Features
- Sleeps 10 or more
- Quiet hideaway
- Hiking available
- Coral
- Child discount
- Good house reef
- Birds of Paradise
- Has family bungalows
- Calm beach
- Sandy Beach
- Western style toilet
- IDR 500,000 to 600,000
- Near village
- Has ensuite bathroom/toilet
Details
Rissen Homestay is on the beach, a ten minute walk from the Batanta village of Marandan Weser. Marandan Weser is commonly called Yennyar, and it is one of the last villages in Raja Ampat in which all the homes are of traditional construction.
Rissen Homestay offers three VIP family bungalows with expansive ocean views.
The bungalows sleep 4, on 2 double mattresses on the floor. Sheets, pillows, bolsters and mosquito nets are provided.
The ensuite bungalow bathrooms have western style toilets and dip mandi (bucket) bathing.
Meals are served on the bungalow verandahs, and free drinking water and tea and coffee making supplies are provided there for guests.
Electricity is provided by generator and is available from sunset to around midnight. The generator can be started at other times if required. A charge may apply for the extra fuel used.
Rissen Homestay receives a weak and variable (H / E) phone signal. An unstable data connection is sometimes available.
Only a little English is spoken at Rissen Homestay. Bringing a phrasebook or offline translation app is recommended if you don’t speak Bahasa Indonesia.
You will need to come fully stocked with all the consumeables you consider essential, as only very basic supplies can be purchased in Yennyar’s small home kiosks.
As everywhere else in Raja Ampat, safe waste disposal and recycling is unavailable, so please take your inorganic trash away with you when you leave. Lack of effective waste disposal and recycling means that trash left in the islands will end up polluting paradise.
Coconut crabs: This protected species is unfortunately hunted and sold at some places in Raja Ampat. Please don’t buy any. Rissen Homestay will refuse to cook them for you and will insist you release them instead.
Transport / Getting there
Transport between Rissen Homestay and Waisai is by longboat capable of carrying a maximum of 4 passengers. A one way trip costs IDR 2,000,000. The trip cost is shared by passengers.
Transfers to/from other destinations as below. Price is IDR per trip, shared by up to 4 pax max.
| TRANSFER TO | PRICE |
|---|---|
| Biryei Homestays | 900,000 |
| Kri Homestays | 1,000,000 |
| Friwen Homestays | 2,000,000 |
| Gam Homestays (Sawinggrai) | 2,000,000 |
| Arborek Homestays | 1,000,000 |
| Sauwandarek Homestays | 1,000,000 |
Read more about Raja Ampat boat transport prices here.
Public Boat to Batanta
If you have plenty of time, you don't mind a bit of discomfort, and you want spend as little as possible on transport costs, then there are cargo boats that you can use to get to Batanta. (Obviously, if you are going to arrive on the cargo boat, then you don't need to request a Waisai pickup when submitting the booking form above.)
Here's what you need to know about getting the cargo boat to Batanta.
Activities
You probably won't find another village like Yennyar in Raja Ampat. All of the village houses are traditionally constructed from local timber and natural materials. There are no phone or internet services and the pace of life is one which is fast disappearing from the world.
The village was founded by members of the Seventh Day Adventist faith, so their day of rest is Saturday, not Sunday as elsewhere in the islands. Note that (excepting Waisai transfers) boat trips and other activities dependent on your hosts may not be available on Saturdays. There's plenty to do though: Long walks along a fine sandy beach, birdwatching, jungle etrekking or simply relaxing in the shade and enjoying a quiet escape from online life.
Snorkelling
Be sure to bring snorkelling gear, as the reefs that extend all along Rissen Homestay's beach are excellent. Marine life is vibrant and dolphins, turtles and dugongs can all be seen if you are lucky. Rissen Homestay can organise any snorkelling or sightseeing trip that you'd like to do.
Waterfall visits and jungle trekking
Batanta's central highlands create a lot of rain, hence the island's lush rainforest and many waterfalls. The ancient forests behind Yennyar are home to huge numbers of birds, including Wilson's Bird of Paradise and Cassowaries. Rissen Homestay is a great base if you are a birder, and/or want to do some serious tropical forest trekking. Just tell your hosts your interests, or show them a picture of any particular species you'd like to see. Always go with a guide, and be sure to wear appropriate clothing and footwear, and to carry plenty of drinking water - it's a jungle out there!
| RISSEN HOMESTAY TOURS | 1 or 2 pax IDR per TRIP | >2 pax IDR per PERSON |
|---|---|---|
| Waterfall | 800,000 | 250,000 |
| Dayan Mantas | 700,000 | 200,000 |
| Urun Island Snorkelling | 700,000 | 250,000 |
| Wai Island | 800,000 | 450,000 |
| Kri Sandbanks (Batanta) | 900,000 | 450,000 |
| Bird Watching Warei River | 700,000 | 250,000 |
| Piaynemo Full Day Trip (Entrance fee NOT incl.) | 5,000,000 | 2,000,000 |
| Apyak | 600,000 | 200,000 |
| Dore Mangkway & Wobbegong snorkelling | 500,000 | 150,000 |
| Waterfall & Urun Island | 900,000 | 300,000 |
| Apyak & Manta | 800,000 | 200,000 |
Batanta
See our Batanta page for an overview of Batanta, its neighbouring islands, and their attractions.
Rissen Homestay Location Map
Rissen Homestay Reviews
The reviews we publish are written by verified guests of Rissen Homestay. Please do add yours!
We won't publish reviews by guests that we can not verify, but your feedback is still valued, and will be seen by both the Homestay Association and Rissen Homestay.
Got a question about Rissen Homestay?
Just ask! We won't publish your question here, but we will respond to you by email within 24 hours.
53 Reviews
We had a lovely stay at Rissen. We stayed 5 nights. The family that run the homestead were always helpful and the food was healthy and good. They were very kind and bought fruit for us when we requested to have fruit. I really wanted to see Bird of Paradise and cassowary, that’s why we chose Batanta but unfortunately didn’t get to see either (but this is nature, the guide said he sees cassowary maybe 1 every 3-4 times he goes) but the boat trip up the river was great. House reef was good but not great. Overall a nice stay!
We stayed 5 days at Risen and had a wonderful time! They’re a lovely family, always ready to make our stay comfortable. We did a trip with them every day and enjoyed all of them, saw cuscus, a colony of flying fox, and mantas! The house reef is great too, esp. from the homestay towards the village. We even saw a dugong one afternoon, plus lots of fish and healthy coral. We returned home with wonderful memories of the warm family at Risen (which they told us means big wave in the Papua language).
Great place and nice clean bungalows. Village close by with all activities but mostly the Rissen family is just lovely. They show you great places and deliver some great food. House reef is great too. You will have the best time here!
Risen homestay was our absolute highlight on Raja Ampat. Batanta is a beautiful unspoiled island. But Faldo, our excellent host, knows every special place. From hikes through the jungle, the best snorkel place for nudi branches as well as mantapoint. The location is a paradise, looking over the blue ocean from our balcony. And last but not least. Faldo and his family. It’s great to see them all work together with joy!
If you have the opportunity, please go to Risen and explore Batanta!
We had a wonderful time with Faldo and his family at Rissen. They were so hospitable, friendly and warm. We stayed five days, with excursions each day. We loved seeing the manta rays, and highly recommend the trip to Wai island for the couscous and snorkelling Urun Island Snorkelling, and also the waterfall and Dore Mangkway. But it was wonderful just to sit on the front porch relaxing and watching the hermit crabs on the sand below.
The food was fantasitic, great variety with fish, squid, tempeh, tofu and egg. Noting that breakfast is smaller, which is fine for me but others may want to bring granola bars or instant oat packets.
We really loved our time on Rissen!
We loved our 8-day stay at this quiet homestay. The food was fantastic here – lots of fresh fish, vegetables, fruit and delicious sweet treats, especially the afternoon snacks. The snorkelling here is great – the reef is healthy and vibrant, lots of lively corals providing a home for fish, sharks and turtles. We really enjoyed the trip through the lush forest to see Red Birds of Paradise. Thanks to Aldo and all the family, and we wish you good luck with the new restaurant.
We loved our 8-day stay at this quiet homestay. The food was fantastic here – lots of fresh fish, vegetables, fruit and delicious sweet treats, especially the afternoon snacks. The snorkelling here is great – the reef is healthy and vibrant, lots of lively corals providing a home for fish, sharks and turtles. We really enjoyed the trip through the lush forest to see Red Birds of Paradise. Thanks to Aldo and all the family, and we wish you good luck with the new restaurant.
The location of the homestay is awesome with a nice beach and reef for snorkelling. The neighboring village with its traditionally built houses is beautiful, by far the nicest of the ones I visited in Raja Ampat. Cell service is very spotty, but there is a cell tower in the village, so with a short walk I was able to get a good connection.
The hut was nice with a bathroom attached and a fan. The food was the best of the 4 homestays I stayed at in Raja Ampat. They even provided an afternoon snack (cake, fried bananas). However, this was also the homestay where I got food poisoning, probably from the water that I believe the homestay treated themselves. The only other two guests at the time also got food poisoning, so I am pretty sure I got it at this homestay. The owners immediately did their best to remedy the situation, and went all the way to Wasai to buy clean drinking water. The couple arriving after me had no issues anymore. I just hope they learned their lesson about providing clean drinking water.
I did the Mantas snorkelling trip and that was a highlight of my whole trip.
Communication with the staff is somewhat difficult, a translation app is definitely needed. Despite my food poisoning I would not hesitate to go back there, and I wish I could, and do the trips (waterfall, birds of paradise) that I missed due to getting sick there.
The location of the homestay is awesome with a nice beach and reef for snorkelling. The neighboring village with its traditionally built houses is beautiful, by far the nicest of the ones I visited in Raja Ampat. Cell service is very spotty, but there is a cell tower in the village, so with a short walk I was able to get a good connection.
The hut was nice with a bathroom attached and a fan. The food was the best of the 4 homestays I stayed at in Raja Ampat. They even provided an afternoon snack (cake, fried bananas). However, this was also the homestay where I got food poisoning, probably from the water that I believe the homestay treated themselves. The only other two guests at the time also got food poisoning, so I am pretty sure I got it at this homestay. The owners immediately did their best to remedy the situation, and went all the way to Wasai to buy clean drinking water. The couple arriving after me had no issues anymore. I just hope they learned their lesson about providing clean drinking water.
I did the Mantas snorkelling trip and that was a highlight of my whole trip.
Communication with the staff is somewhat difficult, a translation app is definitely needed. Despite my food poisoning I would not hesitate to go back there, and I wish I could, and do the trips (waterfall, birds of paradise) that I missed due to getting sick there.
Ho soggiornato solo una notte al Rissen. Il titolare è stato gentilissimo e ci ha assecondato in tutte le ns esigenze. Il posto è fantastico. Lo consiglio a chiunque.
Ho soggiornato solo una notte al Rissen. Il titolare è stato gentilissimo e ci ha assecondato in tutte le ns esigenze. Il posto è fantastico. Lo consiglio a chiunque.
I cannot recommend Rissen homestay enough! From arriving, Faldos welcoming smile helps you feel at home. The accommodation is very clean: clean floors, chairs and the bedding is crisp and clean too. The ensuite washroom was also very clean, with the dip mandi and loo. Faldo assured us that he would fill the buckets as we needed them.
The location is just beautiful, right on the beach. The housereef is great…. it Improves the more you head towards the village direction, then fades out as you get near the village.
The village itself is amazing. A step back in time immaculate and the people at friendly.
We did some trips with Faldo who knows the land and sea as you would except. He is very much in tune with his environment. We saw manta, red bird of paradise and, very briefly, dugong.
Faldo and his extended family made our stay so special with their smiles and music and dancing too. It was such a privilege to be at Rissen.
The food was really good too. Fresh fish, just caught and cooked to perfection. Lots of fresh vegetables and rice. Water, tea and coffee all day too, fruit and afternoon tea each day at 4pm.
We highly recommend this homestay for an authentic raja Ampat expirience. We would definitely return.
I cannot recommend Rissen homestay enough! From arriving, Faldos welcoming smile helps you feel at home. The accommodation is very clean: clean floors, chairs and the bedding is crisp and clean too. The ensuite washroom was also very clean, with the dip mandi and loo. Faldo assured us that he would fill the buckets as we needed them.
The location is just beautiful, right on the beach. The housereef is great…. it Improves the more you head towards the village direction, then fades out as you get near the village.
The village itself is amazing. A step back in time immaculate and the people at friendly.
We did some trips with Faldo who knows the land and sea as you would except. He is very much in tune with his environment. We saw manta, red bird of paradise and, very briefly, dugong.
Faldo and his extended family made our stay so special with their smiles and music and dancing too. It was such a privilege to be at Rissen.
The food was really good too. Fresh fish, just caught and cooked to perfection. Lots of fresh vegetables and rice. Water, tea and coffee all day too, fruit and afternoon tea each day at 4pm.
We highly recommend this homestay for an authentic raja Ampat expirience. We would definitely return.
By far the best homestay we had! My girlfriend and I stayed for 2.5 weeks on multiple islands around Raja Ampat, and Rissen homestay on Batanta was the best. The traditional houses have an amazing view over the ocean, the beach is clean (no plastic, and beautiful shells everywhere), the food is fantastic and is different everyday (also for vegetarians). And then there is Faldo! Wow! Literally the best guide we had in Raja Ampat. Faldo knows the best spots and is fully focused to see the animals you would like to see. We saw lots of birds (including bird of paradise) and dugongs! Last but not least, his family is lovely, and the music dance performance on the last night was so special!
By far the best homestay we had! My girlfriend and I stayed for 2.5 weeks on multiple islands around Raja Ampat, and Rissen homestay on Batanta was the best. The traditional houses have an amazing view over the ocean, the beach is clean (no plastic, and beautiful shells everywhere), the food is fantastic and is different everyday (also for vegetarians). And then there is Faldo! Wow! Literally the best guide we had in Raja Ampat. Faldo knows the best spots and is fully focused to see the animals you would like to see. We saw lots of birds (including bird of paradise) and dugongs! Last but not least, his family is lovely, and the music dance performance on the last night was so special!
As a family of 5 we had a superb stay of 6 nights with Risen HS.
Faldo was exceptional.
To be taken to the local spots and guided with his knowledge was very special.
Food was delicious, varied and plenty of it. Yanis & Amelce catered to every need including fresh coconuts for drinking.
The last night of traditional singing and dancing was our absolute highlight of 3 weeks in RajaAmpat.
We’ll be back 😊
As a family of 5 we had a superb stay of 6 nights with Risen HS.
Faldo was exceptional.
To be taken to the local spots and guided with his knowledge was very special.
Food was delicious, varied and plenty of it. Yanis & Amelce catered to every need including fresh coconuts for drinking.
The last night of traditional singing and dancing was our absolute highlight of 3 weeks in RajaAmpat.
We’ll be back 😊
We went in the beginning of July to Rissen Homestay, for 5 nights. It was our first stop in raja ampat and we had an amazing time there. We did a lot of trips with Faldo, including the birds of paradise, Mantas, going in the mangrove, looking for wobbegongs… Doing excursions certainly is a must. Faldo is always smiling and very kind, and an exceptional guide (probably the best we had in our month here). He knows the place and biodiversity and has an incredible ability to spot wildlife at a distance! He’ll jump in the water to snorkel with us to make sure we don’t miss anything (turtle, shark, manta…). The trip to spot the birds of paradise is one we’ll remember forever: bioluminescent plankton, shooting stars, and hiking through the jungle behind Faldo barefoot using the machete to clear the way, what an adventure! Faldo’s English is basic but he uses a translating app and we had no issues.
The food was good and plentiful, a bit better than the other homestays we stayed at.
The house reef is beautiful, the village is a 5min walk and worth a visit. The room was basic with a mattress on the floor but the en suite bathroom is a big plus.
We saw beautiful sunsets and sunrise from the homestay.
We can only recommend you book rissen homestay and fit in as many excursions as you can !
We went in the beginning of July to Rissen Homestay, for 5 nights. It was our first stop in raja ampat and we had an amazing time there. We did a lot of trips with Faldo, including the birds of paradise, Mantas, going in the mangrove, looking for wobbegongs… Doing excursions certainly is a must. Faldo is always smiling and very kind, and an exceptional guide (probably the best we had in our month here). He knows the place and biodiversity and has an incredible ability to spot wildlife at a distance! He’ll jump in the water to snorkel with us to make sure we don’t miss anything (turtle, shark, manta…). The trip to spot the birds of paradise is one we’ll remember forever: bioluminescent plankton, shooting stars, and hiking through the jungle behind Faldo barefoot using the machete to clear the way, what an adventure! Faldo’s English is basic but he uses a translating app and we had no issues.
The food was good and plentiful, a bit better than the other homestays we stayed at.
The house reef is beautiful, the village is a 5min walk and worth a visit. The room was basic with a mattress on the floor but the en suite bathroom is a big plus.
We saw beautiful sunsets and sunrise from the homestay.
We can only recommend you book rissen homestay and fit in as many excursions as you can !
This was our first Homestay in Raja Ampat. For us the stars are not about amenities and little niggles but our experience as a whole.
First thing is Faldo and family were great. So friendly, adults and children alike.
The food was plentiful and varied, fish every day cooked a different way. A little spicy for me but manageable. Regular afternoon snacks which we all looked forward too. Even occasionally fruit which is quite rare in our experience here.
Rooms were fine. En suite bathroom, mattress on the floor was. A little thin but also fine. We had a reasonable albeit slow data signal in the bungalow closest to the village end.
We did 3 trips with Faldo. Got to say that Faldo did his utmost to find what we were looking looking for. He put a lot of effort in. We had some wonderful adventures that will stay with us.
On the Sunday the family put on beautiful traditional music and dance for some folks that were leaving. That was special.
We would go back to Rissen Homestay if we come back. Batanta is a beautiful Island and the people on it make it more so.
This was our first Homestay in Raja Ampat. For us the stars are not about amenities and little niggles but our experience as a whole.
First thing is Faldo and family were great. So friendly, adults and children alike.
The food was plentiful and varied, fish every day cooked a different way. A little spicy for me but manageable. Regular afternoon snacks which we all looked forward too. Even occasionally fruit which is quite rare in our experience here.
Rooms were fine. En suite bathroom, mattress on the floor was. A little thin but also fine. We had a reasonable albeit slow data signal in the bungalow closest to the village end.
We did 3 trips with Faldo. Got to say that Faldo did his utmost to find what we were looking looking for. He put a lot of effort in. We had some wonderful adventures that will stay with us.
On the Sunday the family put on beautiful traditional music and dance for some folks that were leaving. That was special.
We would go back to Rissen Homestay if we come back. Batanta is a beautiful Island and the people on it make it more so.
We had a very nice stay here. Rissen homestay is classic, basic Raja Ampat homestay but with a private bathroom & toilet. Batanta island is a very beautiful island. We did very nice excursions with Faldo and his family. Waterfall trip was very fun and we saw many Mantas during snorkeling trip. Food was very nice too. As a very extra point – local family made music and dance for us, it was so lovely.
We had a very nice stay here. Rissen homestay is classic, basic Raja Ampat homestay but with a private bathroom & toilet. Batanta island is a very beautiful island. We did very nice excursions with Faldo and his family. Waterfall trip was very fun and we saw many Mantas during snorkeling trip. Food was very nice too. As a very extra point – local family made music and dance for us, it was so lovely.
A fantastic homestay on beautiful, remote Batanta.
Faldo and his family were incredibly kind and helpful, showing us so many of the wonderful sights on and near Batanta. The trip to Wai island and the snorkelling with dugongs were particular highlights, as well as the moving cultural performance that he and his family gave us as we left.
Only good things to stay about this place and the people there. 6/5 five stars!
A fantastic homestay on beautiful, remote Batanta.
Faldo and his family were incredibly kind and helpful, showing us so many of the wonderful sights on and near Batanta. The trip to Wai island and the snorkelling with dugongs were particular highlights, as well as the moving cultural performance that he and his family gave us as we left.
Only good things to stay about this place and the people there. 6/5 five stars!
Wonderful family, the food was great and definitely enough. Rissen is a remote place, comfortable with an amazing view of paradise. We were the only guests, and treated very well by the family.
Wonderful family, the food was great and definitely enough. Rissen is a remote place, comfortable with an amazing view of paradise. We were the only guests, and treated very well by the family.
This was by far the best homestay I stayed at in all of Raja Ampat. Faldo was the sweetest man ever and made me feel so welcomed.
I stayed 4 nights and had the best time ever, with two of the four nights me being the only guest. Faldo can offer a great range of activities including tours other homestays cannot such as going to see the wilson and red bird of paradise.
In fact I was the first ever tourist Faldo and his brother (Donnie) had taken to Mount Batanta to see the Wilson Bird of Paradise. We did see both the Wilson and the red bird of paradise which was amazing. Just make sure to bring your own binoculars as they currently do not have any (and if you want to be thoughtful maybe gifting them binoculars would be amazing!!!).
Faldo also took us to the waterfall and Urun Island. The waterfalls (big and small) were spectacular and are a must see, especially the larger which takes your breath away. You walk through mangroves then forest to see them. Urun Island had spectacular snorkelling with beautiful corals.
Faldo also took me on a free tour to try and see dugongs which was super sweet but sadly we had no luck. Another day we went to see cassowaries and just missed them but saw a snake, spiders and their footprints (nature is nature). If you do the cassowary tour make sure to wear shoes you don’t mind getting wet.
Another day Faldo took us for free to his home town (traditional village Yendar) and showed us around then we snorkelled under the pier and the beach. Be careful as some currents can be weird here.
We also saw many manta rays and dolphins especially when in the boat going places and Faldo would always stop to show us and let us see!
One night Faldo and his family performed a traditional dance which was so special. The food was always excellent and I was made to feel part of their family. You must visit here!
One note is Faldo’s english is minimal so be prepared for this as can lead to miscommunications so make sure to double check arrangements etc. google translate was very handy/my phrase book.
I also saw a croc monitor close to the homestay which was awesome. The mosquito nets were great!
This was by far the best homestay I stayed at in all of Raja Ampat. Faldo was the sweetest man ever and made me feel so welcomed.
I stayed 4 nights and had the best time ever, with two of the four nights me being the only guest. Faldo can offer a great range of activities including tours other homestays cannot such as going to see the wilson and red bird of paradise.
In fact I was the first ever tourist Faldo and his brother (Donnie) had taken to Mount Batanta to see the Wilson Bird of Paradise. We did see both the Wilson and the red bird of paradise which was amazing. Just make sure to bring your own binoculars as they currently do not have any (and if you want to be thoughtful maybe gifting them binoculars would be amazing!!!).
Faldo also took us to the waterfall and Urun Island. The waterfalls (big and small) were spectacular and are a must see, especially the larger which takes your breath away. You walk through mangroves then forest to see them. Urun Island had spectacular snorkelling with beautiful corals.
Faldo also took me on a free tour to try and see dugongs which was super sweet but sadly we had no luck. Another day we went to see cassowaries and just missed them but saw a snake, spiders and their footprints (nature is nature). If you do the cassowary tour make sure to wear shoes you don’t mind getting wet.
Another day Faldo took us for free to his home town (traditional village Yendar) and showed us around then we snorkelled under the pier and the beach. Be careful as some currents can be weird here.
We also saw many manta rays and dolphins especially when in the boat going places and Faldo would always stop to show us and let us see!
One night Faldo and his family performed a traditional dance which was so special. The food was always excellent and I was made to feel part of their family. You must visit here!
One note is Faldo’s english is minimal so be prepared for this as can lead to miscommunications so make sure to double check arrangements etc. google translate was very handy/my phrase book.
I also saw a croc monitor close to the homestay which was awesome. The mosquito nets were great!
What a lovely place! We stayed here initially for four nights but opted for another night as we enjoyed it so much. There is real chance to fully relax here: near private beach (white sand), good food and a fabulous lodge with private on suit. Day trips out allow you to enjoy all that is on offer around Batanta. The family were so welcoming and hospitable: they truly gave us an unforgettable experience.
What a lovely place! We stayed here initially for four nights but opted for another night as we enjoyed it so much. There is real chance to fully relax here: near private beach (white sand), good food and a fabulous lodge with private on suit. Day trips out allow you to enjoy all that is on offer around Batanta. The family were so welcoming and hospitable: they truly gave us an unforgettable experience.
We spent a week at this homestay and had an amazing time. The accommodation was a small, rustic hut that was simple but totally sufficient, with a really nice and relaxed vibe.
The local family living on-site cooked for us and was always helpful, cheerful, and friendly. The locals, in general, were incredibly warm and welcoming. The children, in particular, were curious and excited to make new friends to play with. It’s a good idea to download a translation app beforehand, as communicating in English can be challenging.
The food was always fresh and tasted great. We were also lucky with the weather, so we could do fun excursions every day, all fairly priced. One of the highlights was an adventurous trip to a waterfall. Also we snorkeled with manta rays at the Manta point, found three pythons in a lagoon and went on a night hike through the jungle to look for more snakes. We also saw couscous, flying foxes, dolphins, sharks, a crocodile (far away from the homestay) and much more.
All the excursions were organized by Faldo and James – two really cool guys who were always willing to accommodate our special requests. When we wanted to see saltwater crocodiles, they drove us two hours at night to another part of the island to look for them. Both speak some English, which made communication easier.
Surprisingly, the internet connection was better than expected. With the Telkomsel provider, we could send and receive WhatsApp messages with a slight delay, although it usually wasn’t strong enough for Instagram – which wasn’t a problem at all.
All in all, it was an incredibly great experience that I can highly recommend to everyone
We spent a week at this homestay and had an amazing time. The accommodation was a small, rustic hut that was simple but totally sufficient, with a really nice and relaxed vibe.
The local family living on-site cooked for us and was always helpful, cheerful, and friendly. The locals, in general, were incredibly warm and welcoming. The children, in particular, were curious and excited to make new friends to play with. It’s a good idea to download a translation app beforehand, as communicating in English can be challenging.
The food was always fresh and tasted great. We were also lucky with the weather, so we could do fun excursions every day, all fairly priced. One of the highlights was an adventurous trip to a waterfall. Also we snorkeled with manta rays at the Manta point, found three pythons in a lagoon and went on a night hike through the jungle to look for more snakes. We also saw couscous, flying foxes, dolphins, sharks, a crocodile (far away from the homestay) and much more.
All the excursions were organized by Faldo and James – two really cool guys who were always willing to accommodate our special requests. When we wanted to see saltwater crocodiles, they drove us two hours at night to another part of the island to look for them. Both speak some English, which made communication easier.
Surprisingly, the internet connection was better than expected. With the Telkomsel provider, we could send and receive WhatsApp messages with a slight delay, although it usually wasn’t strong enough for Instagram – which wasn’t a problem at all.
All in all, it was an incredibly great experience that I can highly recommend to everyone
We stayed 4 nights at Rissen. the renovated huts are large and welcoming. The coral reef is a marvel!
We stayed 4 nights at Rissen. the renovated huts are large and welcoming. The coral reef is a marvel!
We stayed 3 nights at Rissen Homestay in July and had a wonderful time!
Aldo the host was great and very attentive, we communicated through a translator phone app. We had a very authentic experience interacting with family and people and children from the nearby village, they were all wonderful and we felt very welcome!
The food was very tasty and plentiful
We stayed at other places in Raja Ampat but this was our favorite!
Note: there are no nearby shops or supplies available so remember to bring sunscreen and mosquito repellent
We stayed 3 nights at Rissen Homestay in July and had a wonderful time!
Aldo the host was great and very attentive, we communicated through a translator phone app. We had a very authentic experience interacting with family and people and children from the nearby village, they were all wonderful and we felt very welcome!
The food was very tasty and plentiful
We stayed at other places in Raja Ampat but this was our favorite!
Note: there are no nearby shops or supplies available so remember to bring sunscreen and mosquito repellent
I had the pleasure of visiting Rissen Homestay May of 2024. I can, without hesitation, heartily recommend this home stay . You will be treated to a culture in a way that is almost impossible to experience in today’s world by the warmest people you will ever meet. You must be aware, however, that this is a rustic homestay and be prepared for that. I would like to give a special shout out to James who was incredibly helpful to me.
I had the pleasure of visiting Rissen Homestay May of 2024. I can, without hesitation, heartily recommend this home stay . You will be treated to a culture in a way that is almost impossible to experience in today’s world by the warmest people you will ever meet. You must be aware, however, that this is a rustic homestay and be prepared for that. I would like to give a special shout out to James who was incredibly helpful to me.
Rissen Homestay relocated in March 2024. The page information and photos above have all been updated.
Rissen Homestay is still operated by the same family, but the older reviews below are all from when the homestay was located in Marandan Weser / Yennyar.
Rissen Homestay relocated in March 2024. The page information and photos above have all been updated.
Rissen Homestay is still operated by the same family, but the older reviews below are all from when the homestay was located in Marandan Weser / Yennyar.
By far the best homestay under all points of view. Only one brand new hut with ensuite bathroom. Great. A real family treatment. Food like in a restaurant. Nice trips. They even provided towels and snacks whenver we would go out snorkling. They also organized a music night before our departure. Not to be missed.
By far the best homestay under all points of view. Only one brand new hut with ensuite bathroom. Great. A real family treatment. Food like in a restaurant. Nice trips. They even provided towels and snacks whenver we would go out snorkling. They also organized a music night before our departure. Not to be missed.
So, I stayed here as it seemed like a nice place to stay, had an authentic village nearby and ‘birding trips’ were available.
The plus points. ‘Mama’ was lovely and the food was good.
The village is beautiful and the villagers take care of it.
The children are beautifully behaved and to hear them sing in the evenings was an absolute joy! Even more joyful was watching them playing in the water with their homemade bodyboards. They were having a ball!
My room had a beautiful view.
The negatives: this is what REALLY spoiled my time here.
On the day I arrived I was told by one of the males emphatically that there was a spot nearby to see Birds of Paradise and Cassowary. He said we should go the next morning to see the Birds of Paradise at 09.00! Alarm bells rang at leaving so late. I asked several times if 09.00 wasn’t too late and I was told that it was the best time to go. I was still doubtful. Next day at 09.30, the guy turned up to leave to go to see the BOPs……We walked and walked and walked and surprise, surprise, no BOPs. We walked further and again no BOPs. Luckily I had acclimated to the heat and humidity as I had already spent almost 2 weeks in RA and had done one ‘birding trip’.
When we got to the second stop, the ‘guide’ said: “ No Birds of Paradise here after 09.00 until around 3 pm”. I was dumbfounded. Using very basic English and with the help of a translation app; I could not ascertain why I had been assured that 09.00 was a good time to leave the homestay to go to see the BOPs! I asked several times, why we had gone and the ‘guide’ simply could not explain.
So, we arranged that the following day we would try to see the Cassowary and that we would leave at 06.00. I confirmed this several times. Unfortunately, I got sick overnight and could not have walked in the jungle that day. I rested and rehydrated that day. The ‘guide’ lived a couple of minutes away and I had no way of contacting him to tell him that I was ill and couldn’t go walking.
In any case he didn’t show up until 06.30…..
So, we arranged again to try to see the Cassowary the following day as I had rested and rehydrated. We arranged to leave at 06.00 – I checked this several times. I tried to emphasise that this may be my only chance to ever see these birds and I wanted to do my best to see them.
At 05.45 next day, I was ready to go. 07.00 the ‘guide’ arrived ……Unbelievable. Again, he couldn’t explain why he was one hour late. At this, I said that I wanted to leave to go to my next Homestay. ‘Mama’ apologised to me, it wasn’t her fault though, it was the ‘guide’. I was so let down by this! Not one, but two days of arrangements completely ruined. No excuses, nothing.
I have been in n’autre enough to know that you cannot guarantee seing specific creatures, but you give it the best chance – time of day etc. I felt very upset by this disregard of my time.
Having read the only two reviews by the previous guests, I wanted to try the Homestay. For me it was a waste of my time and money due to transfers etc.
I did go to the waterfall, which was nice. The ‘guide’ from earlier in the day brought someone else along who seemed to know more about birds and he showed me a Cassowary footprint and 💩!
So, I stayed here as it seemed like a nice place to stay, had an authentic village nearby and ‘birding trips’ were available.
The plus points. ‘Mama’ was lovely and the food was good.
The village is beautiful and the villagers take care of it.
The children are beautifully behaved and to hear them sing in the evenings was an absolute joy! Even more joyful was watching them playing in the water with their homemade bodyboards. They were having a ball!
My room had a beautiful view.
The negatives: this is what REALLY spoiled my time here.
On the day I arrived I was told by one of the males emphatically that there was a spot nearby to see Birds of Paradise and Cassowary. He said we should go the next morning to see the Birds of Paradise at 09.00! Alarm bells rang at leaving so late. I asked several times if 09.00 wasn’t too late and I was told that it was the best time to go. I was still doubtful. Next day at 09.30, the guy turned up to leave to go to see the BOPs……We walked and walked and walked and surprise, surprise, no BOPs. We walked further and again no BOPs. Luckily I had acclimated to the heat and humidity as I had already spent almost 2 weeks in RA and had done one ‘birding trip’.
When we got to the second stop, the ‘guide’ said: “ No Birds of Paradise here after 09.00 until around 3 pm”. I was dumbfounded. Using very basic English and with the help of a translation app; I could not ascertain why I had been assured that 09.00 was a good time to leave the homestay to go to see the BOPs! I asked several times, why we had gone and the ‘guide’ simply could not explain.
So, we arranged that the following day we would try to see the Cassowary and that we would leave at 06.00. I confirmed this several times. Unfortunately, I got sick overnight and could not have walked in the jungle that day. I rested and rehydrated that day. The ‘guide’ lived a couple of minutes away and I had no way of contacting him to tell him that I was ill and couldn’t go walking.
In any case he didn’t show up until 06.30…..
So, we arranged again to try to see the Cassowary the following day as I had rested and rehydrated. We arranged to leave at 06.00 – I checked this several times. I tried to emphasise that this may be my only chance to ever see these birds and I wanted to do my best to see them.
At 05.45 next day, I was ready to go. 07.00 the ‘guide’ arrived ……Unbelievable. Again, he couldn’t explain why he was one hour late. At this, I said that I wanted to leave to go to my next Homestay. ‘Mama’ apologised to me, it wasn’t her fault though, it was the ‘guide’. I was so let down by this! Not one, but two days of arrangements completely ruined. No excuses, nothing.
I have been in n’autre enough to know that you cannot guarantee seing specific creatures, but you give it the best chance – time of day etc. I felt very upset by this disregard of my time.
Having read the only two reviews by the previous guests, I wanted to try the Homestay. For me it was a waste of my time and money due to transfers etc.
I did go to the waterfall, which was nice. The ‘guide’ from earlier in the day brought someone else along who seemed to know more about birds and he showed me a Cassowary footprint and 💩!
We stayed at Risen for 5 nights in January 2023. It was absolutely amazing. Beautiful family, great and plentiful food, good snorkeling and cool jungle adventures.
We did some really nice trekking to the waterfall and also up a mountain to spot wilsons bird of paradise, where we also spotted a kangaroo.
The family were super friendly and very accommodating.
The village was really traditional and we were the only non locals there, it had a real Robinson Crusoe feel to it.
We did quite a bit of snorkeling strait of the beach and the fish life was pretty impressive.
Would highly recommend staying here Brett and Emilia, Australia
We stayed at Risen for 5 nights in January 2023. It was absolutely amazing. Beautiful family, great and plentiful food, good snorkeling and cool jungle adventures.
We did some really nice trekking to the waterfall and also up a mountain to spot wilsons bird of paradise, where we also spotted a kangaroo.
The family were super friendly and very accommodating.
The village was really traditional and we were the only non locals there, it had a real Robinson Crusoe feel to it.
We did quite a bit of snorkeling strait of the beach and the fish life was pretty impressive.
Would highly recommend staying here Brett and Emilia, Australia
We stayed in Rissen homestay for about a week in January this year (we are sorry it took us so long to make this rating and hope you had other guests already in the meantime) and if there hadn’t been plans for onward travel we would have liked to stay much much longer…but we will certainly come back. The family was so incredibly welcoming and wonderful like no other in Raja Ampat. If you would like to get in touch with family and village life yet still have your own space on a beautiful stretch of beach…this is it. Even though you are in a village it did not feel like that at all and we always had our privacy. The village is completely build in the traditional styl and had a very different feeling about it than many other villages in the area…in a very positive way…difficult to explain…just go and figure it out for yourself :-)) The bungalow was absolutely fantastic, most cleverly designed and spacious. We were the 1. guests in 7 month since they build the homestay and we hope you will have many more guests in future.
We did mostly shorter boat trips to get to snorkelling sites since the reef in front is not the best but the prices were really fair and the snorkelling was fantastic….
Not to mention the food…hmmm…they grow so many veggies and fruit …so we always had more than we could wish for.
So thank you sooo much…njo nabor…trima kasi samua orang de kampung Yenyar…Kami pasti akan kembali…sampai jumpa
Bjoern dan Chantal
P.s. we would really like to help Rissen and his family to have more guests, so if any of you have more questions about this beautiful place feel free to contact us by email b_haack@web.de (I hope this is ok with the terms and conditions of stay raja Ampat)
We stayed in Rissen homestay for about a week in January this year (we are sorry it took us so long to make this rating and hope you had other guests already in the meantime) and if there hadn’t been plans for onward travel we would have liked to stay much much longer…but we will certainly come back. The family was so incredibly welcoming and wonderful like no other in Raja Ampat. If you would like to get in touch with family and village life yet still have your own space on a beautiful stretch of beach…this is it. Even though you are in a village it did not feel like that at all and we always had our privacy. The village is completely build in the traditional styl and had a very different feeling about it than many other villages in the area…in a very positive way…difficult to explain…just go and figure it out for yourself :-)) The bungalow was absolutely fantastic, most cleverly designed and spacious. We were the 1. guests in 7 month since they build the homestay and we hope you will have many more guests in future.
We did mostly shorter boat trips to get to snorkelling sites since the reef in front is not the best but the prices were really fair and the snorkelling was fantastic….
Not to mention the food…hmmm…they grow so many veggies and fruit …so we always had more than we could wish for.
So thank you sooo much…njo nabor…trima kasi samua orang de kampung Yenyar…Kami pasti akan kembali…sampai jumpa
Bjoern dan Chantal
P.s. we would really like to help Rissen and his family to have more guests, so if any of you have more questions about this beautiful place feel free to contact us by email b_haack@web.de (I hope this is ok with the terms and conditions of stay raja Ampat)
Hello there ,
My Girlfriend and i would love to stay in the homestay from 8.11 onwards
Is the bungalow available ?
Greetz Chris
Hi Chris
If you want to make a booking for your dates if they are available, then please submit the booking request form provided above.
If available, then a booking will be confirmed for you. If not, you will receive an email letting you know.
Please read this info so you understand how our booking system works.
Hello there ,
My Girlfriend and i would love to stay in the homestay from 8.11 onwards
Is the bungalow available ?
Greetz Chris
Hi Chris
If you want to make a booking for your dates if they are available, then please submit the booking request form provided above.
If available, then a booking will be confirmed for you. If not, you will receive an email letting you know.
Please read this info so you understand how our booking system works.