Features
- English speaking
- Mangroves
- Seagrass
- Hiking available
- Good phone signal
- Coral
- Good house reef
- Has family bungalows
- Calm beach
- Wayag trips
- Sandy Beach
- Western style toilet
- Near village
- IDR 400,000 to 500,000
Details
Subdikar Guest House occupies a west facing beach at the northern end of Manyaifun village.
Three private over-water bungalows, and a 2-room, over-water family bungalow.are available. (Family bungalow rooms can be booked separately. If you want the entire bungalow, then request 2 x over water room in a bungalow.)
Each room can sleep two people on mattresses on the floor, and bedding includes sheets, pillows, bolsters and mosquito nets. Although Subdikar can only accommodate eight guests, larger groups can be accommodated in conjunction with the Subdikar’s immediate neighbour Saudori Homestay.
Meals are served in an over-water dining room. Free drinking water and tea and coffee making supplies are provided there for guests..
Guests share a concrete-floored bathoom building which has running water and a western style toilet in one room and bucket bathing in the other.
Electricity is supplied by a generator which runs from around sunset to midnight. Subdikar Guest House receives a 4G signal which will sometimes support a data connection.
You can buy basic supplies in the nearby Manyaifun village, but you’ll need to bring sufficient supplies of your favourite snacks and anything else that you can’t do without. It’s also important to take any inorganic trash (especially plastic and batteries) that you create away with you when you leave – there’s no safe waste disposal on Manyaifun. (That’s the case everywhere in Raja Ampat – see this information.)
English is spoken at Subdikar Guest House.
Transport / Getting there
It's a long trip (about 2.5 hours) from Waisai to Subdikar, but you'll see a lot of Raja Ampat on the way. The route passes through Kabui Bay and Kabui Passage, then past white sand beaches and turquoise waters of the Meos Manggara islands.
See Subdikar's 2026 transfer and trip pricelist here.
Read more about Raja Ampat boat transport prices here.
Activities
Located on a narrow sand spit between the ocean and a tidal mangrove lagoon, Subdikar Guest House has a rich house reef and crystal clear water that provides excellent snorkelling (bring your own gear).
A huge range of marine life frequents the bay at Manyaifun, much of which can be seen from the homestay deck without even needing to get wet. Turtles and dolphins are regular visitors by day and the seagrass beds below the homestay flash with bioluminescent plankton at night, and the clear tidal waters of the mangrove lagoon behind the homestay swarm with juvenile fish and other aquatic and bird life.
Snorkelling and sightseeing
Subdikar Guest House offers a range of snorkelling and sightseeing day trips to the remote, coral-fringed islands of West Waigeo. See their 2026 trip and transfer pricelist here.
Manyaifun village and hiking
The village of Manyaifun is shared by the inhabitants of its Muslim and Christian quarters and is well worth exploring. Ask for a guide to show you the fresh water eels that inhabit a small pool on one of the streams that supplies the village water. The Nawan or Nipa Palm grows on Manyaifun and the thatch roofs of the village houses exhibit a classic pattern not seen in the more common thatch of other Raja Ampat villages.
Manyaifun's a pretty village with traditional, rustic timber and thatch stilt homes sitting side by side with brightly painted more modern island homes. Explorations further afield can be made via the many tracks that fan out from the village.
Waigeo Barat
See our West Waigeo page for an overview of West Waigeo, its islands, and their attractions.
Subdikar Guest House Location Map
Subdikar Guest House Reviews
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71 Reviews
We had a lovely time at Subdikar. Fantastic snorkel, especially in the spots Matthias took us too. I think Minyaifun was our favourite island out of Gam and Batanta. It was fairly straight forward to get to the Pam islands from here. The snorkellong best the best that saw too! We also found pitcher plants, great views the top of the hill, great food, heaps of hermit crabs. Mobile coverage is one per day, via wifi, at the medical Center.
Wir waren 4 Nächte Oktober 2025 im Subdikar Guest House. Die Unterkunft ist sehr einfach. Die Lage und Atmosphäre sehr mystisch, toller Sonnenuntergang. Das Essen war sehr gut, abwechslungsreich und ausreichend. Mathias kümmert sich sehr gut um Ausflüge, hat uns wunderschöne Riffe gezeigt. Wirklich toller Platz!
Wir waren 4 Nächte Oktober 2025 im Subdikar Guest House. Die Unterkunft ist sehr einfach. Die Lage und Atmosphäre sehr mystisch, toller Sonnenuntergang. Das Essen war sehr gut, abwechslungsreich und ausreichend. Mathias kümmert sich sehr gut um Ausflüge, hat uns wunderschöne Riffe gezeigt. Wirklich toller Platz!
A friendly family. Good food with fish ! The bungalows are above the sea and under the water you can see some grass with big clams, clown fishes… The place is very beautiful.
The homestay is in a nice village.
You are near Urun site, a very good spot for snorkeling.
Wow! I loved it! I loved it all!
Yosia and his whole family are soooo nice and doing everything to make your stay a perfect one! Also very good for children – bungalow & veranda very spacious and they also could easily connect with the local children.
BUNGALOW:
– I stayed in #3 which is a huge bungalow, with a big veranda and a big sun deck (with lounge chair) – all in all ca. 50m2!
– my own stairs/ladder directly into the water
– two tables, two chairs, mosquito net (no holes! and rectangular which gives more space laying underneath), huge white fluffy blanket, fan, hangers and hooks (even in bathroom) to hang your clothes), nice bamboo mat on the floor (not PVC as in others), a board underneath the electricity plug to place your electricals aaaaand (even if it might sound snobby): after sleeping 4 weeks in Hello Kitty and Spiderman beddings I really did enjoy the white linen, white towels, white pillows … it just matched the whole atmosphere at Yenbeyar: I somehow had the feeling that they were more taking care of aesthetics/making it more beautiful/decorating it than the other homesteads (which were nice too but maybe more natural/rustic)
LOCATION:
– I loved the location because I wanted to be more connected to the people … so it was at the end of the village (so I could have my privacy and quietness) and at the same time when I felt like it have a stroll in the village and engage with the people. I looooved hearing the children playing in the water, body surfing with all kind of material they found
– I found it the perfect spot to slowly reconnect to civilisation
– good if you want to take the cargo boat out or coming in on one … it is definitely worth staying a few days! Also for enjoying some of the trips (less pricy than neighbouring homestays)
FOOD:
– always plenty and delicious; and when I asked for something, they were always happy to provide it/cook it for me
SNORKELING:
– Yosia always got a second person for the boat so that he could come with me snorkelling/diving. He is an excellent free divier with an amazing breath hold – always looking for safety and finding great fish etc to point out to me. I felt very, very safe with him and we saw a lot!
– the house reef is special; you got to look out: in the morning I saw 4 baby black tip sharks right at the jetty; also, in front to the left of the jetty, there are more than 50 (!) giant clams just laying in the sand … and closing when you come close; having a great variety of different pattern; the last morning I was just snorkelling up to the little island – nothing special I thought but then I saw a mid sized dotted manta ray hunting for fish. Amazing! And underneath the jetty there are just sooooooo many fish looking for shade. Amazing! So, to be honest, it’s not that “wow reef” but you can always find beautiful creatures … just look for them … and/or take some of the trips offered (which are also less pricy than nearby homestays)
I wish Yosia/Yenbeyar the best – they are lovely people and their homestay really deserves the name … because they do live next door (and it’s not only their second home or business as with other “homestays”) and they really do make you feel AT HOME.
Terimakasih banyak! Injo!
Blessings,
JayJay from Germany
We had a very comfortable stay.We stayed for 6 nights and each day we were served a different dish. And the food was very delicious.
When a guest staying at the same hotel went on a snorkeling tour, he went out of his way to ask if I wanted to go with him. We were able to go to Wayag with other guests.
The long, slender fish that appears in front of the inn lights up at night. Please turn off the lights and enjoy the fantastic view.
Since it is far from Waisai, there are not many tourists, so you can enjoy a relaxing stay.
I’m glad I chose this accommodation.
Terimakasih sudah berkunjung ke Homestay saya.
Saya sangat senang mendengar kebahagiaan anda ketika bersama kami
We had a very comfortable stay.We stayed for 6 nights and each day we were served a different dish. And the food was very delicious.
When a guest staying at the same hotel went on a snorkeling tour, he went out of his way to ask if I wanted to go with him. We were able to go to Wayag with other guests.
The long, slender fish that appears in front of the inn lights up at night. Please turn off the lights and enjoy the fantastic view.
Since it is far from Waisai, there are not many tourists, so you can enjoy a relaxing stay.
I’m glad I chose this accommodation.
Terimakasih sudah berkunjung ke Homestay saya.
Saya sangat senang mendengar kebahagiaan anda ketika bersama kami
Great place! The family is real nice. The house reef is beautiful and gets better as you get further, just pay attention as current slowly starts to increase when you get further away. We went by boat to several other great snorkeling spots. Hiking wayag was beautiful, snorkeling inside wasn’t anything special though, the perimeter looked like it might have some good spots, but we just did a small area on the outside where they were feeding sharks. We stopped at another village close to the pearl farm, it was fun playing with the kids there, the pearl farm needs to be communicated with in advance to experience it though. We are definitely happy we chose this place, everyone was nice and not many tourists came this far.
Great place! The family is real nice. The house reef is beautiful and gets better as you get further, just pay attention as current slowly starts to increase when you get further away. We went by boat to several other great snorkeling spots. Hiking wayag was beautiful, snorkeling inside wasn’t anything special though, the perimeter looked like it might have some good spots, but we just did a small area on the outside where they were feeding sharks. We stopped at another village close to the pearl farm, it was fun playing with the kids there, the pearl farm needs to be communicated with in advance to experience it though. We are definitely happy we chose this place, everyone was nice and not many tourists came this far.
We stayed two nights in Subdikar Homestay. The place is very nice and authentic. We were the only tourists in the island, this is good in one part because you feel special, and we have the whole homestay for us. The bad part is that you cannot share boat trips costs with other people so the price to go there is higher. The view was very nice, the food was delicious (for me the best in raja ampat) and abundant. They offer snorkeling trip to tamaku reef (10 minutes by boat) that is amazing! Ver very nice snorkel.
We stayed two nights in Subdikar Homestay. The place is very nice and authentic. We were the only tourists in the island, this is good in one part because you feel special, and we have the whole homestay for us. The bad part is that you cannot share boat trips costs with other people so the price to go there is higher. The view was very nice, the food was delicious (for me the best in raja ampat) and abundant. They offer snorkeling trip to tamaku reef (10 minutes by boat) that is amazing! Ver very nice snorkel.
September 2024: Subdikar Homestay family changed their homestay name to Subdikar Guest House.
September 2024: Subdikar Homestay family changed their homestay name to Subdikar Guest House.
Excellent stay at Subdikar homestay ! The place is very picturesque and nice. The bungalows are cleaned almost everyday and I really enjoyed resting on the little sundeck. Matias has been an amazing host, always keen to take me for some new discoveries around. He can speak a bit of english which certainly help. The village close by is also very interesting. I had the feeling of reaching a place at the end of the world, a very good moment.
Excellent stay at Subdikar homestay ! The place is very picturesque and nice. The bungalows are cleaned almost everyday and I really enjoyed resting on the little sundeck. Matias has been an amazing host, always keen to take me for some new discoveries around. He can speak a bit of english which certainly help. The village close by is also very interesting. I had the feeling of reaching a place at the end of the world, a very good moment.
Yenbeyar Homestay was known as Mandemor Homestay until May 2024.
The harbour renovations mentioned below are long finished.
Our policy of publishing all reviews by verified guests demanded that we publish the latest review below, regardless of the extra-special, superior-length deep shade that it cast on both Yenbeyar and the opinions of all their previous guests.
Don’t let it put you off. Skip to the older reviews for some balance.
To quote Cockburn: “Depends what you look at obviously, but even more it depends on the way that you see.”
We hope to hear from some 2024 guests soon 🙏
We really enjoyed our time at Subdikar and were glad we spent the time to travel a bit further out to Mayifun. It definitely is a bit more isolated and rustic, but we found the family was extremely generous and caring. We enjoyed the trips we did with them and the food was super plentiful and with great variety- probably the best we had during our time in raja ampat. Matias is away studying but was super responsive on WhatsApp for help coordinating, and his dad spoke a little bit of English too. We loved watching the fish is the sea grass right below the bungalow and the schools of fish in the bay of the village. There is some snorkeling right in front of the homestay and by the peer- and huge reefs nearby they can take you to in the boat. The homestay is right on the edge of the village so we enjoyed walking around and saying hi to all the children too. Thank you so much for a great stay!
We really enjoyed our time at Subdikar and were glad we spent the time to travel a bit further out to Mayifun. It definitely is a bit more isolated and rustic, but we found the family was extremely generous and caring. We enjoyed the trips we did with them and the food was super plentiful and with great variety- probably the best we had during our time in raja ampat. Matias is away studying but was super responsive on WhatsApp for help coordinating, and his dad spoke a little bit of English too. We loved watching the fish is the sea grass right below the bungalow and the schools of fish in the bay of the village. There is some snorkeling right in front of the homestay and by the peer- and huge reefs nearby they can take you to in the boat. The homestay is right on the edge of the village so we enjoyed walking around and saying hi to all the children too. Thank you so much for a great stay!
We stayed for 3 nights at Subdikar and felt very welcomed, in particular thanks to Timo (i am not sure of the spelling of your name, sorry for that).
Special thanks for that stay with good food and always the good mood of Timo, even when we got accross the waves during our trip to Wayag.
The proximity of the village was also a very good point as walking across the village or enjoying the remote sounds of the community by the end of the day did let us share a bit more than the beautiful landscapes.
Timo and all the team at Subdikar, we will never forget you !
We stayed for 3 nights at Subdikar and felt very welcomed, in particular thanks to Timo (i am not sure of the spelling of your name, sorry for that).
Special thanks for that stay with good food and always the good mood of Timo, even when we got accross the waves during our trip to Wayag.
The proximity of the village was also a very good point as walking across the village or enjoying the remote sounds of the community by the end of the day did let us share a bit more than the beautiful landscapes.
Timo and all the team at Subdikar, we will never forget you !
I had planned to stay at Subdikar for 7 nights, but left after 4. They did not have anyone at Subdikar who could speak English, no western toilet, no running water and, in my opinion, no good house reef. As well, the village was noisy with loud music played throughout the night.
I was happy with the room and the three snorkel tours as I didn’t feel comfortable swimming in the weeds in front of the homestay. For me, I felt I needed to take a boat to snorkel.
However, the owners of Subdikar and next door Saudori (father and son) conspired to keep myself and the other single woman guest at Saudori apart. She was told there were no other guests and I.was told, after learning that she was next door from someone met in church, that she was unavailable everytime I asked. Finally, in the evening, I was.enroute next door when the owner of Subdikar stopped me and I felt uncomfortable. I believe that the plan was for us to book separate tours as we had already taken separate snorkel tours and they were planning to have us book separate Wayag tours as well. However, as English was such a problem, I can’t be sure why they had lied.
The woman guest at Saudori had a separate, more serious problem with the owner of Saudori and we left together to another homestay.
I’m very sorry about the actions of the owners as my snorkel and Wayag tours were very good. I was well taken care of by the other sons who swam with me and helped me get up and down the cliff at Wayag.to.take the perfect photos.
However. as it seems the owners foolishly put their business interests above the best interests of their guests. I can’t recommend Subdikar or Saudori.
Hello…
introduce me the owner of Subdikar Homestay on behalf of matias and Thimo. If there is an error in the family’s actions towards any guests who are uncomfortable, we apologize.
when it comes to speaking English, it’s still not enough because I’m usually the guide for Subdikar Homestay. It’s just that I’m still at the lecture site, when I go home, there are usually no guests who comment on speaking English or deficiencies in the Homestay, maybe they are wrong in dealing with guests, I am the homestay owner at the same time Guide apologized.
I, as the owner of the subdikar homestay on behalf of: Thimotius, apologize to a guest on behalf of lin who lives in the homestay subdikar, because what was conveyed was my shortcoming and my weakness. And I, Thimotius, want to say that on April 8, 2023, guest Lin was escorted from the jou suba guide in Efkabu arrived at 11 o’clock in the afternoon at the homestay subdikar. prepare. After that I spoke English which I knew a little after that we headed to the restaurant and walked and introduced the homestay facilities. After finishing from there, guest Lin offered me to go snorkeling, then that day we agreed to snorkel again at 2 pm on Tamaku Island. Then the second day we delivered again to the islands of Yefnabi and Efmoi and 6 snorkeling activity spots by Lin’s guest. He paid for 3 snorkeling spots and t3 spots, the rest I gave a discount so I didn’t get paid. And the 3 spots that we paid for, I used the price of the Raja Ampat stay, which was specifically for homestay subdikars. On the evening of the 4th day I brought a guide from the sister homestay named Boby to ask Lin’s guests about the trip to wayag. And Guest Lin Pun offered to join a female guest who was at Saudori Homestay so Bobi told me then I said that: if you really want to be like that just ask the guest who is currently staying from Saudori Homestay. And that same night a few hours later Lin’s guest wanted to walk because I didn’t know I asked where were you going? and Lin answered I want to meet the guest owner of the saudory homestay. The point of my question is not to prevent him from going to the guests from the saudori homestay, but because it’s already late at night I want to know where the guests want to go, because the guests in the homestay subdikar are my big responsibility. And after they finished their coordination they agreed to go together to the wayag the next day.
The next day the family prepared lunch at wayag as we usually do for guests who have lived in subdikar and wanted to go to wayag. moved to another homestay.
For this reason, the owner of the homestay sub-dikar said that, the arrival of our guest Lin was not coming on vacation to see the natural beauty that has been provided by the homestay sub-dikar, but wanted to find and see the shortcomings and weaknesses of the homestay to make bad comments at stay Raja Ampat so that it would block the way of the homestay subdikar .
I had planned to stay at Subdikar for 7 nights, but left after 4. They did not have anyone at Subdikar who could speak English, no western toilet, no running water and, in my opinion, no good house reef. As well, the village was noisy with loud music played throughout the night.
I was happy with the room and the three snorkel tours as I didn’t feel comfortable swimming in the weeds in front of the homestay. For me, I felt I needed to take a boat to snorkel.
However, the owners of Subdikar and next door Saudori (father and son) conspired to keep myself and the other single woman guest at Saudori apart. She was told there were no other guests and I.was told, after learning that she was next door from someone met in church, that she was unavailable everytime I asked. Finally, in the evening, I was.enroute next door when the owner of Subdikar stopped me and I felt uncomfortable. I believe that the plan was for us to book separate tours as we had already taken separate snorkel tours and they were planning to have us book separate Wayag tours as well. However, as English was such a problem, I can’t be sure why they had lied.
The woman guest at Saudori had a separate, more serious problem with the owner of Saudori and we left together to another homestay.
I’m very sorry about the actions of the owners as my snorkel and Wayag tours were very good. I was well taken care of by the other sons who swam with me and helped me get up and down the cliff at Wayag.to.take the perfect photos.
However. as it seems the owners foolishly put their business interests above the best interests of their guests. I can’t recommend Subdikar or Saudori.
Hello…
introduce me the owner of Subdikar Homestay on behalf of matias and Thimo. If there is an error in the family’s actions towards any guests who are uncomfortable, we apologize.
when it comes to speaking English, it’s still not enough because I’m usually the guide for Subdikar Homestay. It’s just that I’m still at the lecture site, when I go home, there are usually no guests who comment on speaking English or deficiencies in the Homestay, maybe they are wrong in dealing with guests, I am the homestay owner at the same time Guide apologized.
I, as the owner of the subdikar homestay on behalf of: Thimotius, apologize to a guest on behalf of lin who lives in the homestay subdikar, because what was conveyed was my shortcoming and my weakness. And I, Thimotius, want to say that on April 8, 2023, guest Lin was escorted from the jou suba guide in Efkabu arrived at 11 o’clock in the afternoon at the homestay subdikar. prepare. After that I spoke English which I knew a little after that we headed to the restaurant and walked and introduced the homestay facilities. After finishing from there, guest Lin offered me to go snorkeling, then that day we agreed to snorkel again at 2 pm on Tamaku Island. Then the second day we delivered again to the islands of Yefnabi and Efmoi and 6 snorkeling activity spots by Lin’s guest. He paid for 3 snorkeling spots and t3 spots, the rest I gave a discount so I didn’t get paid. And the 3 spots that we paid for, I used the price of the Raja Ampat stay, which was specifically for homestay subdikars. On the evening of the 4th day I brought a guide from the sister homestay named Boby to ask Lin’s guests about the trip to wayag. And Guest Lin Pun offered to join a female guest who was at Saudori Homestay so Bobi told me then I said that: if you really want to be like that just ask the guest who is currently staying from Saudori Homestay. And that same night a few hours later Lin’s guest wanted to walk because I didn’t know I asked where were you going? and Lin answered I want to meet the guest owner of the saudory homestay. The point of my question is not to prevent him from going to the guests from the saudori homestay, but because it’s already late at night I want to know where the guests want to go, because the guests in the homestay subdikar are my big responsibility. And after they finished their coordination they agreed to go together to the wayag the next day.
The next day the family prepared lunch at wayag as we usually do for guests who have lived in subdikar and wanted to go to wayag. moved to another homestay.
For this reason, the owner of the homestay sub-dikar said that, the arrival of our guest Lin was not coming on vacation to see the natural beauty that has been provided by the homestay sub-dikar, but wanted to find and see the shortcomings and weaknesses of the homestay to make bad comments at stay Raja Ampat so that it would block the way of the homestay subdikar .
We stayed in Subdikar homestay for 5 nights, March 2023. The Wasai pickup was very beautiful going through Kabui Bay and the narrow passage. Our overwater bungalow was very nice and spacious, with lots of lines to hang clothes and a very nice veranda to view the beautiful sunsets. The two kamar mandi, and two kamar kecil were also spacious and clean. When we arrived there was some plastic in the little bay, but this was cleaned up later on, which made the little bay much prettier.
We didn’t really planned to visit Wayag, but the price for the trip was very reasonable so we decided to join our neighbour. Wayag was really a nice experience, with landscapes like a fairy tale. The hike to the lookouts was a bit tricky but with a little help and some ropes we managed. Lunch on the beach was perfect. The way back was a bit bumpy but with bapak Timor and the boatman we were in safe hands. The house reef was nice, with quite a lot of fish, a.o rather big clown fish, but the corals were better near the corner, but there the current was stronger. We also went on a trip to see manta’s which we actually saw up close in very clear water, also some bumphead parrot fish and turtles. Afterwards we went to one of the Tamaku’s. The next day we visited Ofo and the other Tamaku. We liked the snorkeling very much and enjoyed the peace and quiet. You really have the reefs and manta’s to yourself. On the Sunday we walked through the friendly village and a little along the beach. We tried to walk the other way, but this would be more feasible with low tide.
The food was excellent and abundant, in the morning something small and sweet and for lunch and dinner mostly very tasty fish, rice and/or noodles and vegetables, and around 5 something small to eat as well (pisang goreng, lovely cake, sweet bapao or pancakes). We could have stayed longer for further exploration of the house reef, the village and the jungle mangrove on the other side. Bobby, one of the sons speaks good English, but a little bahasa won’t hurt.
Thanks to Bapak Timor and his friendly family for a great stay and the wonderful food and for bringing us safe to Batanta!
We stayed in Subdikar homestay for 5 nights, March 2023. The Wasai pickup was very beautiful going through Kabui Bay and the narrow passage. Our overwater bungalow was very nice and spacious, with lots of lines to hang clothes and a very nice veranda to view the beautiful sunsets. The two kamar mandi, and two kamar kecil were also spacious and clean. When we arrived there was some plastic in the little bay, but this was cleaned up later on, which made the little bay much prettier.
We didn’t really planned to visit Wayag, but the price for the trip was very reasonable so we decided to join our neighbour. Wayag was really a nice experience, with landscapes like a fairy tale. The hike to the lookouts was a bit tricky but with a little help and some ropes we managed. Lunch on the beach was perfect. The way back was a bit bumpy but with bapak Timor and the boatman we were in safe hands. The house reef was nice, with quite a lot of fish, a.o rather big clown fish, but the corals were better near the corner, but there the current was stronger. We also went on a trip to see manta’s which we actually saw up close in very clear water, also some bumphead parrot fish and turtles. Afterwards we went to one of the Tamaku’s. The next day we visited Ofo and the other Tamaku. We liked the snorkeling very much and enjoyed the peace and quiet. You really have the reefs and manta’s to yourself. On the Sunday we walked through the friendly village and a little along the beach. We tried to walk the other way, but this would be more feasible with low tide.
The food was excellent and abundant, in the morning something small and sweet and for lunch and dinner mostly very tasty fish, rice and/or noodles and vegetables, and around 5 something small to eat as well (pisang goreng, lovely cake, sweet bapao or pancakes). We could have stayed longer for further exploration of the house reef, the village and the jungle mangrove on the other side. Bobby, one of the sons speaks good English, but a little bahasa won’t hurt.
Thanks to Bapak Timor and his friendly family for a great stay and the wonderful food and for bringing us safe to Batanta!
I had the experience of staying at Mandemor Homestay at the end of January 2023 to relax for three nights after one week on a diving liveaboard. Actually, I’m at the moment still here, counting down the hours (only 5 to go, yey!) till my boat ride out of here, hoping that the weather will be stable enough for the sea crossing to Waisai.
As some of the other reviews tend to, in my humble opinion, exaggerate a bit
(“favourite place”, “exceptional food”, “magnificent location”, “best snorkelling I”ve ever done”, “everything so perfect”, and my personal favourite “Batanta is to die for”), I’ll get into the vibe and call it my personal purgatory for all the sins in my life, but that is just the personal experience of a stranger on the Internet who likes to do some activities in his spare time other than laying comatose in the sun, so take that with a grain of salt.
+
Everybody here is very friendly
Clean
Good cell reception and speed
Simple food (fish fried or baked with vegetables on the side) in large portions
Activities can be arranged by the homestay and start punctual, but see below about communication
0
Basic communication in English is not possible. Tip: show photos of the places you like to go to, for example the waterfall and birds.
Bucket style shower and toilet flush are fine, but there is no running water when the electricity is down during the day. That makes for interesting surprises when you want to rinse or flush and the water buckets are empty, so keep that in mind.
No roads or trails out of the village, only escape is by boat.
ATM Jan 2023, construction work during the day on the new harbour
No garbage in the water, a bit on the shore near the toilets, more as you go along the shore
Be wary of the cracks in the floor of the homestay, small things like cables, rings etc. can easily go through and land into the sea
I wouldn’t know who I can recommend this homestay to:
– if you’re searching for natural beauty, wilderness, peace and/or calm, it’s definitely not for you
– if you’re searching for activities, things to do and see, this is not for you (other than swimming around in the water)
– if you’re on a budget, around 30 Euros per person per night is OK – if you don’t consider the price of the crossing from Waisai, which is around 100 Euros each way
The photos on this website are very well chosen, and don’t display a good idea of the homestays surroundings. Some comments regarding the description on this page:
fabulous panoramic views – should read “mediocre, if you look in the right direction”
rich marine life – if strands of seagrass constitute a rich marine life, then yes. Even the marine ecology students on assignment here told us there is nothing to see.
and the occasional dugong grazing the seagrass meadow at your door. – nobody we talked to has seen a dugong
Bliss. – If that is the writer’s impression of bliss, I can’t imagine how bad their definition of misery must be
• Good phone signal – true
• Reef dropoff – false, no reef
• Seagrass – yes, lots
• Coral – no coral
• Hiking available – only available hiking is by boat, visiting the waterfall, 30-45 min total hiking time. No other hiking available
• Quiet hideaway – definitely not, it’s at the NW end of the village, music, voices and construction work are easily heard
• Calm beach – no beach
• Child discount – probably
• Sandy Beach – no beach
• Western style toilet – yes, with bucket style flushing, but I personally wouldn’t sit on it
Maybe this will sound a little high-brow, but I still would like to end this text by quoting Camus:
“There is no sun without shade, and it is essential to know the night.”
Terimakasih atas komentarnya,
Untuk toiletnya kami sudah membuat toilet yang baru dan toilet yang lama kami tidak memakainya lagi
Sekian dan terimakasih🙏
We had a great stay! Food was amazing and plentiful, location amazing right next to the village, lovely bungalow! The family is amazing and took us to stunning places for snorkeling, fishing, and even hiking! Highly recommended!
Thankyou very much Dafni
We had a great stay! Food was amazing and plentiful, location amazing right next to the village, lovely bungalow! The family is amazing and took us to stunning places for snorkeling, fishing, and even hiking! Highly recommended!
Thankyou very much Dafni
Mandemor Homestay is located in a charming typical Raja Ampat village in the leeward part of the island, still more or less preserved from the plastic floods present in Sorong or North Raja Ampat.
3 bungalows on stilts are placed above a seagrass bed supposed to be famous for seeing Dugongs … we didn’t see any during our 5 days stay but we did see black tip sharks and a profusion of fish and huge clams.
We tried the proposed crossing from Sorong to the Homestay for 8 000 000 RP. The outward journey was in swell conditions, so it took us 3.5 hours and a few scares, and the return journey took 2.5 hours under the sun. The boat is an improved dugout with a crew expert of the sea and that shows!
The island is peaceful when the construction of the new port is not taking place… I don’t know how long it will take so I advise you to have earplugs and especially to favour a time of presence with the weekend which cuts the noise nuisance.
The food is excellent and varied!
The little snacks are a nice sweet touch!
Breakfast at 7AM, lunch at noon, snack at 3:30PM and dinner at 7PM
We asked for lobsters for new year’s eve, they did it at no extra cost. (Please bring a small knife as there are no knives at the Homestay and cutting the lobsters with forks is a memorable experience)
The excursions are with Simson and Ocean (or Ocea). They are smiling, adaptable and understand simple English.
We recommend the waterfalls tour (300 000 RP) and the Manta tour (700 000 RP)!
Miracle to continue the organization of your trip in the islands, here, the 4G is at its maximum!
I recommend a few days stopover to discover the beauty of Batanta, with a very different landscape from North Raja Ampat or Misool.
Great stay at Mandemor. Huts out on water were lovely and private, but we also enjoyed the experience of visiting the village and watching daily life. Everyone, including the manager, Yusif) was very friendly. The food was very pleasant. Arayfay ( sorry for spelling) was our guide and he was fantastic. Very helpful, quietly friendly and he and his son provided some wonderful boat trips to snorkel and see the sights. He also took us back to Sorong. Didn’t see a dugong, but maybe next time?
Fantastic stay at Subdikar. Accommodations and food were both excellent. Very private setup with a spectacular overwater balcony and gorgeous views and sunsets out over west Waigeo. Matias wasn’t there, but his family are such lovely people. His father, Timor, and his brother were our guides while we were there and they took us to the best reefs I’ve seen in my three times in RA. Night hikes looking for reptiles and amphibians, night snorkeling with nurse sharks, amazing jungle hike through flooded primary forest to bat cave filled with flying foxes. Mangrove monitors scaling the trees as we walked.
The house reef is not the greatest, but it’s pretty good in some areas and worth exploring. Saw giant trevally and giant barracuda right off the beach. The real highlight of the ecosystem immediately off the homestay for me was the seagrass/mangrove fish nursery directly below the balcony. Phenomenal if you like macro life and some of the more bizarre fish you see in sandy/eel grass/mangrove habitat bordering reef–Archerfish, juvenile cowfish, pipefish, morays, filefish, juvenile angelfish, dragonets, needlenose gar etc. Sipped tea and watched walking sharks cruising around right off the veranda every night (the downside of the mangroves is the mosquitoes, of course). The best reefs are only half an hour away. There are both seaward-facing and more sheltered reefs in the area, so there is a really impressive diversity of habitats and species to be seen. So worth making the 3-hour trip out to isolated west Waigeo. Didn’t see any other tourists there the entire time. Just miles and miles of jungle-covered islands and teeming seas. There are levels to Raja Ampat and the Manyaifun/meos mangarra area, IMO, is noticeably (and understandably) more authentic, untouched and less commodified than the Kri, Arborek, Gam, Mansuar part. Truly one of the most spectacular places on earth. Thanks again Timor and you’re wonderful family for sharing your beautiful corner of the world with us. Alex and Tessa.
If anyone has questions about the specific spots we visited, feel free to drop me a line at https://www.facebook.com/groups/5662249957154716
Fantastic stay at Subdikar. Accommodations and food were both excellent. Very private setup with a spectacular overwater balcony and gorgeous views and sunsets out over west Waigeo. Matias wasn’t there, but his family are such lovely people. His father, Timor, and his brother were our guides while we were there and they took us to the best reefs I’ve seen in my three times in RA. Night hikes looking for reptiles and amphibians, night snorkeling with nurse sharks, amazing jungle hike through flooded primary forest to bat cave filled with flying foxes. Mangrove monitors scaling the trees as we walked.
The house reef is not the greatest, but it’s pretty good in some areas and worth exploring. Saw giant trevally and giant barracuda right off the beach. The real highlight of the ecosystem immediately off the homestay for me was the seagrass/mangrove fish nursery directly below the balcony. Phenomenal if you like macro life and some of the more bizarre fish you see in sandy/eel grass/mangrove habitat bordering reef–Archerfish, juvenile cowfish, pipefish, morays, filefish, juvenile angelfish, dragonets, needlenose gar etc. Sipped tea and watched walking sharks cruising around right off the veranda every night (the downside of the mangroves is the mosquitoes, of course). The best reefs are only half an hour away. There are both seaward-facing and more sheltered reefs in the area, so there is a really impressive diversity of habitats and species to be seen. So worth making the 3-hour trip out to isolated west Waigeo. Didn’t see any other tourists there the entire time. Just miles and miles of jungle-covered islands and teeming seas. There are levels to Raja Ampat and the Manyaifun/meos mangarra area, IMO, is noticeably (and understandably) more authentic, untouched and less commodified than the Kri, Arborek, Gam, Mansuar part. Truly one of the most spectacular places on earth. Thanks again Timor and you’re wonderful family for sharing your beautiful corner of the world with us. Alex and Tessa.
If anyone has questions about the specific spots we visited, feel free to drop me a line at https://www.facebook.com/groups/5662249957154716
Wonderful place, owners super kind people, simple but clean bungalows with a huge view IN the water. Food delicious and good portion and owner spoiled us with excellent cakes every day. Can’t wait to be back again also to feel authentic papuan village life. Thanks to boyalexofias to reccomend us this place!
Simpson and Yusuf are very good hosts at the Mandemor homestay, they always made me feel welcome. I first spent 3 days there and later, 2 more. The internet is good for Batanta. The food is good with lots of tasty fish, eggs, vegetables and fruit for dessert. There is Yensawai, a nice village to one side of Mandemor homestay where the children love to say hello when I took a walk. It is also in close proximity to Urun, a tiny island with amazing coral reefs and sea creatures. The house reef is good for beginners, for more advanced snorkelers go to the right, to the drop, then go left or right, they are both interesting. My bungalow was over water, clean, with a good mattress and mosquito net. Thanks Simpson and Yusuf, maybe I will see you next year!
Subdikar Homestay, set in a quiet bay, on the edge of small Manyaifun village is a remote, peaceful gem. My family of 6 stayed here for 3 nights in January and dream about going back. It’s very remote – we didn’t see any other foreigners when we were there. The over-water huts are magical and very romantic. It’s very special listening to the tide flow in and out, lapping the stumps of the huts – so relaxing. The main host, Matteus, is so friendly and speaks a little bit of English. The family (parents and 7 kids) is beautiful – so smiley, friendly and hospitable. Food was delicious and plentiful with fresh fish plucked from the ocean every day for lunch and dinner. There was always afternoon tea, and breakfast was usually banana fritters or cake! This was our first homestay to serve some fresh fruit too, which was exciting – watermelon….very delicious.
We went on some very memorable snorkelling trips with Matteus and his brother, often ending up on truly idyllic remote white-sand beaches. Snorkelling trips were very reasonably priced – about R300,000.
The village is quaint and people friendly – a mix of Muslims and Christians. The Islam call to prayer happens early some mornings and echoes across the bay, but it just added to the mystical feel of the place. We had our own private jetty where we enjoyed reading and practicing yoga. The kids often swam straight out from the huts – very safe. Everything was clean, including the toilets and mandi ladle baths. Mozzie nets cover each bed.
We highly recommend this wonderful homestay with this beautiful family. Thank you Matteus, we will be back!
I am also very grateful for your family for visiting my homestay, I hope we can meet again
Subdikar Homestay, set in a quiet bay, on the edge of small Manyaifun village is a remote, peaceful gem. My family of 6 stayed here for 3 nights in January and dream about going back. It’s very remote – we didn’t see any other foreigners when we were there. The over-water huts are magical and very romantic. It’s very special listening to the tide flow in and out, lapping the stumps of the huts – so relaxing. The main host, Matteus, is so friendly and speaks a little bit of English. The family (parents and 7 kids) is beautiful – so smiley, friendly and hospitable. Food was delicious and plentiful with fresh fish plucked from the ocean every day for lunch and dinner. There was always afternoon tea, and breakfast was usually banana fritters or cake! This was our first homestay to serve some fresh fruit too, which was exciting – watermelon….very delicious.
We went on some very memorable snorkelling trips with Matteus and his brother, often ending up on truly idyllic remote white-sand beaches. Snorkelling trips were very reasonably priced – about R300,000.
The village is quaint and people friendly – a mix of Muslims and Christians. The Islam call to prayer happens early some mornings and echoes across the bay, but it just added to the mystical feel of the place. We had our own private jetty where we enjoyed reading and practicing yoga. The kids often swam straight out from the huts – very safe. Everything was clean, including the toilets and mandi ladle baths. Mozzie nets cover each bed.
We highly recommend this wonderful homestay with this beautiful family. Thank you Matteus, we will be back!
I am also very grateful for your family for visiting my homestay, I hope we can meet again
We had a great stay at Mandemor in January, the overwater bungalows are beautiful. The food was very delicious, especially we enjoyed the cake in the afternoon.
Yusuf organized all the things very well an Simpson was a very good and relaxed guide on the snorkeltrips.
Thank you!
Maybe the best homestay in Raja ampat. Everithing is so perfect and full of peace.
Good reef just in front of the bungalow. Wales, mantas, sharks, and a lot more right there.
The food… Oooh the food… The best food ever tasted bay far!
Hi there,
Since this Homestay is on the way to wayag, does it offer any reasonably priced wayag tours?
Cheers,
Hi Phebe
Subdikar doesn’t advertise Wayag trips, but if they are available, then we imagine it would be at a price comparable to the IDR 6,000,000 asked by their neighbour Manyaifun Homestay.
Hi there,
Since this Homestay is on the way to wayag, does it offer any reasonably priced wayag tours?
Cheers,
Hi Phebe
Subdikar doesn’t advertise Wayag trips, but if they are available, then we imagine it would be at a price comparable to the IDR 6,000,000 asked by their neighbour Manyaifun Homestay.
Favorite homestay in RA. Best food, beautiful location, Batanta is to die for. Yusuf’s brother took us around on his boat, best snorkeling i’ve ever done. The cell service was good, I liked my lounge chair on the deck, but hammocks would make it perfect.
Hey Virginie, would be great if you could drop me a PM via facebook messenger in order to answer some questions regarding MANDEWOR HOMESTAY. Thanks
In February I stayed with Thimo and his lovely family for one week. The people, the place, the food and the small village were superb. I enjoyed every moment. 2 years ago I went snorkeling in the area and there are beautiful beautiful reefs there. But this year I went fishing with Mr Thimo twice a day. Fantastic experience. Strong fishes and a wunderfull time with Thimo who knows everything about the waters. You can easily get to waters outside protected areas, but everybody are fishermen in the village, so it is not easy for them to see you release the fish again. I think it is okay to take what is needed for the homestay, since they will catch fish anyway. Release the rest. Fantastic village life. Fantastic people. Fantastic fishing. I’ll be back.
In February I stayed with Thimo and his lovely family for one week. The people, the place, the food and the small village were superb. I enjoyed every moment. 2 years ago I went snorkeling in the area and there are beautiful beautiful reefs there. But this year I went fishing with Mr Thimo twice a day. Fantastic experience. Strong fishes and a wunderfull time with Thimo who knows everything about the waters. You can easily get to waters outside protected areas, but everybody are fishermen in the village, so it is not easy for them to see you release the fish again. I think it is okay to take what is needed for the homestay, since they will catch fish anyway. Release the rest. Fantastic village life. Fantastic people. Fantastic fishing. I’ll be back.
We were supposed to go to dugong homestay. But they canceled our booking without even letting us know (on the day of arrival). Eventualy our previous homestay (rufas) helped us finding a new homestay and we ended up at Mandemor.
And we are so glad we did!
From the start the people of Mandemor were really welcoming and helpfull. They arranged so many amazing trips for us.
They showed us dugong, waterfalls, hornbills and even the birds of paradise.
You can go snorkeling rigth in front of the overwater bungalows. We saw lots of walking shark and giant clams there.
They also took us to see the manta rays at dayan!
The food is good, trips are awesome, overwater bungalows are nice. We really recommend this homestay if you want to go to Batanta!
This was my favorit place in Batanta. 3 Bungalows on the water. Great snorkeling. Many different fishes, nudibranches, giant clams… .
Good food, clean place.
The only thing I didn’t like were the rats who visited the bungalow in the night.
I come back!
We stayed at Subdikar for two days in january, but I would have liked to stay longer .
We enjoyed our stay very much, everybody was very friendly and welcoming.
Everything is clean and from the nice veranda you can watch the bioluminesence , we saw it every night. Magical .
There are large schools of fishes and blacktips directly at the jetty.
The homestay is situated at the end of Manyaifun village. On the right side the mangroves and the jungle starts with birds flying around.
The meals were very tasty, a lot of fish , different vegetables, potatoes, various cakes, fruit and milk coffee. And always plenty of it.
We did two trips to the Tamaku reef and Tamaku Island and they were fantastic. Probably the best trips in three weeks RA.
We hope to come back one day ?.
We stayed at Subdikar for two days in january, but I would have liked to stay longer .
We enjoyed our stay very much, everybody was very friendly and welcoming.
Everything is clean and from the nice veranda you can watch the bioluminesence , we saw it every night. Magical .
There are large schools of fishes and blacktips directly at the jetty.
The homestay is situated at the end of Manyaifun village. On the right side the mangroves and the jungle starts with birds flying around.
The meals were very tasty, a lot of fish , different vegetables, potatoes, various cakes, fruit and milk coffee. And always plenty of it.
We did two trips to the Tamaku reef and Tamaku Island and they were fantastic. Probably the best trips in three weeks RA.
We hope to come back one day ?.
Of the 5 homestays I stayed at, Subdikar was the most memorable. I stayed here for 2 nights and I’m sorry I didn’t stay longer. Although there is good mobile connection, there is no wifi here. There were no other tourists on the island apart from the group I arrived with who stayed at Sea Whip next door. Although Thimo doesn’t speak English, his nephew from Sea Whip does and was very helpful. The food was great (better than at Sea Whip) and fruit, biscuits, coffee and tea were available at all times. The village has a shop with a good selection of treats and everyone was very friendly. The reef in front of the homestay was super and there was plenty of activity there with many types of fish I hadn’t seen elsewhere. This was also the place where I saw the most black tip reef sharks (mostly babies). Thimo and Abdullah took me and the group staying at Sea Whip on a snorkeling trip (on a Sunday!) to some islands nearby. The snorkeling was incredible – by far the best of all the places I had visited in Raja Ampat. Pristine clear water and the most unspoiled reefs with plenty of fish I had not seen in other places. Just sad I didn’t get to explore more. One word of advice – do not go snorkeling outside the homestay area on your own. Sudden currents can be very strong and this is a very remote area. Listen to the locals as they really look out for your safety. At night there were plenty of bioluminescent plankton underneath the bungalow. Thimo and his wife were super nice and very accommodating. I gave Thimo an English Indonesian phrase book so hopefully this will help his communication skills. I will definitely return to Subdikar!
Of the 5 homestays I stayed at, Subdikar was the most memorable. I stayed here for 2 nights and I’m sorry I didn’t stay longer. Although there is good mobile connection, there is no wifi here. There were no other tourists on the island apart from the group I arrived with who stayed at Sea Whip next door. Although Thimo doesn’t speak English, his nephew from Sea Whip does and was very helpful. The food was great (better than at Sea Whip) and fruit, biscuits, coffee and tea were available at all times. The village has a shop with a good selection of treats and everyone was very friendly. The reef in front of the homestay was super and there was plenty of activity there with many types of fish I hadn’t seen elsewhere. This was also the place where I saw the most black tip reef sharks (mostly babies). Thimo and Abdullah took me and the group staying at Sea Whip on a snorkeling trip (on a Sunday!) to some islands nearby. The snorkeling was incredible – by far the best of all the places I had visited in Raja Ampat. Pristine clear water and the most unspoiled reefs with plenty of fish I had not seen in other places. Just sad I didn’t get to explore more. One word of advice – do not go snorkeling outside the homestay area on your own. Sudden currents can be very strong and this is a very remote area. Listen to the locals as they really look out for your safety. At night there were plenty of bioluminescent plankton underneath the bungalow. Thimo and his wife were super nice and very accommodating. I gave Thimo an English Indonesian phrase book so hopefully this will help his communication skills. I will definitely return to Subdikar!
Nice bungalows, nice food and run by lovely people. Requests for vegetables and/or fruits were happily met. There is a good house reef (huge clams right underneath the bungalows) and 5 minutes away is Ayof reef which is one of the best I have snorkelled in RA.
Would recommend this homestay anytime.
A really great place, overwater clean bungalows with a magnificent location. Lots of beautiful and huge tridacnes, very nice snorkelling just in front. The hosts are very kind and the people of the village very hospitable. The food is good and varied
I highly recommend this homestay
I have just had a wonderful stay at Mande Mor Homestay. Jozeef and his family are the most hospitable and caring people, from the moment we arrived to the time we left, nothing was too much trouble for them to make sure we were comfortable, well fed and happy.
I am traveling with my son and they kindly organised an extra mattress for him to lay on during the day out on my veranda (I had my own hammock with me). They went to the shop and chilled coke for him.
Jozeef took us for a boat trip to go snorkelling and look for Dugongs. He introduced us to Samson who is a guide here and who took us to a sand bar with an amazing reef and he came snorkelling with us, pointing out various things to us. Unfortunately we didn’t find any Dugongs but we had a fantastic day.
The water is so clear, we saw turtles and sharks, and a very big bonus for me was right infront of the Homestay is fantastic snorkelling as I stepped off the veranda of my overwater bungalow. I counted 20 giant clams (seriously), found nudibranches, walking sharks asleep under the coral rocks, crown of thorns sea star, and much more. To the left was sea grass, infront and to the right loads of coral and grass mixed together that feels like you are on a kind of muck dive. Jozeef organised our boat back to Waisai for 1.5 million.
The bungalows are comfortable with mosquito nets. The toilet and Mandi are clean and well kept. Bring your own snorkelling gear as there isn’t anywhere in the village to rent. We went snorkelling without fins and found some places were quite difficult when the current was a bit strong.
I can highly recommend this Homestay and this lovely family. Thank you Jozeef!
If you are looking for an authentic place, you are arrived. Very nice place, very nice family, that take care of you the most that she can. All the people are doing there best for you, to make you feel like in a paradise. Don’t expect lux, it’s not what is offer, just expert a beautiful place with true people. We loved it… Thank you so much to all of them
We stayed at Subdikar in November 2017.
If you want to experience the true Raja Ampat experience this is the place for you. By the time we visited this homestay I believe we were the first tourists to be hosted by Thimo’s family. Even though they did not speak any English, they made their best to make us feel like home. It was a magical experience to be able to visit such pristine location. There was several reef sharks and parrot fishes right under our cabin and we saw bioluminescent plankton the 2 nights that we spent there. It was such a shame that we could barely communicate with the family to appreciate their kindness.
We highly recommend the location and the host but note that this is an extremely remote area with no mobile service and communication with the locals can be difficult.
Overall, we had an amazing experience in this homestay. If we ever come back to Raja Ampat we will come back to Subdikhar Homestay.
We stayed at Subdikar in November 2017.
If you want to experience the true Raja Ampat experience this is the place for you. By the time we visited this homestay I believe we were the first tourists to be hosted by Thimo’s family. Even though they did not speak any English, they made their best to make us feel like home. It was a magical experience to be able to visit such pristine location. There was several reef sharks and parrot fishes right under our cabin and we saw bioluminescent plankton the 2 nights that we spent there. It was such a shame that we could barely communicate with the family to appreciate their kindness.
We highly recommend the location and the host but note that this is an extremely remote area with no mobile service and communication with the locals can be difficult.
Overall, we had an amazing experience in this homestay. If we ever come back to Raja Ampat we will come back to Subdikhar Homestay.
Our experience in the Manyaifun island in Subdikar homestay was very satisfying but sometimes complicated.
Thimo the owner a great person together with all his family to emphasize his son, Bobby, they received us in the simplest way but without talking any word in English the communication became very difficult, neither there was no communication with the phone but the location of the homestay at the end of the town of Manyaifun made our contact with the locals closer.
You realised that with the service and the meals they did not have much experience but the place itself and the bathrooms were very clean.
But our best experience was to snorkel on the island of Ofo, the best in all Raja Ampat even surpassing that of the island of Kri where most tourists are staying. It was a wonderful day where we did a picnic on the small beaches of Ofo with a freshly caught fish and on the way back we stopped at several places to continue enjoying the seabed.
Conclusion, if you want to be away from other tourists, have contact with the locals and make a good snorkel, Subdikar is your homestay and Thimo your host.
Our experience in the Manyaifun island in Subdikar homestay was very satisfying but sometimes complicated.
Thimo the owner a great person together with all his family to emphasize his son, Bobby, they received us in the simplest way but without talking any word in English the communication became very difficult, neither there was no communication with the phone but the location of the homestay at the end of the town of Manyaifun made our contact with the locals closer.
You realised that with the service and the meals they did not have much experience but the place itself and the bathrooms were very clean.
But our best experience was to snorkel on the island of Ofo, the best in all Raja Ampat even surpassing that of the island of Kri where most tourists are staying. It was a wonderful day where we did a picnic on the small beaches of Ofo with a freshly caught fish and on the way back we stopped at several places to continue enjoying the seabed.
Conclusion, if you want to be away from other tourists, have contact with the locals and make a good snorkel, Subdikar is your homestay and Thimo your host.
We ended up at Mandemor as Dugong homestay which we had pre-booked before coming to Raja Ampat already had people staying in it. There is limited phone signal at Dugong and also Musa who was looking after it, said his phone was broken. Due to this we were relocated a 10 minute boat ride to Mandemore.
There is one homestay in the entire village with an amazing location on its private jetty over the water. The hosts are part of the family who own dugong and a few other homestays. They have limited English but are extremely friendly which is consistent with what we experienced in Raja Ampat. There is a seperate toilet block which is well maintained. Amazingly there is fairly regular 4g signal. Although it was very slow and more like 2g, it was certainly a pleasant surprise to have signal / internet.
The family were very nice and the food was exceptional being the best we had during our time in Raja Ampat with fresh fish, lobster and regular homemade sweets / cakes.
As the only tourists in the village we were a bit of a hit with the local children and one can interact with them as much or as little as desired.
The house reef is not the best in Raja ampat but is reasonable, most notably with a large shoal of fish under one of the jetties. We did a local bird watching trip and you can also make a trip out to other islands for snorkelling. There is a small desert type island a short boat trip away which has excellent snorkelling.
There is a chance of seeing hornbills, palm cockatoos, the usual sulphur crested cockatoos and the odd eclectus parrot. There is also a local dugong, which my brother saw albeit very briefly over in front of Dugong homestay. Though in general I think you have to be very lucky to spot one.
There is also a trip to a local waterfall which is certainly worth taking. Overall the homestay is highly recommended