Features
- Sleeps 10 or more
- Mangroves
- Hiking available
- Child discount
- Birds of Paradise
- Has family bungalows
- IDR 600,000 to 700,000
- Western style toilet
- Remote/isolated
Details
Saupon Mangrove Homestay is located at the end of a winding passage through the mangroves of Waigeo’s northern Mayalibit Bay.
The mangroves, rainforests and villages of the Waigeo interior are the attraction here. (See this page for more about the attractions of the Waigeo’s hidden heartland.)
Accommodation for up to eighteen guests is available.
All bungalow rooms sleep two people on mattresses on the floor. A third guest can be accommodated if need be. Bedding supplied includes mosquito nets, sheets, blankets, pillows and bolsters.
All bungalows are fitted with light switches and power outlets, and all have covered verandahs with tables and chairs.
Bungalows available are:
- Two private bungalow on land.
- Two over-water private bungalow, and
- Two two-room, over-water bungalows. Two room bungalow rooms are booked individually. If you are a group of four wanting to share a bungalow, then you will need to request “2 x Room in a bungalow” on the booking form above.
Meals at Saupon Mangrove Homestay are served in the homestay’s over-water dining room. The large dining room has views of the homestay lagoon and surrounding mangrove forest. Drinking water, and tea and coffee making supplies are always freely available there for guests.
Guests share a four room bathroom building on land. The bathroom building provides a western syle toilet in two rooms, and dip mandi (bucket) bathing and a shower in the other two.
A generator supplies electricity between 6pm and 6 am.
No phone signal is available at Saupon Mangrove Homestay, so be prepared to be offline and uncontactable while there. A phone signal can be received at the nearest village of Waifoi, which is about 30 minutes away by boat or on foot. The Waifoi 4G signal usually supports a slow internet connection.
Be sure to bring any consumeables you regard as essential. Only basic local supplies are available in Waifoi. Please also take all your inorganic rubbish away with you when you leave: There is no effective waste disposal in Raja Ampat. Any non-biodegradeable waste left there will only end up as pollution. Please don’t contribute to the trashing of paradise.
Only a little English is spoken at Saupon Mangrove Homestay. To ease communication, bringing a translation app or phrasebook is recommended.
Transport / Getting there
Transport between Waisai and Saupon Mangrove Homestay costs IDR 4,000,000. (IDR 8,000,000 for the round trip)
The boat used can carry up to six passengers, and the trip cost is shared by passengers.
It's long way from Waisai, and you'll get to see some spectacular Mayalibit Bay scenery on the way.
Pickups and dropoffs are also available from Warsambin, a village in the river-like channel that joins Mayalibit Bay to the ocean. Warsambin is connected to Waisai by road, and is serviced by taxis and local public transport. (Ask around in Waisai if you want to get the bus.)
Transport between Warsambin and Saupon Mangrove Homestay costs IDR 3,000,000
Read more about Raja Ampat boat transport prices here.
Activities
Saupon Mangrove Homestay offers the chance to experience Ambel Maya village life, to trek in the Waigeo interior, and to explore the secrets of Mayalibit Bay.
White dolphins, black orchids, the looming, horned peaks of Gunung Nok: The Waigeo interior is very different to the white sand beaches and coral reefs that most Raja Ampat visitors come for.
Saupon Mangrove Homestay invites you to share in the harvest and preparation of the local staple of sago. Or you can help release juvenile sea cucumbers to replenish a traditional fishery in the bay. See the black orchids of Kampung Beo. Maybe, if you're lucky, you'll catch a glimpse of Mayalibit Bay's secretive white dolphins. Visit a waterfall, and experience dawns and sunsets from observation platforms with panoramic views above the jungle canopy. Or just relax at the homestay and soak up the bird-filled ambience of the mangrove forest. Maybe you'll spot a crocodile!
See Saupon Mangrove Homestay's 2024 tour price list (PDF 36KB) for details and great value prices of the most popular tours on offer.
For more details about the flora and fauna likely to be encountered around Saupon Mangrove Homestay, or if you are interested in longer treks into the jungle, see this related Raja Ampat Trekking page.
See our Waigeo Island page for an overview of the island and its attractions.
Saupon Mangrove Homestay Location Map
Saupon Mangrove Homestay Reviews
The reviews we publish are written by verified guests of Saupon Mangrove Homestay. Please do add yours!
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4 Reviews
Saupon Mangrove Homestay offers something very different from the ‘classical’ Raja Ampat experience of sea, beach, and coral. Located on a widening of a tidal channel within pristine mangrove forest bordering Mayalibit bay, it is a totally unique and utterly peaceful setting. With a splendid view on the presumably highest mountain of Waigeo Ilmonkil/Gunung Nok/Buffelhoorn.
Archer fish (and many others that our kids tried to catch) swim and crabs crawl below the boardwalks under your feet while numerous species of birds fly over your head.
Accommodation is simple and clean. Everything is very well managed by Saka and his welcoming family. Some of the fish and crabs fresh from the bay end up on your plate, deliciously cooked by the mamas of the family.
Forest walks lead to both sunset and sunrise viewpoints. Boat trips lead to beautiful spots of the otherworldly Mayalibit bay.
Saupon homestay also provides many opportunities to get a glimpse of Papuan culture: visits to several villages in Mayalibit Bay, trying sago palm processing, sea cucumber farming, and meeting local residents (and us posing for many photos).
Our knowledgeable and polyglot guide Martin seemed to know everyone and everything at Saupon and its wider surroundings and made sure we were never short of amazing experiences.
Highly recommended!
Saupon Mangrove Homestay offers something very different from the ‘classical’ Raja Ampat experience of sea, beach, and coral. Located on a widening of a tidal channel within pristine mangrove forest bordering Mayalibit bay, it is a totally unique and utterly peaceful setting. With a splendid view on the presumably highest mountain of Waigeo Ilmonkil/Gunung Nok/Buffelhoorn.
Archer fish (and many others that our kids tried to catch) swim and crabs crawl below the boardwalks under your feet while numerous species of birds fly over your head.
Accommodation is simple and clean. Everything is very well managed by Saka and his welcoming family. Some of the fish and crabs fresh from the bay end up on your plate, deliciously cooked by the mamas of the family.
Forest walks lead to both sunset and sunrise viewpoints. Boat trips lead to beautiful spots of the otherworldly Mayalibit bay.
Saupon homestay also provides many opportunities to get a glimpse of Papuan culture: visits to several villages in Mayalibit Bay, trying sago palm processing, sea cucumber farming, and meeting local residents (and us posing for many photos).
Our knowledgeable and polyglot guide Martin seemed to know everyone and everything at Saupon and its wider surroundings and made sure we were never short of amazing experiences.
Highly recommended!
No reviews yet, because Saupon Mangrove Homestay has only just been listed on the website.
Hopefully it won’t be long! 🙏
No reviews yet, because Saupon Mangrove Homestay has only just been listed on the website.
Hopefully it won’t be long! 🙏