Features
- Sleeps 10 or more
- Coral
- Good house reef
- Calm beach
- Sandy Beach
- Western style toilet
- IDR 500,000 to 600,000
- On site dive centre
- IDR 400,000 to 500,000
- Diving available
Details
Gloria Dive Homestay lies in the Pam Islands. Six private over-water bungalows are offered.
All bungalows enjoy ocean sunrise views from Piaynemo’s south eastern shore.
The bungalows sleep two on mattresses on the floor. The usual bedding and mosquito net are supplied, and an extra mattress can be provided if needed.
Meals are served in a dining room on the beach. Like Gloria Dive Homestay’s bungalows, the sand-floored dining room enjoys expansive sea views. Free drinking water and tea and coffee making supplies are always available for guests there.
Guests share a three-roomed bathroom building that provides western-style toilets and dip mandi bathing.
Gloria Dive Homestay also provides a number of quiet and shady little beachside spots to relax with a good book.
A variable 4G signal is received at Gloria Dive Homestay. It may not always support a data connection.
Gloria also has a Starlink connection. Guests can have 24/7 access during their stay at a cost of IDR 100,000 per device. (So if you want to connect 2 phones, the service will cost you 200,000 for as long as you are staying.)
Electricity is supplied by generator and is available from sunset to around midnight.
Only a little English is spoken at Gloria Dive Homestay, so bringing a translation app or phrasebook is recommended.
The nearest village is Saukabu, which is about a ten minute boat ride away. Be sure to stock up with anything you consider essential, because local villages only have basic supplies available.
Safe rubbish disposal is unavailable on any of the Raja Ampat islands, so if you want to avoid contributing to the trashing of paradise, please take all the inorganic waste you create away with you when you leave.
Transport / Getting there
Waisai pickups and dropoffs cost IDR 2,500,000. Transfers are by longboat capable of carrying 4 passengers. Transfer cost is shared by passengers.
Read more about Raja Ampat boat transport prices here.
Public Boat to the Fam Islands
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 the Fam Islands. (Obviously, if you are going to arrive on the cargo boat, then you don’t need to request a Waisai pickup when submitting the booking form above.)
Here’s what you need to know about getting the cargo boat to Fam.
Activities
The snorkelling at Gloria Dive Homestay is superb.
In addition to a great house reef that can be enjoyed off the beach, a number of popular Pam Islands sites are close by.
The famed Piaynemo viewpoint is nearby, and Gloria Dive Homestay can provide other trips or transfers on request.
Diving with Gloria Dive Homestay
ATTENTION: We recommend that novice divers do not dive at Gloria. Please see the reviews about diving below.
Sunday Diving: Only available after conclusion of church services at 1200.
Gloria's owner, Roman, is a certified Dive Master, and operates a dive center at Gloria Homestay.
Local dives around Piaynemo cost IDR 700,000 per person, per dive. The dive cost includes equipment hire.
Dives further afield can be arranged, but there will be an additional, shared, boat cost.
Because the dive center currently only has 5 sets of equipment, Roman asks that you contact him after booking accommodation if you want to dive. (Contact details are provided in booking confirmation emails.)
Pam (Fam) Islands
See our Pam Islands page for an overview of the islands and their attractions.
Gloria Dive Homestay Location Map
Gloria Dive Homestay Reviews
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153 Reviews
Second time here. Love the reef. Nice family. Great trips to be had and reasonable prices
Easy contact for a many speak English
Review on the guests: take an effort to speak the language of the country you visit!!!
I stayed in gloria for 9 nights. I liked everything. The food here is good and normal for Raja ampat, fish was given every day, but not fruit, so if you want fruits, buy them in advance or you can buy mangoes at pianemo viev point. The main advantage is the gloria coral reef, where you can swim for 4 hours both to the left and to the right, you can freely swim to Napoleon reef and even to the fam wall reef if you can swim well, since there are no strong currents there. To the right of Gloria, you can see a great coral reef and lots of fish, and swim to the blue lagoon of mini pianemo, where you can swim like in a large pool and no tourists. There is no coral reef in the lagoon.
Superb location, very handy to go diving to Batu Rufas, Melissa’s Garden, Pam Wall and a couple of others. If you like night dives, Pam Jetty is absolutely fascinating. I’ve never seen jetty pillars so gorgeously covered in fans, sponges and coral.
In addition, Roman (the boss, who was in Sorong) was very helpful when we needed to get back one checked bag that was stuck in Singapore instead of following us to Jakarta. Kudos to him and to the other people who made it possible.
On the less bright side, when we arrived at night thirsty and sunburned after a four-hour trip from Waisai (boat engine breakdown) we learned that we were downgraded to the much less comfortable nextdoor homestay because of overbooking.
The person in charge got sulky when I asked how such a thing was possible since I had booked and paid 1 month before.
We got “our” really lovely bungalow the next day. Food is not the best asset but it’s okay. Bathroom needs updating but is well kept clean. Telkomsel connection works, and there’s a Starlink wifi at night!
The next 4 days I got used to diving on “Gloria time”, which is a nice way to describe waiting for hours without information when you were told that diving starts at eight. Well, I’m on holiday so I don’t really care and I used all the spare time snorkeling the really great house reef, until the fifth morning, a Friday.
10:30, very fine weather, the sunniest of our stay. The person in charge is still nowhere to see. I know where he sleeps so I go there to ask what’s going on. He replies that there is no diving today because there are no tanks, he’s so tired, I am mean to him and all my talking prevents him from thinking properly. Unable to look at me in the eyes. Wow. To another diver he told a different excuse: compressor problem. Well, I was relieved to leave on that day, and happy to organise the transfer with “my” next homestay, not with him.
Wonderful dives, though, so no regrets.
How disappointing! It certainly sounds like things have changed at Gloria recently, Virginie. 🙁
Hopefully your feedback will prompt improvement 🤞
We can’t find any record of you reaching out to us about the overbooking?
We guarantee that guests will get the room/s they booked. If you do not, then all you have to do is contact us as requested in your booking confirmation email, and we will refund you for every night you do not have the room you paid for.
Nice location and good housereef.
My Bungalow was a bit ramshackle but new ones were being built which look very promising .
Shower and toilet are in need of some renovation.
Food not really plentiful but it is ok if everyone is mindful.
For any excursions or transfers, it is on Papua time 😅 so expect some delays.
I met lovely people, loved the house reef and the proximity to Piaynemo.
The host family took me to Fam village upon request which was lovely.
I enjoyed my stay and would come back anytime.
I can’t recommend this homestay to anyone. When we arrived they said they were overbooked and only had a bungalow free, so we would have to share one. Another guest had to change homestay that same evening. Alternatively, we were asked a bungalow that resembled a dog house. Diving didn’t work, we were held up and after constant questions it was said that the compressor was broken. There weren’t enough portions when it came to food. I can only advise everyone not to opt for this homestay. You will regret it. We changed accommodation after only one night. The owner could never be reached and also did not respond, he was in Sorong.
What a disappointing experience! 🙁
We can’t find any record of you reaching out to us about the overbooking, Lukas.
We guarantee that guests will get the room/s they booked. If you do not, then all you have to do is contact us as requested in your booking confirmation email, and we will refund you for every night you do not have the room you paid for.
I really enjoyed my 3 nights stay in this place.
Over the water bungalow was nice,
food tasty and plentiful,
nice house reef and Will does his best to help and answer the different guests needs.
Housereef is fantastic, diving is fine, but family mostly looking grumpy (especially the women). They run out of showering water, drinking water, glasses, toiletpaper and -water, no muskitocoil. Guests have to find them and ask them for everything and then they don’t speak, they look grumpy and get what you asked for. That’s a shame, because the place, and huts are really nice.
Housereef is fantastic, diving is fine, but family mostly looking grumpy (especially the women). They run out of showering water, drinking water, glasses, toiletpaper and -water, no muskitocoil. Guests have to find them and ask them for everything and then they don’t speak, they look grumpy and get what you asked for. That’s a shame, because the place, and huts are really nice.
Ci siamo trovati molto bene al Gloria, decisamente un’ottima scelta! I bungalow sono molto carini e spaziosi, con uno spazio esterno per potersi rilassare. La zona comune è ben tenuta, il cibo vario e molto abbondante. Una menzione particolare ai ragazzi del diving, instancabili lavoratori, con un sorriso sempre pronto ad accoglierti! Le immersioni ci sono piaciute molto, le guide sono attente e l’attrezzatura in buono stato. Anche l’house reef è stato incredibile, pieno di vita a qualsiasi ora.
Un grande abbraccio!
Ci siamo trovati molto bene al Gloria, decisamente un’ottima scelta! I bungalow sono molto carini e spaziosi, con uno spazio esterno per potersi rilassare. La zona comune è ben tenuta, il cibo vario e molto abbondante. Una menzione particolare ai ragazzi del diving, instancabili lavoratori, con un sorriso sempre pronto ad accoglierti! Le immersioni ci sono piaciute molto, le guide sono attente e l’attrezzatura in buono stato. Anche l’house reef è stato incredibile, pieno di vita a qualsiasi ora.
Un grande abbraccio!
La mejor comida que hemos comido en Raja Ampat con diferencia. Porciones abundantes, de calidad y variadas.
Las cabañas están bastante bien, los baños quizá un poco dejados.
La comunicación era un poco pesada porque había que hablarlo todo con un intermediario en vez de con el dueño y había que andar bastante detrás de ellos.
El centro de buceo está bien, con equipos en buen estado y buenos guías.
La mejor comida que hemos comido en Raja Ampat con diferencia. Porciones abundantes, de calidad y variadas.
Las cabañas están bastante bien, los baños quizá un poco dejados.
La comunicación era un poco pesada porque había que hablarlo todo con un intermediario en vez de con el dueño y había que andar bastante detrás de ellos.
El centro de buceo está bien, con equipos en buen estado y buenos guías.
We stayed at Gloria Dive Homestay for 3 days. Our stay there was amazing ! The host team was really really nice. They picked us from Rufas, helped us to contact our homestay at Rufas the day before cause no one there answered us after the wifi stopped (due to storm).
They planned for us several activities: organize a combined trip to Piaynemo point of vue with friends we met at Rufas, organize a dive for us at Melisas Garden. We were a little stressed due to the possibility of current before going to dive (we have the level N1 – Open water) but everything happened very well. The equipment is very good. Abel (dive master) and Roman (owner) dived with us and secured everything. Definitely the best dive we did in Raja Ampat ! Thanks a lot to the team !
They also helped us to find people to share boats with to reduce the price when it was possible.
About the homestay, the room was good. We enjoyed the view, the two hammocks and the fan were appreciated !! The food was very good and unlike other homestays we tested the food was varied between morning, noon and evening : very appreciated to have fish but also chicken and vegetables on Raja Ampat !! About the quantity, we were between 6 and 9 per day and we had more than enough ; we could serve ourselves again without any problem !
For the rest (shower, toilet and other) everything was clean. Employee were often cleaning the place.
For us it was perfect ! It’s still Raja Ampat, so of course the water is cold, you can ear the sound of the waves before sleeping and the room is simple (bed, mosquito net …) but that’s part of the trip !
The new team is a very good one, there’s a good atmosphere (songs, karaoke ..) in the evening for those who want it (far from the accommodation, it doesn’t bother us at all). The team is very opened to share with the customers. We were even invited to participate in Roman’s birthday !
Thank you again for everything ! We will come back with pleasure!!
We stayed at Gloria Dive Homestay for 3 days. Our stay there was amazing ! The host team was really really nice. They picked us from Rufas, helped us to contact our homestay at Rufas the day before cause no one there answered us after the wifi stopped (due to storm).
They planned for us several activities: organize a combined trip to Piaynemo point of vue with friends we met at Rufas, organize a dive for us at Melisas Garden. We were a little stressed due to the possibility of current before going to dive (we have the level N1 – Open water) but everything happened very well. The equipment is very good. Abel (dive master) and Roman (owner) dived with us and secured everything. Definitely the best dive we did in Raja Ampat ! Thanks a lot to the team !
They also helped us to find people to share boats with to reduce the price when it was possible.
About the homestay, the room was good. We enjoyed the view, the two hammocks and the fan were appreciated !! The food was very good and unlike other homestays we tested the food was varied between morning, noon and evening : very appreciated to have fish but also chicken and vegetables on Raja Ampat !! About the quantity, we were between 6 and 9 per day and we had more than enough ; we could serve ourselves again without any problem !
For the rest (shower, toilet and other) everything was clean. Employee were often cleaning the place.
For us it was perfect ! It’s still Raja Ampat, so of course the water is cold, you can ear the sound of the waves before sleeping and the room is simple (bed, mosquito net …) but that’s part of the trip !
The new team is a very good one, there’s a good atmosphere (songs, karaoke ..) in the evening for those who want it (far from the accommodation, it doesn’t bother us at all). The team is very opened to share with the customers. We were even invited to participate in Roman’s birthday !
Thank you again for everything ! We will come back with pleasure!!
Maybe the experience would habe been different if Roman, the owner, was there, but we left one night early because we had such a bad experience.
First of all, the toilets and showers are extremely dirty. It’s common sense that in Raja Ampat facilities are more basic, but things can still be clean. This was absolutely not the case at Gloria Dive Homestay.
Second, the food was a joke. We were with 8 persons in total. The first night we waited till 8:30 pm for dinner, which was litereally only white rice and a very small bowl of cooked cowl to share with the 8th of us. The next morning, afternoon and dinner, we hade one extra bowl of some vegetables, but that was it.
Lastly, communication really is a problem. Jonas was the only person who spoke English and often was nowhere to be found. We arranged a transfer the night before and agreed on a time. On the day of the transfer, again, no one could be found.
We saw that the couple who lives at Gloria Dive Homestay works hard and tries their best. But they have 3 young children and running a homestay with 8 guests was just too much. We felt that our presence was a burden for the staff which made us feel uncomfortable. We heard the owner is currently opening a second homestay, so maybe part of the staff was missing. However, I think the current homestay needs more attention before opening a new one. The kitchen and common area are really decayed. The water bungelows are nice though, with a large sundeck (not the case for the older ones) and all basic neccesities. Also the house reef is very beautiful. However, this did not compensate for the overall experience. Would not recommend to go there in the current state.
Maybe the experience would habe been different if Roman, the owner, was there, but we left one night early because we had such a bad experience.
First of all, the toilets and showers are extremely dirty. It’s common sense that in Raja Ampat facilities are more basic, but things can still be clean. This was absolutely not the case at Gloria Dive Homestay.
Second, the food was a joke. We were with 8 persons in total. The first night we waited till 8:30 pm for dinner, which was litereally only white rice and a very small bowl of cooked cowl to share with the 8th of us. The next morning, afternoon and dinner, we hade one extra bowl of some vegetables, but that was it.
Lastly, communication really is a problem. Jonas was the only person who spoke English and often was nowhere to be found. We arranged a transfer the night before and agreed on a time. On the day of the transfer, again, no one could be found.
We saw that the couple who lives at Gloria Dive Homestay works hard and tries their best. But they have 3 young children and running a homestay with 8 guests was just too much. We felt that our presence was a burden for the staff which made us feel uncomfortable. We heard the owner is currently opening a second homestay, so maybe part of the staff was missing. However, I think the current homestay needs more attention before opening a new one. The kitchen and common area are really decayed. The water bungelows are nice though, with a large sundeck (not the case for the older ones) and all basic neccesities. Also the house reef is very beautiful. However, this did not compensate for the overall experience. Would not recommend to go there in the current state.
I went diving at Gloria Homestay and really enjoyed it. It’s good to have some prior knowledge. The equipment is in good condition and I felt safe. The instructor Jonas is very attentive and kept asking how I was doing and checking my oxygen meter. He carries a flashlight and during the dive, he points out the fish, sharks, seahorses… I thought the price was very fair too. I had to go back the next day to dive again!
I went diving at Gloria Homestay and really enjoyed it. It’s good to have some prior knowledge. The equipment is in good condition and I felt safe. The instructor Jonas is very attentive and kept asking how I was doing and checking my oxygen meter. He carries a flashlight and during the dive, he points out the fish, sharks, seahorses… I thought the price was very fair too. I had to go back the next day to dive again!
Spent 7 nights here and can recommend. Accommodations are no different than other homestays in similar price range. It is an island with limited supplies, so rather simple but flavorful meals is what to expect. There were days when for lunch and dinner we would be getting omelet or other egg dishes as protein as there was no fish caught that day. A few times there was chicken, but a rather seldom occasion. Breakfast could be better, there was only sweet pastry or sweet cake and nothing else to fuel us for the day of diving and exploration. I brought oatmeal and small boxes of milk to make my own breakfast, as well as some apples and not so quickly perishable fruits for the first few days to supplement my diet. I asked the owners to give me a plastic container to keep food in case rodents got curious and was provided with one, but didn’t see any signs of rats trying to break into my box. Some islands like Kri have big rat problem but not here.
Diving was great, but as mentioned many times for Raja Ampat it’s helpful to have experience under water and have good bouncy control. Equipment at Gloria homestay dive cite was good, nothing gave me any trouble. The wetsuits sizes are not for everyone and I had to wear male suit as it was the only small one they had that fit me. The guide was attentive and made sure to check with us divers once in a while under water. Even the boat drivers pay attention to give us a good experience, once I almost left for diving without my scuba mask and the boat driver brought it to me and it is technically not even his domain and responsibility.
As for the sleeping arrangements, it’s basic mattress on the floor with mosquito net and a fan. There were a few things that would break (like electric cable contact came loose so fan and charging wouldn’t work, or there was some dust and stuff falling from the ceiling, or I wanted a small shelf added for miscellaneous stuff ) and as soon as I mentioned it to Roman (the owner) he’d bring tools and crew to address the issue the proper way.
Very lovely time here, I will be back in a heart beat.
Spent 7 nights here and can recommend. Accommodations are no different than other homestays in similar price range. It is an island with limited supplies, so rather simple but flavorful meals is what to expect. There were days when for lunch and dinner we would be getting omelet or other egg dishes as protein as there was no fish caught that day. A few times there was chicken, but a rather seldom occasion. Breakfast could be better, there was only sweet pastry or sweet cake and nothing else to fuel us for the day of diving and exploration. I brought oatmeal and small boxes of milk to make my own breakfast, as well as some apples and not so quickly perishable fruits for the first few days to supplement my diet. I asked the owners to give me a plastic container to keep food in case rodents got curious and was provided with one, but didn’t see any signs of rats trying to break into my box. Some islands like Kri have big rat problem but not here.
Diving was great, but as mentioned many times for Raja Ampat it’s helpful to have experience under water and have good bouncy control. Equipment at Gloria homestay dive cite was good, nothing gave me any trouble. The wetsuits sizes are not for everyone and I had to wear male suit as it was the only small one they had that fit me. The guide was attentive and made sure to check with us divers once in a while under water. Even the boat drivers pay attention to give us a good experience, once I almost left for diving without my scuba mask and the boat driver brought it to me and it is technically not even his domain and responsibility.
As for the sleeping arrangements, it’s basic mattress on the floor with mosquito net and a fan. There were a few things that would break (like electric cable contact came loose so fan and charging wouldn’t work, or there was some dust and stuff falling from the ceiling, or I wanted a small shelf added for miscellaneous stuff ) and as soon as I mentioned it to Roman (the owner) he’d bring tools and crew to address the issue the proper way.
Very lovely time here, I will be back in a heart beat.
Remote Location on a small beach. Beautiful bungalow with mattresse on the floor and fan working at night. At the moment there is some contruction going on. Electricity only available some hours. There is WiFi available in the Main site. Food is like only the bare minimum, but quite ok for a short stay. There ist some dive operator on site, but i would bring my own gear. As said above, only for experienced divers. Keep in mind: Transfer costs are quite high.
Remote Location on a small beach. Beautiful bungalow with mattresse on the floor and fan working at night. At the moment there is some contruction going on. Electricity only available some hours. There is WiFi available in the Main site. Food is like only the bare minimum, but quite ok for a short stay. There ist some dive operator on site, but i would bring my own gear. As said above, only for experienced divers. Keep in mind: Transfer costs are quite high.
We stayed at Gloria Homestay for two nights. The homestay itself was simple, as like most other homestays on other islands – it provided a bed, a toilet and food. The food was the best food we had in Raja Ampat – it was AMAZING. The facilities were fine, no different to other homestays. The power stayed on for most of the day, except for the mornings. There was wifi on site. We spent most of our day sitting in the hammocks, enjoying the peacefulness.
One thing to note is that the place is rife with mosquitos – there’s a little swamp like thing around the back of the homestays which attracts them. I had well over 40 mosquito bites on my legs despite wearing long sleeves and using insect repellent – so just be wary of this when visiting.
The diving was interesting – There is no dive shop nearby. There is a dive master and dive equipment on site but I don’t think it’s an official dive place. There is no dive boat, so you go diving off the longboat – which made me extremely nervous but turned out to be fine. The diving equipment was fine and my partner had no issues however I’m almost certain they had to refill the air tanks off site. As for snorkelling – I would bring my own gear. There weren’t any fins that fit me, they appeared to only have mens sizes so I had to wear a bootie in the fins to make them fit. The snorkel they provided me with was far too big for me and ended up being broken, which I didn’t find out until I was in the water. Luckily there was a spare one on the boat I could use. There was also no snorkel guide, so I just jumped off the longboat into the water and was left swimming on my own, while the boat took my partner and the dive master to the diving spot. The boat did return and followed me around as I snorkelled, and sometimes the driver would get in the water and point things out to me but he had to swim and hold onto the boat as he went. Overall, the dive/snorkel spots we went to were actually stunning, and were my favourite spots that we went to in all of Raja Ampat
We also asked to take a longboat to Kri at 10am but we didn’t actually leave until 1pm – was told it’s because it was a Sunday and Sunday is church day, so a lot of the locals aren’t around – something to keep in mind while travelling.
Overall, we really liked our time at Gloria. I just suggest bringing your own snorkel gear and being mosquito smart
We stayed at Gloria Homestay for two nights. The homestay itself was simple, as like most other homestays on other islands – it provided a bed, a toilet and food. The food was the best food we had in Raja Ampat – it was AMAZING. The facilities were fine, no different to other homestays. The power stayed on for most of the day, except for the mornings. There was wifi on site. We spent most of our day sitting in the hammocks, enjoying the peacefulness.
One thing to note is that the place is rife with mosquitos – there’s a little swamp like thing around the back of the homestays which attracts them. I had well over 40 mosquito bites on my legs despite wearing long sleeves and using insect repellent – so just be wary of this when visiting.
The diving was interesting – There is no dive shop nearby. There is a dive master and dive equipment on site but I don’t think it’s an official dive place. There is no dive boat, so you go diving off the longboat – which made me extremely nervous but turned out to be fine. The diving equipment was fine and my partner had no issues however I’m almost certain they had to refill the air tanks off site. As for snorkelling – I would bring my own gear. There weren’t any fins that fit me, they appeared to only have mens sizes so I had to wear a bootie in the fins to make them fit. The snorkel they provided me with was far too big for me and ended up being broken, which I didn’t find out until I was in the water. Luckily there was a spare one on the boat I could use. There was also no snorkel guide, so I just jumped off the longboat into the water and was left swimming on my own, while the boat took my partner and the dive master to the diving spot. The boat did return and followed me around as I snorkelled, and sometimes the driver would get in the water and point things out to me but he had to swim and hold onto the boat as he went. Overall, the dive/snorkel spots we went to were actually stunning, and were my favourite spots that we went to in all of Raja Ampat
We also asked to take a longboat to Kri at 10am but we didn’t actually leave until 1pm – was told it’s because it was a Sunday and Sunday is church day, so a lot of the locals aren’t around – something to keep in mind while travelling.
Overall, we really liked our time at Gloria. I just suggest bringing your own snorkel gear and being mosquito smart
The best house reef. You can snorkel at any time of the day. The current is almost unnoticeable. We stayed on the islands of Kri, Gam, Arborek, Fam and Pianemo – and the best house reefs for us were on the islands of Arborek and Pianemo.
I really enjoyed diving near the island of Rufas.
You can also combine two excursions, as we did with a visit to the Pianemo viewpoint and snorkeling near the island of Rufas.
The food was great. Thanks to the family!
The best house reef. You can snorkel at any time of the day. The current is almost unnoticeable. We stayed on the islands of Kri, Gam, Arborek, Fam and Pianemo – and the best house reefs for us were on the islands of Arborek and Pianemo.
I really enjoyed diving near the island of Rufas.
You can also combine two excursions, as we did with a visit to the Pianemo viewpoint and snorkeling near the island of Rufas.
The food was great. Thanks to the family!
We have stayed 6 nights at Gloria Homestay and I must admit I find this particular homestay a difficult one to review. The location is very convenient and very practical to visit the surrounding area. We had one of the more modern bungalows (there are 2 very outworn bungalows where it rains through the roof) that was equipped with a fan, a big sun deck, a mirror, a mosquito net, overall, everything we needed. There is so much to see in the water just from sitting in your chair. The house reef is beautiful as well and the food was plentiful and there was a lot of variety. They try to keep the beach as clean as possible and the sanitary provisions were def okay. The reason why I would not come back to this place, is that the on-site dive school is a joke. Eventhough it looks like they are organising a lot of diving, it’s not true. When we arrived they said the compresser was broken (I read the same in a review from november 2024) and that they had to go out and fill the tanks elsewhere. This didn’t seem like a problem, until more guests arrived who wanted to go diving as well and who almost had to beg to be able to join us for diving. I wouldn’t consider the diving to be safe. They don’t ask for any credentials and they don’t give a briefing. When I asked for one, they briefing went like: we go down, not too deep, follow the reef, we go back up. So nothing useful at all. It really felt like going diving with them was a burden. They scarcely accepted our requests and didn’t seem motivated at all. At one point there was one diver thay repeatedly signalled he was running out of air and in the end he literally had 0 bars left. They didn’t comment anything about it. After two days, we looked for another dive schoool and ended up diving with Pam Divers. We asked Gloria to arrange our transport, but they were 45 minutes late and at pick-up they simply didn’t show up. If you are not looking to go diving, this place is is nice, if yes, please avoid at all costs.
We have stayed 6 nights at Gloria Homestay and I must admit I find this particular homestay a difficult one to review. The location is very convenient and very practical to visit the surrounding area. We had one of the more modern bungalows (there are 2 very outworn bungalows where it rains through the roof) that was equipped with a fan, a big sun deck, a mirror, a mosquito net, overall, everything we needed. There is so much to see in the water just from sitting in your chair. The house reef is beautiful as well and the food was plentiful and there was a lot of variety. They try to keep the beach as clean as possible and the sanitary provisions were def okay. The reason why I would not come back to this place, is that the on-site dive school is a joke. Eventhough it looks like they are organising a lot of diving, it’s not true. When we arrived they said the compresser was broken (I read the same in a review from november 2024) and that they had to go out and fill the tanks elsewhere. This didn’t seem like a problem, until more guests arrived who wanted to go diving as well and who almost had to beg to be able to join us for diving. I wouldn’t consider the diving to be safe. They don’t ask for any credentials and they don’t give a briefing. When I asked for one, they briefing went like: we go down, not too deep, follow the reef, we go back up. So nothing useful at all. It really felt like going diving with them was a burden. They scarcely accepted our requests and didn’t seem motivated at all. At one point there was one diver thay repeatedly signalled he was running out of air and in the end he literally had 0 bars left. They didn’t comment anything about it. After two days, we looked for another dive schoool and ended up diving with Pam Divers. We asked Gloria to arrange our transport, but they were 45 minutes late and at pick-up they simply didn’t show up. If you are not looking to go diving, this place is is nice, if yes, please avoid at all costs.
I enjoyed gloria Homestay so much I didn’t go to Rufas and stayed at Gloria instead. Even though I already payed for online
I believe that says it all!
What did I like so much?
The peace and quietness
Being around the locals
Few other tourists
Small and no entertainment what so ever
Good food
Good snorkelling
I enjoyed gloria Homestay so much I didn’t go to Rufas and stayed at Gloria instead. Even though I already payed for online
I believe that says it all!
What did I like so much?
The peace and quietness
Being around the locals
Few other tourists
Small and no entertainment what so ever
Good food
Good snorkelling
We stayed 5 nights at Gloria. Thank you to Roma, Thomas, and team, plus all the wonderful cooks. Everything is well looked after and when there was a challenge (fresh water, dive cylinders) then Roma and team took action. I had a wonderful well organized dive on Melissa’s Garden, snorkel at Fam Wall and near the Piaynemo viewpoint. The food was deliceous, and they put on the most fantastic party with cake, beer, arak, and music for our friends 50th.
Finally, this has is an incredibly beautiful place to stay with the best house reef we saw so far. You can spend many days snorkeling there. We saw baby reef shark, walking shark and blue spotted sting ray at night under the over water huts. Bring your torch! Thank you again to Roma (Roman).
We stayed 5 nights at Gloria. Thank you to Roma, Thomas, and team, plus all the wonderful cooks. Everything is well looked after and when there was a challenge (fresh water, dive cylinders) then Roma and team took action. I had a wonderful well organized dive on Melissa’s Garden, snorkel at Fam Wall and near the Piaynemo viewpoint. The food was deliceous, and they put on the most fantastic party with cake, beer, arak, and music for our friends 50th.
Finally, this has is an incredibly beautiful place to stay with the best house reef we saw so far. You can spend many days snorkeling there. We saw baby reef shark, walking shark and blue spotted sting ray at night under the over water huts. Bring your torch! Thank you again to Roma (Roman).
We stayed at Gloria Homestay Feb 17 – 20/25. The bungalow was very nice and we had the bigger one that had covered deck and additional sun deck with chair. It was a great spot to just watch in the water and saw baby sharks, needlefish, spotted ray and pufferfish right from the deck. The staff were friendly and kept the beach very clean which was raked daily. The washroom was rustic but clean. The food was very generous portions. Breakfast was simple but good. We had the best bbq fish ever…was so tender ! We only were diving but everyone’s comments were great regarding the reef! Not the garbage as seen on the other islands. There were many live aboards near Piaynemo, but we managed to have the dive skates to ourselves which was great. Some beautiful sites… thank you Roman and Thomas ! The Diveshop is small but growing, and getting more equipment… would recommend this place for diving, snorkelling and tours. Because of the distance we would recommend at least 4 days or more!
We stayed at Gloria Homestay Feb 17 – 20/25. The bungalow was very nice and we had the bigger one that had covered deck and additional sun deck with chair. It was a great spot to just watch in the water and saw baby sharks, needlefish, spotted ray and pufferfish right from the deck. The staff were friendly and kept the beach very clean which was raked daily. The washroom was rustic but clean. The food was very generous portions. Breakfast was simple but good. We had the best bbq fish ever…was so tender ! We only were diving but everyone’s comments were great regarding the reef! Not the garbage as seen on the other islands. There were many live aboards near Piaynemo, but we managed to have the dive skates to ourselves which was great. Some beautiful sites… thank you Roman and Thomas ! The Diveshop is small but growing, and getting more equipment… would recommend this place for diving, snorkelling and tours. Because of the distance we would recommend at least 4 days or more!
Gloria Homestay is honestly a hidden gem.
It is very conveniently located on Piaynemo island, so the viewpoint & star lagoon, Rufus lagoon, Melissa garden, Fam wall and Manta point (between the Pam islands) are relatively closeby and therefore affordable as multiple daytrips.
The tour prices are fair (still quite expensive, as everywhere in Raja Ampat) and obviously you hope to share it with others.
Roman and his family/staff are honestly so sweet, positive minded and helpful. They clean the beach every day, as well as the “water trays” before you enter the toilets, bathrooms, eating area or boardwalk to the bungalows. That’s such a nice touch.
The bungalows are beautifully built on the water, spacious, have hammocks and comfortable mattresses (this is not everywhere in Raja Ampat!) on the ground.
And then the big bang: Gloria’s house reef is insane! It’s so healthy, so colourful, so many fish and reed sharks and just extremely enjoyable to snorkel through.
I mean, in theory you wouldn’t even need to do a snorkeltrip (although I highly recommend Melissa garden AND Fam wall), because it’s so nice.
The water is crystal clear, with a beautiful small beach to chill.
Because the Fam islands are relatively far away from Sorong/Waisai, the plastic is not really an issue here. You see a tiny bit, but it’s nothing compared to an island like Kri.
Also I have really enjoyed the food, especially lunch and dinner & the 5PM snack! Always fresh, delicious and plentiful.
I haven’t done any diving, so can’t comment on that part. I felt it wasn’t necessary to do anyways, because the snorkeling is already so insane 😉
All the best to the family!
Gloria Homestay is honestly a hidden gem.
It is very conveniently located on Piaynemo island, so the viewpoint & star lagoon, Rufus lagoon, Melissa garden, Fam wall and Manta point (between the Pam islands) are relatively closeby and therefore affordable as multiple daytrips.
The tour prices are fair (still quite expensive, as everywhere in Raja Ampat) and obviously you hope to share it with others.
Roman and his family/staff are honestly so sweet, positive minded and helpful. They clean the beach every day, as well as the “water trays” before you enter the toilets, bathrooms, eating area or boardwalk to the bungalows. That’s such a nice touch.
The bungalows are beautifully built on the water, spacious, have hammocks and comfortable mattresses (this is not everywhere in Raja Ampat!) on the ground.
And then the big bang: Gloria’s house reef is insane! It’s so healthy, so colourful, so many fish and reed sharks and just extremely enjoyable to snorkel through.
I mean, in theory you wouldn’t even need to do a snorkeltrip (although I highly recommend Melissa garden AND Fam wall), because it’s so nice.
The water is crystal clear, with a beautiful small beach to chill.
Because the Fam islands are relatively far away from Sorong/Waisai, the plastic is not really an issue here. You see a tiny bit, but it’s nothing compared to an island like Kri.
Also I have really enjoyed the food, especially lunch and dinner & the 5PM snack! Always fresh, delicious and plentiful.
I haven’t done any diving, so can’t comment on that part. I felt it wasn’t necessary to do anyways, because the snorkeling is already so insane 😉
All the best to the family!
Wir hatten einen sehr schönen Aufenthalt für 5 Tage im Gloria Homestay. Angenehme, familiäre Atmosphäre, sehr gut um zu entspannen.
Außergewöhnlich schönes Hausriff, Schnorchelausflüge waren leicht zu organisieren. Auch ein Tauchgang mit Roman am nahe gelegen Galaxy Divepspot war toll.
Wir kommen gerne wieder!
Wir hatten einen sehr schönen Aufenthalt für 5 Tage im Gloria Homestay. Angenehme, familiäre Atmosphäre, sehr gut um zu entspannen.
Außergewöhnlich schönes Hausriff, Schnorchelausflüge waren leicht zu organisieren. Auch ein Tauchgang mit Roman am nahe gelegen Galaxy Divepspot war toll.
Wir kommen gerne wieder!
Nice homestay with good food. Book a overwater bungalow. We stayed at 7 different homestays in Raja Ampat and here was the best snorkeling. Super housereef and good snorkel tours.
Nice homestay with good food. Book a overwater bungalow. We stayed at 7 different homestays in Raja Ampat and here was the best snorkeling. Super housereef and good snorkel tours.
We have just left Gloria after 4 nights there. The overbooking issue that we were really concerned about, was no longer present. They had a guy called Thomas that speak good English and was our contact person during the stay.
The home reef was fantastic with a lot of fish and corals. Small reef sharks swim near the bungalows at dusk.
One of the bungalows has a fan, this should ofcourse be in all bungalows. The electricity was working from about 6pm – 6 am.
The bungalows are well built, better than our other homestay on Kri.
The food was a little bit repetitive with rice, greens, fish and some fruits. Breakfast were mainly soft cakes, pancakes and fruits.
The homestay was catering for all needs, setting up tours was no problem and they tried to care about the guests.
They clean the beach every day which is not the normal at other places.
We can only recommend this homestay.
Regarding diving, we don’t know the latest status as we only snorkelled.
We have just left Gloria after 4 nights there. The overbooking issue that we were really concerned about, was no longer present. They had a guy called Thomas that speak good English and was our contact person during the stay.
The home reef was fantastic with a lot of fish and corals. Small reef sharks swim near the bungalows at dusk.
One of the bungalows has a fan, this should ofcourse be in all bungalows. The electricity was working from about 6pm – 6 am.
The bungalows are well built, better than our other homestay on Kri.
The food was a little bit repetitive with rice, greens, fish and some fruits. Breakfast were mainly soft cakes, pancakes and fruits.
The homestay was catering for all needs, setting up tours was no problem and they tried to care about the guests.
They clean the beach every day which is not the normal at other places.
We can only recommend this homestay.
Regarding diving, we don’t know the latest status as we only snorkelled.
Homestay:
– We stayed at Gloria homestay for 6 nights over Christmas and we really loved the homestay overall
– The overbooking issue seemed to have been resolved, we had 2 overwater bungalows as booked and they were in really good condition with fans and hammocks etc
– Other facilities (dining area, bathrooms) were good
– No issues with power or fresh water supply
– Food was generally really good and sufficient amount for all guests
– The reef was gorgeous, and theres a small beach to walk along
– The atmosphere is very peaceful
– The snorkelling trips were fantastic and included guides (Rufas and Piaynemo)
Diving
– I used my own gear and I am a relatively experienced diver with AOW certification and I found the dives to be pretty unsafe
– I would strongly discourage any beginners or OW divers from diving with Gloria homestay
– No briefings or dive plans given prior to dives
– Diving in challenging conditions (strong currents)
– Inadequate preparation of dive gear (including changing my own gear that I had set up myself, causing a significant leak of air from my first stage and a lot of difficulty breathing underwater)
– Poor leadership and buddyship underwater (not checking on divers, swimming 20+ meters away from the group)
– Poor gear (not an issue for me personally as I had my own, but a problem for the other divers in the group)
Homestay:
– We stayed at Gloria homestay for 6 nights over Christmas and we really loved the homestay overall
– The overbooking issue seemed to have been resolved, we had 2 overwater bungalows as booked and they were in really good condition with fans and hammocks etc
– Other facilities (dining area, bathrooms) were good
– No issues with power or fresh water supply
– Food was generally really good and sufficient amount for all guests
– The reef was gorgeous, and theres a small beach to walk along
– The atmosphere is very peaceful
– The snorkelling trips were fantastic and included guides (Rufas and Piaynemo)
Diving
– I used my own gear and I am a relatively experienced diver with AOW certification and I found the dives to be pretty unsafe
– I would strongly discourage any beginners or OW divers from diving with Gloria homestay
– No briefings or dive plans given prior to dives
– Diving in challenging conditions (strong currents)
– Inadequate preparation of dive gear (including changing my own gear that I had set up myself, causing a significant leak of air from my first stage and a lot of difficulty breathing underwater)
– Poor leadership and buddyship underwater (not checking on divers, swimming 20+ meters away from the group)
– Poor gear (not an issue for me personally as I had my own, but a problem for the other divers in the group)
Before we went to Gloria homestay we were thinking about cancelling, because we have heard that there was some overbooking issue at the homestay. We were so glad we didn’t! Before our stay we had contact with Roman (the owner) and he told us the problem was solved and it did. We stayed with 4 people for 4 days at the over water cottages.
First the housereef of Gloria is really great, probably the healthiest housereefs I’ve seen of the many homestays we’ve visited.
We did trips to Fam wall, Rufas, Piaynemo and Manta Point (we saw the manta’s and it’s a really great spot to see them). The ocean there is really clear and you can also see other big fish such as sharks during the drift snorkeling. The prices of the trips are really good and the transfer is probably the cheapest compared to the other homestays we went.
The variety of food was really great. Everyday it was more than enough, multiple vegetables to choose from, nasi, bami and big fish or eggs. In the afternoon we had a afternoon snack such as pisang goreng and cake.
The cottages are nice, we had 2 chairs and table and hammocks. The beds are good. They have 3 showers and 3 toilets which are enough for the maximum amount of guests and clean. You can clean your hands and feet at the toilets and eating area.
The people around the homestay are great and give a smile on your face. They are really doing their best to give you a nice stay. When you smile they give you a smile back.
Long story short, highly recommend visiting Gloria Homestay!
Before we went to Gloria homestay we were thinking about cancelling, because we have heard that there was some overbooking issue at the homestay. We were so glad we didn’t! Before our stay we had contact with Roman (the owner) and he told us the problem was solved and it did. We stayed with 4 people for 4 days at the over water cottages.
First the housereef of Gloria is really great, probably the healthiest housereefs I’ve seen of the many homestays we’ve visited.
We did trips to Fam wall, Rufas, Piaynemo and Manta Point (we saw the manta’s and it’s a really great spot to see them). The ocean there is really clear and you can also see other big fish such as sharks during the drift snorkeling. The prices of the trips are really good and the transfer is probably the cheapest compared to the other homestays we went.
The variety of food was really great. Everyday it was more than enough, multiple vegetables to choose from, nasi, bami and big fish or eggs. In the afternoon we had a afternoon snack such as pisang goreng and cake.
The cottages are nice, we had 2 chairs and table and hammocks. The beds are good. They have 3 showers and 3 toilets which are enough for the maximum amount of guests and clean. You can clean your hands and feet at the toilets and eating area.
The people around the homestay are great and give a smile on your face. They are really doing their best to give you a nice stay. When you smile they give you a smile back.
Long story short, highly recommend visiting Gloria Homestay!
We had a fantastic time at Gloria. I was a bit worried about over booking but it was fine when we arrived on December 20th.
The location was fantastic and the house reef was beautiful.
The room over the water was basic but we knew it would be before we arrived. The food was good and we loved the cakes in the afternoon.
Roman did not really speak much English but it was fine as we were really well taken care of by Thomas, one of the staff who spoke English well and was super helpful.
Staying at Gloria was one of the highlights of our stay in Raja Ampat.
The only issue was sand flies that bit my son a lot. But I would still go back in the future.
We had a fantastic time at Gloria. I was a bit worried about over booking but it was fine when we arrived on December 20th.
The location was fantastic and the house reef was beautiful.
The room over the water was basic but we knew it would be before we arrived. The food was good and we loved the cakes in the afternoon.
Roman did not really speak much English but it was fine as we were really well taken care of by Thomas, one of the staff who spoke English well and was super helpful.
Staying at Gloria was one of the highlights of our stay in Raja Ampat.
The only issue was sand flies that bit my son a lot. But I would still go back in the future.
We stayed here 4 nights mid November. We got the overwater bungalow as booked. The bungalow is quite basic and could do with a renovation. We were provided with a fan upon request, but unfortunately there are not enough fans for all bungalows.
Communication was difficult as only Roman speaks a little English. He generally seemed rather reserved, although we can’t judge the reasons for this.
Unfortunately the homestay is not in the best condition. Instead of maintaining the existing facilities, new bungalows are being built. Luckily there were only six of us during our stay, so the food was sufficient. The sweet snacks in the afternoon were particularly delicious. However, the operators lack the capacity and know-how to look after many guests.
We couldn’t dive for health reasons, but the diving equipment available on site didn’t seem trustworthy, nor did other guests’ reports.
The place is beautiful and the house reef is fantastic. There would be a lot of potential if Roman addressed the issues mentioned.
We stayed here 4 nights mid November. We got the overwater bungalow as booked. The bungalow is quite basic and could do with a renovation. We were provided with a fan upon request, but unfortunately there are not enough fans for all bungalows.
Communication was difficult as only Roman speaks a little English. He generally seemed rather reserved, although we can’t judge the reasons for this.
Unfortunately the homestay is not in the best condition. Instead of maintaining the existing facilities, new bungalows are being built. Luckily there were only six of us during our stay, so the food was sufficient. The sweet snacks in the afternoon were particularly delicious. However, the operators lack the capacity and know-how to look after many guests.
We couldn’t dive for health reasons, but the diving equipment available on site didn’t seem trustworthy, nor did other guests’ reports.
The place is beautiful and the house reef is fantastic. There would be a lot of potential if Roman addressed the issues mentioned.
We heard stories from Gloria Homestay as soon as we entered Raja Ampat. There were problems of overbooking and we were quite worried and messaged the owner Roman reminding him of our arrival and booking.
Once we arrived to Gloria there was no overwater bungalow for us. Instead we got a land bungalow that does not meet the standards. (We have stayed in 14 homestays in Raja Ampat so we have some reference what homestays should be like.)
There were other guests in the homestay that had faced the overbooking problem as well. We spent one night in Gloria until we got changed to a different homestay and we met 7 new people who all had been overbooked and did not receive the bungalow they had booked. There was also a whiteboard on the dining area that showed that the homestay was well aware of the overbooking situation and it was not going to stop in the future.
What we found the most insulting was the owner Romans behavior. When we arrived, we were told that Roman had gone to the village and he was sleeping so they could not contact him. But after a couple of hours of waiting we found out that he was actually hiding in the kitchen area. When he finally came to talk to us, he pretended he did not know what the problem was. He also tried to trick us to stay in Gloria giving false promises.
Gloria could be a good homestay, but with this kind of management it is just ruining peoples holidays also ruining the association homestays reputation. We understand that mistakes can happen. But this kind of deliberate overbooking and dishonest behavior is unacceptable.
We heard stories from Gloria Homestay as soon as we entered Raja Ampat. There were problems of overbooking and we were quite worried and messaged the owner Roman reminding him of our arrival and booking.
Once we arrived to Gloria there was no overwater bungalow for us. Instead we got a land bungalow that does not meet the standards. (We have stayed in 14 homestays in Raja Ampat so we have some reference what homestays should be like.)
There were other guests in the homestay that had faced the overbooking problem as well. We spent one night in Gloria until we got changed to a different homestay and we met 7 new people who all had been overbooked and did not receive the bungalow they had booked. There was also a whiteboard on the dining area that showed that the homestay was well aware of the overbooking situation and it was not going to stop in the future.
What we found the most insulting was the owner Romans behavior. When we arrived, we were told that Roman had gone to the village and he was sleeping so they could not contact him. But after a couple of hours of waiting we found out that he was actually hiding in the kitchen area. When he finally came to talk to us, he pretended he did not know what the problem was. He also tried to trick us to stay in Gloria giving false promises.
Gloria could be a good homestay, but with this kind of management it is just ruining peoples holidays also ruining the association homestays reputation. We understand that mistakes can happen. But this kind of deliberate overbooking and dishonest behavior is unacceptable.
I could share both good and bad things about Gloria Homestay, but this comment focuses solely on the diving experience as a warning for others.
I travel with my own diving equipment and take responsibility for myself underwater, but I ended up sharing dives with novice Open Water divers, which became truly dangerous.
No briefings before dives: There were never any pre-dive briefings. No questions were asked about dive experience or certification levels.
Unsafe dive profiles: On my first dive, I was paired with two novice Open Water divers who informed Roman they were beginners. Despite this, he led us to a depth of 28m. The novices stayed close to Roman, but at one point, he suddenly ascended from 28m to 3m without any safety stop. I watched in horror from below. He then descended again to 12m to continue the dive—extremely unsafe.
Faulty diving equipment: Roman’s diving computer had no battery, so I had to manage safety stops for the Open Water divers from the first dive onward.
Lack of surface markers: On several dives, Roman surfaced without deploying a marker buoy.
Ignoring air limits: During another dive with a novice, the diver informed Roman they had 70 bars of air remaining at a depth of 14m. Roman ignored this. When the diver reached 50 bars and was still at 14m, they notified me instead, and I initiated an ascent—but it was faster than ideal for proper safety.
Nitrogen exposure issues: My diving computer issued warnings about absorbed nitrogen on multiple dives. I often had to warn the novice divers below me to ascend slightly for safety. At least one diver reported muscle and joint pain after the dives, likely due to nitrogen build-up and the erratic ascents and descents during the dives.
Faulty regulator: While I didn’t experience this personally, another diver mentioned their main regulator malfunctioned underwater.
I love diving around Piaynemo and always felt safe with my own equipment and decision-making. However, diving with Gloria Homestay can be extremely dangerous for anyone unable to care for themselves or lacking proper training and a diving computer. I would never recommend diving here to anyone I care about unless they have substantial experience and training.
I could share both good and bad things about Gloria Homestay, but this comment focuses solely on the diving experience as a warning for others.
I travel with my own diving equipment and take responsibility for myself underwater, but I ended up sharing dives with novice Open Water divers, which became truly dangerous.
No briefings before dives: There were never any pre-dive briefings. No questions were asked about dive experience or certification levels.
Unsafe dive profiles: On my first dive, I was paired with two novice Open Water divers who informed Roman they were beginners. Despite this, he led us to a depth of 28m. The novices stayed close to Roman, but at one point, he suddenly ascended from 28m to 3m without any safety stop. I watched in horror from below. He then descended again to 12m to continue the dive—extremely unsafe.
Faulty diving equipment: Roman’s diving computer had no battery, so I had to manage safety stops for the Open Water divers from the first dive onward.
Lack of surface markers: On several dives, Roman surfaced without deploying a marker buoy.
Ignoring air limits: During another dive with a novice, the diver informed Roman they had 70 bars of air remaining at a depth of 14m. Roman ignored this. When the diver reached 50 bars and was still at 14m, they notified me instead, and I initiated an ascent—but it was faster than ideal for proper safety.
Nitrogen exposure issues: My diving computer issued warnings about absorbed nitrogen on multiple dives. I often had to warn the novice divers below me to ascend slightly for safety. At least one diver reported muscle and joint pain after the dives, likely due to nitrogen build-up and the erratic ascents and descents during the dives.
Faulty regulator: While I didn’t experience this personally, another diver mentioned their main regulator malfunctioned underwater.
I love diving around Piaynemo and always felt safe with my own equipment and decision-making. However, diving with Gloria Homestay can be extremely dangerous for anyone unable to care for themselves or lacking proper training and a diving computer. I would never recommend diving here to anyone I care about unless they have substantial experience and training.
Tough one to review…
Most beautiful house reef we’ve seen during our 2 weeks trip in Raja. Food was pretty good too although sometimes a bit scarce when fully booked. Overwater bungalows are nice (although some being a bit outdated, some with a fan) but there was a notorious overbooking issue which led to a bad vibe and frustrated travelers. Communication was difficult and in general we did not feel very welcomed compared to other places we stayed at. Booking of trips was sometimes difficult too. Same as other reviews here we also experienced the bathrooms not to be cleaned well (even for island standards). Diving possible but we recommend for experienced divers only. Overall we would not return and sadly cannot recommend unless some issues are sorted out.
Tough one to review…
Most beautiful house reef we’ve seen during our 2 weeks trip in Raja. Food was pretty good too although sometimes a bit scarce when fully booked. Overwater bungalows are nice (although some being a bit outdated, some with a fan) but there was a notorious overbooking issue which led to a bad vibe and frustrated travelers. Communication was difficult and in general we did not feel very welcomed compared to other places we stayed at. Booking of trips was sometimes difficult too. Same as other reviews here we also experienced the bathrooms not to be cleaned well (even for island standards). Diving possible but we recommend for experienced divers only. Overall we would not return and sadly cannot recommend unless some issues are sorted out.
If I could give 0 stars it would be better. You should not stay here, we wonder about the positive comments since our stay was catastrophic: The toilets and showers are dirty and never cleaned, there is nothing to eat 1 egg per person with rice, tasteless fried bananas for breakfast, the quantities are really too small. The mattress of our bungalow stank of sweat, it was unbreathable. But the worst are the boat tours: we were lost in the middle of a storm with lightning striking around the boat, the captain asked us if we had an offline GPS since we were lost (without life jackets), the next day we had a boat accident when we hit a log, the boat capsized and was flooded, luckily when emptying the boat we did not sink. There was no one at the front this time to guide the captain, so I went to the end of the boat to guide him. And still without life jackets and far from the coast. Don’t go there, it’s a bad homestay and it’s dangerous. The staff there is not friendly, we felt that only money interests them, besides they are building another homestay instead of improving this one.
If I could give 0 stars it would be better. You should not stay here, we wonder about the positive comments since our stay was catastrophic: The toilets and showers are dirty and never cleaned, there is nothing to eat 1 egg per person with rice, tasteless fried bananas for breakfast, the quantities are really too small. The mattress of our bungalow stank of sweat, it was unbreathable. But the worst are the boat tours: we were lost in the middle of a storm with lightning striking around the boat, the captain asked us if we had an offline GPS since we were lost (without life jackets), the next day we had a boat accident when we hit a log, the boat capsized and was flooded, luckily when emptying the boat we did not sink. There was no one at the front this time to guide the captain, so I went to the end of the boat to guide him. And still without life jackets and far from the coast. Don’t go there, it’s a bad homestay and it’s dangerous. The staff there is not friendly, we felt that only money interests them, besides they are building another homestay instead of improving this one.
BEST HOMESTAY EVER
We stay 4 night to Gloria Homestay and evrything was incredible !
We Will come back again, Thx Roman for making our trip unforgetable 🙂
BEST HOMESTAY EVER
We stay 4 night to Gloria Homestay and evrything was incredible !
We Will come back again, Thx Roman for making our trip unforgetable 🙂
The location of Gloria Homestay is incredible, you have beautiful snorkelling at your doorstep and a short boat ride away from Melissa’s garden, Rufus, Piyenamo..etc.
it was by far the busiest and biggest Homestays we stayed at. Roman is quickly expanding so there were lots of people and not as quiet as other more isolated Homestays. The food was good, we had fish almost everyday. Portions varied depending on how many people were staying and our favourite was the 4 pm snack everyday!
Roman ‘s (the owner) family and kids are very sweet, the kids are adorable and always wanting to play and collect sea shells with you, it was very wholesome.
As they are expanding, I think Roman is a bit overwhelmed with it all, saying yes and not following through, we where supposed to be picked up at 9, but they eventually came at 3pm, the diving also was a challenge as the compressor wasn’t working, and not enough tanks for everyone that wanted to dive which was disappointing, especially when you’re so close to some of the best dive spots. So if you’re heading there because of the diving, I wouldn’t guarantee it, and you might be better off organising the diving through another diving centre. Especially if you’re also a less experienced diver.
The rooms are very basic, we stayed at the over water huts which are beautiful for sunrise, no fans, so can get really hot if there is no breeze. There was a bit of overbooking, where some people booked the over the water huts, but they were booked out which I know they are looking at fixing.
The location of Gloria Homestay is incredible, you have beautiful snorkelling at your doorstep and a short boat ride away from Melissa’s garden, Rufus, Piyenamo..etc.
it was by far the busiest and biggest Homestays we stayed at. Roman is quickly expanding so there were lots of people and not as quiet as other more isolated Homestays. The food was good, we had fish almost everyday. Portions varied depending on how many people were staying and our favourite was the 4 pm snack everyday!
Roman ‘s (the owner) family and kids are very sweet, the kids are adorable and always wanting to play and collect sea shells with you, it was very wholesome.
As they are expanding, I think Roman is a bit overwhelmed with it all, saying yes and not following through, we where supposed to be picked up at 9, but they eventually came at 3pm, the diving also was a challenge as the compressor wasn’t working, and not enough tanks for everyone that wanted to dive which was disappointing, especially when you’re so close to some of the best dive spots. So if you’re heading there because of the diving, I wouldn’t guarantee it, and you might be better off organising the diving through another diving centre. Especially if you’re also a less experienced diver.
The rooms are very basic, we stayed at the over water huts which are beautiful for sunrise, no fans, so can get really hot if there is no breeze. There was a bit of overbooking, where some people booked the over the water huts, but they were booked out which I know they are looking at fixing.
Quel endroit fabuleux ! Roman est adorable, il fait tout pour nous faire plaisir et nous arranger, sa famille est formidable aussi. Le lieu est magnifique, le snorkeling au top avec des coraux de toutes les couleurs et toutes sortes de poissons. Vraiment un superbe séjour, je reviendrai !
Quel endroit fabuleux ! Roman est adorable, il fait tout pour nous faire plaisir et nous arranger, sa famille est formidable aussi. Le lieu est magnifique, le snorkeling au top avec des coraux de toutes les couleurs et toutes sortes de poissons. Vraiment un superbe séjour, je reviendrai !
This place has a a great beach and coral restaurant right out front I saw a huge octopus! Thd food was great, with lots of variety.
The hut I was in was right over the water, even during low tide. The hut has a balcony outfront with a small hammack. Great sunrise view. The location is great given how close it is to snorkel and diving sites.
I believe the owner wants to provide for everything but currently doesn’t have the capacity. They are expanding which will be great as the place is really good quality but without more boats/people not everyone was able to go on thier anticipated trips. This wouldn’t be an issue given the beach and reef right out front but the owner(s) kept saying yes to everyone’s request, leaving people in limbo despite not being able to deliver. I would have preferred a straightforward no rather then waiting/anticipation for something to materialize.
This place has a a great beach and coral restaurant right out front I saw a huge octopus! Thd food was great, with lots of variety.
The hut I was in was right over the water, even during low tide. The hut has a balcony outfront with a small hammack. Great sunrise view. The location is great given how close it is to snorkel and diving sites.
I believe the owner wants to provide for everything but currently doesn’t have the capacity. They are expanding which will be great as the place is really good quality but without more boats/people not everyone was able to go on thier anticipated trips. This wouldn’t be an issue given the beach and reef right out front but the owner(s) kept saying yes to everyone’s request, leaving people in limbo despite not being able to deliver. I would have preferred a straightforward no rather then waiting/anticipation for something to materialize.
I spent 3 nights at Gloria Homestay and I loved it !
The homestay is located on a nice beach, there is nothing around. In front of the beach, you can find a beautiful reef, lots of fish and some sharks at sunset ! Great for snorkeling.
I book an overwater bungalow and the view was amazing ! It was quite simple (mastress on the floor, mosquito net and table) but it was enough. There is a terrace where you can sit on a chair or rest in the hammock. The bathroom and shower were good too, it was clean.
The staff is really nice, always trying to help to organize any trip you want. Some of them speak English.
The food was the best in my whole trip ! Big plus for the snack, everyday at 4pm.
I really recommand 100% to stay in Gloria Homestay !
I spent 3 nights at Gloria Homestay and I loved it !
The homestay is located on a nice beach, there is nothing around. In front of the beach, you can find a beautiful reef, lots of fish and some sharks at sunset ! Great for snorkeling.
I book an overwater bungalow and the view was amazing ! It was quite simple (mastress on the floor, mosquito net and table) but it was enough. There is a terrace where you can sit on a chair or rest in the hammock. The bathroom and shower were good too, it was clean.
The staff is really nice, always trying to help to organize any trip you want. Some of them speak English.
The food was the best in my whole trip ! Big plus for the snack, everyday at 4pm.
I really recommand 100% to stay in Gloria Homestay !
Homestay vraiment génial. Vous êtes sur sur l’île, les bungalows donnent sur la mer avec vue sur l’horizon. La famille est adorable et la nourriture est excellente. Je recommande vraiment d’y séjourner.
J’y ai passé 6 nuits et c’était incroyable.
Homestay vraiment génial. Vous êtes sur sur l’île, les bungalows donnent sur la mer avec vue sur l’horizon. La famille est adorable et la nourriture est excellente. Je recommande vraiment d’y séjourner.
J’y ai passé 6 nuits et c’était incroyable.
The last Paradise <3
Wir waren acht Nächte in Gloria und haben jeden einzelnen Tag genossen.
Was dieses Homstay so besonders macht ist, dass es das einzige in der Umgebung ist. Man ist sehr unter sich und lernt die anderen Gäste schell gut kennen und wenn man will auch die einheimische Familie und Angestellten (zum Teil mit Übersetzungsapp).
Das Riff direkt vor der Tür ist wunderschön und die Ausflugsziele auch.
Das Homestay ist sauber.
Das Essen ist gut und es gibt auch Snacks am Nachmittag (das gab es in keinem anderen Homstay in Raja Ampat in dem wir waren).
In der Nacht hört man das Meer gut, am besten Oropax mitbringen. Man muss sich darauf einstellen das die Unterkunft sehr basic ist. (Matratze mit Mosquitonetz auf dem Boden, Dusche ohne Brauser sondern ein Eimer mit Wasser, WC-Spühlung ebenfalls ein Eimer mit Wasser, Internetverbindung kommt und geht, Stom von ca. 18:00 – 3:00) Aber gerade das macht den Charme der Unterkunft aus. Es ist einmalig.
Wir können es absolut empfehlen.
The last Paradise <3
Wir waren acht Nächte in Gloria und haben jeden einzelnen Tag genossen.
Was dieses Homstay so besonders macht ist, dass es das einzige in der Umgebung ist. Man ist sehr unter sich und lernt die anderen Gäste schell gut kennen und wenn man will auch die einheimische Familie und Angestellten (zum Teil mit Übersetzungsapp).
Das Riff direkt vor der Tür ist wunderschön und die Ausflugsziele auch.
Das Homestay ist sauber.
Das Essen ist gut und es gibt auch Snacks am Nachmittag (das gab es in keinem anderen Homstay in Raja Ampat in dem wir waren).
In der Nacht hört man das Meer gut, am besten Oropax mitbringen. Man muss sich darauf einstellen das die Unterkunft sehr basic ist. (Matratze mit Mosquitonetz auf dem Boden, Dusche ohne Brauser sondern ein Eimer mit Wasser, WC-Spühlung ebenfalls ein Eimer mit Wasser, Internetverbindung kommt und geht, Stom von ca. 18:00 – 3:00) Aber gerade das macht den Charme der Unterkunft aus. Es ist einmalig.
Wir können es absolut empfehlen.
We stayed at Gloria Homestay from August 4th to August 7th and the only I can say is that we wish we stayed more! Roman and his family are beautiful people and they created such a good homestay. Everything is well thought of and the food was delicious. The bungalow is really simple but the view you get from it it’s beautiful and you can see many different corals, fishes and even sharks just from the bungalow terrace. Roman organized various excursions and each one was absolutely stunning. We thank Gloria Homestay for such a beautiful stay! Raja Ampat is really a Paradise!
We stayed at Gloria Homestay from August 4th to August 7th and the only I can say is that we wish we stayed more! Roman and his family are beautiful people and they created such a good homestay. Everything is well thought of and the food was delicious. The bungalow is really simple but the view you get from it it’s beautiful and you can see many different corals, fishes and even sharks just from the bungalow terrace. Roman organized various excursions and each one was absolutely stunning. We thank Gloria Homestay for such a beautiful stay! Raja Ampat is really a Paradise!
We stayed in Gloria Homestay for 4 nights.
The homestay is located in quite location with nice view from bungalow.
The owners are very friendly and helpful.
We used the opportunity to go on trip to Piaynemo and also went diving with the owner as instructor.
We really recommend this place.
We stayed in Gloria Homestay for 4 nights.
The homestay is located in quite location with nice view from bungalow.
The owners are very friendly and helpful.
We used the opportunity to go on trip to Piaynemo and also went diving with the owner as instructor.
We really recommend this place.
Our stay at Gloria Homestay in Raja Ampat was nothing short of magical, thanks to Roman and his wonderful family. From the moment we arrived, Roman was incredibly polite and welcoming, making us feel right at home. The overwater bungalows were a dream, with the soothing sound of the waves lulling us to sleep each night. Vegetarian food was no problem at all; every meal was delicious and thoughtfully prepared. Roman’s wife, daughter, brothers and nieces were all so friendly, especially the young girls were a lot of fun.
Roman provided us with all the necessary diving gear, allowing us to fully explore the stunning underwater world of Raja Ampat. He also organized unforgettable day trips for us, including visits to the breathtaking Piaynemo viewpoint, snorkeling and diving excursions, and even a visit to the local village church on Sunday. All of this to a very fair and affordable price.
If you’re looking for a perfect blend of adventure and relaxation, with hosts who treat you like family, Gloria Homestay is the place to be. Thank you, Roman, for an unforgettable stay in paradise!
Our stay at Gloria Homestay in Raja Ampat was nothing short of magical, thanks to Roman and his wonderful family. From the moment we arrived, Roman was incredibly polite and welcoming, making us feel right at home. The overwater bungalows were a dream, with the soothing sound of the waves lulling us to sleep each night. Vegetarian food was no problem at all; every meal was delicious and thoughtfully prepared. Roman’s wife, daughter, brothers and nieces were all so friendly, especially the young girls were a lot of fun.
Roman provided us with all the necessary diving gear, allowing us to fully explore the stunning underwater world of Raja Ampat. He also organized unforgettable day trips for us, including visits to the breathtaking Piaynemo viewpoint, snorkeling and diving excursions, and even a visit to the local village church on Sunday. All of this to a very fair and affordable price.
If you’re looking for a perfect blend of adventure and relaxation, with hosts who treat you like family, Gloria Homestay is the place to be. Thank you, Roman, for an unforgettable stay in paradise!
We had a great time at Gloria Homestay. The cabins are over the water and from there you can watch baby sharks and see the sunrise in the morning, it’s beautiful. The food is good. Roman is a very good host and takes care of everything. There are many nice things to do in the area. We can highly recommend it.
We had a great time at Gloria Homestay. The cabins are over the water and from there you can watch baby sharks and see the sunrise in the morning, it’s beautiful. The food is good. Roman is a very good host and takes care of everything. There are many nice things to do in the area. We can highly recommend it.
HIGHLY RECOMMANDED !
We stayed at Gloria Homestay with Roman, his wife and Lina their 3years old daughter during 4 nights on off season and we enjoyed a lot.
From the over-water bungalow you can see so many kinds of differents fish, baby sharks, corals… the bungalow are just near the Napoleon Reef so it’s so easy to go there and snorkell for a long time. We have seen rays, big sharks, turtles…
The food made by Roman’s wife was very fresh and savory. Roman speak a bit english but he is always here to do his best for his guests.
The tour prices to go to pyanemo point of view and to rufas are not expensive a lot compare to other homestay.
Thank you roman !
HIGHLY RECOMMANDED !
We stayed at Gloria Homestay with Roman, his wife and Lina their 3years old daughter during 4 nights on off season and we enjoyed a lot.
From the over-water bungalow you can see so many kinds of differents fish, baby sharks, corals… the bungalow are just near the Napoleon Reef so it’s so easy to go there and snorkell for a long time. We have seen rays, big sharks, turtles…
The food made by Roman’s wife was very fresh and savory. Roman speak a bit english but he is always here to do his best for his guests.
The tour prices to go to pyanemo point of view and to rufas are not expensive a lot compare to other homestay.
Thank you roman !
My priority is house reef, I am a diver but like to flop in the water and just swim for hours. You can do exactly this at Gloria, it is amazing and untouched, and I rate 10 out of 10. I did go diving too because it would be a crime not to with the quality of the reef and I was not disappointed. Everything else at Gloria also ticks the boxes, food varied and enough, Roman is helpful and a great guide on boat trips which are so close and reasonably priced.
I will definitely return.
My priority is house reef, I am a diver but like to flop in the water and just swim for hours. You can do exactly this at Gloria, it is amazing and untouched, and I rate 10 out of 10. I did go diving too because it would be a crime not to with the quality of the reef and I was not disappointed. Everything else at Gloria also ticks the boxes, food varied and enough, Roman is helpful and a great guide on boat trips which are so close and reasonably priced.
I will definitely return.
Great Homestay.
Fantastic House reef, good food, good facilities (showers with shower heads!) and the over water bungalows are beautiful. I saw a lot of baby reef sharks, an octopus and a stingray just above the terrace of my bungalow.
Roman is a great host, providing all kinds of snorkelling trips for good prices and now even some diving as he is doing his dive master.
Overall highly recommended staying here.
Great Homestay.
Fantastic House reef, good food, good facilities (showers with shower heads!) and the over water bungalows are beautiful. I saw a lot of baby reef sharks, an octopus and a stingray just above the terrace of my bungalow.
Roman is a great host, providing all kinds of snorkelling trips for good prices and now even some diving as he is doing his dive master.
Overall highly recommended staying here.
We had a lovely stay at Gloria’s Homestay. Stayed in the overwater bungalow x4 nights, very basic bungalows but have mosquito net but no fans. Electricity available evenings through midnight or so which is nice.
Beautiful views and great house reef for snorkeling. It’s fairly isolated so aside from relaxing and snorkeling, you need to arrange boats for day trips or other activities. The boat was very helpful in arranging day trip for snorkeling at other nearby sites and Piaynemo.
There is no dive center at the homestay but they are able to arrange with local dive guide from nearby homestay who is great. Galaxy and Melissa garden dive sites were wonderful, diving is standard 500.000 per dive or 600.000 if renting equipment which is same across most of raja homestays. The rental gear is limited and could use an update, would recommend bringing your own if you have it.
Overall we had a great stay and would recommend!
We had a lovely stay at Gloria’s Homestay. Stayed in the overwater bungalow x4 nights, very basic bungalows but have mosquito net but no fans. Electricity available evenings through midnight or so which is nice.
Beautiful views and great house reef for snorkeling. It’s fairly isolated so aside from relaxing and snorkeling, you need to arrange boats for day trips or other activities. The boat was very helpful in arranging day trip for snorkeling at other nearby sites and Piaynemo.
There is no dive center at the homestay but they are able to arrange with local dive guide from nearby homestay who is great. Galaxy and Melissa garden dive sites were wonderful, diving is standard 500.000 per dive or 600.000 if renting equipment which is same across most of raja homestays. The rental gear is limited and could use an update, would recommend bringing your own if you have it.
Overall we had a great stay and would recommend!
Amazing homestay. The best we had in Raja Ampat. We stayed in the hut over the water, from which terrace you can watch the sunrise. The house reef is incredible. Full of fish and healthy corals. You can see baby shark under the hut and also other fish and turtle. Roman and his family were super friendly and helpful. They organised the trip to Piaynemo, which is literally around the corner and to many other beautiful places for snorkelling and diving. Btw the dive spot Galaxy, which is very close (300 m) is the best we ever seen in our diving career. Overall our stay in Gloria exceeded our expectations by far.
Amazing homestay. The best we had in Raja Ampat. We stayed in the hut over the water, from which terrace you can watch the sunrise. The house reef is incredible. Full of fish and healthy corals. You can see baby shark under the hut and also other fish and turtle. Roman and his family were super friendly and helpful. They organised the trip to Piaynemo, which is literally around the corner and to many other beautiful places for snorkelling and diving. Btw the dive spot Galaxy, which is very close (300 m) is the best we ever seen in our diving career. Overall our stay in Gloria exceeded our expectations by far.
Back to a snorkeler’s paradise Last year in April we visited Gloria Homestay for the first time and this year we spent another 10 days, longer than we had originally planned. Why? This homestay is beautifully situated on a white sandy beach on the island of Piaynemo. It is run by a lovely young family – Roman, Else and her daughter Lena. Roman’s parents are often around to help and the homestay is named after Roman’s mother Gloria. There are now 4 huts on land and 3 bungalows over water with a fourth one being built. The 2 mandis and the 2 toilets western style are always kept clean and the water in the mandis is fresh water. In the open restaurant you will get some very good food. Else and her helpers prepare plenty of delicious fish with spicy sauces together with different kinds of vegetables. Additionally, an afternoon snack – banana fritters or fine cakes – is served daily. This place is a snorkeler’s paradise. In front of the homestay there is a big reef which offers a great variety of intact corals and lots of fish. Snorkeling was possible there at any time of day. If you swim along the wall for quite a bit you will find the colourful Napoleon Wall, which is covered with hard and soft corals and sponges. In the other direction you can snorkel until you reach a small bay and normally there is no problem with currents. Roman offers a lot of trips to different places around the Fam islands and ,of course, to the nearby Piaynemo viewpoint – at a time when there are not a lot of other tourists. Highly recommended for snorkelers are trips to the Fam Wall and Rufas (very near). Also worthwhile is a trip to the jetty of Fam village, which is ideally combined with a trip to the mantas in the Andau Besar area. The prices Roman asks for his trips are per person and are quite reasonable. And if you want to dive Roman can also provide everything you need. The phone signal here is really good and in the evenings there is WIFI. It is good idea to bring moskito repellent as you might need it. We enjoyed our stays at this extraordinary homestay with the whole family very much and we hope we can come again for a third time! Injo nabor Ibu Gloria, Pak Roman, Ibu Else!
Back to a snorkeler’s paradise Last year in April we visited Gloria Homestay for the first time and this year we spent another 10 days, longer than we had originally planned. Why? This homestay is beautifully situated on a white sandy beach on the island of Piaynemo. It is run by a lovely young family – Roman, Else and her daughter Lena. Roman’s parents are often around to help and the homestay is named after Roman’s mother Gloria. There are now 4 huts on land and 3 bungalows over water with a fourth one being built. The 2 mandis and the 2 toilets western style are always kept clean and the water in the mandis is fresh water. In the open restaurant you will get some very good food. Else and her helpers prepare plenty of delicious fish with spicy sauces together with different kinds of vegetables. Additionally, an afternoon snack – banana fritters or fine cakes – is served daily. This place is a snorkeler’s paradise. In front of the homestay there is a big reef which offers a great variety of intact corals and lots of fish. Snorkeling was possible there at any time of day. If you swim along the wall for quite a bit you will find the colourful Napoleon Wall, which is covered with hard and soft corals and sponges. In the other direction you can snorkel until you reach a small bay and normally there is no problem with currents. Roman offers a lot of trips to different places around the Fam islands and ,of course, to the nearby Piaynemo viewpoint – at a time when there are not a lot of other tourists. Highly recommended for snorkelers are trips to the Fam Wall and Rufas (very near). Also worthwhile is a trip to the jetty of Fam village, which is ideally combined with a trip to the mantas in the Andau Besar area. The prices Roman asks for his trips are per person and are quite reasonable. And if you want to dive Roman can also provide everything you need. The phone signal here is really good and in the evenings there is WIFI. It is good idea to bring moskito repellent as you might need it. We enjoyed our stays at this extraordinary homestay with the whole family very much and we hope we can come again for a third time! Injo nabor Ibu Gloria, Pak Roman, Ibu Else!
We really enjoyed our stay at Gloria’s Homestay. The family is very kind, the toilet and bathroom were always very clean, food was varied and plentifull. Officially the homestay has no dive centre, but Roman did have gear for us and his nephew is a dive instructor and he came over to the homestay so we could do 2 dives which was great. He was fun but also took it serious (even more so than we experienced at other homestays which did have a dive centre).
We also met very lovely other people here.
We stayed at an on-land bungalow, which we really enjoyed. We think the (newer) over-sea bungalows are even better and Roman was very kind to let us stay 1 of our 3 nights in an over-sea bungalow when it was available.
These bungalows have a hammock, nice view and you can catch a sea-breeze here, whereas the on-land bungalows are a bit older, warmer and darker. We think the on-land bungalows could use an upgrade so they are more comparable to the over-sea bungalows?
We really recommend staying here, it was the best homestay we’ve visited in Raja Ampat.
We really enjoyed our stay at Gloria’s Homestay. The family is very kind, the toilet and bathroom were always very clean, food was varied and plentifull. Officially the homestay has no dive centre, but Roman did have gear for us and his nephew is a dive instructor and he came over to the homestay so we could do 2 dives which was great. He was fun but also took it serious (even more so than we experienced at other homestays which did have a dive centre).
We also met very lovely other people here.
We stayed at an on-land bungalow, which we really enjoyed. We think the (newer) over-sea bungalows are even better and Roman was very kind to let us stay 1 of our 3 nights in an over-sea bungalow when it was available.
These bungalows have a hammock, nice view and you can catch a sea-breeze here, whereas the on-land bungalows are a bit older, warmer and darker. We think the on-land bungalows could use an upgrade so they are more comparable to the over-sea bungalows?
We really recommend staying here, it was the best homestay we’ve visited in Raja Ampat.
Best House reef in Raja!!
This place is totally worth your time to visit.
Room: The overwater bungalows are 100x better than the on land ones. Very dreamy location. The on land ones are over stagnant water and didn’t look like they had good air flow. Also less of a view if you get an on land bungalow. There are no fans here! Even the overwater bungalows were really hot and made it hard to sleep. It looked like they were expanding Gloria so there should be more over water bungalows soon.
Staff: The locals here are so friendly and the staff/owner really go out of your way to make it comfortable. The fresh coconuts were such a nice treat and really made the stay extra special.
Tours: Pam (fam) is a really beautiful place and all the tours are spectacular. There are a lot of healthy reefs in the area, and lots of iconic views. The homestay does a good job with these tours, but charges per person instead of per boat. So cost may be more.
House reef: WOW! Really the reason you should stay here is the house reef. It was some of the best snorkeling i’ve done in raja ampat. It’s massive and overall pretty healthy compared to other spots we’ve been. So many reef sharks here too which is always fun to randomly see. Every day we saw something different. One day even saw some manta jumping out of the water!
Overall we would totally return here if we visit Raja Ampat again. 🙂
Best House reef in Raja!!
This place is totally worth your time to visit.
Room: The overwater bungalows are 100x better than the on land ones. Very dreamy location. The on land ones are over stagnant water and didn’t look like they had good air flow. Also less of a view if you get an on land bungalow. There are no fans here! Even the overwater bungalows were really hot and made it hard to sleep. It looked like they were expanding Gloria so there should be more over water bungalows soon.
Staff: The locals here are so friendly and the staff/owner really go out of your way to make it comfortable. The fresh coconuts were such a nice treat and really made the stay extra special.
Tours: Pam (fam) is a really beautiful place and all the tours are spectacular. There are a lot of healthy reefs in the area, and lots of iconic views. The homestay does a good job with these tours, but charges per person instead of per boat. So cost may be more.
House reef: WOW! Really the reason you should stay here is the house reef. It was some of the best snorkeling i’ve done in raja ampat. It’s massive and overall pretty healthy compared to other spots we’ve been. So many reef sharks here too which is always fun to randomly see. Every day we saw something different. One day even saw some manta jumping out of the water!
Overall we would totally return here if we visit Raja Ampat again. 🙂
I think all in all this was the best homestay we stayed at in Raja Ampat. The over water bungalow was great, no fan but wasn’t needed as it didn’t get too hot.
The shower water is great, you can’t feel any salt and the bathrooms/toilets were the cleanest we’ve seen.
The house reef is great and the entire homestay area very beautiful. We were greeted with a coconut and the family running the homestay is super nice.
The food was amazing, the best we had in RA, so varied we had nowhere else seen it.
They offer diving here too and we went on a day trip to Piaynemo.
Highly recommend this place!
Thank you Roman, Else and Lina for this amazing time!!
I think all in all this was the best homestay we stayed at in Raja Ampat. The over water bungalow was great, no fan but wasn’t needed as it didn’t get too hot.
The shower water is great, you can’t feel any salt and the bathrooms/toilets were the cleanest we’ve seen.
The house reef is great and the entire homestay area very beautiful. We were greeted with a coconut and the family running the homestay is super nice.
The food was amazing, the best we had in RA, so varied we had nowhere else seen it.
They offer diving here too and we went on a day trip to Piaynemo.
Highly recommend this place!
Thank you Roman, Else and Lina for this amazing time!!
Had a great time at Gloria.
– Beautiful and peaceful place, with very cosy above-water bungalows.
– Amazing reefs nearby.
– Extra nice and helpful owners.
– Very delicious food.
Can only recommend!
Had a great time at Gloria.
– Beautiful and peaceful place, with very cosy above-water bungalows.
– Amazing reefs nearby.
– Extra nice and helpful owners.
– Very delicious food.
Can only recommend!
Best place in RA?
I spent 5 nights at Gloria Homestay. Best homestay i went to in RA, and I can’t see how it could be much better:
– beautiful and peaceful beach
– healthy corals both ways, Napoleon wall close by
– 2 fresh (?) water showers
– owner/Roman speaks some english and is very accomodating, polite and flexible. Also the family is adorable, especially his daughter who is very fun!
– not too many mosquitoes
– good food
– hammocks
– no rats
– they arrange with a dive guide (Misal(?)) to come with tanks to go on dives. He also speaks some english, and was very good at spotting different critters
Come here and don’t stay in Rufas Island, there’s no point, this is a much better place
Best place in RA?
I spent 5 nights at Gloria Homestay. Best homestay i went to in RA, and I can’t see how it could be much better:
– beautiful and peaceful beach
– healthy corals both ways, Napoleon wall close by
– 2 fresh (?) water showers
– owner/Roman speaks some english and is very accomodating, polite and flexible. Also the family is adorable, especially his daughter who is very fun!
– not too many mosquitoes
– good food
– hammocks
– no rats
– they arrange with a dive guide (Misal(?)) to come with tanks to go on dives. He also speaks some english, and was very good at spotting different critters
Come here and don’t stay in Rufas Island, there’s no point, this is a much better place
Definitively the best position to visit Piayemo and the Fem island. They organize trips for good prices. They have two beautiful huts on the water but the ones on the beach need to be rearranged. Good food.
Definitively the best position to visit Piayemo and the Fem island. They organize trips for good prices. They have two beautiful huts on the water but the ones on the beach need to be rearranged. Good food.
Wir waren 4 Tage bei Gloria. Hatten einen der 2 Wasserbungalows „ergattert“, wohl weil wir frühmorgens ankamen und gerade einer frei war. Manch andere wurden enttäuscht, da nur noch ein Beachbungalow frei war, obwohl Wasserbungalow gebucht. Es kam sogar vor, dass trotz Buchung garnichts mehr frei war…das Buchungsmanagement ist suboptimal. Unser Bungalow hatte eine gute Matratze, das ist immer das Wichtigste. Das Hausriff ist sehr schön, beim Schnorcheln sind uns neben Schildkröten und Haien sogar Mantas begegnet. Der Eigentümer Roman bietet zu moderaten Preisen Ausflüge an, die wir gerne angenommen haben. Das Essen war sehr gut und reichlich, wir haben nichts vermisst. Die eine Toilette und die zwei Mandiduschen sind einfach und waren immer sauber, bei ausgebuchten Homestay und 14 Gästen nicht selbstverständlich. Manchmal war aber Anstehen angesagt.
Wir waren 4 Tage bei Gloria. Hatten einen der 2 Wasserbungalows „ergattert“, wohl weil wir frühmorgens ankamen und gerade einer frei war. Manch andere wurden enttäuscht, da nur noch ein Beachbungalow frei war, obwohl Wasserbungalow gebucht. Es kam sogar vor, dass trotz Buchung garnichts mehr frei war…das Buchungsmanagement ist suboptimal. Unser Bungalow hatte eine gute Matratze, das ist immer das Wichtigste. Das Hausriff ist sehr schön, beim Schnorcheln sind uns neben Schildkröten und Haien sogar Mantas begegnet. Der Eigentümer Roman bietet zu moderaten Preisen Ausflüge an, die wir gerne angenommen haben. Das Essen war sehr gut und reichlich, wir haben nichts vermisst. Die eine Toilette und die zwei Mandiduschen sind einfach und waren immer sauber, bei ausgebuchten Homestay und 14 Gästen nicht selbstverständlich. Manchmal war aber Anstehen angesagt.
Loved our stay. Our overwater cottage was basic but comfortable with a cute little balcony with hammocks. Mattress on floor was comfortable. In the middle of the day the cottage would be too hot as no fan, but hanging out on the balcony was fine.
Food was plentiful with lots of vegetables however sometimes breakfast was just cake.
The place is safe, we never had to lock our cottage. We kept our door nad windows open the entire time.
Recommend the manta trip, we had a great experience and too many to count. The guesthouse can arrange diving and is very close to Galaxy dive site which was very nice. Was a little disappointed with Melissa Garden and not sure why all the hype, I guess the large number of liveaboard divers may have chased the fish away. Much better corals at Galaxy.
The Piaynemo lookout is about 20 minutes away and is nice as is the wall snorkel at Rufas island.
The house reef at Gloria’s is entertaining with a massive resident school of fish and 8 baby sharks that swim by the overwater bungalows constantly.
The daily excursions are budget friendly.
The only disappointing aspect was the pickup from Wasai – was 3 hours late and the transfer to Kri island 2 hours delayed. We thought it was slack on their part and they need to improve it.
Loved our stay. Our overwater cottage was basic but comfortable with a cute little balcony with hammocks. Mattress on floor was comfortable. In the middle of the day the cottage would be too hot as no fan, but hanging out on the balcony was fine.
Food was plentiful with lots of vegetables however sometimes breakfast was just cake.
The place is safe, we never had to lock our cottage. We kept our door nad windows open the entire time.
Recommend the manta trip, we had a great experience and too many to count. The guesthouse can arrange diving and is very close to Galaxy dive site which was very nice. Was a little disappointed with Melissa Garden and not sure why all the hype, I guess the large number of liveaboard divers may have chased the fish away. Much better corals at Galaxy.
The Piaynemo lookout is about 20 minutes away and is nice as is the wall snorkel at Rufas island.
The house reef at Gloria’s is entertaining with a massive resident school of fish and 8 baby sharks that swim by the overwater bungalows constantly.
The daily excursions are budget friendly.
The only disappointing aspect was the pickup from Wasai – was 3 hours late and the transfer to Kri island 2 hours delayed. We thought it was slack on their part and they need to improve it.
Gloria Homestay is very remote and that is part of the charm and privilege of staying there. As mentioned by many, the house reef is gorgeous, full of fish and pristine coral, and depending on the direction of the current, you can snorkel for a long time in both directions going left or right directly from the homestay, with sharks and even mantas passing by if you are near where the reef drops down to deeper depths.
Roman and his family are very good at organising trips to Piaynemo viewpoint and amazing sites for snorkelling, also to remote beaches for watching the sunset.
We had ok mobile reception at just 1 spot directly in front of the dining room. The 2 toilets and 1 mandi shower were kept clean and the food was tasty (although can run out quickly so best be on time for the meals). We were unlucky to end up in a land bungalow that had a really old mattress and holes in the mosquito net and no hammock. Despite being told we could move into the overwater bungalow the next day, it was then given to someone else.
Roman is very sweet and quiet, and definitely a yes person. Everything we asked, he would say yes and I honestly believe that he wanted to do all he can for his guests, but sometimes he’s unable to fulfil every request. It’s not easy being so remote with many guests requesting and demanding things, but I think people can understand if he says no once in a while and explain the reasons. We were also confused by the system of boat transfers because he sent and charged for 2 boats to pick up 4 people from Waisai that arrived at the same time but then we witnessed 6 people share 1 boat leaving to transfer to Batanta. Some transparency on number of passengers allowed on a boat would be welcomed, prevent guest confusion, and also save on precious fuel that always seems to run low.
Overall, the location and the efforts by Roman’s family are great and worth a few days out in that area of Raja Ampat.
Gloria Homestay is very remote and that is part of the charm and privilege of staying there. As mentioned by many, the house reef is gorgeous, full of fish and pristine coral, and depending on the direction of the current, you can snorkel for a long time in both directions going left or right directly from the homestay, with sharks and even mantas passing by if you are near where the reef drops down to deeper depths.
Roman and his family are very good at organising trips to Piaynemo viewpoint and amazing sites for snorkelling, also to remote beaches for watching the sunset.
We had ok mobile reception at just 1 spot directly in front of the dining room. The 2 toilets and 1 mandi shower were kept clean and the food was tasty (although can run out quickly so best be on time for the meals). We were unlucky to end up in a land bungalow that had a really old mattress and holes in the mosquito net and no hammock. Despite being told we could move into the overwater bungalow the next day, it was then given to someone else.
Roman is very sweet and quiet, and definitely a yes person. Everything we asked, he would say yes and I honestly believe that he wanted to do all he can for his guests, but sometimes he’s unable to fulfil every request. It’s not easy being so remote with many guests requesting and demanding things, but I think people can understand if he says no once in a while and explain the reasons. We were also confused by the system of boat transfers because he sent and charged for 2 boats to pick up 4 people from Waisai that arrived at the same time but then we witnessed 6 people share 1 boat leaving to transfer to Batanta. Some transparency on number of passengers allowed on a boat would be welcomed, prevent guest confusion, and also save on precious fuel that always seems to run low.
Overall, the location and the efforts by Roman’s family are great and worth a few days out in that area of Raja Ampat.
We had a very good stay!
We met lots of great people and it was great to be able to go on excursions together, it will remain an unforgettable memory:)
The water bungalow is really great!
We had a great time for the new year because we had a special evening.
Snokerling is very beautiful.
The excursion to the Piaynemo viewpoint is impressive. Snokerling near Ruffas is magnificent.
Excursions are not expensive!
We had a very good stay!
We met lots of great people and it was great to be able to go on excursions together, it will remain an unforgettable memory:)
The water bungalow is really great!
We had a great time for the new year because we had a special evening.
Snokerling is very beautiful.
The excursion to the Piaynemo viewpoint is impressive. Snokerling near Ruffas is magnificent.
Excursions are not expensive!
The Fam Islands are remote and more basic than the other islands but you’re rewarded by the isolation and the beauty.
With that in mind, Gloria was 5 stars for me. Yes, the quantities of food was less than the other home stays – this could be improved by charging more and having less people stay as I did feel hungry.
But overall it was beautiful. We had fabulous guests stay with us, which made the experience unforgettable and we all ended up joining together to do snorkel trips.
The snorkeling around here is incredible and so pristine.
As I said, it’s basic. Don’t expect any phone connection and shower water would sometimes run out but that’s part of being remote.
We stayed in an overwater bungalow, however if we were in one of the “on land” bungalows, I wouldn’t have been very happy or comfortable – they get so many mozzies and are even more hot but our overwater bungalow was fabulous.
BYO bath towel.
The Fam Islands are remote and more basic than the other islands but you’re rewarded by the isolation and the beauty.
With that in mind, Gloria was 5 stars for me. Yes, the quantities of food was less than the other home stays – this could be improved by charging more and having less people stay as I did feel hungry.
But overall it was beautiful. We had fabulous guests stay with us, which made the experience unforgettable and we all ended up joining together to do snorkel trips.
The snorkeling around here is incredible and so pristine.
As I said, it’s basic. Don’t expect any phone connection and shower water would sometimes run out but that’s part of being remote.
We stayed in an overwater bungalow, however if we were in one of the “on land” bungalows, I wouldn’t have been very happy or comfortable – they get so many mozzies and are even more hot but our overwater bungalow was fabulous.
BYO bath towel.
Disappointed.
We are a couple and stayed 2 weeks in raja ampat ( first time) and this was the second of the 3 homestays we stayed in and by far the worst and the only one we actually looked forward to leave. Hopefully we stayed only 2 days.
We really don’t understand all the 5star review.
We had the worst bungalow ( made out of plywood sheets, no hammock ( the others had them) bed laying on the ground with bad smelling sheets.
We had to sleep with the sound of the generator and the bulb lighting the porch from 9 till 1 am ( no way to turn it off unless you unscrew it).
The electricity was also not working and we couldn’t charge phones camera etc.
There were 1 shower and 2 toilets but the one close to our bungalow had neither paper nor water.
Food:
Breakfast is fried bananas chips.
We had to share meagre quantities between 15-17 guests (1 plate of eggplant for 17) 12 omelettes for 15, 6 bananas for 7 and so on.
I was hungry the whole 2 days.
On the first day we had cake at 4 pm which was delicious and the highlight of the food experience here. We are not overweight soda burger addicted people and we didn’t come to raja ampat for the food but come on. 500k and not even 1 small banana pp . The other homestays were nothing like that.
One night we went to see the coconut crab which was something I was looking forward to. So we went into the jungle. We saw one but after taking pictures with it the guide captured it to eat it. We were shocked as we thought they were endangered species and were supposed to be protected. The joy of seeing the crab was quickly replaced by guilt as we felt like we actively participated to its demise. So glad we paid 1 M tax to protect the fragile endangered endemic wildlife of RA.
Finally the departure. We were 4 guests going to gam but instead of sharing a boat they wanted us to take 2 separate boats pretexting they were too small for 4 people plus the driver. The very same boat that came from waisai the day before with 6 guests and 3 drivers. I guess to make us pay twice as much. We finally boarded the boat with all 4 of us and plenty of spare room after speaking with Roman.
Also be aware the phone signal is fickle and there is heavy sun with very little shade from 6 am to 10-11 because the sun sets directly in front of the beach.
On the plus side :
Not a lot of mosquitos.
Amazing corals right in front.
Close to piaynemo, mellisa garden etc.
I hope we were just very unlucky with everything and understand the other guests must have had a different experience than ours but I feel like this place shouldn’t accommodate that many guests and I cannot fathom how we paid the same price than the other homestay we stayed at.
( bungalow twice as big, on the sea, raised beds clean sheets, towels, delicious and plenty of food and so on..
Truly a disappointing and shocking experience Paoli 🙁
The large (unbooked) group that descended on Gloria, and your host’s inability to say “No!” to unreasonable requests, were the cause of both the coconut crab hunting, and the fact that you received a staff hut instead of the bungalow you had booked.
Gloria is deeply sorry for both these things and will refuse such demands in future.
Please see your email for details of the refund you are owed.
Disappointed.
We are a couple and stayed 2 weeks in raja ampat ( first time) and this was the second of the 3 homestays we stayed in and by far the worst and the only one we actually looked forward to leave. Hopefully we stayed only 2 days.
We really don’t understand all the 5star review.
We had the worst bungalow ( made out of plywood sheets, no hammock ( the others had them) bed laying on the ground with bad smelling sheets.
We had to sleep with the sound of the generator and the bulb lighting the porch from 9 till 1 am ( no way to turn it off unless you unscrew it).
The electricity was also not working and we couldn’t charge phones camera etc.
There were 1 shower and 2 toilets but the one close to our bungalow had neither paper nor water.
Food:
Breakfast is fried bananas chips.
We had to share meagre quantities between 15-17 guests (1 plate of eggplant for 17) 12 omelettes for 15, 6 bananas for 7 and so on.
I was hungry the whole 2 days.
On the first day we had cake at 4 pm which was delicious and the highlight of the food experience here. We are not overweight soda burger addicted people and we didn’t come to raja ampat for the food but come on. 500k and not even 1 small banana pp . The other homestays were nothing like that.
One night we went to see the coconut crab which was something I was looking forward to. So we went into the jungle. We saw one but after taking pictures with it the guide captured it to eat it. We were shocked as we thought they were endangered species and were supposed to be protected. The joy of seeing the crab was quickly replaced by guilt as we felt like we actively participated to its demise. So glad we paid 1 M tax to protect the fragile endangered endemic wildlife of RA.
Finally the departure. We were 4 guests going to gam but instead of sharing a boat they wanted us to take 2 separate boats pretexting they were too small for 4 people plus the driver. The very same boat that came from waisai the day before with 6 guests and 3 drivers. I guess to make us pay twice as much. We finally boarded the boat with all 4 of us and plenty of spare room after speaking with Roman.
Also be aware the phone signal is fickle and there is heavy sun with very little shade from 6 am to 10-11 because the sun sets directly in front of the beach.
On the plus side :
Not a lot of mosquitos.
Amazing corals right in front.
Close to piaynemo, mellisa garden etc.
I hope we were just very unlucky with everything and understand the other guests must have had a different experience than ours but I feel like this place shouldn’t accommodate that many guests and I cannot fathom how we paid the same price than the other homestay we stayed at.
( bungalow twice as big, on the sea, raised beds clean sheets, towels, delicious and plenty of food and so on..
Truly a disappointing and shocking experience Paoli 🙁
The large (unbooked) group that descended on Gloria, and your host’s inability to say “No!” to unreasonable requests, were the cause of both the coconut crab hunting, and the fact that you received a staff hut instead of the bungalow you had booked.
Gloria is deeply sorry for both these things and will refuse such demands in future.
Please see your email for details of the refund you are owed.
Your own private beach getaway! Without doubt the best food I had in Raja Ampat and an excellent house reef.
Your own private beach getaway! Without doubt the best food I had in Raja Ampat and an excellent house reef.
We spent one week here in December with my wife. We slept one night in the older bungalow and six nights in over water bungalow that was recently built. If you could choose I would prefer over water bungalow. There you can watch baby sharks swim constantly under your bungalow and have a fresh breeze from the sea. Lunch and dinner are delicious and there is lots to eat. Breakfast could be improwed with more options. Boat tours are very cheap and you have many amazing options where to choose. Barracuda reef and Andau mantapoint were our favourites. At mantapoint we saw something like 30 mantas!
Roman and his family are very lovely people and makes you feel part of their community. You can go fishing with Roman’s brother Luther and catch some tuna if you are lucky (we got 4!). We miss this place a lot!
We spent one week here in December with my wife. We slept one night in the older bungalow and six nights in over water bungalow that was recently built. If you could choose I would prefer over water bungalow. There you can watch baby sharks swim constantly under your bungalow and have a fresh breeze from the sea. Lunch and dinner are delicious and there is lots to eat. Breakfast could be improwed with more options. Boat tours are very cheap and you have many amazing options where to choose. Barracuda reef and Andau mantapoint were our favourites. At mantapoint we saw something like 30 mantas!
Roman and his family are very lovely people and makes you feel part of their community. You can go fishing with Roman’s brother Luther and catch some tuna if you are lucky (we got 4!). We miss this place a lot!
You’re probably looking here because you’re wanting to visit Wayag – and I stand as a witness that Wayag matches its press. But Yefkabu is also a base for seeing the underwater life at Offo, Tamanu, Bianca and enough other places to keep you amazed with excellent coral and crazy quantities of fish. Yes, the quality of the nearby reefs is incredible and worth the added journey from Wasai. So much so, I’d view Wayag not so much as a must do but as cool bonus if the weather and your wallet cooperate.
Riowati (she also goes by Rio) is delightful to work with and was excellent at operationalizing our big picture idea of what we thought we wanted to do. Like the hosts on other homestays, she was with us on our transfers and day trips. Her English is fine and she’s got good people working with her.
Yefkabu’s bungalows are interspersed with the families that live on the small island – which gives you a portal to the relaxed rhythm of daily life. That proximity also provides easy access to teenagers who have mastered the art of coconut palm climbing and happily share from their extensive inventory.
I stayed at Gloria Homestay for 4 days and it was my favourite place during my 3 weeks Raja(I have been to 4different places)
So quiet, remote and peaceful! Perfect if you are looking for that desert island experience. The house reef is beautiful!
Roman and his family were very friendly. I went twice with Roman to see sunset at the lagoon just near the Homestay and to the Long beach.
Roman also took me and another 2 guests on some amazing snorkelling tour not far from the Homestay! Snorkelling at Roman wall and Fam wall was absolutely incredible! He also took me to Pyanemo view point and to Rufas island.
Food was great, I had fresh fish almost every day! Roman was very easy to talk to and he was always ready to organise anything that you wish for!
I was suffering from mosquitos one night and they gave me smoke repellent, which literally saved my life!
If I am ever again in Raja I will definitely come back and stay for longer here.
If you are looking to avoid the crowds if Kri and Gam this is the place.
I stayed at Gloria Homestay for 4 days and it was my favourite place during my 3 weeks Raja(I have been to 4different places)
So quiet, remote and peaceful! Perfect if you are looking for that desert island experience. The house reef is beautiful!
Roman and his family were very friendly. I went twice with Roman to see sunset at the lagoon just near the Homestay and to the Long beach.
Roman also took me and another 2 guests on some amazing snorkelling tour not far from the Homestay! Snorkelling at Roman wall and Fam wall was absolutely incredible! He also took me to Pyanemo view point and to Rufas island.
Food was great, I had fresh fish almost every day! Roman was very easy to talk to and he was always ready to organise anything that you wish for!
I was suffering from mosquitos one night and they gave me smoke repellent, which literally saved my life!
If I am ever again in Raja I will definitely come back and stay for longer here.
If you are looking to avoid the crowds if Kri and Gam this is the place.
We spent 4 days in Roman and his family’s little paradise. We enjoyed the quietness and the beauty of the place. The reef is quite nice, we even swam with a devil ray. At sunset, a couple of black tip baby sharks come by the shore. Sunset is beautiful, moonrise even more, and the stars are stunning. Roman and family are very kind, even though very discreet. The food was good and we had amazing fresh fish. Roman took us on half a day excursions (snorkeling, visit of Saukabu village, sunset beach, Pyainemo view point), it was nice and very affordable. They took good care of us and Roman even brought us back to Waisai to visit the hospital, reducing the price of the boat fare to help us to be able to continue our holidays. Terimakasih banyak!!!
We spent 4 days in Roman and his family’s little paradise. We enjoyed the quietness and the beauty of the place. The reef is quite nice, we even swam with a devil ray. At sunset, a couple of black tip baby sharks come by the shore. Sunset is beautiful, moonrise even more, and the stars are stunning. Roman and family are very kind, even though very discreet. The food was good and we had amazing fresh fish. Roman took us on half a day excursions (snorkeling, visit of Saukabu village, sunset beach, Pyainemo view point), it was nice and very affordable. They took good care of us and Roman even brought us back to Waisai to visit the hospital, reducing the price of the boat fare to help us to be able to continue our holidays. Terimakasih banyak!!!
Roman and family were amazing hosts and I really enjoyed the great day trips and snorkeling. Very secluded location. Bungalows were the most basic of the ones I stayed in across Raja Ampat but fine enough. Like mentioned below bring a fan, mosquito coils, powerbank etc.
House reef and nearby reefs were great!
Thanks so much Roman and family, hope to come back one day!!
Roman and family were amazing hosts and I really enjoyed the great day trips and snorkeling. Very secluded location. Bungalows were the most basic of the ones I stayed in across Raja Ampat but fine enough. Like mentioned below bring a fan, mosquito coils, powerbank etc.
House reef and nearby reefs were great!
Thanks so much Roman and family, hope to come back one day!!
We had a beautiful 5 night stay with Roman and his family. Lovely people, beautiful reef out the front, amazing food. Roman always happy to take us out for day trips. Highly recommend – would love to come back some day!
We had a beautiful 5 night stay with Roman and his family. Lovely people, beautiful reef out the front, amazing food. Roman always happy to take us out for day trips. Highly recommend – would love to come back some day!
We stayed four nights at Gloria and had a wonderful time. The house reef is incredible and most of Piaynemo’s attractions are just a short boat ride away. Roman’s Wall (named after the host?) is a must! The accommodation and facilities are very basic – bring a fan and a large battery pack – and meals are simple but delicious. Roman and his family are kind and trying their best to be helpful.
We stayed four nights at Gloria and had a wonderful time. The house reef is incredible and most of Piaynemo’s attractions are just a short boat ride away. Roman’s Wall (named after the host?) is a must! The accommodation and facilities are very basic – bring a fan and a large battery pack – and meals are simple but delicious. Roman and his family are kind and trying their best to be helpful.
We had an awesome stay at gloria homestay. Nice secluded location, makes you feel like you have an entire island to yourself. Epic snorkelling straight out the front. Romans entire family are lovely people, super nice and helpful. Food was good and there chilli sauce is incredible. Roman was happy to drop us off at surrounding islands and let us do our exploring and come pick us up when we were done. Will Visit again
We had an awesome stay at gloria homestay. Nice secluded location, makes you feel like you have an entire island to yourself. Epic snorkelling straight out the front. Romans entire family are lovely people, super nice and helpful. Food was good and there chilli sauce is incredible. Roman was happy to drop us off at surrounding islands and let us do our exploring and come pick us up when we were done. Will Visit again
We enjoyed our time on yefkebu and generosity of Rebecca and Alfred. Roni was a great boat man.
The location allowed us access to Aljui which was wonderful.
Thank you so much to this lovely family -keep being careful of using an anchor on reefs so they stay beautiful.
We stayed here for 6 nights and had a great time. The owner Roman, his wife and little daughter Lina were wonderful and considerate. They prepared 3 meals a day for us, it tasted delicious! Roman took us to great snorkeling spots and always fulfilled all our wishes. He even showed us the coconut crabs! The price is really reasonable and definitely worth every penny. We highly reccomend staying with them!!
We stayed here for 6 nights and had a great time. The owner Roman, his wife and little daughter Lina were wonderful and considerate. They prepared 3 meals a day for us, it tasted delicious! Roman took us to great snorkeling spots and always fulfilled all our wishes. He even showed us the coconut crabs! The price is really reasonable and definitely worth every penny. We highly reccomend staying with them!!
Roman et sa famille nous ont admirablement bien reçu. Ils sont très attentifs à leurs hôtes. Les repas sont variés, copieux. Il y a même un goûter !
Les bungalows sont simples mais le confort suffisant.
La plage est belle, isolée. Les sorties snorkeling ou visites de pyanemo proposées par Roman sont peu onéreuses, variées et toutes très chouettes.
Le récif devant la plage est beau, il y a juste un peu de courant au large en saison des vents.
Une excellente base pour ceux qui veulent découvrir pleinement pyanemo et ses alentours. Une magnifique étape de notre périple aux raja ampat !
Prévoir un temps suffisant pour le trajet aller ou retour, surtout à la saison des vent… Il y a de la houle.
Roman et sa famille nous ont admirablement bien reçu. Ils sont très attentifs à leurs hôtes. Les repas sont variés, copieux. Il y a même un goûter !
Les bungalows sont simples mais le confort suffisant.
La plage est belle, isolée. Les sorties snorkeling ou visites de pyanemo proposées par Roman sont peu onéreuses, variées et toutes très chouettes.
Le récif devant la plage est beau, il y a juste un peu de courant au large en saison des vents.
Une excellente base pour ceux qui veulent découvrir pleinement pyanemo et ses alentours. Une magnifique étape de notre périple aux raja ampat !
Prévoir un temps suffisant pour le trajet aller ou retour, surtout à la saison des vent… Il y a de la houle.
My wife and I stayed five days at Yefkabu Homestay in July 2023. Fantastic hosts, delicious food, beautiful views and amazing snorkeling. We were very sad to leave and we hope to come back soon. We highly recommend Yefkabu Homestay. Injo nabor!
Gloria Homestay is a little piece of paradise!
We arrived on very short notice, but Roman and Elsa quickly put a bungalow in order for us. The homestay is located on a beautiful beach with a fantastic view towards the south, and the jungle behind. There are monitor lizards in the rocks behind the homestay. The bungalows are standard, basic.
The house reef is absolutely fantastic! We were swimming with a million fishes, Napoleon wrasse, squids, black tip reef sharks, etc. and the corals are beautiful.
Roman and Elsa are lovely and very service minded. Roman drove us around with the boat, visiting the highlights on Piaynemo, snorkeling on the amazing Melissa Garden (he even brought coconuts for us on the boat!) and cruising among the beautiful Pam islands.
Roman went out fishing before the meals – you don’t get fresher fish than that! And Elsa made yummy snacks for us in addition to preparing the tasty meals.
Staying at Glora Homestay was the highlight of our stay in Raja Ampat (we visited 4 different places).
Gloria Homestay is a little piece of paradise!
We arrived on very short notice, but Roman and Elsa quickly put a bungalow in order for us. The homestay is located on a beautiful beach with a fantastic view towards the south, and the jungle behind. There are monitor lizards in the rocks behind the homestay. The bungalows are standard, basic.
The house reef is absolutely fantastic! We were swimming with a million fishes, Napoleon wrasse, squids, black tip reef sharks, etc. and the corals are beautiful.
Roman and Elsa are lovely and very service minded. Roman drove us around with the boat, visiting the highlights on Piaynemo, snorkeling on the amazing Melissa Garden (he even brought coconuts for us on the boat!) and cruising among the beautiful Pam islands.
Roman went out fishing before the meals – you don’t get fresher fish than that! And Elsa made yummy snacks for us in addition to preparing the tasty meals.
Staying at Glora Homestay was the highlight of our stay in Raja Ampat (we visited 4 different places).
Great stay at Gloria.
Roman was extremely friendly and accommodating,willing to do whatever he can to make your stay pleasant.
The bathrooms were clean and well kept.
The food was good and served in a timely manner.
The beach is great and one can sea baby blacktips cruising up and down.
The house reef is fantastic,saw some of the most pristine stretches of reef around.
The location is also near to dove sites such as Friwan wall and melissas garden.
There is 4g but it’s limited to a small area in the restaurant,it’s strong and reasonably fast.
As with most places in raja,bring a good mosquito repellent.
Great stay at Gloria.
Roman was extremely friendly and accommodating,willing to do whatever he can to make your stay pleasant.
The bathrooms were clean and well kept.
The food was good and served in a timely manner.
The beach is great and one can sea baby blacktips cruising up and down.
The house reef is fantastic,saw some of the most pristine stretches of reef around.
The location is also near to dove sites such as Friwan wall and melissas garden.
There is 4g but it’s limited to a small area in the restaurant,it’s strong and reasonably fast.
As with most places in raja,bring a good mosquito repellent.
Good house reef, very nice couple working very hard to please, plenty of good food, quiet and relaxing.
Good house reef, very nice couple working very hard to please, plenty of good food, quiet and relaxing.
We stayed for 2 nights at Gloria Homestay recently and were so pleased we did. It’s really a hidden gem in such a beautiful, quiet location. Swimming and snorkelling from the beach was amazing and we could see so many stars at night as there’s zero light pollution.
The owner Roman, his wife and beautiful little daughter Lina were wonderful hosts, very friendly and hard working. The meals were delicious with fish, chicken, rice, fruit and veg and we enjoyed the snack in the afternoon.
Our room was clean with a mattress on the floor and good mosquito net. Bathrooms and squat toilet were always kept clean.
Roman took us to Piaynemo and showed us all around the smaller lagoons. Another day he took us to snorkel at Melissa’s garden and Pam wall, both excursions were highlights of our 2 week RA trip. One evening he took us in his boat around the other side of the homestay to show us the sunset from a beautiful hidden lagoon.
We definitely recommend this homestay if you’re looking for a beautiful, quiet place with great snorkelling beach, good food and friendly hosts. It certainly exceeded our expectations and we can’t wait to return.
Many thanks to Roman and his wife for looking after us so well.
We stayed for 2 nights at Gloria Homestay recently and were so pleased we did. It’s really a hidden gem in such a beautiful, quiet location. Swimming and snorkelling from the beach was amazing and we could see so many stars at night as there’s zero light pollution.
The owner Roman, his wife and beautiful little daughter Lina were wonderful hosts, very friendly and hard working. The meals were delicious with fish, chicken, rice, fruit and veg and we enjoyed the snack in the afternoon.
Our room was clean with a mattress on the floor and good mosquito net. Bathrooms and squat toilet were always kept clean.
Roman took us to Piaynemo and showed us all around the smaller lagoons. Another day he took us to snorkel at Melissa’s garden and Pam wall, both excursions were highlights of our 2 week RA trip. One evening he took us in his boat around the other side of the homestay to show us the sunset from a beautiful hidden lagoon.
We definitely recommend this homestay if you’re looking for a beautiful, quiet place with great snorkelling beach, good food and friendly hosts. It certainly exceeded our expectations and we can’t wait to return.
Many thanks to Roman and his wife for looking after us so well.
We stayed here for 2 nights but if we had known it was such a peacefull place, we would have stayed longer. The owners are very friendly and they will make sure you have a good time. The food is good, the views are stunning, the house reef very beautiful
We stayed here for 2 nights but if we had known it was such a peacefull place, we would have stayed longer. The owners are very friendly and they will make sure you have a good time. The food is good, the views are stunning, the house reef very beautiful