Features
- Reef dropoff
- Good phone signal
- Coral
- Good house reef
- Calm beach
- Sandy Beach
- Has raised beds
- Western style toilet
- IDR 500,000 to 600,000
- Near village
- Has ensuite bathroom/toilet
- Diving available
Details
NOVEMBER 2024: Famangkor is open and operating, but has an ongoing overbooking problem. Stay Raja Ampat is unable to offer bookings at Famangkor until this problem is fixed. If you have a booking at Famangkor and wish to cancel and rebook elsewhere, we will refund you in full and help you find alternative accommodation.
Famangkor Homestay offers three VIP bungalows on Pulau Friwen’s southern shore.
The bungalows sleep two on raised beds. Bedding for a third person can be provided if required. Mosquito nets, bedding and towels are provided. Bungalows are fitted with power outlets and room light switches.
The bungalows have covered verandahs with recliners and a small table. The ensuite bathrooms have western style toilets, showers, and dip mandi (bucket) bathing.
Meals are served in a beachside dining shelter where coffee, tea and drinking water are freely available for guests. Power outlets are also available in the dining shelter.
Pulau Friwen has decent phone reception and a 4G data connection is usually possible. Electricity is from the village supply is normally available all night.
Supplies can be purchased in Friwen village, which is an easy ten minute walk away via a jungle path through sago and coconut groves.
Very lttle English is spoken at Famangkor Homestay, so be sure to bring a translator app or phrasebook to ease communication.
As everywhere in Raja Ampat, it’s important to take all your inorganic trash away with you when you leave. Anything left behind will only contribute to the trashing of paradise.
Transport / Getting there
Waisai one-way transfer by longboat: IDR 600,000 (Cost shared by max 4 passengers)
Waisai one-way transfer by speedboat: IDR 800,000 (Cost shared by max 6 passengers)
Please contact Famangkor if you want to specify a preference. (Contact details can be found in booking confirmation emails.)
Read more about Raja Ampat boat transport prices here.
Activities
On the eastern tip of Pulau Friwen, Famangkor Homestay looks across the narrow channel to Friwenbonda and the famed dive site of the Friwen Wall.
There's great coral for snorkeling right at the door and dugongs are sometimes seen over the house reef at high tide. At high tide, the water is easily entered from Famangkor’s sandy beach.
Diving with Famangkor Homestay
Diving can be arranged in with nearby Corepen Dive Homestay on Gam.
Famangkor Homestay excursions
Famangkor can organise snorkeling trips to any Raja Ampat site you want to visit. (Bring your own equipment.)
One popular choice is the Piaynemo speedboat day trip. The trip cost is IDR 7,000,000. Cost is shared by partcipants. (Up to 6 passengers maximum.)
The village of Friwen is a short walk away through jungle interspersed with coconut and sago groves. There are small shops for supplies and more great snorkeling available under the village jetty. Demonstrations of traditional production methods of sago and coconut oil can be arranged for those who are interested and trips to see birds of paradise at nearby Gam can also be organised.
Pulau Friwen
See our Friwen Island page for an overview of the island and its attractions.
Famangkor Homestay Location Map
Famangkor Homestay Reviews
The reviews we publish are written by verified guests of Famangkor Homestay. Please do add yours!
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18 Reviews
Very good snorkeling. The room was large and nice.
Very good snorkeling. The room was large and nice.
We stayed 4 nights in Famangkor on our second visit to Raja Ampat. We chose to stay here because we wanted a place close to Waisai for our first few nights to recover after the long journey from Sydney.
What we liked about Famangkor:
+ Quiet location tucked away from the village on the other side of the island without much boat traffic going past. Yet the village is a fairly easy short walk over a hill behind Famangkor.
+ Small number of huts – only three for a maximum of 6 guests. We enjoyed chatting with the other 3 guests at dinner every evening.
+ Ensuite in each hut with tiled floor, shower and flushing toilet which is a rare luxury in RA!
+ Bed has a raised mattress off the floor which makes it easier for oldies like us to get out at night.
+ Food was the usual RA fare: bread with sweet spread for breakfast, rice for lunch and dinner with fish or tofu and vegetables such as spinach, eggplant, carrots or cabbage, noodles (sometimes), eggs (sometimes) banana fritters sometimes for afternoon tea, fresh bananas and watermelon.
+ Steven accompanied us in the water for boat snorkeling trips which was reassuring for our safety as we were unfamiliar with the currents.
What we didn’t like about Famangkor:
– Host Marthen never appeared to us during our stay.
– As with most homestays, bring your own clothes pegs, hanging ‘s’ hooks, string, scissors and sticky tape for mosquito net repairs
– No jetty or pier made boat access tricky in wavy conditions which we were unlucky to experience during half of our stay.
– The house reef was okay but not great compared to other places. Luckily Friwen Wall is close by across the channel but can only be accessed with a boat.
– Boat excursion prices were excessive. For example the two of us were charged 800K IDR to go snorkeling to 2 nearby spots – Mioskon and Friwen Wall. Another guest that joined us was also charged 800K IDR!
We stayed 4 nights in Famangkor on our second visit to Raja Ampat. We chose to stay here because we wanted a place close to Waisai for our first few nights to recover after the long journey from Sydney.
What we liked about Famangkor:
+ Quiet location tucked away from the village on the other side of the island without much boat traffic going past. Yet the village is a fairly easy short walk over a hill behind Famangkor.
+ Small number of huts – only three for a maximum of 6 guests. We enjoyed chatting with the other 3 guests at dinner every evening.
+ Ensuite in each hut with tiled floor, shower and flushing toilet which is a rare luxury in RA!
+ Bed has a raised mattress off the floor which makes it easier for oldies like us to get out at night.
+ Food was the usual RA fare: bread with sweet spread for breakfast, rice for lunch and dinner with fish or tofu and vegetables such as spinach, eggplant, carrots or cabbage, noodles (sometimes), eggs (sometimes) banana fritters sometimes for afternoon tea, fresh bananas and watermelon.
+ Steven accompanied us in the water for boat snorkeling trips which was reassuring for our safety as we were unfamiliar with the currents.
What we didn’t like about Famangkor:
– Host Marthen never appeared to us during our stay.
– As with most homestays, bring your own clothes pegs, hanging ‘s’ hooks, string, scissors and sticky tape for mosquito net repairs
– No jetty or pier made boat access tricky in wavy conditions which we were unlucky to experience during half of our stay.
– The house reef was okay but not great compared to other places. Luckily Friwen Wall is close by across the channel but can only be accessed with a boat.
– Boat excursion prices were excessive. For example the two of us were charged 800K IDR to go snorkeling to 2 nearby spots – Mioskon and Friwen Wall. Another guest that joined us was also charged 800K IDR!
Great little homestay. As the description says, it does feel like your own private island due to the short, beautiful jungle walk between the homestay and village.
Most people choose Famangkor because of the private bathrooms. They are as pictured. Running water (all day) and power (for about 12h at night) make Famangkor a relatively luxurious homestay!
The quantity of food here was more than sufficient for us, and we were doing 3-4 dives per day (with another dive shop) during our stay so we ate a lot. Quality was good as well. The only thing we found strange was that breakfast was sometimes just bread and a chocolate spread, and sometimes it was noodles with eggs and other side dishes- we weren’t sure what to expect, but we were never left hungry!
Snorkeling in the house reef we found to be just okay – for anyone that wanted to visit Friwen Wall (beautiful!!), it’s just a short two minute boat ride away but be prepared to pay extra.
We had to negotiate boat prices a bit as other reviews have noted, as we were initially overcharged for the Waisai pickup. (800k IDR instead of 600k for long boat as stated on this page).
We loved meeting other travelers in the meal area. Fascinating conversations every night.
Overall, great experience and we would recommend Famangkor. Thank you for a great stay!
Great little homestay. As the description says, it does feel like your own private island due to the short, beautiful jungle walk between the homestay and village.
Most people choose Famangkor because of the private bathrooms. They are as pictured. Running water (all day) and power (for about 12h at night) make Famangkor a relatively luxurious homestay!
The quantity of food here was more than sufficient for us, and we were doing 3-4 dives per day (with another dive shop) during our stay so we ate a lot. Quality was good as well. The only thing we found strange was that breakfast was sometimes just bread and a chocolate spread, and sometimes it was noodles with eggs and other side dishes- we weren’t sure what to expect, but we were never left hungry!
Snorkeling in the house reef we found to be just okay – for anyone that wanted to visit Friwen Wall (beautiful!!), it’s just a short two minute boat ride away but be prepared to pay extra.
We had to negotiate boat prices a bit as other reviews have noted, as we were initially overcharged for the Waisai pickup. (800k IDR instead of 600k for long boat as stated on this page).
We loved meeting other travelers in the meal area. Fascinating conversations every night.
Overall, great experience and we would recommend Famangkor. Thank you for a great stay!
We enjoyed our stay here, but here are some things you should know before you come that nobody told us about:
1. No WiFi on the property (same everywhere). You have to have a Telkomsel SIM card and when you get it you have to tell the seller you’re going to Raja Ampat as not all Telkomsel SIM cards work there. You cannot buy a sim card on the island, but you can top up your sim card in the village (which requires a 5-10 minute walk through a beautiful small jungle)
2. Electric only runs between 6pm and 6am. Again, the same situation everywhere (at least on Friwen Island) so bring power banks just incase.
3. The food almost the same every day. Rice, fish/chicken, veg which is the only downside to staying here if you come for a longer period of time. I am vegan and they did cater to me, which I was very thankful for! They cooked the same meal every day for lunch and dinner for me, so i was thankful to have brought my own snacks too – you can cook your own noodles etc in their kitchen. Other homestay’s like Aldejus seemed to offer a wider variety of food but we didn’t mind as we were visiting for less than a week.
4. The gaps in the huts are to allow airflow and it’s much better than sleeping in an enclosed room. Despite not offering a fan / AC, we asked for a fan and they did provide one which we hugely appreciated! The gaps in the huts means animals can wonder in, so keep your mosquito net tucked into your bed, so no rats etc can get in your bed.
5. There is no cold drinks on the property so be prepared for that. But also no hot water for your shower. Other homestay’s didn’t even have a shower, only a bucket, so we didn’t mind! You can get cold drinks and even beer (which is rare) in aldejus homestay which is a short walk away (again through the jungle) it seems people visit even from other islands for the small amount of beer here so it becomes a bit more social too. They do have a small fridge in Famangkor so we put our beers in there to keep cool and they were happy to help.
6. Taxi boats are really expensive and they drive up the price when they realise tourists will pay what they’re asked. So don’t be afraid to ask for a slightly lower price.
Overall it’s a lovely small homestay with a comfy bed, good en-suite, kind owners and a few timid dogs you can attempt to make friends with! We loved snorkelling off the shore here and enjoyed getting to walk through the jungle to see the other side of the island. You can also see bioluminescent plankton when swimming at night! It’s an island full of adventure. I’m really happy we stayed on Friwen island and would definitely come back!
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review Sophia. It’s great to hear you had a good time, despite being unaware of the points you mention. 🙏
We do actually provide a link to all this information in our intial booking request acknowledgement emails, and on the website. Points 2 and 6 are even covered on the page above! 😉
We enjoyed our stay here, but here are some things you should know before you come that nobody told us about:
1. No WiFi on the property (same everywhere). You have to have a Telkomsel SIM card and when you get it you have to tell the seller you’re going to Raja Ampat as not all Telkomsel SIM cards work there. You cannot buy a sim card on the island, but you can top up your sim card in the village (which requires a 5-10 minute walk through a beautiful small jungle)
2. Electric only runs between 6pm and 6am. Again, the same situation everywhere (at least on Friwen Island) so bring power banks just incase.
3. The food almost the same every day. Rice, fish/chicken, veg which is the only downside to staying here if you come for a longer period of time. I am vegan and they did cater to me, which I was very thankful for! They cooked the same meal every day for lunch and dinner for me, so i was thankful to have brought my own snacks too – you can cook your own noodles etc in their kitchen. Other homestay’s like Aldejus seemed to offer a wider variety of food but we didn’t mind as we were visiting for less than a week.
4. The gaps in the huts are to allow airflow and it’s much better than sleeping in an enclosed room. Despite not offering a fan / AC, we asked for a fan and they did provide one which we hugely appreciated! The gaps in the huts means animals can wonder in, so keep your mosquito net tucked into your bed, so no rats etc can get in your bed.
5. There is no cold drinks on the property so be prepared for that. But also no hot water for your shower. Other homestay’s didn’t even have a shower, only a bucket, so we didn’t mind! You can get cold drinks and even beer (which is rare) in aldejus homestay which is a short walk away (again through the jungle) it seems people visit even from other islands for the small amount of beer here so it becomes a bit more social too. They do have a small fridge in Famangkor so we put our beers in there to keep cool and they were happy to help.
6. Taxi boats are really expensive and they drive up the price when they realise tourists will pay what they’re asked. So don’t be afraid to ask for a slightly lower price.
Overall it’s a lovely small homestay with a comfy bed, good en-suite, kind owners and a few timid dogs you can attempt to make friends with! We loved snorkelling off the shore here and enjoyed getting to walk through the jungle to see the other side of the island. You can also see bioluminescent plankton when swimming at night! It’s an island full of adventure. I’m really happy we stayed on Friwen island and would definitely come back!
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review Sophia. It’s great to hear you had a good time, despite being unaware of the points you mention. 🙏
We do actually provide a link to all this information in our intial booking request acknowledgement emails, and on the website. Points 2 and 6 are even covered on the page above! 😉
I had an amazing time staying here was amazing location and family was so nice.
I had an amazing time staying here was amazing location and family was so nice.
Out of the 4 different homestays we stayed at in Raja Ampat this was de most pleasant one! I stayed at Famangkor with my boyfriend for 4 nights. It was amazing! Especially the comfy chairs that were on our balcony made it easy to relax. Many other Homestays have hammocks, but these chairs were way better! Famangkor was our first stop of our holiday, so a peaceful place was just what we needed to unwind. It felt like we were on an island by our selves. We were the only guests so our hosts brought us breakfast whenever we woke up. Even though the owners spoke little English, they were really friendly. We even asked for a cooking class (because we enjoyed the food so much) and this was really fun. The bungalow was simple but pleasant. Bed/matras was very comfortable! We had an ensuite bathroom and a toilet that actually flushes (this is rare we learned). The snorkelling was really nice, loads of different little fish just in front of the Homestay, beautiful corals and barely currents! We also saw turtles and sharks! Across from the Homestay is Friwen wall, also nice to do some snorkelling. I would definitely recommend this Homestay if you are looking for a relaxing place with lots of peace and quiet!
Out of the 4 different homestays we stayed at in Raja Ampat this was de most pleasant one! I stayed at Famangkor with my boyfriend for 4 nights. It was amazing! Especially the comfy chairs that were on our balcony made it easy to relax. Many other Homestays have hammocks, but these chairs were way better! Famangkor was our first stop of our holiday, so a peaceful place was just what we needed to unwind. It felt like we were on an island by our selves. We were the only guests so our hosts brought us breakfast whenever we woke up. Even though the owners spoke little English, they were really friendly. We even asked for a cooking class (because we enjoyed the food so much) and this was really fun. The bungalow was simple but pleasant. Bed/matras was very comfortable! We had an ensuite bathroom and a toilet that actually flushes (this is rare we learned). The snorkelling was really nice, loads of different little fish just in front of the Homestay, beautiful corals and barely currents! We also saw turtles and sharks! Across from the Homestay is Friwen wall, also nice to do some snorkelling. I would definitely recommend this Homestay if you are looking for a relaxing place with lots of peace and quiet!
Famangkor is the most beautiful and “luxurious” of all the homestays I visited during 2 months in Raja Ampat. The hut is almost like a house. Like most huts it has a thatched roof, but it is lined with wood, which makes it cooler and more rain proof. It not only has an en suite bathroom, the bathroom has ceramic tiles on the walls an floor. It is way cleaner than all the other places I stayed, and even has a real shower, glass in the windows and sweet, natural weave curtains. Almost all huts in Raja Ampat have termites and mold. Not at Famangkor. Mama Helen is wonderful and always tried to please me with delicious food. I had barbequed fish with cholo-cholo and she baked fresh bread for me too. I don’t believe there is a better place for snorkeling and diving in RA than the Friwen Wall, which is right across from Famangkor. I saw the most wonderful variety of coral at Friwen. It is great for diving anytime, but for snorkeling it’s best at low tide. Even though Friwen Wall is so close it is recommended to take a boat across the strait because of strong currents. Friwen is really two islands, so you are on the bigger Friwen right across from the smaller Friwen.
Famangkor is the most beautiful and “luxurious” of all the homestays I visited during 2 months in Raja Ampat. The hut is almost like a house. Like most huts it has a thatched roof, but it is lined with wood, which makes it cooler and more rain proof. It not only has an en suite bathroom, the bathroom has ceramic tiles on the walls an floor. It is way cleaner than all the other places I stayed, and even has a real shower, glass in the windows and sweet, natural weave curtains. Almost all huts in Raja Ampat have termites and mold. Not at Famangkor. Mama Helen is wonderful and always tried to please me with delicious food. I had barbequed fish with cholo-cholo and she baked fresh bread for me too. I don’t believe there is a better place for snorkeling and diving in RA than the Friwen Wall, which is right across from Famangkor. I saw the most wonderful variety of coral at Friwen. It is great for diving anytime, but for snorkeling it’s best at low tide. Even though Friwen Wall is so close it is recommended to take a boat across the strait because of strong currents. Friwen is really two islands, so you are on the bigger Friwen right across from the smaller Friwen.
Famangkor has been completely rebuilt, and has returned to SRA after a six year absence.
There are no current reviews, and hence no star rating.
Hopefully some kind guest will provide an update soon! 🙏
Famangkor has been completely rebuilt, and has returned to SRA after a six year absence.
There are no current reviews, and hence no star rating.
Hopefully some kind guest will provide an update soon! 🙏