicious,
Staff was motivated Yakob and Ricky were very kind, always asking if everything is fine a
The house reef is very beautiful. In the trees at homestay lived hornbills and black kakadus. No rats, but many dogs. As in most other places we were also here happy to have our own mosquito net wat was de best of the whole trip .
We stayed at Biryie beginning of January (sorry for not writing earlier). The pickup from the previous homestay worked well. We had booked for seven nights, but they brought us first to another homestay on Birie Island for one night as the were overbooked. Arrived at Biryie homestay we got the newest bungalow which is beautifully built with lovely details such as a carved whale as doorknob. Food was sometimes plenty and delicious, but sometimes rather monotonous and not enough. The highlight were the mango trees with plenty of the most aromatic fruits.
Staff was motivated very differently – Yakob was very kind, always asking if everything is fine and organising more fruits from Waisai (five stars for him!). Ricky was sometimes very motivated and other days lazy.
The house reef is very beautiful. In the trees at homestay lived hornbills and black kakadus. No rats, bat many dogs, which seemed to be hungry. As in most other places, we were also here happy to have our own mosquito net.
We stayed at Biryie beginning of January (sorry for not writing earlier). The pickup from the previous homestay worked well. We had booked for seven nights, but they brought us first to another homestay on Birie Island for one night as the were overbooked. Arrived at Biryie homestay we got the newest bungalow which is beautifully built with lovely details such as a carved whale as doorknob. Food was sometimes plenty and delicious, but sometimes rather monotonous and not enough. The highlight were the mango trees with plenty of the most aromatic fruits.
Staff was motivated very differently – Yakob was very kind, always asking if everything is fine and organising more fruits from Waisai (five stars for him!). Ricky was sometimes very motivated and other days lazy.
The house reef is very beautiful. In the trees at homestay lived hornbills and black kakadus. No rats, bat many dogs, which seemed to be hungry. As in most other places, we were also here happy to have our own mosquito net.
My family of 6 stayed 4 nights at Biryei Homestay in January and had a wonderful time. This really is the quintessential remote island stay with just ocean, reef, beach and jungle around. The nearest village, Arefi, is a 10 minute boat ride away – definitely worth a visit. The people are very friendly and it’s a quaint, colourful village.
Biryei Homestay now has 5 huts, each with a balcony and ensuite bathroom. Everything was very clean. Some huts have a raised bed and others just a mattress on the floor, but they all have mozzie nets. The electricity wasn’t very reliable at night – take a head torch. The huts are well shaded by tropical jungle that literally meets the ocean. The surrounding birdsong is beautiful.
Jacob and his brother Ricky were the main hosts and Jacob speaks very good English – he is so friendly and nothing was ever any trouble. We did some fantastic snorkelling trips with Jacob and Ricky, including swimming with the manta rays – an amazing experience and we highly recommend it. The food was delicious although sometimes there could’ve been more breakfast.
The house reef at Biryei was the best we experienced on Raja Ampat. We spent hours snorkelling here in crystal clear water and saw such a diversity of marine life. It kept luring us back in.
We would definitely return to this gem of a place.
Thank you for your hospitality Jacob, Ricky and family!
My family of 6 stayed 4 nights at Biryei Homestay in January and had a wonderful time. This really is the quintessential remote island stay with just ocean, reef, beach and jungle around. The nearest village, Arefi, is a 10 minute boat ride away – definitely worth a visit. The people are very friendly and it’s a quaint, colourful village.
Biryei Homestay now has 5 huts, each with a balcony and ensuite bathroom. Everything was very clean. Some huts have a raised bed and others just a mattress on the floor, but they all have mozzie nets. The electricity wasn’t very reliable at night – take a head torch. The huts are well shaded by tropical jungle that literally meets the ocean. The surrounding birdsong is beautiful.
Jacob and his brother Ricky were the main hosts and Jacob speaks very good English – he is so friendly and nothing was ever any trouble. We did some fantastic snorkelling trips with Jacob and Ricky, including swimming with the manta rays – an amazing experience and we highly recommend it. The food was delicious although sometimes there could’ve been more breakfast.
The house reef at Biryei was the best we experienced on Raja Ampat. We spent hours snorkelling here in crystal clear water and saw such a diversity of marine life. It kept luring us back in.
We would definitely return to this gem of a place.
Thank you for your hospitality Jacob, Ricky and family!
We stayed at Biryei Homestay for four nights in november as our first station in Raja Ampat this time and it was the best start we could imagine. And four nights were definitely too short for this wonderful place.
Snorkeling at the housereef just in front of our sweet hut was breathtaking, every time new impressions, colorchanging big squids, oktopus, big school of bumphead parrotfish, coral wonderland… . Food was excellent, fresh fruits every day, and lovely staff and family – a big indscho nabur (however you write this…) to you!
Ricky and his brothers made our time there a really great one including snorkel trips to personal special places and a adventurouse and funny waterfall mangrove experience (who needs a jetty when there is a fallen tree in the mud ;-)).
But the absolute most incredible and heartful event was the evening before we had to leave – Ricky organised a lot of musicians and we enjoyed a great concert on the beach, dancing in the sand and big fun.
Thank you for your welcoming hospitality. Looking forward to come back again.
We stayed at Biryei Homestay for four nights in november as our first station in Raja Ampat this time and it was the best start we could imagine. And four nights were definitely too short for this wonderful place.
Snorkeling at the housereef just in front of our sweet hut was breathtaking, every time new impressions, colorchanging big squids, oktopus, big school of bumphead parrotfish, coral wonderland… . Food was excellent, fresh fruits every day, and lovely staff and family – a big indscho nabur (however you write this…) to you!
Ricky and his brothers made our time there a really great one including snorkel trips to personal special places and a adventurouse and funny waterfall mangrove experience (who needs a jetty when there is a fallen tree in the mud ;-)).
But the absolute most incredible and heartful event was the evening before we had to leave – Ricky organised a lot of musicians and we enjoyed a great concert on the beach, dancing in the sand and big fun.
Thank you for your welcoming hospitality. Looking forward to come back again.
We stayed 3 nights on Biryei Homestay though we booked 5. We left early because we were really unhappy there.
Why?
1. We booked this homestay because they said they had beds. We got a mattress on the floor.
2. The family were indifferent to us and bordered on hostility. Ricky, the owner almost never smiled. I speak quite good bahasa but this didn’t help due to his laziness and need to sleep every afternoon .This meant no replacement of coffee and tea when they ran out. No more fruit after the rats ate it, always going out too late to see dugongs or hornbills so it was almost dark. They never emptied the toilet bins which could attract rats. A nice touch was ensuite bathrooms but they were mosquito infested as were the rooms.
3. The food was not sufficient and bland and monotonous.
On the positive side the house reef was very good and we met lovely people
We stayed 3 nights on Biryei Homestay though we booked 5. We left early because we were really unhappy there.
Why?
1. We booked this homestay because they said they had beds. We got a mattress on the floor.
2. The family were indifferent to us and bordered on hostility. Ricky, the owner almost never smiled. I speak quite good bahasa but this didn’t help due to his laziness and need to sleep every afternoon .This meant no replacement of coffee and tea when they ran out. No more fruit after the rats ate it, always going out too late to see dugongs or hornbills so it was almost dark. They never emptied the toilet bins which could attract rats. A nice touch was ensuite bathrooms but they were mosquito infested as were the rooms.
3. The food was not sufficient and bland and monotonous.
On the positive side the house reef was very good and we met lovely people
Biryei Rat Prison. We just finished our stay there. We stayed 5 nights,six days.
It started with a driving to Biryeyi. We told them one of us has broken shoulder and they were driving like in hell, full throttle over the storm, was completely unnecessary. We thought we will sink. When we finally arrived we were showed our room, I asked about the rats in bahasa and answer was no rats,which is a big lie.
We had rats in our bungalow each day and night and this was not one,but many. Same was with other neighbours.
The food was good and tasty,but people are lazy and they dont want to do anything for guests. We have requested birds of paradase,watching and he said not good,than the nice indonesian came called Willis and requested dugong watching at 3 o’clock,was also too soon for Ricky,because he needed his sleep. Of course we didn’t saw any dugong and we couldn’t snorkel,because it was dark than. This happen two times,same story,he had to sleep,before taking his guest out.
On the good hand we met nice Australian couple,with which we are still travelling around Raja Ampat,we met lovely indonesian Willis and all of us have same opinion about home stay.
If you have choice just skip that guest house,rats are terrible and they bring many diseases and they are feeding them. Over the bay is new and better homestay.
We stayed there in mid of december 2019 for five nights, we called them now 5 nights of Biryeyi rat prison and hell.
Thank you very much for your criticism, we will correct our shortcomings 😥
Thank you that you are always kind.😇
Biryei Rat Prison. We just finished our stay there. We stayed 5 nights,six days.
It started with a driving to Biryeyi. We told them one of us has broken shoulder and they were driving like in hell, full throttle over the storm, was completely unnecessary. We thought we will sink. When we finally arrived we were showed our room, I asked about the rats in bahasa and answer was no rats,which is a big lie.
We had rats in our bungalow each day and night and this was not one,but many. Same was with other neighbours.
The food was good and tasty,but people are lazy and they dont want to do anything for guests. We have requested birds of paradase,watching and he said not good,than the nice indonesian came called Willis and requested dugong watching at 3 o’clock,was also too soon for Ricky,because he needed his sleep. Of course we didn’t saw any dugong and we couldn’t snorkel,because it was dark than. This happen two times,same story,he had to sleep,before taking his guest out.
On the good hand we met nice Australian couple,with which we are still travelling around Raja Ampat,we met lovely indonesian Willis and all of us have same opinion about home stay.
If you have choice just skip that guest house,rats are terrible and they bring many diseases and they are feeding them. Over the bay is new and better homestay.
We stayed there in mid of december 2019 for five nights, we called them now 5 nights of Biryeyi rat prison and hell.
Thank you very much for your criticism, we will correct our shortcomings 😥
Thank you that you are always kind.😇
Thank you for your welcome and your availability. Rooms are very comfortable with private bathroom, meals are excellent and various. Regarding the diving just in front of your bungalow, its a pleasure, and regarding expedition, guys are very efficient.
Thanks for all.
Monie & David
Thank you for your welcome and your availability. Rooms are very comfortable with private bathroom, meals are excellent and various. Regarding the diving just in front of your bungalow, its a pleasure, and regarding expedition, guys are very efficient.
Thanks for all.
Monie & David
Is it possible to organise to get to you from Gam?
It is, Carol.
The quickest and easiest way to arrange it is to ask your Gam host to take you to Biryei. If that’s not possible for some reason, then ask your host to call Biryei to come and pick you up.
Thanks, I am also confused as to why it seems to be so much more to go direct from Batanta to Sorong (which appears on map a shorter route) rather than Batanta to Waisai. Are the prices quoted here correct – ie 5000000 for Sorong and 1500000 for Wasai? It also mentions 2 people max, there will be 3 or us travelling so how does that work?
Hi Carol
Maps are deceptive. If you use a measuring tool in a mapping application, you’ll find that Waisai is substantially closer to Biryei than Sorong is. Another possible reason for the price disparity is that Biryei probably hires a speedboat for the Sorong transfers, as doing it in a longboat would be fraught.
The prices quoted are as supplied by Biryei and were correct when published.
Biryei will arrange a larger boat as needed for transfers.
Is it possible to organise to get to you from Gam?
It is, Carol.
The quickest and easiest way to arrange it is to ask your Gam host to take you to Biryei. If that’s not possible for some reason, then ask your host to call Biryei to come and pick you up.
Thanks, I am also confused as to why it seems to be so much more to go direct from Batanta to Sorong (which appears on map a shorter route) rather than Batanta to Waisai. Are the prices quoted here correct – ie 5000000 for Sorong and 1500000 for Wasai? It also mentions 2 people max, there will be 3 or us travelling so how does that work?
Hi Carol
Maps are deceptive. If you use a measuring tool in a mapping application, you’ll find that Waisai is substantially closer to Biryei than Sorong is. Another possible reason for the price disparity is that Biryei probably hires a speedboat for the Sorong transfers, as doing it in a longboat would be fraught.
The prices quoted are as supplied by Biryei and were correct when published.
Biryei will arrange a larger boat as needed for transfers.
Hello,
Is it possible to go hiking in the jungle out there?
Thanks. 🙂
For sure, Thierry. Just ask your hosts for a guide, as there are no marked trails.
Hello,
Is it possible to go hiking in the jungle out there?
Thanks. 🙂
For sure, Thierry. Just ask your hosts for a guide, as there are no marked trails.
We stayed at Biriyei Homestay for a week. Everything about that week was perfect! We were in the middle bungalow, which was gorgeous! The room was huge, the bathroom was great, the verandah was a fantastic place to sit and watch the sunset or read books at low tide. The food was incredible! So tasty and varied, and there was always plenty.
The house reef was spectacular. We snorkeled for ages a couple of times a day, and it was always exciting with new things to discover and familiar friends to visit. When not in the water we spent a great deal of time just looking out over the water being captivated by the frenzied aquatic action.
Ricky and Ahrens took us on a guided tour to watch the dawn bird of paradise display. We set out on a longboat as the full moon set behind us and the sun rose in front of us. After a short hike up a steep jungle hill, we were mesmerised by a tree full of birds of paradise.
And hornbills! Ricky and Ahrens know just the right spot to take you on a sunset tour to watch the magnificent big birds come in to roost for the night.
And then there was the snorkeling trip they took us on … we saw a dugong! And a beautiful little sand island and a fabulous and abundant reef.
The week we spent here was truly paradise.
We stayed at Biriyei Homestay for a week. Everything about that week was perfect! We were in the middle bungalow, which was gorgeous! The room was huge, the bathroom was great, the verandah was a fantastic place to sit and watch the sunset or read books at low tide. The food was incredible! So tasty and varied, and there was always plenty.
The house reef was spectacular. We snorkeled for ages a couple of times a day, and it was always exciting with new things to discover and familiar friends to visit. When not in the water we spent a great deal of time just looking out over the water being captivated by the frenzied aquatic action.
Ricky and Ahrens took us on a guided tour to watch the dawn bird of paradise display. We set out on a longboat as the full moon set behind us and the sun rose in front of us. After a short hike up a steep jungle hill, we were mesmerised by a tree full of birds of paradise.
And hornbills! Ricky and Ahrens know just the right spot to take you on a sunset tour to watch the magnificent big birds come in to roost for the night.
And then there was the snorkeling trip they took us on … we saw a dugong! And a beautiful little sand island and a fabulous and abundant reef.
The week we spent here was truly paradise.
Our group of five was booked to stay at Biryei homestay from 30 October to 2 November 2019, however, we arrived at the homestay to find it was double-booked. The owner, Royce wanted two of our group to stay somewhere else. We were able to stay together because two other guests generously moved to a smaller room so three of us could sleep in one room for the first night (they were leaving the following day). We did this on the understanding that we would have three rooms for the five of us the next night, however the next day Royce spent ages trying to persuade us to continue sharing as he had double booked with someone else. We felt we had to take turns to go snorkelling so that we would have some of us making sure we didn’t get kicked out of our rooms, which was not very relaxing.
The homestay is on the beach under trees which meant there were a lot of mosquitos day and night.
The rooms and beds were adequate, but not up to the standard of other homestays we stayed at. While it was nice to have en-suite ablutions, there was a smell and they attracted mosquitos. One of the rooms had a mattress on the floor, rather than a bed, and no deck. Two of the three rooms had rats in at night. One person ended up with a rat in his bag, and another had a daypack chewed through, despite not having any food in their bags.
The food was plentiful and would be good if you like chili. Two of us are vegetarian with a low tolerance for chili – while we were able to get vegetarian food, we were not able to get many meals without chili. We had to ask for fruit.
The boat trips to the hornbill roosting site at sunset and to the waterfall were fantastic. Snorkelling was ok, but, apart from a large school of Bumphead parrotfish and several Lionfish, we saw more diversity of corals and fish elsewhere. Royce took us on a manta viewing trip, but we only saw the mantas because we insisted on staying long enough to look for them. The trip cost 1 million rupiah, and it was an extra 300,000 Rp to do a short snorkel on the way back, which we thought was expensive. Royce is a good snorkelling guide for beginners, but more experienced snorkellers will find his trips frustrating.
Birdlife is abundant around the homestay and could be heard, but is difficult to see because the birds are in the tree canopy. We walked up the ridge behind the homestay where we got a good look at a frogmouth during the day.
The homestay has a sit-on kayak which was great for exploring the coast. One of us paddled around Birie Island and saw a dugong and calf. Walking from the homestay is limited.
Royce spoke limited English and it was difficult to make ourselves understood. Royce’s wife Ulou, who was lovely, and brother Jacob spoke much better English, and were easier to communicate with once we got the chance.
After our stay, two of our group moved to Yenaduak homestay which they found was superior to Biryei homestay. We chose Biryei because of its good reviews, but we were disappointed. The double booking was very unsettling and was not compensated for by the standard of accommodation.
Our group of five was booked to stay at Biryei homestay from 30 October to 2 November 2019, however, we arrived at the homestay to find it was double-booked. The owner, Royce wanted two of our group to stay somewhere else. We were able to stay together because two other guests generously moved to a smaller room so three of us could sleep in one room for the first night (they were leaving the following day). We did this on the understanding that we would have three rooms for the five of us the next night, however the next day Royce spent ages trying to persuade us to continue sharing as he had double booked with someone else. We felt we had to take turns to go snorkelling so that we would have some of us making sure we didn’t get kicked out of our rooms, which was not very relaxing.
The homestay is on the beach under trees which meant there were a lot of mosquitos day and night.
The rooms and beds were adequate, but not up to the standard of other homestays we stayed at. While it was nice to have en-suite ablutions, there was a smell and they attracted mosquitos. One of the rooms had a mattress on the floor, rather than a bed, and no deck. Two of the three rooms had rats in at night. One person ended up with a rat in his bag, and another had a daypack chewed through, despite not having any food in their bags.
The food was plentiful and would be good if you like chili. Two of us are vegetarian with a low tolerance for chili – while we were able to get vegetarian food, we were not able to get many meals without chili. We had to ask for fruit.
The boat trips to the hornbill roosting site at sunset and to the waterfall were fantastic. Snorkelling was ok, but, apart from a large school of Bumphead parrotfish and several Lionfish, we saw more diversity of corals and fish elsewhere. Royce took us on a manta viewing trip, but we only saw the mantas because we insisted on staying long enough to look for them. The trip cost 1 million rupiah, and it was an extra 300,000 Rp to do a short snorkel on the way back, which we thought was expensive. Royce is a good snorkelling guide for beginners, but more experienced snorkellers will find his trips frustrating.
Birdlife is abundant around the homestay and could be heard, but is difficult to see because the birds are in the tree canopy. We walked up the ridge behind the homestay where we got a good look at a frogmouth during the day.
The homestay has a sit-on kayak which was great for exploring the coast. One of us paddled around Birie Island and saw a dugong and calf. Walking from the homestay is limited.
Royce spoke limited English and it was difficult to make ourselves understood. Royce’s wife Ulou, who was lovely, and brother Jacob spoke much better English, and were easier to communicate with once we got the chance.
After our stay, two of our group moved to Yenaduak homestay which they found was superior to Biryei homestay. We chose Biryei because of its good reviews, but we were disappointed. The double booking was very unsettling and was not compensated for by the standard of accommodation.
We stayed 7 wonderful nights in July at Biryei homestay.
The bungalow was superb and food was very good.
Ricky and his family really take care of us.
In the morning when we eat breafast we see Dugong in front of the homestay. The beach is paradise and it is a rich birdlife there.
We even se some rare tree-monitors.
Ricky joined us at a night snorkeling and we saw a lot of wonderful marine animals, included Walking Sharks.
Thank you Ricky and family for giving us a memorable week at your Place.
Ingemar,Manilyn and Linnea
We stayed 7 wonderful nights in July at Biryei homestay.
The bungalow was superb and food was very good.
Ricky and his family really take care of us.
In the morning when we eat breafast we see Dugong in front of the homestay. The beach is paradise and it is a rich birdlife there.
We even se some rare tree-monitors.
Ricky joined us at a night snorkeling and we saw a lot of wonderful marine animals, included Walking Sharks.
Thank you Ricky and family for giving us a memorable week at your Place.
Ingemar,Manilyn and Linnea
I would love to go here but will come with a wife and 3 young kids. I understand the boat can only bring 2. So how does this work? It will go up and down?
Hi Jan
We think it shouldn’t be a problem. (It’s most likely that Biryei have a better boat now, and have just neglected to update us about it.) If you book via the website they will know how many you are and will organise the appropriate boat.
I would love to go here but will come with a wife and 3 young kids. I understand the boat can only bring 2. So how does this work? It will go up and down?
Hi Jan
We think it shouldn’t be a problem. (It’s most likely that Biryei have a better boat now, and have just neglected to update us about it.) If you book via the website they will know how many you are and will organise the appropriate boat.
The Biryei Homestay was our absolute favorite of the trip: a beautiful private beach, a gorgeous veranda overlooking the sea and behind the bungalow a dense rainforest. The food was plentiful and really tasty and the place itself is a little paradise with its secluded little beach, snorkeling opportunities with corals and a reef edge just outside the front door. We also made a trip to the waterfall (the little one below) and to the birds of paradise.
A little video from our trip to Raja Ampat (Biryei Homestay and trip with Ricky & Jacob from 1:00 onwards)
Amazing video, guys!
The Biryei Homestay was our absolute favorite of the trip: a beautiful private beach, a gorgeous veranda overlooking the sea and behind the bungalow a dense rainforest. The food was plentiful and really tasty and the place itself is a little paradise with its secluded little beach, snorkeling opportunities with corals and a reef edge just outside the front door. We also made a trip to the waterfall (the little one below) and to the birds of paradise.
A little video from our trip to Raja Ampat (Biryei Homestay and trip with Ricky & Jacob from 1:00 onwards)
Amazing video, guys!
I stayed with Ricky and his family at Biryei for 3 days last week. The bungalows are nice and the beach is fantastic. Ricky was a great host and was always willing to help. Although I didn’t get to see any dugongs, it was not for the lack of trying on Ricky’s part!
The house reef was outstanding. There’s minimal current, so the conditions are really good for snorkelling and there was a wide array of coral. I saw baby white tip sharks, blue-spotted rays, crocodile fish, nudibranches, lion fish, turtles and dolphins. The reef can be a little difficult to get out to at low tide.
I would advise bringing lots of insect repellant as the mosquitos at Biryei are pretty ferocious! Overall I had a great stay, thanks Ricky!
I stayed with Ricky and his family at Biryei for 3 days last week. The bungalows are nice and the beach is fantastic. Ricky was a great host and was always willing to help. Although I didn’t get to see any dugongs, it was not for the lack of trying on Ricky’s part!
The house reef was outstanding. There’s minimal current, so the conditions are really good for snorkelling and there was a wide array of coral. I saw baby white tip sharks, blue-spotted rays, crocodile fish, nudibranches, lion fish, turtles and dolphins. The reef can be a little difficult to get out to at low tide.
I would advise bringing lots of insect repellant as the mosquitos at Biryei are pretty ferocious! Overall I had a great stay, thanks Ricky!
I was very lucky to spend 25 days at Biryei homestay and share precious time with Ricky’s family.
It is a special place, remote, very calm and relax. The bungalows are very clean and big. Each one has a private bathroom and a very nice terrasse. Food is delicious, and different everyday. The snorkelling just in front of the bungalow is great. I saw Dugons, turtles, sharks, rays, bumpedhead fishes, octopus, crocodile fish, nudibranch and many others. The corals are also really nice.
Not far from the homestay are great trips: snorkelling, birds watching, waterfall, village (Where you can see the authentic way of living of Papous).
Ricky is an amazing snorkel guide. He can see things from far away that you don’t even see at 10cm :-). Spending time with him has change my way of seen things down the water.
Plus he is very respecfull under water. Doesn’t touch the fish and the coral.
In conclusion I’ve spend an amazing time at Byriei and it was very difficult for me to leave the place.
I was very lucky to spend 25 days at Biryei homestay and share precious time with Ricky’s family.
It is a special place, remote, very calm and relax. The bungalows are very clean and big. Each one has a private bathroom and a very nice terrasse. Food is delicious, and different everyday. The snorkelling just in front of the bungalow is great. I saw Dugons, turtles, sharks, rays, bumpedhead fishes, octopus, crocodile fish, nudibranch and many others. The corals are also really nice.
Not far from the homestay are great trips: snorkelling, birds watching, waterfall, village (Where you can see the authentic way of living of Papous).
Ricky is an amazing snorkel guide. He can see things from far away that you don’t even see at 10cm :-). Spending time with him has change my way of seen things down the water.
Plus he is very respecfull under water. Doesn’t touch the fish and the coral.
In conclusion I’ve spend an amazing time at Byriei and it was very difficult for me to leave the place.
We stayed here 7 night in march/april 2019. It was the best place for rest ever! The nature there was perfect – sea, jungle, beach. The food was very taste. We didnt saw the dugong, but the trip to mantas was perfect. Everybody there was so nice. We recommend it and we hope that we come in future again.
Thank you!
We stayed here 7 night in march/april 2019. It was the best place for rest ever! The nature there was perfect – sea, jungle, beach. The food was very taste. We didnt saw the dugong, but the trip to mantas was perfect. Everybody there was so nice. We recommend it and we hope that we come in future again.
Thank you!
Hi, I made a reservation at Biryei from July 9-15, and I just got an automated email from Stay Raja Ampat saying that they are expecting me on July 7. How can I correct this mistake?
No mistake Mickey. It’s just that (like almost everyone except the USA) our system uses the DD/MM/YY date format. Enjoy your stay, and please do leave a review here afterward. 🙂
Thanks! That was stupid of me. I know most of the world puts the day first so I’m not sure what I was thinking, especially since “September 7” wouldn’t make any sense in this context anyway. I’ll make sure to leave a review when I get back :).
Hi, I made a reservation at Biryei from July 9-15, and I just got an automated email from Stay Raja Ampat saying that they are expecting me on July 7. How can I correct this mistake?
No mistake Mickey. It’s just that (like almost everyone except the USA) our system uses the DD/MM/YY date format. Enjoy your stay, and please do leave a review here afterward. 🙂
Thanks! That was stupid of me. I know most of the world puts the day first so I’m not sure what I was thinking, especially since “September 7” wouldn’t make any sense in this context anyway. I’ll make sure to leave a review when I get back :).
We stayed 6 nights end on March 2019 at Biryei homestay. This was the best homestay we had on our trip. The hood, the bathroom and the food were just great! We took one snorkeling trip and got guided by Ricky through the reef. What a great experience! We also took the trio to the Waterfall on Batanta and were taken on a trip for birding. We enjoyed ourselves a lot! The house reef is beautiful, saw sharks, turtles and also stingrays. We definitely recommend this place especially as a quiet hideaway.
If we visit Raja Ampat again, we would always again stay there!
We stayed 6 nights end on March 2019 at Biryei homestay. This was the best homestay we had on our trip. The hood, the bathroom and the food were just great! We took one snorkeling trip and got guided by Ricky through the reef. What a great experience! We also took the trio to the Waterfall on Batanta and were taken on a trip for birding. We enjoyed ourselves a lot! The house reef is beautiful, saw sharks, turtles and also stingrays. We definitely recommend this place especially as a quiet hideaway.
If we visit Raja Ampat again, we would always again stay there!
This is a great homestay in a great location. There are 3 bungalows and we were in the biggest one. The rooms are all a good size with raised beds, mosquito nets and best of all En suite toilets, 2 of them western style and one squat . The rooms have a table, hooks and a shelf to enable you to keep your things off the floor. Outside has a table and chair on a veranda which is a great place to watch the sea for sharks, dolphins and rays. We found this place easy to book via e mail and the prices for excursions were printed so you could see how much everything was. The food was varied and plentiful. Particularly enjoyed the banana pancakes for breakfast. The staff were all great, Jacob spoke good English and met us at waisai. The house reef at the drop off was really nice with fantastically colored coral. The drop off is easily accessible at high tide however as it moves to low tide you need to snorkel along the boat channel to get there as you will struggle to clear the antler coral when shallow. We went on a few trips and the driver miksen, our guide simbolon plus Jacob made sure these were memorable. They made a great team spotting things like the manta rays, birds of paradise and dugons. The highlight was snorkeling with several large manta rays but we also enjoyed snorkeling some spectacular reefs on other nearby islands. We saw some dugon near to biryie although they made a quick exit when we went into the water. From talking to other tourists who have stayed in other homestays this place seems to be a step up with the raised beds and En suite.
This is a great homestay in a great location. There are 3 bungalows and we were in the biggest one. The rooms are all a good size with raised beds, mosquito nets and best of all En suite toilets, 2 of them western style and one squat . The rooms have a table, hooks and a shelf to enable you to keep your things off the floor. Outside has a table and chair on a veranda which is a great place to watch the sea for sharks, dolphins and rays. We found this place easy to book via e mail and the prices for excursions were printed so you could see how much everything was. The food was varied and plentiful. Particularly enjoyed the banana pancakes for breakfast. The staff were all great, Jacob spoke good English and met us at waisai. The house reef at the drop off was really nice with fantastically colored coral. The drop off is easily accessible at high tide however as it moves to low tide you need to snorkel along the boat channel to get there as you will struggle to clear the antler coral when shallow. We went on a few trips and the driver miksen, our guide simbolon plus Jacob made sure these were memorable. They made a great team spotting things like the manta rays, birds of paradise and dugons. The highlight was snorkeling with several large manta rays but we also enjoyed snorkeling some spectacular reefs on other nearby islands. We saw some dugon near to biryie although they made a quick exit when we went into the water. From talking to other tourists who have stayed in other homestays this place seems to be a step up with the raised beds and En suite.
Me and my girlfriend stayed here for 5 nights. Best 5 nights of our three month trip. Jacob and his brothers were the best hosts. They took us to see manta’s, we saw at least four 4m wide manta rays surrounding us. Best experience ever!
The small waterfall is easy to reach, the big one was quite a climb but well worth it. Really beautiful!
The reef in front of the homestay is great: turtles, dolfins, black tip sharks swimming by every day. We saw a school of around 30 big bumphead fish.
We even saw a Dugon nearby thanks to the perseverence of Jacob and his brothers. They would not give up and wanted us to be happy.
Great birds and bats. Saw a huge black Palm cuckatoo. Bird of paradise trip was also great. Saw over 10 red birds of paradise high up in the trees.
Thanks to Jacob and his brothers. Exceeded our expectations.
Me and my girlfriend stayed here for 5 nights. Best 5 nights of our three month trip. Jacob and his brothers were the best hosts. They took us to see manta’s, we saw at least four 4m wide manta rays surrounding us. Best experience ever!
The small waterfall is easy to reach, the big one was quite a climb but well worth it. Really beautiful!
The reef in front of the homestay is great: turtles, dolfins, black tip sharks swimming by every day. We saw a school of around 30 big bumphead fish.
We even saw a Dugon nearby thanks to the perseverence of Jacob and his brothers. They would not give up and wanted us to be happy.
Great birds and bats. Saw a huge black Palm cuckatoo. Bird of paradise trip was also great. Saw over 10 red birds of paradise high up in the trees.
Thanks to Jacob and his brothers. Exceeded our expectations.
We stayed at Biryei Homestay February 2019 for little over a week. It was one of our favourites during our stay at Raja Ampat. We arrived unexpectedly and luckily they had room. This type of island was what we had in mind when coming to Raja Ampat.
The bungalow was the best we stayed in (of the 6 we stayed at). There are 3 bungalows, one of them finished when we were there, all are nice with bed and private bathroom. Much detail is put into the decoration with coral and seashells, this personal touch just gives it a lovely feel.
The beach is idylic and between the bungalows and the dining area small paths were made with again nice decorations. Every morning the paths were cleaned as was the beach.
Food was great with a nice variety, mornings usually pancakes, different types of cake or fried banana’s. Afternoon lunch with fish, egg, vegetables. A snack in between and fruit was always available. Dinner again vegetables, fish, chicken etc. It was usually too much for us.
The housereef is really nice with healthy coral, a lot of small fish. We saw turtles, octopus, black tip reef sharks, baby manta’s at one occasion. The most impressive to us were the parrot bumphead school.
We did a few trips which were all reasonably priced compared to other homestays. We really enjoyed the waterfall visit, although it was a bit of hike for me , we had a lot of laughs together. Make sure to get shoes with a grip that can get wet. Again transfers were reasonable compared.
There are quit some mosquito’s so a good repellent is advised. No rats at all, so any snacks you bring are safe.
Last a word about the family, everyone made us feel very welcome. Ricky doesnt speak much english, but hands, feet, a few words of bahasa and plenty of smiles go a long way. If anything important is the matter he rings someone that can translate. Thank you to Ricky, Rika who are so genuinely friendly and the rest of the family for making this an unforgettable experience.
We stayed at Biryei Homestay February 2019 for little over a week. It was one of our favourites during our stay at Raja Ampat. We arrived unexpectedly and luckily they had room. This type of island was what we had in mind when coming to Raja Ampat.
The bungalow was the best we stayed in (of the 6 we stayed at). There are 3 bungalows, one of them finished when we were there, all are nice with bed and private bathroom. Much detail is put into the decoration with coral and seashells, this personal touch just gives it a lovely feel.
The beach is idylic and between the bungalows and the dining area small paths were made with again nice decorations. Every morning the paths were cleaned as was the beach.
Food was great with a nice variety, mornings usually pancakes, different types of cake or fried banana’s. Afternoon lunch with fish, egg, vegetables. A snack in between and fruit was always available. Dinner again vegetables, fish, chicken etc. It was usually too much for us.
The housereef is really nice with healthy coral, a lot of small fish. We saw turtles, octopus, black tip reef sharks, baby manta’s at one occasion. The most impressive to us were the parrot bumphead school.
We did a few trips which were all reasonably priced compared to other homestays. We really enjoyed the waterfall visit, although it was a bit of hike for me , we had a lot of laughs together. Make sure to get shoes with a grip that can get wet. Again transfers were reasonable compared.
There are quit some mosquito’s so a good repellent is advised. No rats at all, so any snacks you bring are safe.
Last a word about the family, everyone made us feel very welcome. Ricky doesnt speak much english, but hands, feet, a few words of bahasa and plenty of smiles go a long way. If anything important is the matter he rings someone that can translate. Thank you to Ricky, Rika who are so genuinely friendly and the rest of the family for making this an unforgettable experience.
We stayed there 3 nights on March 2019.
The homestay is on a beautiful beach and the bungalows are spacious and nicely decorated. All of them have ensuite bathrooms! (It surely did feel like luxury!) All bungalows have also some kind of furniture (we had THREE tables and chairs), very clean sheets and towel is provided. We were staying in a brand new bungalow that did not have veranda yet, but they are building it as soon as they can. The other two bungalows had verandas.
Food was very good and there were plenty of it. They served some kind of snack (usually doughnuts) in the afternoon. There were always some fruit, usually bananas.
There is resident palm cockatoo that feeds above dining area and it was great entertainment to watch it eating the fruits from the tree.
The house reef was ok and there were lot of nudibranches and different fish. We did snorkeling trips every day to other islands and saw the most beautiful reefs.
Ricky is very competent snorkeler and he is very safety oriented. He always checks the currents first before he lets you in the water. You are in safe hands with him.
He is great at spotting different things and we saw a dugong when snorkeling with him. He also collects plastic from the reefs every time he snorkels. (He is really good at spotting it too. We didn’t see the plastic while snorkeling, but he spotted it and collected it.) All the guys that accompanied us to snorkeling trips (driving boat etc.) collected plastic from the beaches. They really care about the environment <3
Ricky speaks good English and is very good guide. All the other guys (sorry, I didn't get your names) were very nice too. We truly had great time! They all have great sense of humor. They all also participate to everyday duties in the homestay, so there is great atmosphere and you can see how they respect each other and treat each other with kindness. So goodhearted people and great family <3
We warmly recommend this homestay and would go back in a heartbeat.
We stayed there 3 nights on March 2019.
The homestay is on a beautiful beach and the bungalows are spacious and nicely decorated. All of them have ensuite bathrooms! (It surely did feel like luxury!) All bungalows have also some kind of furniture (we had THREE tables and chairs), very clean sheets and towel is provided. We were staying in a brand new bungalow that did not have veranda yet, but they are building it as soon as they can. The other two bungalows had verandas.
Food was very good and there were plenty of it. They served some kind of snack (usually doughnuts) in the afternoon. There were always some fruit, usually bananas.
There is resident palm cockatoo that feeds above dining area and it was great entertainment to watch it eating the fruits from the tree.
The house reef was ok and there were lot of nudibranches and different fish. We did snorkeling trips every day to other islands and saw the most beautiful reefs.
Ricky is very competent snorkeler and he is very safety oriented. He always checks the currents first before he lets you in the water. You are in safe hands with him.
He is great at spotting different things and we saw a dugong when snorkeling with him. He also collects plastic from the reefs every time he snorkels. (He is really good at spotting it too. We didn’t see the plastic while snorkeling, but he spotted it and collected it.) All the guys that accompanied us to snorkeling trips (driving boat etc.) collected plastic from the beaches. They really care about the environment <3
Ricky speaks good English and is very good guide. All the other guys (sorry, I didn't get your names) were very nice too. We truly had great time! They all have great sense of humor. They all also participate to everyday duties in the homestay, so there is great atmosphere and you can see how they respect each other and treat each other with kindness. So goodhearted people and great family <3
We warmly recommend this homestay and would go back in a heartbeat.
Perfect place in paradise with great places for snorkeling, best food ever, really nice people and and and. Everyone was really nice and friendly and Jacob gives good recommendations. Don’t miss Batanta waterfalls, Kri Batanta and Pulau Urun. I loved it!!! Just bring your hammock and go to Biryei!
Perfect place in paradise with great places for snorkeling, best food ever, really nice people and and and. Everyone was really nice and friendly and Jacob gives good recommendations. Don’t miss Batanta waterfalls, Kri Batanta and Pulau Urun. I loved it!!! Just bring your hammock and go to Biryei!
We stayed at Biryei for 5 nights in December 2018.
We loved our stay here. It is so quiet and peaceful, The homestay is on a strip of jungly beach and gives a very isolated feel, perfect for those that want to just hear the sound of the birds not humans. The accommodation itself was very well kept and is a big bonus to have an ensuite, it is all open and natural so little visitors are expected. We had a rather large hermit crab that enjoyed our showers with us everyday, wonderful! You really do feel like you are living in harmony with nature. We snorkelled everyday and made use of the homestay boat trips out to the surrounding snorkel spots and attractions. There are some gorgeous reefs around the island and the bird trip we did in the wee hours of the morning was a magnificent boat ride past what seemed like uninhabited islands and jungle, so pretty! Ricky and Jacob were excellent hosts they are loads of fun, and Ricky always put our safety first by testing the currents and visibility and being in the water with us at the dive sites. We were very fortunate to spend Christmas on the island and Jabob very graciously invited us to join him on a trip to his home village on a neighbouring island to attend a Christmas church and choir service. It was a truly wonderful experience. Such beautiful voices and friendly people! We did not manage to see the dugongs this trip, but this is nature, and Ricky gets 10 out 10 for effort haha he did his utmost best to find them for us, swimming their favourite spots and he even climbed to the top of a tree for a better view! We will just have to come back again! We loved our stay here, and big thank you to Jacob, Ricky and his family for making us feel so welcome and for looking after us so well!XXX we hope to see you again soon!
We stayed at Biryei for 5 nights in December 2018.
We loved our stay here. It is so quiet and peaceful, The homestay is on a strip of jungly beach and gives a very isolated feel, perfect for those that want to just hear the sound of the birds not humans. The accommodation itself was very well kept and is a big bonus to have an ensuite, it is all open and natural so little visitors are expected. We had a rather large hermit crab that enjoyed our showers with us everyday, wonderful! You really do feel like you are living in harmony with nature. We snorkelled everyday and made use of the homestay boat trips out to the surrounding snorkel spots and attractions. There are some gorgeous reefs around the island and the bird trip we did in the wee hours of the morning was a magnificent boat ride past what seemed like uninhabited islands and jungle, so pretty! Ricky and Jacob were excellent hosts they are loads of fun, and Ricky always put our safety first by testing the currents and visibility and being in the water with us at the dive sites. We were very fortunate to spend Christmas on the island and Jabob very graciously invited us to join him on a trip to his home village on a neighbouring island to attend a Christmas church and choir service. It was a truly wonderful experience. Such beautiful voices and friendly people! We did not manage to see the dugongs this trip, but this is nature, and Ricky gets 10 out 10 for effort haha he did his utmost best to find them for us, swimming their favourite spots and he even climbed to the top of a tree for a better view! We will just have to come back again! We loved our stay here, and big thank you to Jacob, Ricky and his family for making us feel so welcome and for looking after us so well!XXX we hope to see you again soon!
We have a wonderful stay in that place. We stay 7nights and we will stay more if we can. Everything is going well bungalow is spacious with attached bathroom very rare in raja ampat. A lot of shadow with beautiful trees so it’s ver cool all day long. Mornings with sounds of birds we never ear before. Food is good and abundant and we really enjoy the sweets in the afternoon. All the exploration of surrounding places are interesting. Great snorkeling and beautiful waterfalls. The house reef is also OK. But the most important is the family which welcome you. Really friendly and nice people. They really love to receive people and make everything to make you happy. Special thanks to Jacob who speak a real good English and to Ricky who know a lot about all the places he show us. But all the team is really lovely. We really want to be able to come back. Thanks for sharing your paradise with us.
We have a wonderful stay in that place. We stay 7nights and we will stay more if we can. Everything is going well bungalow is spacious with attached bathroom very rare in raja ampat. A lot of shadow with beautiful trees so it’s ver cool all day long. Mornings with sounds of birds we never ear before. Food is good and abundant and we really enjoy the sweets in the afternoon. All the exploration of surrounding places are interesting. Great snorkeling and beautiful waterfalls. The house reef is also OK. But the most important is the family which welcome you. Really friendly and nice people. They really love to receive people and make everything to make you happy. Special thanks to Jacob who speak a real good English and to Ricky who know a lot about all the places he show us. But all the team is really lovely. We really want to be able to come back. Thanks for sharing your paradise with us.
I and my group of 6 stayed here for 3D2N, 21-23 February.
The homestay is well located, unless you go out to the reef, you would not notice that there are other homestays and even a dive resort in the neighbourhood.
Tomas Podaril was right. This place should be kept a secret.
What Sheila Radcliffe said about Biryei is true:
-Ricky and his team looks after you very well. When we arrived there, the team was combing the beach to clean up sea grass pushed in land by gentle waves, and pick up plastic debris (lots of plastic bottle caps!)
-The homestay cottages were clean and had attached ensuite bathroom, with toilet (less toilet seat), toilet paper (2 rolls!), a mirror, and shelf on which you can put your toiletries when bathing (not only ladling bath, but it has a running shower as well!). The water in the bathroom was sweet water, not brackish.
-The house reef was beautiful, and yes, we saw a pair of Dugongs, a school of huge Humphead parrotfish (I counted 28 of them) and other large fish at the drop off of the house reef.
-Ricky and Bolon took us to several nearby snorkelling spots, that were gorgeous. They also arranged for us to pack our lunch box for lunch in between snorkelling activities (yes, it is best to bring your own lunch box and tin water bottle, so that you can bring your lunch and drink and not have to return to the homestay for lunch).
-Ricky or Bolon always dived into the water first to check the currents and locate fish. The homestay has its own fibreglass bottom longboat with an outboard engine (fits 6 people nicely) and wooden stairs, to help you get into the boat after your swim. The boat does not have a camp cover, so it could get a bit hot and windy when you’re travelling on the boat. (Ricky did not charge for the use of the house boat, but we did reimburse him for the fuel, and a tip for Ricky and Bolon.)
-The sound of bird calls all day (and at certain times at night) was exotic (Ricky and Bolon pointed us to the birds on the trees surrounding the homestay), and at sunset the frogs start to sing.
There were a lot of very shy, very small lizards. The presence of the lizards indicated that the area was rich with insects. And it proved to be true. Some flies during the day time, but lots of ants, beetles, moths, butterflies throughout the day (remember Wallace?), and at night, mosquitos. So do bring some kind of eco friendly insect repellent. (But no sandfly here! Hooray.)
We truly enjoyed our stay at Biryei.
Thank you Melki, Ricky, Ado, Bolon, Rika for your hospitality and great service!
I and my group of 6 stayed here for 3D2N, 21-23 February.
The homestay is well located, unless you go out to the reef, you would not notice that there are other homestays and even a dive resort in the neighbourhood.
Tomas Podaril was right. This place should be kept a secret.
What Sheila Radcliffe said about Biryei is true:
-Ricky and his team looks after you very well. When we arrived there, the team was combing the beach to clean up sea grass pushed in land by gentle waves, and pick up plastic debris (lots of plastic bottle caps!)
-The homestay cottages were clean and had attached ensuite bathroom, with toilet (less toilet seat), toilet paper (2 rolls!), a mirror, and shelf on which you can put your toiletries when bathing (not only ladling bath, but it has a running shower as well!). The water in the bathroom was sweet water, not brackish.
-The house reef was beautiful, and yes, we saw a pair of Dugongs, a school of huge Humphead parrotfish (I counted 28 of them) and other large fish at the drop off of the house reef.
-Ricky and Bolon took us to several nearby snorkelling spots, that were gorgeous. They also arranged for us to pack our lunch box for lunch in between snorkelling activities (yes, it is best to bring your own lunch box and tin water bottle, so that you can bring your lunch and drink and not have to return to the homestay for lunch).
-Ricky or Bolon always dived into the water first to check the currents and locate fish. The homestay has its own fibreglass bottom longboat with an outboard engine (fits 6 people nicely) and wooden stairs, to help you get into the boat after your swim. The boat does not have a camp cover, so it could get a bit hot and windy when you’re travelling on the boat. (Ricky did not charge for the use of the house boat, but we did reimburse him for the fuel, and a tip for Ricky and Bolon.)
-The sound of bird calls all day (and at certain times at night) was exotic (Ricky and Bolon pointed us to the birds on the trees surrounding the homestay), and at sunset the frogs start to sing.
There were a lot of very shy, very small lizards. The presence of the lizards indicated that the area was rich with insects. And it proved to be true. Some flies during the day time, but lots of ants, beetles, moths, butterflies throughout the day (remember Wallace?), and at night, mosquitos. So do bring some kind of eco friendly insect repellent. (But no sandfly here! Hooray.)
We truly enjoyed our stay at Biryei.
Thank you Melki, Ricky, Ado, Bolon, Rika for your hospitality and great service!
My husband and I stayed at Biryei from December 17-21 2018. We were incredibly impressed because of the quality of materials used in the hut; we had an actual raised bed and a nice attached ensuite western bathroom that had a mirror and lights. We could tell a lot of effort, resources and love has been put into the design and build of the homestay. The Biryei homestay was the cleanest we’ve ever seen, including the daily raking of the landscaping outside. Shells and coral were used in decorations all over, and it was very beautiful.
The house reef in front (beyond the sea grass) and around the homestay to the left within the bay was awesome, especially near the reef drop off. We saw Humphead parrotfish (Napolean Wrasse) here and baby sharks on the beach. I also saw manta rays feeding at the reef to the right of the homestay. Further right, near Rawe Rawe, a dugong was sighted. At nearby Pulau Yum, more than 50 Papuan Hornbills gathered on the tree tops between 6-7pm daily.
This homestay is awesome, but the best part about Biryei is Ricky the host. He speaks very little English but his local knowledge of the reefs, tides, marine and bird life is astounding. Whenever we go on snorkeling excursions, he first jumps into the waters, always checking for currents and where the fish are. He was also excellent in spotting out all the marine creatures big and small, we always felt safe with him as our guide. He is a very soft spoken man, but very nice. And now we cannot wait to return to Biryei for our next Raja Ampat trip.
My husband and I stayed at Biryei from December 17-21 2018. We were incredibly impressed because of the quality of materials used in the hut; we had an actual raised bed and a nice attached ensuite western bathroom that had a mirror and lights. We could tell a lot of effort, resources and love has been put into the design and build of the homestay. The Biryei homestay was the cleanest we’ve ever seen, including the daily raking of the landscaping outside. Shells and coral were used in decorations all over, and it was very beautiful.
The house reef in front (beyond the sea grass) and around the homestay to the left within the bay was awesome, especially near the reef drop off. We saw Humphead parrotfish (Napolean Wrasse) here and baby sharks on the beach. I also saw manta rays feeding at the reef to the right of the homestay. Further right, near Rawe Rawe, a dugong was sighted. At nearby Pulau Yum, more than 50 Papuan Hornbills gathered on the tree tops between 6-7pm daily.
This homestay is awesome, but the best part about Biryei is Ricky the host. He speaks very little English but his local knowledge of the reefs, tides, marine and bird life is astounding. Whenever we go on snorkeling excursions, he first jumps into the waters, always checking for currents and where the fish are. He was also excellent in spotting out all the marine creatures big and small, we always felt safe with him as our guide. He is a very soft spoken man, but very nice. And now we cannot wait to return to Biryei for our next Raja Ampat trip.
Hi Jakob and Ricky our friends !!!
Thank you for everything you’ve done for us, we have not met in this life. Everything was perfect and perfect. Your place in the countryside is the nicest thing to visit in the twenty years of traveling in Asia. Coral reefs are crazy, who has not seen it, they will not believe. There are not many fish corals anywhere in the world, I repeat crazy again !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We also have to admit that your trips were the best we’ve ever experienced. Your concern for us was obvious and we are still in shock that it still exists in the world. You are a great and good family, and as you do your homestay, you will be 100% successful in the future, we are convinced. Anyway, we will go back and, of course, in more numbers. We have forgotten to thank the women for the extremely clean cleaning and for the good things they have cooked, we cordially greet everyone!
Here’s the Biriey homestay rating.
Everywhere birds, better corals than Kri, a real jungle, and you know what ?!
There will be no rating. It is useless, what I have written speaks for everything. There will be no need for tourists here.
We wish you a peaceful Christmas holiday for your whole family and we are glad that people like you are in the world.
Thank you Papuans,
We will come again: Tomas, Tomas1, Ales, Jana, Petr.
TOP TEN ALL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Tom Thank you for your review, you are a great family, even friends for us, Peaceful Greetings and Christmas Greetings for all ??? Yacob & Ricky
Hi Jakob and Ricky our friends !!!
Thank you for everything you’ve done for us, we have not met in this life. Everything was perfect and perfect. Your place in the countryside is the nicest thing to visit in the twenty years of traveling in Asia. Coral reefs are crazy, who has not seen it, they will not believe. There are not many fish corals anywhere in the world, I repeat crazy again !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We also have to admit that your trips were the best we’ve ever experienced. Your concern for us was obvious and we are still in shock that it still exists in the world. You are a great and good family, and as you do your homestay, you will be 100% successful in the future, we are convinced. Anyway, we will go back and, of course, in more numbers. We have forgotten to thank the women for the extremely clean cleaning and for the good things they have cooked, we cordially greet everyone!
Here’s the Biriey homestay rating.
Everywhere birds, better corals than Kri, a real jungle, and you know what ?!
There will be no rating. It is useless, what I have written speaks for everything. There will be no need for tourists here.
We wish you a peaceful Christmas holiday for your whole family and we are glad that people like you are in the world.
Thank you Papuans,
We will come again: Tomas, Tomas1, Ales, Jana, Petr.
TOP TEN ALL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Tom Thank you for your review, you are a great family, even friends for us, Peaceful Greetings and Christmas Greetings for all ??? Yacob & Ricky
I stayed there for around 3 days – probably the best days of my whole Raja Ampat trip. Ricky has truly been a wonderful host and the whole family has been lovely. In comparison to Kri, Batanta is not that overcrowded at all. It’s simply put, more authentic these days.
The house reefs are amazing and so much more intact than in kri. If you’re booking a snorkeling trip with Ricky, then you can be sure that he will do anything in his power (& time) to make the trip unforgettable. He’s got the passion for sea creatures and spots even the tiniest.
I stayed there for around 3 days – probably the best days of my whole Raja Ampat trip. Ricky has truly been a wonderful host and the whole family has been lovely. In comparison to Kri, Batanta is not that overcrowded at all. It’s simply put, more authentic these days.
The house reefs are amazing and so much more intact than in kri. If you’re booking a snorkeling trip with Ricky, then you can be sure that he will do anything in his power (& time) to make the trip unforgettable. He’s got the passion for sea creatures and spots even the tiniest.
We visited Raja Ampat the third time and stayed for the first time 4 nights in Biryei Homestay.
The athmosphere is very peaceful and Ricky and Jakob are more than great hosts.
The house reef is amazing for snorkeling. Corals are perfect, we saw blacktip sharks, turtels, blue spotted stingrays, bumpheads, lionfish, lobster, morays, crocodile flathead and so much more every day.
If you can afford, snorkeling trips to other places or to the waterfall are also great. Ricky has a very good eye to find even the tiniest things in the sea.
Don`t miss trying to spot a Dugong. With Ricky as guide there is a good chance to see this rare mammals.
The rooms are very nice and clean and in the morning we woke up from the sound of the cockatoos and amazing hornbills youst behind the bungalows.
We visited Raja Ampat the third time and stayed for the first time 4 nights in Biryei Homestay.
The athmosphere is very peaceful and Ricky and Jakob are more than great hosts.
The house reef is amazing for snorkeling. Corals are perfect, we saw blacktip sharks, turtels, blue spotted stingrays, bumpheads, lionfish, lobster, morays, crocodile flathead and so much more every day.
If you can afford, snorkeling trips to other places or to the waterfall are also great. Ricky has a very good eye to find even the tiniest things in the sea.
Don`t miss trying to spot a Dugong. With Ricky as guide there is a good chance to see this rare mammals.
The rooms are very nice and clean and in the morning we woke up from the sound of the cockatoos and amazing hornbills youst behind the bungalows.
We stayed three nights with Ricky and his lovely family. Beautiful place, delicious food, excellent snorkling and fantastic people. Jacob, Ricky’s brother, speaks good English. This is very helpful. But always bring a phrasebook when you travel Raja Ampat. We hope to come back to Biryei Homestay soon. Terima Kasih!
Hi Lasse
Terima kasih untuk waktu bersama kami, semoga kita akan bersenang dengan anda lagi.
Salam
Yacob dan keluarga
We stayed three nights with Ricky and his lovely family. Beautiful place, delicious food, excellent snorkling and fantastic people. Jacob, Ricky’s brother, speaks good English. This is very helpful. But always bring a phrasebook when you travel Raja Ampat. We hope to come back to Biryei Homestay soon. Terima Kasih!
Hi Lasse
Terima kasih untuk waktu bersama kami, semoga kita akan bersenang dengan anda lagi.
Salam
Yacob dan keluarga
The brothers that run this homestay are really nice and the food is good. The two bungalows are squished between a forested mountain and the water with a small beach at high tide. So many cakutoos and other birds are flying all around in the trees above the bungalows.
The snorkeling is good, not as great as some other places I stayed but it was good. And we saw dolphins both days we were here.
The only thing I didn’t like was when we went on a snorkeling trip to Wei, the anchor was thrown right on the coral multiple times. I could see the damage as I snorkeld up to the boat.
Hi Brian
Thank you for your excellent review to help us fix the mistake, thank you so much for staying with us, very happy to be with you sometime again.
Greetings from
Jackob and Family.
What where the other place you stayed where the snorkeling was better?
The brothers that run this homestay are really nice and the food is good. The two bungalows are squished between a forested mountain and the water with a small beach at high tide. So many cakutoos and other birds are flying all around in the trees above the bungalows.
The snorkeling is good, not as great as some other places I stayed but it was good. And we saw dolphins both days we were here.
The only thing I didn’t like was when we went on a snorkeling trip to Wei, the anchor was thrown right on the coral multiple times. I could see the damage as I snorkeld up to the boat.
Hi Brian
Thank you for your excellent review to help us fix the mistake, thank you so much for staying with us, very happy to be with you sometime again.
Greetings from
Jackob and Family.
What where the other place you stayed where the snorkeling was better?
We spent 5nights at Byriei in may and we have really nice time with Ricky and his family .We was 2times at snorkeling which was really amazing We saw turtles sharks, stingray and many more ,milion fishes ,also snorkeling from the beach was great! We go fishing and we saw dolphins , actually we sowthem everyday from our bungalow. The food is delicious ,fish vegetable and fruits ,for breakfast banana pancakes or other sweets, Ricky wife is really good chef? The bungalow is nice ,you just have remember that at night can be loud because of nature !Pure remote island !!!Many thanks for Jakob who speak english and he was really helpful and take care of us? Many thanks Byriei !we have a lot of fun!
We spent 5nights at Byriei in may and we have really nice time with Ricky and his family .We was 2times at snorkeling which was really amazing We saw turtles sharks, stingray and many more ,milion fishes ,also snorkeling from the beach was great! We go fishing and we saw dolphins , actually we sowthem everyday from our bungalow. The food is delicious ,fish vegetable and fruits ,for breakfast banana pancakes or other sweets, Ricky wife is really good chef? The bungalow is nice ,you just have remember that at night can be loud because of nature !Pure remote island !!!Many thanks for Jakob who speak english and he was really helpful and take care of us? Many thanks Byriei !we have a lot of fun!
We stayed here last summer, and had the time of our life. We had 7 nights in Biryei Homestay, where they took such great care of us.
The place itself is a true desert island experience, even though you in the distance can see the dive resort nearby. The bungalow is really nice, and the beach around is great. The house reef starts just outside from the beach – and is varied and nice.
We had good, very plentiful meals and even snacks on the afternoon, which we really enjoyed. Such a great experience all in all. We will definately book a couple of days here, when we get back to Raja Ampat.
Tips: Bring a hammock – there are plentiful of trees that are perfect for hanging it.
Thank you Biryei Homestay for having the time of our lives.
We stayed here last summer, and had the time of our life. We had 7 nights in Biryei Homestay, where they took such great care of us.
The place itself is a true desert island experience, even though you in the distance can see the dive resort nearby. The bungalow is really nice, and the beach around is great. The house reef starts just outside from the beach – and is varied and nice.
We had good, very plentiful meals and even snacks on the afternoon, which we really enjoyed. Such a great experience all in all. We will definately book a couple of days here, when we get back to Raja Ampat.
Tips: Bring a hammock – there are plentiful of trees that are perfect for hanging it.
Thank you Biryei Homestay for having the time of our lives.
Biryei Homestay was our third and last homestay on Raja Ampat (for this journey anyway) and we stayed here for five nights in March 2018. We liked Biryei a lot, although there were now two bungalows – when we expected only one – but we were lucky with our neighbours. Both bungalows have a private combined kamar mandi dan kamar kecil. In the newer bungalow this is even an outside bathroom with a clever rack to dry your clothes. The food was very good and varied, with for lunch and dinner vegetables and rice and/or noodles, with fish and/or eggs and sometimes lovely crispy tempeh, and papaya or bananas for desert. Breakfast was mostly something small and sweet, and cold and hot water (for coffee and tea) was provided during the whole day.
Snorkeling in front of the homestay was very good, lovely corals, and even some reef sharks and turtles. We also went to Pulau Urun (lots of coral and very clear water) and Pulau Wai (clear water, great diversity and schools of fish). Near Pulau Wai we had a happy encounter with lots of manta’s. We didn’t see dugongs, but not for lack of trying (thank you Ricky!) but instead we met a huge wobbegong shark, swimming right towards us. Scary and wonderfull. The trip to see the red bird of paradise was very interesting. The boat ride started in the misty morningdark (felt like Apocalypse Now), followed by a boat trip and a little hike through the mangrove river and a hike steep uphill. We did see a red bird of paradise but is was high up in the trees and mostly hidden by leaves, but that’s nature. In any case the journey was worthwile as well.
The family is very friendly and helpful. Jacob is very kind and speaks good English, Rickie is a great snorkel guide, relaxed and enthousiastic, and the lady of the house is a wonderful cook.
Thanks Jacob, Ricky and family for a lovely stay and great snorkeling! Dan lampu juga bagus sekali 🙂
Biryei Homestay was our third and last homestay on Raja Ampat (for this journey anyway) and we stayed here for five nights in March 2018. We liked Biryei a lot, although there were now two bungalows – when we expected only one – but we were lucky with our neighbours. Both bungalows have a private combined kamar mandi dan kamar kecil. In the newer bungalow this is even an outside bathroom with a clever rack to dry your clothes. The food was very good and varied, with for lunch and dinner vegetables and rice and/or noodles, with fish and/or eggs and sometimes lovely crispy tempeh, and papaya or bananas for desert. Breakfast was mostly something small and sweet, and cold and hot water (for coffee and tea) was provided during the whole day.
Snorkeling in front of the homestay was very good, lovely corals, and even some reef sharks and turtles. We also went to Pulau Urun (lots of coral and very clear water) and Pulau Wai (clear water, great diversity and schools of fish). Near Pulau Wai we had a happy encounter with lots of manta’s. We didn’t see dugongs, but not for lack of trying (thank you Ricky!) but instead we met a huge wobbegong shark, swimming right towards us. Scary and wonderfull. The trip to see the red bird of paradise was very interesting. The boat ride started in the misty morningdark (felt like Apocalypse Now), followed by a boat trip and a little hike through the mangrove river and a hike steep uphill. We did see a red bird of paradise but is was high up in the trees and mostly hidden by leaves, but that’s nature. In any case the journey was worthwile as well.
The family is very friendly and helpful. Jacob is very kind and speaks good English, Rickie is a great snorkel guide, relaxed and enthousiastic, and the lady of the house is a wonderful cook.
Thanks Jacob, Ricky and family for a lovely stay and great snorkeling! Dan lampu juga bagus sekali 🙂
hello ,I have problem with reservation ,I would like to make a booking in 11.05-16.05 2018 is possible?
Hello Natalia
Because you can’t be in 2 places at once, you will first have to cancel your confirmed booking at Batu Lima (Booking ID: 14974 – 09/05 to 15/05/2018). Just click the cancellation link provided in your Batu Lima booking confirmation email, then you will have no problem booking elsewhere.
hello ,I have problem with reservation ,I would like to make a booking in 11.05-16.05 2018 is possible?
Hello Natalia
Because you can’t be in 2 places at once, you will first have to cancel your confirmed booking at Batu Lima (Booking ID: 14974 – 09/05 to 15/05/2018). Just click the cancellation link provided in your Batu Lima booking confirmation email, then you will have no problem booking elsewhere.
I ma just back from Biryei Homestay. Just a wonderfull place near Batenta.
a quiet place isolated from other homestay. The house reef is very good for snorkeling.
special mention to jacob who is really here to help you and offer you different activities (waterfall, snorkeling on different islands, village visit etc)
Thank’s again
I ma just back from Biryei Homestay. Just a wonderfull place near Batenta.
a quiet place isolated from other homestay. The house reef is very good for snorkeling.
special mention to jacob who is really here to help you and offer you different activities (waterfall, snorkeling on different islands, village visit etc)
Thank’s again
We had a really great 3 night stay a Biryei in March 2018. We wanted to visit the area particularly to try and see Dugong and we weren’t disappointed!
It’s a great secluded spot with a lovely small beach in front of the bungalow. We saw baby sharks and rays swimming in the shallows right outside the room. The snorkelling on the house reef was good and we were treated to some awesome sightings of walking sharks on practically every snorkell – including seeing one walking which was a real treat. The bay immediately opposite has some lovely coral and fish life too. Ricky took us on a couple of evening snorkelling trips (in the bay really near to the homestay) to see the Dugongs and we were lucky enough to see three. Also opportunities to see some big turtles and other interesting fish life on the sea grass.
The bungalow we stayed in was really great – really well designed and built – the nicest we stayed in in Raja. Lots of thought and care has clearly gone into the design and running of the place.
The food was delicious too – lovely big portions of fish and varied vege options.
Thanks so much to Ricky and his family!
We had a really great 3 night stay a Biryei in March 2018. We wanted to visit the area particularly to try and see Dugong and we weren’t disappointed!
It’s a great secluded spot with a lovely small beach in front of the bungalow. We saw baby sharks and rays swimming in the shallows right outside the room. The snorkelling on the house reef was good and we were treated to some awesome sightings of walking sharks on practically every snorkell – including seeing one walking which was a real treat. The bay immediately opposite has some lovely coral and fish life too. Ricky took us on a couple of evening snorkelling trips (in the bay really near to the homestay) to see the Dugongs and we were lucky enough to see three. Also opportunities to see some big turtles and other interesting fish life on the sea grass.
The bungalow we stayed in was really great – really well designed and built – the nicest we stayed in in Raja. Lots of thought and care has clearly gone into the design and running of the place.
The food was delicious too – lovely big portions of fish and varied vege options.
Thanks so much to Ricky and his family!
We stayed 12 days. We went there instead of going to the Maldives. Our expectations were fully fullfilled though accomodation is a bit simpler. Snorkelling complete: 4 reef sharks (and 2 rather big ones), corals,plenty of fish, small colorful snails, black white stripped sea snake, 1 dugong, 1 turtel, … .
Food excellent. We said we prefer fish and got it, … .
View from the balcony with the rubber tree growing into the sea on the right side with a white wagtail hunting mosquitos has a fixed place in out foto album.
Family very helpful and nice.
Long sleeves and long trousers are recommended for the evening. There are always two annoying mosqitos.
Most surprisingly, no air condition or even a fan was necessary, the climate under the big trees was well balanced.
We stayed 12 days. We went there instead of going to the Maldives. Our expectations were fully fullfilled though accomodation is a bit simpler. Snorkelling complete: 4 reef sharks (and 2 rather big ones), corals,plenty of fish, small colorful snails, black white stripped sea snake, 1 dugong, 1 turtel, … .
Food excellent. We said we prefer fish and got it, … .
View from the balcony with the rubber tree growing into the sea on the right side with a white wagtail hunting mosquitos has a fixed place in out foto album.
Family very helpful and nice.
Long sleeves and long trousers are recommended for the evening. There are always two annoying mosqitos.
Most surprisingly, no air condition or even a fan was necessary, the climate under the big trees was well balanced.
Biryei Homestay is a wonderful spot. I think its particularly great spot for couples as its secluded and away from other people. It has a small private beach that has amazing huge trees creating shade from the sun. Ricky and his wife couldn’t do enough for me. The food was amazing, and in the afternoon they also provided me with delightful snacks. I snorkeled on the house reef which was good, and across the mouth of the bay the reefs only got better. Ricky can arrange snorkeling trips to some amazing places. I went to Kri island, which on the surface isn’t much more than a sandbank but under the water was an extensive reef with every fish you could wish for. We also went scouting for dugongs one evening and I was lucky to see two swimming by. On the snorkeling trips, they also provided great snacks and tea or coffee.
The hut itself was one of the most comfortable of all the ones I stayed in. They have given attention to detail and it shows. I loved the on-suite bathroom.
This homestay is a true gem, and worth the journey to this area. Many thanks to Ricky and his family for such a lovely stay.
hi claudette thank you we really love you when you are with us here, we will keep fixing our flaws for better regards from ricky and family.
Biryei Homestay is a wonderful spot. I think its particularly great spot for couples as its secluded and away from other people. It has a small private beach that has amazing huge trees creating shade from the sun. Ricky and his wife couldn’t do enough for me. The food was amazing, and in the afternoon they also provided me with delightful snacks. I snorkeled on the house reef which was good, and across the mouth of the bay the reefs only got better. Ricky can arrange snorkeling trips to some amazing places. I went to Kri island, which on the surface isn’t much more than a sandbank but under the water was an extensive reef with every fish you could wish for. We also went scouting for dugongs one evening and I was lucky to see two swimming by. On the snorkeling trips, they also provided great snacks and tea or coffee.
The hut itself was one of the most comfortable of all the ones I stayed in. They have given attention to detail and it shows. I loved the on-suite bathroom.
This homestay is a true gem, and worth the journey to this area. Many thanks to Ricky and his family for such a lovely stay.
hi claudette thank you we really love you when you are with us here, we will keep fixing our flaws for better regards from ricky and family.