Features
Details
Novella Homestay offers a single VIP beach bungalow with ensuite bathroom on Yef Kabu.
The bungalow sleeps two on a mattress on the floor. Bedding includes sheets, pillows, bolsters and mosquito nets. Power outlets are provided, and the bungalow verandahs have table and chair settings.
The ensuite bathroom has a western-style toilet.
Meals at Novella Homestay are served on the bungalow verandah. Drinking water, and tea and coffee making supplies are also provided there at no charge.
Electricity is provided by generator and is available from sunset to about midnight. A weak 4G phone signal is usually available.
Mutus village is about a ten minute boat ride away. Basic supplies are available from village kiosks there.
Very little English is spoken at Novella Homestay Homestay. Bringing a translation app or phrasebook is recommended.
To avoid contributing to the trashing of paradise, all homestays ask that you please take all your inorganic (especially plastic) waste away with you when you leave.
Transport / Getting there
A one way transfer between Novella Homestay and Waisai costs IDR 2,500,000
Transport is by longboat that can carry two passengers. Trip cost is shared by passengers.
Reaching West Waigeo is not cheap, but the remote region’s unique attractions and wild nature justify the expense. You’ll also see a lot of Raja Ampat on the way, including Kabui Bay and the famed Kabui Passage.
Read more about Raja Ampat boat transport prices here.
Activities
Novella Homestay will provide snorkelling and sightseeing trips on request.
Yef Kabu is a tiny, flat, sand cay in the middle of the West Waigeo’s Meos Manggara Islands.
One long, white beach encloses two square kilometres of coconut palms, casuarina and ketapang trees that makes a perfect quiet hideaway and base for exploring some of the best reefs in Raja Ampat.
Because of the region’s remoteness, West Waigeo’s reefs are pristine, rich and rarely visited by day tripping boats from Sorong and Waisai. Fabulous snorkelling is available in the area and it’s most likely that you will be the only people in the water. Mantas congregate at Pulau Yefnabi and several other locations in the islands. They can even be found there between June and September, when they are usually absent from the better known Dampier Strait sites of Manta Point and Manta Sandy.
Apart from the excellent snorkelling and mantas, the West Waigeo Islands offer sights like “Pasir Timbul” – a stretch of pristine white sand that emerges from the ocean with every low tide. A visit to Aljui Bay is highly recommended, and provides the opportunity to see ancient rock art galleries, a large commercial pearl farm, secret lagoons, cultural sites and spectacular scenery.
Waigeo Barat
See our West Waigeo page for an overview of West Waigeo, its islands, and their attractions.
Novella Homestay Reviews
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2 Reviews
Just spent 6 night in paradise. The bungalow is very spacious, clean, and new. The onsuite bathroom, electric plugs, fan, and table and chairs were definitely plus. There is a large veranda to watch the sunrise and the fish jumping and playing in the water. Often we saw dolphins swimming at the drop off which is not far from shore. Although you can swim out from the bungalow and go either right or left (both are good) to snorkel we preferred walking up the beach a few minutes and getting in at the jetty and drifting back to the bungalow. Also from the jetty you can go left for a second great reef heading towards the other side. We also walked around the island (1hr) which was fun. Many tour are available but our favourites were Tamaku and Yefnabi. Unfortunately we can’t speak to the food since were originally booked with a different homestay and we took our meals with them but the location, bungalow, and reef are great!
Please don’t be discouraged by the lack of reviews!
It’s only because Novella Homestay was added to Stay Raja Ampat today, and so does not have any reviews yet.
It’s really hard for families opening new homestays. Especially for those starting out small and basic.
Please do give Novella a chance, and then be the first to submit some feedback. 😊🙏