Features
- Sorong transfers available
- Reef dropoff
- Mangroves
- Seagrass
- Quiet hideaway
- Coral
- Child discount
- Good house reef
- Calm beach
- Sandy Beach
- Western style toilet
- Remote/isolated
- IDR 500,000 to 600,000
- IDR 400,000 to 500,000
Details
Dugong Homestay is located at Raspapir, an east-facing beach on a peninsula on the central north coast of Batanta. The homestay is named for the dugongs that sometimes graze the nearby seagrass meadows during high tides.
Three private beach bungalows are available. The bungalows sleep two on mattresses on the floor. Bedding for a third guest can be provided if needed. Mosquito nets, pillows, bolsters, sheets and blankets are provided.
Bungalow verandahs have a table, comfortable chairs and ocean views.
Meals are served on the bungalow verandahs, and free drinking water and tea and coffee making supplies are provided there.
A two-room bathroom building provides a dip mandi bathroom in one room and a western style toilet in the other.
Electricity is provided by generator and is available from sunset to around midnight. Dugong Homestay receives a medium strength 4G phone signal. An unstable internet connection is available, and is usually best at night.
Only a little English is spoken at Dugong Homestay, so bringing a phrasebook or translation app will make communication easier.
Yensawai village is a ten minute boat ride away and basic supplies can be found there, but be sure to bring all essential items with you. Please also take home all the inorganic waste you create – especially plastic and dead batteries: There’s no safe waste disposal at Raspapir or Yensawai, or indeed anywhere in Raja Ampat!
Transport / Getting there
Transport between Waisai and Dugong Homestay costs IDR 2,000,000 each way and is by longboat capable of carrying up to 4 passengers. The trip cost is shared by passengers.
See Dugong's October 2025 transfer pricelist for transfer prices to/from other locations.
If arriving on the cargo boat below, Yensawai pickups cost IDR 300,000 and are also by longboat with maximum capacity of four passengers.
Sorong transfers: Pickups from Sorong can be arranged via twin engine longboat. The boat used can carry up to 4 passengers. A Sorong pickup or dropoff costs IDR 5,000,000 each way. (If you want a Sorong pickup, then don't select the Waisai pickup on the booking form above. You will need to contact Dugong Homestay to arrange your pickup. Contact details are provided in booking confirmation emails.)
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. You will need to contact Dugong Homestay to arrange a pickup at Yensawai. Contact details are provided in booking confirmation emails.)
Here’s what you need to know about getting the cargo boat to Batanta.
Activities
Dugong Homestay has a beautiful sheltered beach, a rich coral reef and seagrass meadows that often draw the dugongs the homestay is named for.
Dugongs are shy and unpredictable creatures, so sightings can never be guaranteed, but the chances of seeing them are high if you stay longer than a few days. If you are fortunate enough to encounter dugongs, please don't approach too closely or chase them: Not only will you scare them away, but they will abandon areas where they are frightened too many times.
A pearl farm inhabits the bay at the foot of the Raspapir peninsula. The farm is testament to the area's pristine waters and visits there can be arranged by Dugong Homestay.
Snorkelling Batanta
In addition to a house reef that provides great snorkelling, Dugong Homestay's longboat is available for any other snorkelling or sightseeing trip you'd like to do.
See Dugong's October 2025 trip pricelist for a selection of popular choices.
Batanta
See our Batanta page for an overview of Batanta, its neighbouring islands, and their attractions.
Dugong Homestay Location Map
Dugong Homestay Reviews
The reviews we publish are written by verified guests of Dugong Homestay. Please do add yours!
We won't publish reviews by guests that we can not verify, but your feedback is still valued, and will be seen by both the Homestay Association and Dugong Homestay.
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146 Reviews
Wij waren 4 dag te gast bij deze homestay. Musa is een uitstekende natuurgids en laat je met plezier de schoonheid van batanta zien. Je merkt aan alles dat hij er zelf ook echt van geniet. Accomodatie was netjes en schoon en het eten werd gemaakt door Anna, die echt super lekker kookt. Het beste eten van de 4 homestays dat we hebben gehad. Een echte aanrader voor wie het wildere batanta wil bezoeken.
Our stay at Dugong Homestay was truly one of the highlights of our trip. From the moment we arrived, Musa and his family made us feel completely at home — their kindness, warmth, and genuine hospitality were unforgettable.
Musa is an outstanding guide. He quickly understood what we were hoping to experience and shared his deep knowledge of the area with us, taking us to see birds and local wildlife including bats, parrots, cuscus, and more. He was incredible at spotting dugongs, and swimming with them was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Walking through the mangroves and seeing mudskippers added to the magic.
The homestay itself felt like a peaceful little paradise, surrounded by nature and far from everything. It was spotless, calm, and relaxing — exactly the kind of place where you can truly disconnect and enjoy your surroundings. The food was absolutely amazing, with more variety than any other homestay we stayed at (this was our fourth), and we honestly wished we could have stayed longer.
Musa even arranged to take us to Sorong by boat, making everything easy and stress-free. This place is something special — if you’re looking for authentic connection, nature, and heartfelt hospitality, Dugong Homestay is a hidden gem we loved deeply and will never forget.
We enjoyed four days at dugong homestay! The hut was basic but we had everything we needed. The place is nicely decorated with shells and plants. Completely isolated homestay which we enjoyed! Musa took us on trips to the waterfalls and to see the dugongs ! We were lucky enough to see one while snorkeling as well. The reef in front of the homestay is also nice. The food was good and plentiful !
We enjoyed four days at dugong homestay! The hut was basic but we had everything we needed. The place is nicely decorated with shells and plants. Completely isolated homestay which we enjoyed! Musa took us on trips to the waterfalls and to see the dugongs ! We were lucky enough to see one while snorkeling as well. The reef in front of the homestay is also nice. The food was good and plentiful !
We were really looking forward to finally seeing Raja Ampat. We had a pleasant two-hour trip from Wasai with a small boat, the captain was Musa. The accommodation was simple but clean and there were only 3 houses on the seashore. The food was delicious and tasty. We spent 7 days with Musa’s family, saw the waterfall, which was amazing, saw manta rays, watched shy dugongs, followed dolphins, saw beautiful corals and snorkeled in beautiful places. We saw the rare cus-cus cat and bats… Everything was a miracle. When we said goodbye, it was bad to leave so much beauty behind us… Thank you for everything, maybe we will come back.
We were really looking forward to finally seeing Raja Ampat. We had a pleasant two-hour trip from Wasai with a small boat, the captain was Musa. The accommodation was simple but clean and there were only 3 houses on the seashore. The food was delicious and tasty. We spent 7 days with Musa’s family, saw the waterfall, which was amazing, saw manta rays, watched shy dugongs, followed dolphins, saw beautiful corals and snorkeled in beautiful places. We saw the rare cus-cus cat and bats… Everything was a miracle. When we said goodbye, it was bad to leave so much beauty behind us… Thank you for everything, maybe we will come back.
Dugong Homestay is a really lovely place. The quiet and peaceful atmosphere is amazing, and you can snorkel just 20 metres in front of the homestay. The absolute highlight, however, is the food: delicious, generous meals prepared by the family.
That said, there are a few points for improvement. A hammock or another comfortable place to relax would have been a great addition. Also, Musa is a very good guide for snorkelling and spotting wildlife, but unfortunately our experience with him was not entirely positive. After a snorkelling trip that we shared with two other guests, he asked us to pay double the price stated on the price list. His explanation was that when you share a trip with guests from a different booking or bungalow, the cost cannot be shared. This was confusing, as the price list clearly states that the price is per boat, not per booking. After some discussion, he agreed to the original price, but the situation felt uncomfortable.
Dugong Homestay is a really lovely place. The quiet and peaceful atmosphere is amazing, and you can snorkel just 20 metres in front of the homestay. The absolute highlight, however, is the food: delicious, generous meals prepared by the family.
That said, there are a few points for improvement. A hammock or another comfortable place to relax would have been a great addition. Also, Musa is a very good guide for snorkelling and spotting wildlife, but unfortunately our experience with him was not entirely positive. After a snorkelling trip that we shared with two other guests, he asked us to pay double the price stated on the price list. His explanation was that when you share a trip with guests from a different booking or bungalow, the cost cannot be shared. This was confusing, as the price list clearly states that the price is per boat, not per booking. After some discussion, he agreed to the original price, but the situation felt uncomfortable.
Nous avons passé 5 nuits exceptionnelles au Dugong Homestay ! Musa nous a fait découvrir énormément de choses : les dugongs, les raies manta, des dauphins et de magnifiques oiseaux. Nous avons fait plusieurs balades avec lui, toujours très intéressantes et conviviales. On recommande d’aller à Urun et Duyan avec lui.
La nourriture était délicieuse chaque jour, toujours fraîche et variée. Ils se sont adaptés au régime végétarien d’un de nous deux pendant que l’autre mangeait de la viande. Toute la famille est très gentille, attentionnée et parle un très bon anglais, ce qui facilite beaucoup les échanges.
Un grand merci à Musa et à toute la famille pour leur accueil et ces superbes souvenirs ! 🙏🐬🌴
Nous avons passé 5 nuits exceptionnelles au Dugong Homestay ! Musa nous a fait découvrir énormément de choses : les dugongs, les raies manta, des dauphins et de magnifiques oiseaux. Nous avons fait plusieurs balades avec lui, toujours très intéressantes et conviviales. On recommande d’aller à Urun et Duyan avec lui.
La nourriture était délicieuse chaque jour, toujours fraîche et variée. Ils se sont adaptés au régime végétarien d’un de nous deux pendant que l’autre mangeait de la viande. Toute la famille est très gentille, attentionnée et parle un très bon anglais, ce qui facilite beaucoup les échanges.
Un grand merci à Musa et à toute la famille pour leur accueil et ces superbes souvenirs ! 🙏🐬🌴
We highly recommend staying at Dugong Homestay. The place is very peaceful in a beautiful lagoon with almost no trash. We were the only guest and could fully relax. The service was very attentive and the food delicious and plentiful. We did a lot of tours, saw Mantas and two Dugongs from afar. Musa is an excellent wildlife spotter and will tailor the tours to your needs.
We highly recommend staying at Dugong Homestay. The place is very peaceful in a beautiful lagoon with almost no trash. We were the only guest and could fully relax. The service was very attentive and the food delicious and plentiful. We did a lot of tours, saw Mantas and two Dugongs from afar. Musa is an excellent wildlife spotter and will tailor the tours to your needs.
Stayed at Dugong with our kids for two nights. Ridiculously beautiful and peaceful setting (except perhaps the jungle sounds at night).
The host Musa is very friendly and easy going, knowledgeable and speaks English very well.
From the beach, you can snorkel in a single swim past mangroves, seagrass beds, mixed seagrass-coral areas, and coral reefs, all having specific inhabitants. It is quite shallow so you see all details in full glory while comfortably floating on top of the water.
We enjoyed every second of our stay here.
Stayed at Dugong with our kids for two nights. Ridiculously beautiful and peaceful setting (except perhaps the jungle sounds at night).
The host Musa is very friendly and easy going, knowledgeable and speaks English very well.
From the beach, you can snorkel in a single swim past mangroves, seagrass beds, mixed seagrass-coral areas, and coral reefs, all having specific inhabitants. It is quite shallow so you see all details in full glory while comfortably floating on top of the water.
We enjoyed every second of our stay here.
Out of the three homestays we visited in Raja Ampat, our stay in Musa’s homestay was by far the best. Musa is an incredibly kind and thoughtful host who truly made us feel at home. He showed us around the island, including the local village where he lives, giving us a deeper insight into the life and culture of the area.
He also guided us to some of the most beautiful spots nearby and helped us spot local wildlife that we would have easily missed on our own – a truly memorable experience for nature lovers.
The meals, prepared by Musa’s family, were absolutely delicious – full of flavor and made with fresh, local ingredients. You could really feel the care that went into every dish.
Batanta Island itself – somewhat remote from other islands – is stunning, with untouched nature all around and a peaceful atmosphere. There is a sea meadow in front of the homstay with grass which dugongs visit sometimes (yet, we fid not have this luck) and directly behind – a house reef.
If you’re looking for an authentic, warm, and nature-filled experience in Raja Ampat, we couldn’t recommend Musa’s homestay enough. It was the highlight of our trip!
Out of the three homestays we visited in Raja Ampat, our stay in Musa’s homestay was by far the best. Musa is an incredibly kind and thoughtful host who truly made us feel at home. He showed us around the island, including the local village where he lives, giving us a deeper insight into the life and culture of the area.
He also guided us to some of the most beautiful spots nearby and helped us spot local wildlife that we would have easily missed on our own – a truly memorable experience for nature lovers.
The meals, prepared by Musa’s family, were absolutely delicious – full of flavor and made with fresh, local ingredients. You could really feel the care that went into every dish.
Batanta Island itself – somewhat remote from other islands – is stunning, with untouched nature all around and a peaceful atmosphere. There is a sea meadow in front of the homstay with grass which dugongs visit sometimes (yet, we fid not have this luck) and directly behind – a house reef.
If you’re looking for an authentic, warm, and nature-filled experience in Raja Ampat, we couldn’t recommend Musa’s homestay enough. It was the highlight of our trip!
Musa was very nice and a good guide (and has a surprisingly good english!). He always put a lot of efforts to help us.
Our stay was quite short (2 nights in July) but the food was good and varied. The stay itself is aligned with others homestays we did and corresponds to what is described. There is a nice beach, shorter at high tide. The house reef snorkelling is nice but require to swim a bit (50m) as the very front is grass, that the dugongs love.
We had no luck with the dugongs but Musa did extra efforts to help us see some, which lead to see dolphins very close and for quite a long time !
We did Sawandarek, Dugong Spotting, Waterfall, and Musa also took us to the village nearby(~10 min by boat).
Musa was very nice and a good guide (and has a surprisingly good english!). He always put a lot of efforts to help us.
Our stay was quite short (2 nights in July) but the food was good and varied. The stay itself is aligned with others homestays we did and corresponds to what is described. There is a nice beach, shorter at high tide. The house reef snorkelling is nice but require to swim a bit (50m) as the very front is grass, that the dugongs love.
We had no luck with the dugongs but Musa did extra efforts to help us see some, which lead to see dolphins very close and for quite a long time !
We did Sawandarek, Dugong Spotting, Waterfall, and Musa also took us to the village nearby(~10 min by boat).
This is the place to be!!!
Musa really know the sea and can help you to spot all the creatures you want!
The room is very good and clean just in front of the sea!
Food was delicious and various!
And yes, we saw the dugong every day!!!
This is the place to be!!!
Musa really know the sea and can help you to spot all the creatures you want!
The room is very good and clean just in front of the sea!
Food was delicious and various!
And yes, we saw the dugong every day!!!
We had very relaxing 6 nights at Dugong homestay.
Musa was friendly, accommodating and his English much better than expected.
The bungalow was nice, we liked that the mosquito net was attached at the four corners which made it feel spacious. The sitting area and hammock on the veranda we’re comfortable.
Bucket bathing as expected. The water is a little brownish but the only really non-salty water we had in Raja ampat! The toilet has been set into concrete and is 15cm lower than normal, might be a problem for people with knee/hip problems.
The food was plentiful but not really to our taste. The vegetables were often too spicy to enjoy which we tried to communicate but it didn’t change anything. More fresh fruit would have been nice, too.
Snorkeling at the house reef was mixed. We saw sting rays in the sea grass, lots of dead coral but also nice and colourful coral full of fish, a sleeping walking shark, two reef sharks, turtles and a baby murane.
We also did some trips and can recommend Urun for beautiful corals and the waterfall. Wai island snorkeling was not so good, full of trash and with poor visibility… but seeing the fruit bats and a baby coconut crab was cool.
Thrice we went out to search for Dugongs but we didn’t have any luck. Musa said he spotted some but they were to shy and didn’t let us come close.
All in all a nice and secluded place but fewer nights would have been enough for us.
We had very relaxing 6 nights at Dugong homestay.
Musa was friendly, accommodating and his English much better than expected.
The bungalow was nice, we liked that the mosquito net was attached at the four corners which made it feel spacious. The sitting area and hammock on the veranda we’re comfortable.
Bucket bathing as expected. The water is a little brownish but the only really non-salty water we had in Raja ampat! The toilet has been set into concrete and is 15cm lower than normal, might be a problem for people with knee/hip problems.
The food was plentiful but not really to our taste. The vegetables were often too spicy to enjoy which we tried to communicate but it didn’t change anything. More fresh fruit would have been nice, too.
Snorkeling at the house reef was mixed. We saw sting rays in the sea grass, lots of dead coral but also nice and colourful coral full of fish, a sleeping walking shark, two reef sharks, turtles and a baby murane.
We also did some trips and can recommend Urun for beautiful corals and the waterfall. Wai island snorkeling was not so good, full of trash and with poor visibility… but seeing the fruit bats and a baby coconut crab was cool.
Thrice we went out to search for Dugongs but we didn’t have any luck. Musa said he spotted some but they were to shy and didn’t let us come close.
All in all a nice and secluded place but fewer nights would have been enough for us.
Nice homestay with nice bungalows, good food and a clean bathroom. Snorkeling in front of the homestay is nice, though not much to do at low-tide. Musa was helpful and always tried organising something if asked.
Nice homestay with nice bungalows, good food and a clean bathroom. Snorkeling in front of the homestay is nice, though not much to do at low-tide. Musa was helpful and always tried organising something if asked.
A very charming and isolated place !
Musa the owner was a really nice guy and his wife cooked the best meals (very differents ones) that we ever had in Raja Ampat !
The bungalow was very nice and we really enjoyed our stay in this peacefull place.
The only little complaint is that there is not so many things to do around the area..
.
However Musa proposed several trips.
A very charming and isolated place !
Musa the owner was a really nice guy and his wife cooked the best meals (very differents ones) that we ever had in Raja Ampat !
The bungalow was very nice and we really enjoyed our stay in this peacefull place.
The only little complaint is that there is not so many things to do around the area..
.
However Musa proposed several trips.
I stayed with Musa for 3 nights in December. Musa was very kind trying to help me find dugongs. We did see one for a brief second. Also saw dolphins which was cool. I found the food very challenging opposed to the other homestays I stayed in and the shower water was rusty colour. Musa dropped me for the cargo ferry back to Sorong and ensured I was safely on it (as only goes once a week). It was definately isolated so if this is what you want Dugong homestay is for you
I stayed with Musa for 3 nights in December. Musa was very kind trying to help me find dugongs. We did see one for a brief second. Also saw dolphins which was cool. I found the food very challenging opposed to the other homestays I stayed in and the shower water was rusty colour. Musa dropped me for the cargo ferry back to Sorong and ensured I was safely on it (as only goes once a week). It was definately isolated so if this is what you want Dugong homestay is for you
My 4 nights stay at Dugong Homestay in Batanta was perfect.
Musa and his family were incredibly available, discret and kind, making my experience all the more memorable.
The cuisine was simply divine, with (too) generous portions served four times a day !
I particularly enjoyed the delicious chocolate chip cake in the morning and the coconut milk curry with ginger, potatoes, carrots, and kaffir lime – a true delight for the taste buds!
The beach, clean and raked every day, offered an idyllic setting for relaxation. The water tanks, used for the shower and WC as well as the foot washes, were filled daily, ensuring a pleasant and comfortable experience.
Dugong Homestay is a serene and calm place where you can hear the yellow-crested cockatoos and large black cockatoos during the morning, as well as the croaking of giant tree frogs at night.
Don’t miss the trip to the former island of Urun – an affordable excursion that reveals beautiful coral reefs. It’s an adventure I highly recommend!
Injo Nabor to Musa and his family for their warm welcome and hospitality at the end of my trip in RA.
My 4 nights stay at Dugong Homestay in Batanta was perfect.
Musa and his family were incredibly available, discret and kind, making my experience all the more memorable.
The cuisine was simply divine, with (too) generous portions served four times a day !
I particularly enjoyed the delicious chocolate chip cake in the morning and the coconut milk curry with ginger, potatoes, carrots, and kaffir lime – a true delight for the taste buds!
The beach, clean and raked every day, offered an idyllic setting for relaxation. The water tanks, used for the shower and WC as well as the foot washes, were filled daily, ensuring a pleasant and comfortable experience.
Dugong Homestay is a serene and calm place where you can hear the yellow-crested cockatoos and large black cockatoos during the morning, as well as the croaking of giant tree frogs at night.
Don’t miss the trip to the former island of Urun – an affordable excursion that reveals beautiful coral reefs. It’s an adventure I highly recommend!
Injo Nabor to Musa and his family for their warm welcome and hospitality at the end of my trip in RA.
Gros coup de cœur pour Musa, un hôte comme on en rêve. Aux petits soins, toujours disponible pour discuter, nous amener en sortie, plonger avec nous pour faire parler sa connaissance dans l’eau, et partir à la chasse aux raies manta et aux dugongs.
Homestay dépaysant, très calme, entre jungle et mer. Nous avons eu la chance d’inaugurer une nouvelle cabane pour notre plus grand bonheur.
La famille tout aussi accueillante mais discrète nous a aussi merveilleusement accueilli, de très bon repas avec un snack dans l’après midi.
Nous recommandons très fortement d’aller dans ce homestay vous ne le regretterez pas.
Gros coup de cœur pour Musa, un hôte comme on en rêve. Aux petits soins, toujours disponible pour discuter, nous amener en sortie, plonger avec nous pour faire parler sa connaissance dans l’eau, et partir à la chasse aux raies manta et aux dugongs.
Homestay dépaysant, très calme, entre jungle et mer. Nous avons eu la chance d’inaugurer une nouvelle cabane pour notre plus grand bonheur.
La famille tout aussi accueillante mais discrète nous a aussi merveilleusement accueilli, de très bon repas avec un snack dans l’après midi.
Nous recommandons très fortement d’aller dans ce homestay vous ne le regretterez pas.
We had a great stay at dugong homestay. Musa is such a nice person and helps with everything. The trips with him are amazing. The food was so good. We told him, that we are vegetarian and he organized that we get tofu and tempeh. So delicious. I can really recommend it. Thanks Musa!
We had a great stay at dugong homestay. Musa is such a nice person and helps with everything. The trips with him are amazing. The food was so good. We told him, that we are vegetarian and he organized that we get tofu and tempeh. So delicious. I can really recommend it. Thanks Musa!
Fantastic!!!
We have been in Dugong homestay from 11 of August till the 18 2024.
Musa is very friendly and helped us a lot during our stay. We did amazing snorkeling trip, i really suggest you to go around with him.
We saw dolphins, sharks, rays, turtles, dugong and many many other beautiful creatures.
The food was amazing, we ate different kind of fish every day, beverages and fruit were always available during the day. We also had breakfast and an afternoon snack with fruit and some fried banana.
The weather was nice during all of our stay, few rain during the night that didnt disturb our plans at all.
Thank you Musa, hope to see you again in the future, i really reccomend your homestay!!
Michele and Gaia
Fantastic!!!
We have been in Dugong homestay from 11 of August till the 18 2024.
Musa is very friendly and helped us a lot during our stay. We did amazing snorkeling trip, i really suggest you to go around with him.
We saw dolphins, sharks, rays, turtles, dugong and many many other beautiful creatures.
The food was amazing, we ate different kind of fish every day, beverages and fruit were always available during the day. We also had breakfast and an afternoon snack with fruit and some fried banana.
The weather was nice during all of our stay, few rain during the night that didnt disturb our plans at all.
Thank you Musa, hope to see you again in the future, i really reccomend your homestay!!
Michele and Gaia
We stayed 2 nights in Dugong Homestay. It was our second visit – the first after stay after Covid. The Bungalow is new built and Dugong Homestay is fresh reopened.
The homestay is set at a wonderful isolated beach – although it´s just a short boatdrive to the village. It´s quiet and the sunrise is fabulous. The housereef is really amazing. There is so much to see.
Musa offers great trips. He´s an excellent snorkeling guide – the best we ever met. He finds even the smallest things. The are around Batanta is a great snorkeling paradise.
Bantanta´s land is so wild and untouched with waterfalls and jungle. The Waterfall is a hidden paradise. We really enjoyed to stay there – it was just us.
Musa ist an excellent host. He always takes care for the guests without being narrow. And he´s an absolut cool guy with a big heart in the right place.
We like the homestay and Musa so much. It´s like coming home. We will come back for sure and still think every day at this nice time.
Injo nabor, Musa, for sharing your little paradise and your big heart
We stayed 2 nights in Dugong Homestay. It was our second visit – the first after stay after Covid. The Bungalow is new built and Dugong Homestay is fresh reopened.
The homestay is set at a wonderful isolated beach – although it´s just a short boatdrive to the village. It´s quiet and the sunrise is fabulous. The housereef is really amazing. There is so much to see.
Musa offers great trips. He´s an excellent snorkeling guide – the best we ever met. He finds even the smallest things. The are around Batanta is a great snorkeling paradise.
Bantanta´s land is so wild and untouched with waterfalls and jungle. The Waterfall is a hidden paradise. We really enjoyed to stay there – it was just us.
Musa ist an excellent host. He always takes care for the guests without being narrow. And he´s an absolut cool guy with a big heart in the right place.
We like the homestay and Musa so much. It´s like coming home. We will come back for sure and still think every day at this nice time.
Injo nabor, Musa, for sharing your little paradise and your big heart
I spent my last four days and 3 nights at this delightful quiet, tranquil and back to basic hideaway at the end of Jan. 20 (Sorry for this late comment!). I arrived one late afternoon , after a heavy rainstorm – and was a little disappointed first. All grey and wet and kind of shabby, branches and debris brought down by the storm. I retreated into my hammock and watched the thunderclouds at the skyline… when I saw the leaping dolpins. From then on there was no end to the experience of beauty and splendor.
Musa does his best, being an excellent host and most competent and decent guide.
He took me for a jungle trecking tour into batantas rainforest, discovering a host of jungle wildlife (insects, treevarans and -lizzards, butterfliesm birds). We visited the nearby pearl farm and the spectacularly sculpturous waterfall with entrance through a fascinating mangroove forest.
While paying a visit to the nearby village Yensawai the crafts of boatsbuilding, weavers of roofs and floormats can be watched, the poeople are welcoming, very friendly, beautiful and the laughter of the plentiful children still rings in my ears.
An unforgettable time I had riding on the bow of his longboat, Musa making sure to find them: the magic mantas. I would then float on the surface of the warm sea, gently striking my fins, syncronising upon the majestic sailing of the giant sea devils, observing them soaring under me: mantastic!
While snorchelling in the coral wonderland of Pulan Dayan, awesome creatures made their appearance: I got mesmerized by stingrays, watersnakes, turtles, nudibranchs… a huge octopuss stood still in perfect waving pose for endless meditative moments… and of course sharks and countless varieties of under water beauties taking their turns.
At daybreak I was woken by the obligatory pair of raja shelducks that seem to appear at every homestay: they walk the virgin beach with the leading one quacking loudly, while the partner follows, chirping away like a bird.
On my last evening we finally spotted the rare and shy dugongs, Musa had been searching for at their remote grazing grounds along the coastline – spellbound I observed the couple playing in the water while the sun set.
When it comes to the home reef of dugong homestay, I snorchelled it just twice. I loved the coral gardens, growing like sculptures out of the white sand particularly near the cliff, the clown fishes on hard and soft corrals, the great variety of reef fishes. There where sharks, barracudas and bumpheads circling at the drop off and sting rays darting over the sandy bottoms.
The homestay? My rustic hut provided a clean double mattress with sheets, pillows and bolsters, a mosquito net, a light switch and power outlets. There is a western style toilet sticking out of white sands and a bucket bathing room with sweet water from the well behind in the jungle. The food i had was excellent, the taste, the variety (fish, chicken, vegetables, cake, rice, fruits).
Musa is about to built a dining bungalow over water, the stilts waiting for the completion of the construction only.
I enjoyed the company of screeching birds (yellow crested cockatoo, eclectus parrot, palm cockatoo) above while eating banana pancake in the early morning and the lightning-fast flying of the fruit bats at dinner around my head. Behind in the jungle were the green tree frogs hiding, in the mongroves beside, the walking sharks, nudibranchs and of course the mudskippers, my favourites.
I want to thank Pauline, Musa‘s wife and Michelle, his daughter for their looking after me so perfectly well and for creating an athmosphere of warmth, peace, tranquility and comfort. I thoroughly enjoyed the company of forever smiling Leon, the oldest son, Marco und little Samuel.
I would like to emphasize that I encountered Musa as a decent and honest host, which asked me for fair prices, considering that I could not share, beeing the only guest at the homestay for these wonderful four days…..Thank you very much MUSA, I will certainly come again..
I spent my last four days and 3 nights at this delightful quiet, tranquil and back to basic hideaway at the end of Jan. 20 (Sorry for this late comment!). I arrived one late afternoon , after a heavy rainstorm – and was a little disappointed first. All grey and wet and kind of shabby, branches and debris brought down by the storm. I retreated into my hammock and watched the thunderclouds at the skyline… when I saw the leaping dolpins. From then on there was no end to the experience of beauty and splendor.
Musa does his best, being an excellent host and most competent and decent guide.
He took me for a jungle trecking tour into batantas rainforest, discovering a host of jungle wildlife (insects, treevarans and -lizzards, butterfliesm birds). We visited the nearby pearl farm and the spectacularly sculpturous waterfall with entrance through a fascinating mangroove forest.
While paying a visit to the nearby village Yensawai the crafts of boatsbuilding, weavers of roofs and floormats can be watched, the poeople are welcoming, very friendly, beautiful and the laughter of the plentiful children still rings in my ears.
An unforgettable time I had riding on the bow of his longboat, Musa making sure to find them: the magic mantas. I would then float on the surface of the warm sea, gently striking my fins, syncronising upon the majestic sailing of the giant sea devils, observing them soaring under me: mantastic!
While snorchelling in the coral wonderland of Pulan Dayan, awesome creatures made their appearance: I got mesmerized by stingrays, watersnakes, turtles, nudibranchs… a huge octopuss stood still in perfect waving pose for endless meditative moments… and of course sharks and countless varieties of under water beauties taking their turns.
At daybreak I was woken by the obligatory pair of raja shelducks that seem to appear at every homestay: they walk the virgin beach with the leading one quacking loudly, while the partner follows, chirping away like a bird.
On my last evening we finally spotted the rare and shy dugongs, Musa had been searching for at their remote grazing grounds along the coastline – spellbound I observed the couple playing in the water while the sun set.
When it comes to the home reef of dugong homestay, I snorchelled it just twice. I loved the coral gardens, growing like sculptures out of the white sand particularly near the cliff, the clown fishes on hard and soft corrals, the great variety of reef fishes. There where sharks, barracudas and bumpheads circling at the drop off and sting rays darting over the sandy bottoms.
The homestay? My rustic hut provided a clean double mattress with sheets, pillows and bolsters, a mosquito net, a light switch and power outlets. There is a western style toilet sticking out of white sands and a bucket bathing room with sweet water from the well behind in the jungle. The food i had was excellent, the taste, the variety (fish, chicken, vegetables, cake, rice, fruits).
Musa is about to built a dining bungalow over water, the stilts waiting for the completion of the construction only.
I enjoyed the company of screeching birds (yellow crested cockatoo, eclectus parrot, palm cockatoo) above while eating banana pancake in the early morning and the lightning-fast flying of the fruit bats at dinner around my head. Behind in the jungle were the green tree frogs hiding, in the mongroves beside, the walking sharks, nudibranchs and of course the mudskippers, my favourites.
I want to thank Pauline, Musa‘s wife and Michelle, his daughter for their looking after me so perfectly well and for creating an athmosphere of warmth, peace, tranquility and comfort. I thoroughly enjoyed the company of forever smiling Leon, the oldest son, Marco und little Samuel.
I would like to emphasize that I encountered Musa as a decent and honest host, which asked me for fair prices, considering that I could not share, beeing the only guest at the homestay for these wonderful four days…..Thank you very much MUSA, I will certainly come again..
I enjoyed my STAY at Dugong homestay, Musa is a good host, he is always taking videos of the guests and showing them to us later that night, he took me and the other guest Yousee from Helsinki into the jungle one night and showed us different creatures including the frogs which make a distinctive sound at dusk. The food was good, the vegetables were spicy which I liked. The bungalow is rustic and the mattress and mosquito net were very good. We also went to Urun, which is a tiny island near by with excellent snorkeling, the morning is best. The house reef is good for beginners, for more advanced snorkelers, the drop is far out and to the left is best. Also, no dogs, no fleas.
I enjoyed my STAY at Dugong homestay, Musa is a good host, he is always taking videos of the guests and showing them to us later that night, he took me and the other guest Yousee from Helsinki into the jungle one night and showed us different creatures including the frogs which make a distinctive sound at dusk. The food was good, the vegetables were spicy which I liked. The bungalow is rustic and the mattress and mosquito net were very good. We also went to Urun, which is a tiny island near by with excellent snorkeling, the morning is best. The house reef is good for beginners, for more advanced snorkelers, the drop is far out and to the left is best. Also, no dogs, no fleas.
Musa and his sister (Mary?) were Super!!!
food was excellent
So sorry we never saw a Dugong but was not from lack of trying
even took us out in the dark to try to find one
of the 4 homestays we were at this was the best
Musa and his sister (Mary?) were Super!!!
food was excellent
So sorry we never saw a Dugong but was not from lack of trying
even took us out in the dark to try to find one
of the 4 homestays we were at this was the best
We stayed there 2 nights on march.
The location is perfect. It feels remote and private. There is very little boat traffic and compared to sometimes crowded Dampier Strait area, this feels like the edge of the world. (In a really good way.) The homestay was one of the cutest and prettiest we stayed at. Beach is really beautiful and you can explore the nearby mangrove area at low tide. The jungle is right there behind the homestay and nature is all the time very present. (There are lot of birds.) The dining area has sand floor as do the toilets. Everything is very rustic, but very beautiful at the same time. The lamps that illuminate the place at night are very creative and pretty. Bungalows were basic, but they have really nice verandas. Mattresses were unfortunately very smelly and they need to be changed. Otherwise we were happy with the bungalows.
Food was very good and there were plenty of it. Musas sister Ana cooked for us and she was very nice personality. (They have two mango trees, so when they are in season, expect to have the sweetest mangoes you have ever tasted.)
The house reef was in quite bad condition, but there were lot of small coral with teeny tiny fish living on them <3 Also the seagrass bed has some very interesting fish and snorkeling there was very meditative. The reef should get better once you get around the corner to the bay, but we didn't make it there.
Musa was great guide and we did snorkeling trip to Pulau Dayan with him. He is very competent snorkeler and freediver so snorkeling with him is safe and fun. We saw mantas and other interesting things. We also saw dolphins on the way there.
Dugong homestay has very relaxed vibe and we really enjoyed our time there. Musa does his best for the guests and knows the area really well and can take you to see beautiful places. Batanta has the best reefs in Raja Ampat and all the trips you do there are totally worth it.
We warmly recommend this homestay.
We stayed there 2 nights on march.
The location is perfect. It feels remote and private. There is very little boat traffic and compared to sometimes crowded Dampier Strait area, this feels like the edge of the world. (In a really good way.) The homestay was one of the cutest and prettiest we stayed at. Beach is really beautiful and you can explore the nearby mangrove area at low tide. The jungle is right there behind the homestay and nature is all the time very present. (There are lot of birds.) The dining area has sand floor as do the toilets. Everything is very rustic, but very beautiful at the same time. The lamps that illuminate the place at night are very creative and pretty. Bungalows were basic, but they have really nice verandas. Mattresses were unfortunately very smelly and they need to be changed. Otherwise we were happy with the bungalows.
Food was very good and there were plenty of it. Musas sister Ana cooked for us and she was very nice personality. (They have two mango trees, so when they are in season, expect to have the sweetest mangoes you have ever tasted.)
The house reef was in quite bad condition, but there were lot of small coral with teeny tiny fish living on them <3 Also the seagrass bed has some very interesting fish and snorkeling there was very meditative. The reef should get better once you get around the corner to the bay, but we didn't make it there.
Musa was great guide and we did snorkeling trip to Pulau Dayan with him. He is very competent snorkeler and freediver so snorkeling with him is safe and fun. We saw mantas and other interesting things. We also saw dolphins on the way there.
Dugong homestay has very relaxed vibe and we really enjoyed our time there. Musa does his best for the guests and knows the area really well and can take you to see beautiful places. Batanta has the best reefs in Raja Ampat and all the trips you do there are totally worth it.
We warmly recommend this homestay.
We (couple, 30 years, experienced divers), spent 3 nights in December 2018 at the Dugong Homestay and liked it!
+ The location is beautiful, quiet and feels like a real homestay.
+ We always had enough food (they also served a snack in the afternoon) and the food was good.
+ Musa is a great host and an amazing snorkeling guide! We did the trip to the manta cleaning station (and saw mantas) and did some more snorkeling in that area and it was absolutely beautiful! Healthy hard and soft corals, loads of nudibranches and other small stuff and a lot of reef fish as well.
+ The bungalow is basic but has a spacious terrace. The toilet and the shower have a sandy floor and we liked it.
-/+ The snorkeling right in front of the homestay is disappointing. Even Musa doesn’t know why the reef is (now) in a really bad shape and what happened. BUT if you swim a couple of minutes to the left you’ll see nice corals with lots of reef fish and many reef sharks in all sizes (in the very shallow part on top of the reef).
Unfortunately we didn’t see a dugong during our snorkel trips but they are still there (we saw one from the boat).
We (couple, 30 years, experienced divers), spent 3 nights in December 2018 at the Dugong Homestay and liked it!
+ The location is beautiful, quiet and feels like a real homestay.
+ We always had enough food (they also served a snack in the afternoon) and the food was good.
+ Musa is a great host and an amazing snorkeling guide! We did the trip to the manta cleaning station (and saw mantas) and did some more snorkeling in that area and it was absolutely beautiful! Healthy hard and soft corals, loads of nudibranches and other small stuff and a lot of reef fish as well.
+ The bungalow is basic but has a spacious terrace. The toilet and the shower have a sandy floor and we liked it.
-/+ The snorkeling right in front of the homestay is disappointing. Even Musa doesn’t know why the reef is (now) in a really bad shape and what happened. BUT if you swim a couple of minutes to the left you’ll see nice corals with lots of reef fish and many reef sharks in all sizes (in the very shallow part on top of the reef).
Unfortunately we didn’t see a dugong during our snorkel trips but they are still there (we saw one from the boat).
We spent 4 days at Dugong in February 2019. We watched little sharks and rays from our verandah.
Bungalows and mandi-building could be improved by renovation.
Food was the best we had at our 5 Batanta homestays. thank you Anna!
And the illumination of the place at night is so charming, by far the best one we saw.
We spent 4 days at Dugong in February 2019. We watched little sharks and rays from our verandah.
Bungalows and mandi-building could be improved by renovation.
Food was the best we had at our 5 Batanta homestays. thank you Anna!
And the illumination of the place at night is so charming, by far the best one we saw.
The first time we visited Dugong homestay a year ago, and we were happy to be back again in November 2018. Thanks to Musa and his family, we were constantly in an atmosphere of warmth, tranquility and comfort, as if we ourselves were members of this family. At Dugong homestay, we enjoyed peace and tranquility, a beautiful home reef and lots of impressions. Musa, thank you for the miracles that we were lucky to see – dugong, manta, walking sharks, live coconut crabs, beautiful waterfall, Batanta rainforest and, of course, coral reefs. We very much hope to come to Dugong homestay again.
It is a pity that the stars only 5, we would like to put 10.
Hi.elena,irina,michail.thanks you for comment.
The first time we visited Dugong homestay a year ago, and we were happy to be back again in November 2018. Thanks to Musa and his family, we were constantly in an atmosphere of warmth, tranquility and comfort, as if we ourselves were members of this family. At Dugong homestay, we enjoyed peace and tranquility, a beautiful home reef and lots of impressions. Musa, thank you for the miracles that we were lucky to see – dugong, manta, walking sharks, live coconut crabs, beautiful waterfall, Batanta rainforest and, of course, coral reefs. We very much hope to come to Dugong homestay again.
It is a pity that the stars only 5, we would like to put 10.
Hi.elena,irina,michail.thanks you for comment.
We stayd at Dugong Homestay for 9 nights from 19 – 28 of december. We had a lovely stay. Nice bungalows. Not luxury but very nice. Wonderful family. The people here are so friendly and welcoming. Musa is an excellent host and guide. Musa is a very skilled snorkler and a perfect snorkeling guide. Dugong homestay is a nice and peacefully place with a beautiful beach. Nice reefs nearby and just outside the beach. Mama Johanna makes good and tasty food. We went to many exciting places with Musa. Musa took us to the biggest and the smallest creatures of the ocean – We snorkled with Manta Ray and Musa showed us several nudie brenches. We went to the villages near by and experienced the Christmas preparations. At Cristmas eve we were invited by the family to join them at celebrations in church. We also went on a trip to a nearby waterfall and a huge mangrove forrest and more. We warmly recommend Dugong Homestay for people who likes to live simple and experience new things. We will absolutely come back!
We stayd at Dugong Homestay for 9 nights from 19 – 28 of december. We had a lovely stay. Nice bungalows. Not luxury but very nice. Wonderful family. The people here are so friendly and welcoming. Musa is an excellent host and guide. Musa is a very skilled snorkler and a perfect snorkeling guide. Dugong homestay is a nice and peacefully place with a beautiful beach. Nice reefs nearby and just outside the beach. Mama Johanna makes good and tasty food. We went to many exciting places with Musa. Musa took us to the biggest and the smallest creatures of the ocean – We snorkled with Manta Ray and Musa showed us several nudie brenches. We went to the villages near by and experienced the Christmas preparations. At Cristmas eve we were invited by the family to join them at celebrations in church. We also went on a trip to a nearby waterfall and a huge mangrove forrest and more. We warmly recommend Dugong Homestay for people who likes to live simple and experience new things. We will absolutely come back!
In our 5 weeks in RA visiting more than 10 homestays we realize how difficult it is to choose them upon the comments. We try to give one star for each: beeing welcome by the staff/owners, accomodation/cleanness, food, housereef and trips. We were one night in Dugong homestay in the beginning of december.
1. star for beeing welcome: Musa and his mother Joanna like to talk and discuss, the athmosphere is friendly.
no star for accomodation: the room was very smelly, we didnot feel comfortable, even if a bangalow is basic with a matrace on the floor it should not smell that way. Musa will need to fix his bungalows in order to keep up with the many newbuilt homestays on amazing Batanta.
no star for standard RA tourist food (waterspinach without spices, boiled eggs in ketchup sauce, fried tofu or tempe, rice).
no star for the housereef:
In the text of description on the main accomodation page of this webside I cite: “Splendid isolation with private beach bungalows, a fabulously rich house reef, a beautiful beach, superb sunrises, a nearby pearl farm, and… dugongs!”
We were booking after reading this sentence for 7 days. We thank Musa a lot to allow us to leave after just one day, we were so disappointet about the quality of reef (after beeing in many places in RA with amazing reefs). The reef was distroyed in many parts. Leaving just after one day, we didnt spot dugongs as you need to be much more patient for that.
We didnt do any trips with dugong homestay.
If you have to choose one homestay in RA which one could you recommend to us ?
Thanks a lot
hi.first of all thanks for your feed back.im soory that the reason you leave early was because the smelly matres and bad food.i understand thst those made you uncomfortable.butmaybe next time,will be better if you tell me on the spot so i can improve my service befote you decide to leave.bad matres and food is easier to fix than bad experience when staying with us.enjoy ampat and thanks for coming
In our 5 weeks in RA visiting more than 10 homestays we realize how difficult it is to choose them upon the comments. We try to give one star for each: beeing welcome by the staff/owners, accomodation/cleanness, food, housereef and trips. We were one night in Dugong homestay in the beginning of december.
1. star for beeing welcome: Musa and his mother Joanna like to talk and discuss, the athmosphere is friendly.
no star for accomodation: the room was very smelly, we didnot feel comfortable, even if a bangalow is basic with a matrace on the floor it should not smell that way. Musa will need to fix his bungalows in order to keep up with the many newbuilt homestays on amazing Batanta.
no star for standard RA tourist food (waterspinach without spices, boiled eggs in ketchup sauce, fried tofu or tempe, rice).
no star for the housereef:
In the text of description on the main accomodation page of this webside I cite: “Splendid isolation with private beach bungalows, a fabulously rich house reef, a beautiful beach, superb sunrises, a nearby pearl farm, and… dugongs!”
We were booking after reading this sentence for 7 days. We thank Musa a lot to allow us to leave after just one day, we were so disappointet about the quality of reef (after beeing in many places in RA with amazing reefs). The reef was distroyed in many parts. Leaving just after one day, we didnt spot dugongs as you need to be much more patient for that.
We didnt do any trips with dugong homestay.
If you have to choose one homestay in RA which one could you recommend to us ?
Thanks a lot
hi.first of all thanks for your feed back.im soory that the reason you leave early was because the smelly matres and bad food.i understand thst those made you uncomfortable.butmaybe next time,will be better if you tell me on the spot so i can improve my service befote you decide to leave.bad matres and food is easier to fix than bad experience when staying with us.enjoy ampat and thanks for coming
Dugong homestay lies isolated on a small, beautiful beach – besides no villages or other homestays (just a pearl farm), behind jungle filled with cacadoos, birds and tree frogs. Musa is very passionated and motivated guide to show you all the best snorkel sites (and even dugongs !). Also there’s a nice trip to a waterfall in a fantastic mangrove forest. We felt very welcome and would like to thank Musa and his family/staff for a great time.
Hi Anja and Jürgen, did you actually see dugongs? How long did you stay?
Dugong homestay lies isolated on a small, beautiful beach – besides no villages or other homestays (just a pearl farm), behind jungle filled with cacadoos, birds and tree frogs. Musa is very passionated and motivated guide to show you all the best snorkel sites (and even dugongs !). Also there’s a nice trip to a waterfall in a fantastic mangrove forest. We felt very welcome and would like to thank Musa and his family/staff for a great time.
Hi Anja and Jürgen, did you actually see dugongs? How long did you stay?
We had a beautiful stay at Dugong Homestay at the end of February 2018 (sorry for this late review!). Musa and his family are great hosts. We had 4 days of pure relax in this little paradise and were all alone for the first 3 days. Food was very good and the breakfast was the best one we had. Same as in the other homestays we missed a choice of tropical fruits though that goes beyond bananas. Only downside if you have a light sleep is the ongoing night-concert of a huge frog population just behind the beach.
The spacious beachfront bungalow with big veranda an hammock was perfect also on a full day of pouring rain.
Check out the nearby village, and let Musa take you to the fantastic snorkel spots and on island treks. He’s the perfect guide!
Also the pick up service was perfect: they picked us up with a comfy boat on Kri’s south beach and after our stay brought us to our next host on Friwen Mundai Wall. The trip from Kri’s south beach to Dugong was a very pleasant 1.5 hours ride on a spectacular day with no waves at all: on the way we saw turtles, dolphins, flying fishes and othe creatures.
We hope to be back in a year or two.
Many thanks and greetings.
Sabrina & Julian
We had a beautiful stay at Dugong Homestay at the end of February 2018 (sorry for this late review!). Musa and his family are great hosts. We had 4 days of pure relax in this little paradise and were all alone for the first 3 days. Food was very good and the breakfast was the best one we had. Same as in the other homestays we missed a choice of tropical fruits though that goes beyond bananas. Only downside if you have a light sleep is the ongoing night-concert of a huge frog population just behind the beach.
The spacious beachfront bungalow with big veranda an hammock was perfect also on a full day of pouring rain.
Check out the nearby village, and let Musa take you to the fantastic snorkel spots and on island treks. He’s the perfect guide!
Also the pick up service was perfect: they picked us up with a comfy boat on Kri’s south beach and after our stay brought us to our next host on Friwen Mundai Wall. The trip from Kri’s south beach to Dugong was a very pleasant 1.5 hours ride on a spectacular day with no waves at all: on the way we saw turtles, dolphins, flying fishes and othe creatures.
We hope to be back in a year or two.
Many thanks and greetings.
Sabrina & Julian
We stayed here for 3 nights in october and liked this place very much. You can see babysharks from the veranda of your bungalow,
Musa and his family takes good care of you. We liked the food. It was spicey and they have a lot of veggies and fruit and they serve snacks in the afternoon.
We did do two snorkeltrips with Musa and they were amazing. Batanta has pristine coral! And Musa is a fantastic guide.
Next time we stay longer so maybe than we can see a dugong.
We stayed here for 3 nights in october and liked this place very much. You can see babysharks from the veranda of your bungalow,
Musa and his family takes good care of you. We liked the food. It was spicey and they have a lot of veggies and fruit and they serve snacks in the afternoon.
We did do two snorkeltrips with Musa and they were amazing. Batanta has pristine coral! And Musa is a fantastic guide.
Next time we stay longer so maybe than we can see a dugong.
Thank you Musa and family (Paulina, Lion and Mimi) for everything!! You were such a great host!
Batanta is just a magic place, and Dugong Guesthouse was amazing, specially after crowded Kri. My husband and I stayed there for 6 nights. We were alone for three of those nights, and for us that was perfect, as we had the opportunity to enjoy nature, the Ocean and the tree frogs all for ourselves!
The hut is pretty basic: a mattress on the floor with the mosquito net and a little porch with one hammock. Maybe they could improve a little just by putting some plastic on the ceiling to prevent dirt falling on the sheets all the time.
But maybe it’s precisely this lack of comfort what makes this place this special.
Musa is really a nice guy and a wonderful guide. He showed us everything, all the walking sharks, the manta ray and baby shark nursery, the mantas at Dayan’s and about a million nudibranchs. We didn’t see dugong but he tried a lot! We’re really grateful for everything!!
Thank you Musa and family (Paulina, Lion and Mimi) for everything!! You were such a great host!
Batanta is just a magic place, and Dugong Guesthouse was amazing, specially after crowded Kri. My husband and I stayed there for 6 nights. We were alone for three of those nights, and for us that was perfect, as we had the opportunity to enjoy nature, the Ocean and the tree frogs all for ourselves!
The hut is pretty basic: a mattress on the floor with the mosquito net and a little porch with one hammock. Maybe they could improve a little just by putting some plastic on the ceiling to prevent dirt falling on the sheets all the time.
But maybe it’s precisely this lack of comfort what makes this place this special.
Musa is really a nice guy and a wonderful guide. He showed us everything, all the walking sharks, the manta ray and baby shark nursery, the mantas at Dayan’s and about a million nudibranchs. We didn’t see dugong but he tried a lot! We’re really grateful for everything!!
Hi Musa, thank you once more for great time at dugong homestay! Your place is beautiful and calm, exactly the one we were looking for. We enjoyed every moment there, beach walks, swimming, snorcheling (great one just in front of homestay), eating really delicious food and Viera, especially, sitting in a hammock on a veranda of bungalow reading or watching sea.
Musa is great snorchelling guide! He showed us great amount of sea creatures we wouldn’t have noticed alone and we always feel safe snorcheling with him. During trips with Musa we saw huge mantas, swimming with them was great experience, dolphins, walking sharks and black tips sharks, turtle, many beautiful fish and two times even backs of dugongs 😉 Musa took us to watch stunning sunset from Urun island too. Here are some of our photos from dugong homestay and trips.
Musa, thank you, we hope to come back one day! Viera and Alan
Hi Musa, thank you once more for great time at dugong homestay! Your place is beautiful and calm, exactly the one we were looking for. We enjoyed every moment there, beach walks, swimming, snorcheling (great one just in front of homestay), eating really delicious food and Viera, especially, sitting in a hammock on a veranda of bungalow reading or watching sea.
Musa is great snorchelling guide! He showed us great amount of sea creatures we wouldn’t have noticed alone and we always feel safe snorcheling with him. During trips with Musa we saw huge mantas, swimming with them was great experience, dolphins, walking sharks and black tips sharks, turtle, many beautiful fish and two times even backs of dugongs 😉 Musa took us to watch stunning sunset from Urun island too. Here are some of our photos from dugong homestay and trips.
Musa, thank you, we hope to come back one day! Viera and Alan
Thank you Musa and Ana for a great week at Dugong Homestay! We highly recommend this beautiful and secluded place. Beach bungalow is good, food is delicious and Musa is a great snorkelling guide. We loved the trips to Dayan, Urun, Ana’s family and their garden, the village and the waterfall in the mangrove forest. We saw a walking shark in the mangrove near the bungalow and many rays. Unfortunately we didn’t see a dugong although Musa tried very hard to find us one. Well, you have to be lucky. We were lucky at Dayan where thanks to Musa we spotted 4 manta’s! In August!
Ngo nabor Musa and Ana, sampai jumpa lagi!
Thank you Musa and Ana for a great week at Dugong Homestay! We highly recommend this beautiful and secluded place. Beach bungalow is good, food is delicious and Musa is a great snorkelling guide. We loved the trips to Dayan, Urun, Ana’s family and their garden, the village and the waterfall in the mangrove forest. We saw a walking shark in the mangrove near the bungalow and many rays. Unfortunately we didn’t see a dugong although Musa tried very hard to find us one. Well, you have to be lucky. We were lucky at Dayan where thanks to Musa we spotted 4 manta’s! In August!
Ngo nabor Musa and Ana, sampai jumpa lagi!
We visited Raja Ampat the third time. We planed to stay 4 nights in Dugong Homestay. In the end we stayed there 10 nights – our whole stay in Raja Ampat.
The athmosphere is peaceful and Musa and Anna are more than great hosts. We still think of them every day and miss their happiness.
The house reef is amazing for snorkeling. Corals are in good shape. Blacktip sharks and Stingrays are swimming direct at the beach. We saw turtles, walking sharks, dolphins and so much more. Musa is the best snorkeling guide we ever had. The snorkeling trips are great (saw Mantas, Snakes, Nudibranches….) and Musa has a very good eye to find even the tiniest things in the sea. He always took care for us and we felt extremly safe with him – without feeling constrict.
The food was delicious. Fresh fish, vegetables, rice, noodles, fruits… Every meal was different and more than we could eat.
Musa took us to the nearby village Yensawai whenever we asked. The village is very nice to see and people are very friendly.
We also made the trip to the Waterfall, which we really enjoyed. I can highly recommend this trip.
The rooms are nice and clean and in the morning we wake up from the sound of the cockatoos (the white ones in the morning, the black ones in the afternoon).
We had a perfect stay and after all the amazing visits to Raja Ampat, this was our best stay.
Injo again Musa and Anna for the delicious food, your heartly kindness, teaching bahasa biak and your friendship. We will never forget you and for sure come back again. Yasuar Mu.
We visited Raja Ampat the third time. We planed to stay 4 nights in Dugong Homestay. In the end we stayed there 10 nights – our whole stay in Raja Ampat.
The athmosphere is peaceful and Musa and Anna are more than great hosts. We still think of them every day and miss their happiness.
The house reef is amazing for snorkeling. Corals are in good shape. Blacktip sharks and Stingrays are swimming direct at the beach. We saw turtles, walking sharks, dolphins and so much more. Musa is the best snorkeling guide we ever had. The snorkeling trips are great (saw Mantas, Snakes, Nudibranches….) and Musa has a very good eye to find even the tiniest things in the sea. He always took care for us and we felt extremly safe with him – without feeling constrict.
The food was delicious. Fresh fish, vegetables, rice, noodles, fruits… Every meal was different and more than we could eat.
Musa took us to the nearby village Yensawai whenever we asked. The village is very nice to see and people are very friendly.
We also made the trip to the Waterfall, which we really enjoyed. I can highly recommend this trip.
The rooms are nice and clean and in the morning we wake up from the sound of the cockatoos (the white ones in the morning, the black ones in the afternoon).
We had a perfect stay and after all the amazing visits to Raja Ampat, this was our best stay.
Injo again Musa and Anna for the delicious food, your heartly kindness, teaching bahasa biak and your friendship. We will never forget you and for sure come back again. Yasuar Mu.
One of the most peaceful places to stay in Raja Ampat. Wonderful and helpful hosts also with good level of English.
One of the most peaceful places to stay in Raja Ampat. Wonderful and helpful hosts also with good level of English.
HI musa~! im lee
some times i miss your smile. haha
i was happy there.
i was busy and lazy in dugong homestay.
some day i will go again.
take care musa~ stop smorking~!!!
^————^
HI musa~! im lee
some times i miss your smile. haha
i was happy there.
i was busy and lazy in dugong homestay.
some day i will go again.
take care musa~ stop smorking~!!!
^————^
Stayed 7 days at the end on Feb, 2018. Great family atmosphere, quiet location, good food (including fruit), new bed, good supply of fresh water. Musa is very engaged and interested in his guests. Got picked up in Waisai ok. House reef is so so and has been extensively damaged. A trip to the waterfall (not your ordinary waterfall), Dayan and Way are highly recommended. On the negative side, Musa tends to charge more than most for boat travel (which is totally out of control in Raja Ampat, despite the website’s lengthy, but flawed description).
Stayed 7 days at the end on Feb, 2018. Great family atmosphere, quiet location, good food (including fruit), new bed, good supply of fresh water. Musa is very engaged and interested in his guests. Got picked up in Waisai ok. House reef is so so and has been extensively damaged. A trip to the waterfall (not your ordinary waterfall), Dayan and Way are highly recommended. On the negative side, Musa tends to charge more than most for boat travel (which is totally out of control in Raja Ampat, despite the website’s lengthy, but flawed description).
Hi,
I would like to spend 3 days in Dugong Homestay (1,2 and 3 june) because I arrive in sorong on June 1st and I am going to visit a friend in Kri Island 3-10 june. Is it possible? What is the price of the boat from Waisai to Dugong Homestay? Do you have a boat that can take me to Kri Island? If yes, what is the price?
Thanks,
Carolina
Hi Maria
It’s possible. If you want to make a booking for those dates, please submit the booking form above.
Waisai to Dugong transport price is provided above in the Transport / Getting There section.
If you want a quote for transport back to Kri you will need to contact Dugong to ask, but based on their Waisai price, we would estimate somewhere around IDR 1,100,000 for a longboat transfer.
Hi,
I would like to spend 3 days in Dugong Homestay (1,2 and 3 june) because I arrive in sorong on June 1st and I am going to visit a friend in Kri Island 3-10 june. Is it possible? What is the price of the boat from Waisai to Dugong Homestay? Do you have a boat that can take me to Kri Island? If yes, what is the price?
Thanks,
Carolina
Hi Maria
It’s possible. If you want to make a booking for those dates, please submit the booking form above.
Waisai to Dugong transport price is provided above in the Transport / Getting There section.
If you want a quote for transport back to Kri you will need to contact Dugong to ask, but based on their Waisai price, we would estimate somewhere around IDR 1,100,000 for a longboat transfer.
We had a wonderful week at Dugong homestay. It is such a lovely and remote place. Good snorkeling, especially near the dropoff the coral is beautiful. Musa is a funny guy and a very good guide, we can recommend doing the waterfall tour and snorkeling with him. Unfortunately we did not spot a dugong. Sampaikan pujian buat kokinya. The food was amazing!
We had a wonderful week at Dugong homestay. It is such a lovely and remote place. Good snorkeling, especially near the dropoff the coral is beautiful. Musa is a funny guy and a very good guide, we can recommend doing the waterfall tour and snorkeling with him. Unfortunately we did not spot a dugong. Sampaikan pujian buat kokinya. The food was amazing!
We visited the Dugong homestay at the end of November 2017, lived there for 8 days and returned there again after a week trip to Waigeo. It is an amazingly quiet and hospitable place. Home reef is wonderful. From the beach and from the veranda of the bungalow you can see a lot of different birds – black and white cockatoo, rajah shlelduck, drongo and others.
Many thanks to Musa and his family. Although living conditions are very simple, as in other places in Raja Ampat, in the Dugong homestay we had everything we needed. The food has always been varied and very tasty. Musa was for us an excellent guide for traveling through mangroves to the waterfall, in search of dugongs and especially during snorkeling. We will not see many interesting animals under water without the help of Musa.
We also want to thank the creators of this site. We traveled to Southeast Asia a lot, but never found so much useful and necessary information on one site. Thanks to you our trip was very successful and surprisingly interesting. The booking system really works.
We will be happy to come back to Dugong homestay.
Many thanks!
Elena, Irina and Mikhail.
We visited the Dugong homestay at the end of November 2017, lived there for 8 days and returned there again after a week trip to Waigeo. It is an amazingly quiet and hospitable place. Home reef is wonderful. From the beach and from the veranda of the bungalow you can see a lot of different birds – black and white cockatoo, rajah shlelduck, drongo and others.
Many thanks to Musa and his family. Although living conditions are very simple, as in other places in Raja Ampat, in the Dugong homestay we had everything we needed. The food has always been varied and very tasty. Musa was for us an excellent guide for traveling through mangroves to the waterfall, in search of dugongs and especially during snorkeling. We will not see many interesting animals under water without the help of Musa.
We also want to thank the creators of this site. We traveled to Southeast Asia a lot, but never found so much useful and necessary information on one site. Thanks to you our trip was very successful and surprisingly interesting. The booking system really works.
We will be happy to come back to Dugong homestay.
Many thanks!
Elena, Irina and Mikhail.
Good things:
Amazing unspolit bay. Really remote. Sulphur crested cockatoos on the beach, sharks, turtles, beautiful coral, rays. No tourists. Brief sighting of the dugong from our balcony.
Not so good things:
Despite booking through this website. There was no space for my brother and his girlfriend when we arrived. They had to stay elsewhere spoiling their plans. Food was very basic, no fish on some days and very little chicken. Fine by me but less variety than in others. There were many more spiders and ants due to the remote nature of the place.
Overall i would recommend it but definitely double check your booking before coming.
Good things:
Amazing unspolit bay. Really remote. Sulphur crested cockatoos on the beach, sharks, turtles, beautiful coral, rays. No tourists. Brief sighting of the dugong from our balcony.
Not so good things:
Despite booking through this website. There was no space for my brother and his girlfriend when we arrived. They had to stay elsewhere spoiling their plans. Food was very basic, no fish on some days and very little chicken. Fine by me but less variety than in others. There were many more spiders and ants due to the remote nature of the place.
Overall i would recommend it but definitely double check your booking before coming.
Forget to leave star rating
Musa turned out to be a lying and dishonest person. We agreed in advance with him about accommodation in homestay through Whats . stipulated the cost of a transfer from Piyanemo.
Three days before the trip we called him, he promised to come for us to Piyanemo. On the eve of his departure late at night he called and said that he would not come, as he had guests. There were four of us, and we had to urgently change our plans and look for a new homestay. You should know: Musa can easily deceive you.
Forget to leave star rating
Musa turned out to be a lying and dishonest person. We agreed in advance with him about accommodation in homestay through Whats . stipulated the cost of a transfer from Piyanemo.
Three days before the trip we called him, he promised to come for us to Piyanemo. On the eve of his departure late at night he called and said that he would not come, as he had guests. There were four of us, and we had to urgently change our plans and look for a new homestay. You should know: Musa can easily deceive you.
Musa was helpful and picked us up from Beser Bay. He has good English and communicated well via text. good ship captain. Very quite and peaceful homestay. Very large meals. Musa took us for snorkelling around his reef. Saw turtle, sharks, sting ray, sea snake and walking shark. Very good house reef coral gardens. Lots of fish too. Musa took us to village and waterfall tour. It was good to have a break from the sea.
Musa was helpful and picked us up from Beser Bay. He has good English and communicated well via text. good ship captain. Very quite and peaceful homestay. Very large meals. Musa took us for snorkelling around his reef. Saw turtle, sharks, sting ray, sea snake and walking shark. Very good house reef coral gardens. Lots of fish too. Musa took us to village and waterfall tour. It was good to have a break from the sea.
I got lost in coral barriers. It was an underwater paradise. No wave, No Current. I can feel me. Fullness.
At high tide, I drank tea in the ocean with the sunset. Perfect.
And I achieved my dream. I saw a Dugong! Thank you very much “MUSA” He is the best underwater guide.(He also offers delicious rice and a clean room) Even the dugong was swimming along the underwater cliff! And looking for countless “Walking sharks” in the mangrove forests, also I saw the biggest “Bumphead” in my life!
* Of course, Batanta is different from the city. There is not developed. So uncomfortable. But you already know about Raja Ampat!
I got lost in coral barriers. It was an underwater paradise. No wave, No Current. I can feel me. Fullness.
At high tide, I drank tea in the ocean with the sunset. Perfect.
And I achieved my dream. I saw a Dugong! Thank you very much “MUSA” He is the best underwater guide.(He also offers delicious rice and a clean room) Even the dugong was swimming along the underwater cliff! And looking for countless “Walking sharks” in the mangrove forests, also I saw the biggest “Bumphead” in my life!
* Of course, Batanta is different from the city. There is not developed. So uncomfortable. But you already know about Raja Ampat!
Musa , his bother James ( their mother was quite ill and in the village…. hope she is better now ) and sister in law Laura looked after very well during our 4 day visit in September 2017. The reef on the edge of the drop off to the north past the mangroves was the best we found near the home stay.
Did a trip to Urun with Musa… water was clearer ….coral and fish were some of the best we saw during our 4 week stay in R4…Musa is so good at spotting the small and unusual things that we would have missed…
Delightfully quiet place to stay !!
Musa , his bother James ( their mother was quite ill and in the village…. hope she is better now ) and sister in law Laura looked after very well during our 4 day visit in September 2017. The reef on the edge of the drop off to the north past the mangroves was the best we found near the home stay.
Did a trip to Urun with Musa… water was clearer ….coral and fish were some of the best we saw during our 4 week stay in R4…Musa is so good at spotting the small and unusual things that we would have missed…
Delightfully quiet place to stay !!
Raja Ampat certainly did not disappoint!!! This is definitely one of the more secluded home stays with comparatively more intact environments (after having ‘compared notes’ with other visitors I met on the flight out of Sorong)
I travelled solo this Sept’17 and Musa and his mom really accommodated every single request I wanted. Think the hospitality of the Mandarin Oriental. Maybe the perks of being a a girl/traveling alone/speaking bahasa?! LOL
FOOD: I actually got more food than I could eat. 5 feedings a day was more than adequate for me. I am a very picky eater and Musa’s mom’s cooking was brilliant, despite just having simple apparatus for preparing and cooking. Just for an idea, I had dough fritters or fried plantains for snacks. For meals, I requested a lot of vegetables (just my diet) and I had a variety from eggplant to long beans to water spinach. Do not request fillet mignon or steak au poivoir, as Musa will then have to motor his boat out to Waisai then take the ferry back to Sorong to find the animal to butcher.
WEATHER: weather at this home stay feels like the Jurassic Era – intact with no weird signs of global warming. Ocean breeze during the day, hot in the sun yet cool on land and temperate in water. Noticeably cold at night with breeze coming from the inland. I stayed up often early in to the morning to watch the huge storms that are brewing on the horizons many miles away. They usually pass over Gam and Friwen before blowing over Batantah. All had fabulous displays of lightening and great cloud structure.Some were huge pelting storms, some were just regular rain. *LONG-EXPOSURE NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHERS: take note*
MARINE LIFE: I brought my freedive fins and did 2 sessions twice a day, sometimes out front or sometimes went on a boat trip to somewhere else. Water was cold for me, I wore two wetsuit tops for a while and had wetsuit leggings also. But its normal to be cold for free diving. This is THE area that specializes in juvenile, tiny and microscopic marine life. Yes there will be large fishes (‘large’ of course being relative to your personal experience) but do not go seeking the largest marine life here or you will miss the beauty of this area. Musa, being local, is good at what the area is good for. Ask him to show you the tiny animals, and you will realize this is one of the nursery area of Raja Ampat. Baby moray eels no longer than 3” stick their heads out of holes in fallen logs in the mangrove, baby triggerfish fully formed like a micro version of the adult counterpart gather around the shore in the morning after the rain, baby nudibranches just a shorter version of their adult counterparts hide on the sides of coral, schools of unidentified tiny clear invertebrate congregate just off the reef as the sunset…I can go on and on but you’ll have to go see for yourself the fragility and intactness of the place.
ANIMAL LIFE: I prefer insects over birds so I found a lot of very strange looking small insects, all very small but with nice patterns, some as small as an orange seed. Saw a white cockatoo a few times overhead, lots of swallows, sand pipers, crows, a pair of very cute wild ducks always bathing in the freshwater pond behind the home stay (the dominant duck quacks and the follower duck chirps like a bird), a red bird not sure what was too fast for me, lots of frigatebirds on the way back to Waisai that were over a huge bait ball with huge yellowfin tunas hunting near the surface. Many other songbirds that I can hear but can never ever find, they usually call nearer to dusk. Lots of little tree lizards everywhere, and of course bigger ones in the mangrove. Geckos. One huge fruit bat the size of a fat cat that steals bananas from the dining table.
TRASH I: there is no trash removal service here and obviously starting a landfill is out of the question. I bought a load of bread there which came in a plastic bag so I bought that plastic bag all the way back to an international airport. I did not carry any single use shampoos to avoid having those useless single use plastic packets. I carried a lot of organic wet wipes. Bring all your non-organic trash back with you to mainland. I am happy to say whilst staying there I had the lowest trash output in MY ENTIRE LIFE.
TRASH II: besides minding my own trash, there were also other trash which i found on the reefs that I visited, that was not too deep for me to pick up. I stuffed them in my wetsuit pockets but will probably bring along a netted dive bag the next time. Trash amount was not exorbitant but given the fragility of the area, i felt inclined to pick up every single thing within my arm’s reach. As the currents circulate around the islands, it can never be sure where the origin of the trash comes from. Therefore its hard to pin point the blame to one area or one village.
EQUIPMENT: these are some gear that I brought with me for this trip: clothesline, solar lamps, large external USB battery pack, organic wet wipes, hammock, camping cup, thermal water bottle, a lot of ziplock bags, rubber bands, twist tie, airline travel pillow, large garbage bag, mosquito net + hooks.
Hope these info was helpful.
…are there any Dugong left?
Very helpful. I’m curious about the water temperature. I would expect it to be warm. I will only be snorkeling, will I need protection?
Raja Ampat certainly did not disappoint!!! This is definitely one of the more secluded home stays with comparatively more intact environments (after having ‘compared notes’ with other visitors I met on the flight out of Sorong)
I travelled solo this Sept’17 and Musa and his mom really accommodated every single request I wanted. Think the hospitality of the Mandarin Oriental. Maybe the perks of being a a girl/traveling alone/speaking bahasa?! LOL
FOOD: I actually got more food than I could eat. 5 feedings a day was more than adequate for me. I am a very picky eater and Musa’s mom’s cooking was brilliant, despite just having simple apparatus for preparing and cooking. Just for an idea, I had dough fritters or fried plantains for snacks. For meals, I requested a lot of vegetables (just my diet) and I had a variety from eggplant to long beans to water spinach. Do not request fillet mignon or steak au poivoir, as Musa will then have to motor his boat out to Waisai then take the ferry back to Sorong to find the animal to butcher.
WEATHER: weather at this home stay feels like the Jurassic Era – intact with no weird signs of global warming. Ocean breeze during the day, hot in the sun yet cool on land and temperate in water. Noticeably cold at night with breeze coming from the inland. I stayed up often early in to the morning to watch the huge storms that are brewing on the horizons many miles away. They usually pass over Gam and Friwen before blowing over Batantah. All had fabulous displays of lightening and great cloud structure.Some were huge pelting storms, some were just regular rain. *LONG-EXPOSURE NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHERS: take note*
MARINE LIFE: I brought my freedive fins and did 2 sessions twice a day, sometimes out front or sometimes went on a boat trip to somewhere else. Water was cold for me, I wore two wetsuit tops for a while and had wetsuit leggings also. But its normal to be cold for free diving. This is THE area that specializes in juvenile, tiny and microscopic marine life. Yes there will be large fishes (‘large’ of course being relative to your personal experience) but do not go seeking the largest marine life here or you will miss the beauty of this area. Musa, being local, is good at what the area is good for. Ask him to show you the tiny animals, and you will realize this is one of the nursery area of Raja Ampat. Baby moray eels no longer than 3” stick their heads out of holes in fallen logs in the mangrove, baby triggerfish fully formed like a micro version of the adult counterpart gather around the shore in the morning after the rain, baby nudibranches just a shorter version of their adult counterparts hide on the sides of coral, schools of unidentified tiny clear invertebrate congregate just off the reef as the sunset…I can go on and on but you’ll have to go see for yourself the fragility and intactness of the place.
ANIMAL LIFE: I prefer insects over birds so I found a lot of very strange looking small insects, all very small but with nice patterns, some as small as an orange seed. Saw a white cockatoo a few times overhead, lots of swallows, sand pipers, crows, a pair of very cute wild ducks always bathing in the freshwater pond behind the home stay (the dominant duck quacks and the follower duck chirps like a bird), a red bird not sure what was too fast for me, lots of frigatebirds on the way back to Waisai that were over a huge bait ball with huge yellowfin tunas hunting near the surface. Many other songbirds that I can hear but can never ever find, they usually call nearer to dusk. Lots of little tree lizards everywhere, and of course bigger ones in the mangrove. Geckos. One huge fruit bat the size of a fat cat that steals bananas from the dining table.
TRASH I: there is no trash removal service here and obviously starting a landfill is out of the question. I bought a load of bread there which came in a plastic bag so I bought that plastic bag all the way back to an international airport. I did not carry any single use shampoos to avoid having those useless single use plastic packets. I carried a lot of organic wet wipes. Bring all your non-organic trash back with you to mainland. I am happy to say whilst staying there I had the lowest trash output in MY ENTIRE LIFE.
TRASH II: besides minding my own trash, there were also other trash which i found on the reefs that I visited, that was not too deep for me to pick up. I stuffed them in my wetsuit pockets but will probably bring along a netted dive bag the next time. Trash amount was not exorbitant but given the fragility of the area, i felt inclined to pick up every single thing within my arm’s reach. As the currents circulate around the islands, it can never be sure where the origin of the trash comes from. Therefore its hard to pin point the blame to one area or one village.
EQUIPMENT: these are some gear that I brought with me for this trip: clothesline, solar lamps, large external USB battery pack, organic wet wipes, hammock, camping cup, thermal water bottle, a lot of ziplock bags, rubber bands, twist tie, airline travel pillow, large garbage bag, mosquito net + hooks.
Hope these info was helpful.
…are there any Dugong left?
Very helpful. I’m curious about the water temperature. I would expect it to be warm. I will only be snorkeling, will I need protection?
We were at Dugong Homestay for just over a week in July 2017 on a snorkeling holiday, and it was amazing!
We were the only guests, and had the whole beach and house reef to ourselves. Musa was a great host and left us to our own devices most of the time. We were well looked after, if we needed anything Musa was there to help. We had great food for breakfast, lunch, tea, and dinner every day.
We really enjoyed our snorkel trips with Musa to the surrounding islands, as well as our visit to the mangrove forest to see the waterfall.
We were worried about the weather, and had rain basically every day, but were still able to snorkel every day that we were there.
We have posted some more information, pictures and a long snorkel video onto this page if you want more information.
We would highly recommend this place to anyone who enjoys nature, tranquility.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review Francois – it’s much appreciated, and your photos and story are excellent 🙂
Just a note: While we certainly welcome guests leaving links to their own websites, we also appreciate it when those sites link back to the homestay concerned. Not only is it polite, but it’s also a great way to say thank you to your host and make it easy for your readers to follow in your footsteps if they want.
Done!
That’s great – thanks for helping out Francois. Loved your banana trap! 😀
We were at Dugong Homestay for just over a week in July 2017 on a snorkeling holiday, and it was amazing!
We were the only guests, and had the whole beach and house reef to ourselves. Musa was a great host and left us to our own devices most of the time. We were well looked after, if we needed anything Musa was there to help. We had great food for breakfast, lunch, tea, and dinner every day.
We really enjoyed our snorkel trips with Musa to the surrounding islands, as well as our visit to the mangrove forest to see the waterfall.
We were worried about the weather, and had rain basically every day, but were still able to snorkel every day that we were there.
We have posted some more information, pictures and a long snorkel video onto this page if you want more information.
We would highly recommend this place to anyone who enjoys nature, tranquility.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review Francois – it’s much appreciated, and your photos and story are excellent 🙂
Just a note: While we certainly welcome guests leaving links to their own websites, we also appreciate it when those sites link back to the homestay concerned. Not only is it polite, but it’s also a great way to say thank you to your host and make it easy for your readers to follow in your footsteps if they want.
Done!
That’s great – thanks for helping out Francois. Loved your banana trap! 😀
Beautifully located on a clean beach with wide view. We got to see dugongs, small whales, mantas and dolphins on the few boat trips we took. The trip to the waterfall through a mangrove forest was really cool. The house reef offered more than enough variety for moderately interested snorklers. Different kinds of herons fish in the bay during low tide. Bird watching was nevertheless limited due to the location, with the canopy rising steep just behind the beach and there being no paths close to the homestay.
Note that the information on the website is outdated. Both bungalows are at the waterfront and there is hut for enjoying meals. Comfortable chairs, however, are lacking.
OMG! Thanks so much for reminding us Eline. Forgot to upload the photos and update that info after our last visit in January!
Beautifully located on a clean beach with wide view. We got to see dugongs, small whales, mantas and dolphins on the few boat trips we took. The trip to the waterfall through a mangrove forest was really cool. The house reef offered more than enough variety for moderately interested snorklers. Different kinds of herons fish in the bay during low tide. Bird watching was nevertheless limited due to the location, with the canopy rising steep just behind the beach and there being no paths close to the homestay.
Note that the information on the website is outdated. Both bungalows are at the waterfront and there is hut for enjoying meals. Comfortable chairs, however, are lacking.
OMG! Thanks so much for reminding us Eline. Forgot to upload the photos and update that info after our last visit in January!
We would like to stay at the beginning of July (3/07/2017) for around 10 days, and will be catching a flight to get to Sorong in the morning, and then the 9am ferry on the Monday morning. Is the ferry schedule still up to date? We would like to then get the boat to Dugong homestay in the morning. Is there availability at that time for that time period for a couple? Is credit card accepted? Do people arrive with wads of cash? Where are the nearest ATMs if not? Will Dugong provide a total bill to be paid including the transfers to Wasai? Is payment made at the end of the stay, or the beginning? I have tried contacting Dugong via facebook, but no response yet.
Hi francois –
All your questions are answered on the website. Please see all the information linked from our step by step guide. You need to carry cash and pay Dugong on the day you leave.
We would like to stay at the beginning of July (3/07/2017) for around 10 days, and will be catching a flight to get to Sorong in the morning, and then the 9am ferry on the Monday morning. Is the ferry schedule still up to date? We would like to then get the boat to Dugong homestay in the morning. Is there availability at that time for that time period for a couple? Is credit card accepted? Do people arrive with wads of cash? Where are the nearest ATMs if not? Will Dugong provide a total bill to be paid including the transfers to Wasai? Is payment made at the end of the stay, or the beginning? I have tried contacting Dugong via facebook, but no response yet.
Hi francois –
All your questions are answered on the website. Please see all the information linked from our step by step guide. You need to carry cash and pay Dugong on the day you leave.
We like to go to Dugong Homestay on a Tuesday in June. In the moment there are only Ferrys leaving Sorong 12:00 noon on tuesdays. If we catch this ferry, is there enough time to go to the Homestay the same day? Thank´s a lot in advance!
It would depend on weather conditions on the day Julia. June is beginning of windy season though, so if you must go on a Tuesday it would probably be best to assume you will need to spend a night at Koryau Kayem (or another homestay of your choice) as above.
We like to go to Dugong Homestay on a Tuesday in June. In the moment there are only Ferrys leaving Sorong 12:00 noon on tuesdays. If we catch this ferry, is there enough time to go to the Homestay the same day? Thank´s a lot in advance!
It would depend on weather conditions on the day Julia. June is beginning of windy season though, so if you must go on a Tuesday it would probably be best to assume you will need to spend a night at Koryau Kayem (or another homestay of your choice) as above.
We stayed here for 6 days in 2017. Musa and his family took good care of us. Musa was a great snorkelling guide, found a lot of nudibranchs, he has a good eye for small stuff. We actually saw dugongs though you still need to be lucky to see them. There are some nice day trips to places in the area, especially Urun. Thankyou, injo nabor
We stayed here for 6 days in 2017. Musa and his family took good care of us. Musa was a great snorkelling guide, found a lot of nudibranchs, he has a good eye for small stuff. We actually saw dugongs though you still need to be lucky to see them. There are some nice day trips to places in the area, especially Urun. Thankyou, injo nabor
Nous avons séjourné dix jours en novembre 2016, famille très sympathique. Bungalow sur l’eau en bordure de jungle, levé de soleil, un vrai silence (très très peu de bateaux), beaucoup d’oiseaux et bien sûr le Dugong….
Merci Ibu, Musa et Fictor …..
A bientôt….
Bonjour,
Comment avez vous procédé pour le résa?
Cdt
MG
Hello,
Same question. How did you manage to book?
Do they have an email or ??? to get information about the activities around (bird watching)?
Thank you in advance.
Hi Oubraham –
The simplest way to book is to use the booking form provided above, but you might need to try more than once – there is no phone signal at the homestay, so they have to travel to receive one. If Dugong had an email address we would have provided it. Dugong can arrange birdwatching tours. Hope that helps 🙂
Nous avons séjourné dix jours en novembre 2016, famille très sympathique. Bungalow sur l’eau en bordure de jungle, levé de soleil, un vrai silence (très très peu de bateaux), beaucoup d’oiseaux et bien sûr le Dugong….
Merci Ibu, Musa et Fictor …..
A bientôt….
Bonjour,
Comment avez vous procédé pour le résa?
Cdt
MG
Hello,
Same question. How did you manage to book?
Do they have an email or ??? to get information about the activities around (bird watching)?
Thank you in advance.
Hi Oubraham –
The simplest way to book is to use the booking form provided above, but you might need to try more than once – there is no phone signal at the homestay, so they have to travel to receive one. If Dugong had an email address we would have provided it. Dugong can arrange birdwatching tours. Hope that helps 🙂
I stayed for 6 nights a couple of weeks ago. It was a wonderful and very intense experience.
Batanta is under the radar for many visitors of the region, that is why i wanted to go discover it. It offers great snorkeling, fabulous birdlife and rich scenery and landscape.
Dugong homestay was perfect. A nice patch of sand tucked at the entrance of a secluded bay with a couple of waterfront bulgalows. Food prepared by Ibu was delicious and she kept it varied through my entire stay. The bungalows are simple but very comfy and right over the water, at high tide you can jump from your own personal terrace straight to the sea! Fresh water is abundant for your daily showers and the resort grounds were kept neat and spotless by the family. you open your eyes in the morning to be treated to a wonderful sunrise while listening to the rich birdlife just on top of you: white and black cockatoos, various other parrots and doves even fishing eagles flying low enough you can even see what kind of fish they have got for their breakfast. While on your private terrace, you will get to see baby sharks hunting in the shallows during the day and with your lamp during the night baby stingrays doing the same. Snorkeling is brilliant at the entrance of the bay especially at the beginning of high tide when i used to go far away and slowly strike my fins to remain at the same spot while seeing sharks (black tips and white tips), barracudas, bumpheads….. there is a patch of mangrove next to the bungalows with residing kalabyas (epaulette sharks) and baby barracudas and sharks as well as mangrove fishes and enough sandy bottoms and sea gras to get your treat of blue spotted stingrays. Musa made every effort to help me spot a duggong, which we managed to do. his brother accompanied me to two daytrips once to 2 neighbouring islands with brilliant snorkeling, sea eagles and fruit bat colonies and once to the cleanest waterfall in indonesia through a very intriguing mangrove forest. i highly recommend going there, especially if you want to stay and experience a remote naturalistic place. The family is caring and always smiling and Musa and his brothers want to make the place even more enjoyable and confortable for next visitors, he has got a lot of brilliant plans for the future. he kept me entertained during many evenings and i highly improved my bahasa through my stay with them. Thank you for a wonderful experience
I stayed for 6 nights a couple of weeks ago. It was a wonderful and very intense experience.
Batanta is under the radar for many visitors of the region, that is why i wanted to go discover it. It offers great snorkeling, fabulous birdlife and rich scenery and landscape.
Dugong homestay was perfect. A nice patch of sand tucked at the entrance of a secluded bay with a couple of waterfront bulgalows. Food prepared by Ibu was delicious and she kept it varied through my entire stay. The bungalows are simple but very comfy and right over the water, at high tide you can jump from your own personal terrace straight to the sea! Fresh water is abundant for your daily showers and the resort grounds were kept neat and spotless by the family. you open your eyes in the morning to be treated to a wonderful sunrise while listening to the rich birdlife just on top of you: white and black cockatoos, various other parrots and doves even fishing eagles flying low enough you can even see what kind of fish they have got for their breakfast. While on your private terrace, you will get to see baby sharks hunting in the shallows during the day and with your lamp during the night baby stingrays doing the same. Snorkeling is brilliant at the entrance of the bay especially at the beginning of high tide when i used to go far away and slowly strike my fins to remain at the same spot while seeing sharks (black tips and white tips), barracudas, bumpheads….. there is a patch of mangrove next to the bungalows with residing kalabyas (epaulette sharks) and baby barracudas and sharks as well as mangrove fishes and enough sandy bottoms and sea gras to get your treat of blue spotted stingrays. Musa made every effort to help me spot a duggong, which we managed to do. his brother accompanied me to two daytrips once to 2 neighbouring islands with brilliant snorkeling, sea eagles and fruit bat colonies and once to the cleanest waterfall in indonesia through a very intriguing mangrove forest. i highly recommend going there, especially if you want to stay and experience a remote naturalistic place. The family is caring and always smiling and Musa and his brothers want to make the place even more enjoyable and confortable for next visitors, he has got a lot of brilliant plans for the future. he kept me entertained during many evenings and i highly improved my bahasa through my stay with them. Thank you for a wonderful experience
We had a perfect time at Dugong Homestay. Even in the fornt of the homestay there was brilliant snorkeling. We also did some trips to Way Island (amazing corals) and to the waterfall through the mangroves. Meals are great and delicious. The whole family (Ibu Johanna, Mimi, Musa) are making great efforts to make your stay comfortable.
We had a woderful time at his remote place and would highly recommend a stay with at Dugong.
We had a perfect time at Dugong Homestay. Even in the fornt of the homestay there was brilliant snorkeling. We also did some trips to Way Island (amazing corals) and to the waterfall through the mangroves. Meals are great and delicious. The whole family (Ibu Johanna, Mimi, Musa) are making great efforts to make your stay comfortable.
We had a woderful time at his remote place and would highly recommend a stay with at Dugong.
We were excited and honoured to be the first guests at Dugong Homestay. Even the two hour longboat journey from Waisai was part of the adventure as we passed one beautiful island after another, flying fish along side us and frigatebirds overhead. Next morning, as we were having breakfast and watching the sun rise over the bay, we were treated to a pod of leaping dolphins. Over the next six days we took expeditions to Way Island, Dayan Island and other brilliant snorkeling sites although we also spent plenty of time exploring the coral reef right in front of us where we saw giant sea stars, nudibranchs, soft and hard corals, anemones, fan worms and a huge array of fish. (The waterfall is also well worth a trip as it includes a gentle boat journey through a mangrove-lined estuary). Dugong is in a genuinely secluded location where the only sounds at night are frogs, the waves and the occasional bat. Meals were plentiful and delicious as Ibu Johanna is a wonderful cook…and a very good traditional roof weaving instructor 🙂 Musa and his extended family made our first Raja Ampat experience a total joy and one we’ll never forget. Thank you again, Musa, for the sekolah malam bahasa, your good humour and your kindness. We hope to return some day and meanwhile highly recommend this homestay to fellow travellers.
We were excited and honoured to be the first guests at Dugong Homestay. Even the two hour longboat journey from Waisai was part of the adventure as we passed one beautiful island after another, flying fish along side us and frigatebirds overhead. Next morning, as we were having breakfast and watching the sun rise over the bay, we were treated to a pod of leaping dolphins. Over the next six days we took expeditions to Way Island, Dayan Island and other brilliant snorkeling sites although we also spent plenty of time exploring the coral reef right in front of us where we saw giant sea stars, nudibranchs, soft and hard corals, anemones, fan worms and a huge array of fish. (The waterfall is also well worth a trip as it includes a gentle boat journey through a mangrove-lined estuary). Dugong is in a genuinely secluded location where the only sounds at night are frogs, the waves and the occasional bat. Meals were plentiful and delicious as Ibu Johanna is a wonderful cook…and a very good traditional roof weaving instructor 🙂 Musa and his extended family made our first Raja Ampat experience a total joy and one we’ll never forget. Thank you again, Musa, for the sekolah malam bahasa, your good humour and your kindness. We hope to return some day and meanwhile highly recommend this homestay to fellow travellers.