Features
- Sleeps 10 or more
- Quiet hideaway
- Good phone signal
- Coral
- Child discount
- Good house reef
- Calm beach
- Wayag trips
- Western style toilet
- Snorkeling equipment
- IDR 500,000 to 600,000
- IDR 400,000 to 500,000
Details
Wainay Homestay occupies a quiet cove on Gam’s southern coast.
Four private beach bungalows are available. Each sleep two on mattresses on the floor. An extra bed can be provided if required, and all the standard bedding and mosquito nets are supplied. Bungalow verandahs have wide ocean views, and are equipped with table and chairs and a hammock.
Meals are served in Wainay Homestay’s beachside dining shelter. The sand-floored shelter has a large table and bench seating. Drinking water and tea and coffee making supplies are always freely available to guests there.
Guests share bathroom facilities. A two room bathroom building houses a western style toilet and shower in one room. A squat toilet and shower is provided in the second room.
Electricity is available from a generator that runs from sunset until around midnight, and Wainay receives a good 4G signal.
Only a little English is spoken at Wainay Homestay. Bringing a translation app or phrasebook will ease communication.
The nearest villages are Friwen and Yenbeser. Both are about 15 minutes away by boat, and basic supplies are available there. Stronger 4G signals are also usually available at Yenbeser and Friwen.
Please don’t leave any inorganic trash at Wainay Homestay. Inorganic waste (especially plastic) that is left at homestays will simply contribute to Raja Ampat’s growing rubbish problem.
Transport / Getting there
One way transfers between Wainay Homestay and Waisai cost IDR 500,000. Transfers are by longboat that can carry a maximum of 2 people. Cost is shared by boat passengers.
Read more about Raja Ampat boat transport prices here.
Activities
Wainay Homestay occupies a thin arc of secluded beach on the islet of Kordiris, which is separated from Gam proper by the wildlife rich Dore Dor mangrove waterway. The winding mangrove filled waterways and dense jungles of Dore Dor are a birdwatchers paradise, alive with hornbills, sea eagles, eclectus parrots, kingfishers, herons... the list goes on.
The jungle behind Wainay Homestay is home to kuskus, squirrel-like tree rats, black king cockatoos and bush fowl that build huge nest mounds in the forest.
Snorkelling
You'll find excellent snorkelling over healthy coral at Wainay Homestay. Dolphins and turtles are frequent visitors, and whales can be observed further offshore as they move through the strait in April and May.
Wainay Homestay has 10 sets of snorkelling gear available. Equipment rental costs IDR 50,000 per set per day. (Probably best to bring your own if you need larger size fins.)
The jungle behind Wainay Homestay is home to Red Birds of Paradise, couscous, squirrel-like tree rats, black king cockatoos and bush fowl that build huge nest mounds in the forest.
Tours
Wainay Homestay can provide sightseeing tours to anywhere you might like to go, including Wayag.
Pulau Gam
See our Gam Island page for an overview of Gam and its attractions.
Wainay Homestay Reviews
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35 Reviews
I loved my stay at Wainay, tucked away in a quiet, sheltered bay. The people were wonderfully kind and friendly, and those sweet puppies made it even more memorable.
Meals were simple but plentiful; a little salty for me, but nothing that spoiled the experience.
I spent a week diving with Tarzan, and the clear path to there took about ten minutes to walk, though it could be a bit slippery in the mornings. A bush walk before diving, so much fun!
Wainay Homestay is a nice well kept Homestay where you can enjoy beach-view from the hammock on your veranda or get in touch with other guests at the spacious dining area.
We really enjoyed the fresh and varied meals. Some days Manu, the host, catched fish and we could enjoy it for Dinner.
In general, the family hosted us well.
We picked Wainay because of the proximity to Tarzan Diving which was also great. It’s just a 10 minute walk away.
One highlight are four puppies which are growing up in this home stay at the moment. Also great is the warm shower, which is rare to find in other compareable homestays.
I stayed for 4 nights at wainay since i was diving with Tarzan and i enjoyed my stay. Thanks Manu and your family!
1. value for money- i feel my stays were totally value for money- the houses were simple, but clean, and each comes with a fan. Also there is hot water which i heard is rare. I was staying alone but i felt throughly safe and each house is provided with a padlock. Power is on from 5/6pm ish which
2. pick up- as one of the reviews said, whatsapp messages don’t get replied quickly- but once you are at sorong, people are waiting at the main door and u can just tell them you are going to Wainay and Manu would have been there waiting for you
3. I was doing dives with Tarzan and it was just about 7 mins “small slopes” walk away. Manu’s family members were kind enough to walk me there on the first day in case i got lost
4. the food! wow this was the highlight- breakfasts were simple but lunches and dinners were amazing. One day dive trips we had to bring lunch boxes from homestays and you know Wainay prepares the best food when everyone was admiring your lunch box🤣
5. communication: it seems like only Manu speaks English but i had no issues asking for simple things through google translate
Thanks Manu and your family again for your hospitality!
We stayed here because of it’s close proximity to Tarzan Diving (which was a really impressive setup for diving and also recommend). Here we stayed in the luxury room, which has been built for more space and a really lovely design. The bed they’ve put in here is also huge and very comfy. Food wise, we had something different everyday and it was all tasty, things like freshly caught fish smoked with a home made sweet and spicy marinade. The family are sweet, you’ll find yourself interacting with their smiley children on the little private beach. They have done a great job here too, beach and the area is super clean and we’ll kept. Highly recommend staying here, especially for Tarzan diving, where you have a 10 minute walk mostly a long the beach to get to your dive.
We stayed here because of it’s close proximity to Tarzan Diving (which was a really impressive setup for diving and also recommend). Here we stayed in the luxury room, which has been built for more space and a really lovely design. The bed they’ve put in here is also huge and very comfy. Food wise, we had something different everyday and it was all tasty, things like freshly caught fish smoked with a home made sweet and spicy marinade. The family are sweet, you’ll find yourself interacting with their smiley children on the little private beach. They have done a great job here too, beach and the area is super clean and we’ll kept. Highly recommend staying here, especially for Tarzan diving, where you have a 10 minute walk mostly a long the beach to get to your dive.
The short version:
Warm and welcoming host family
Amazing food – seriously every meal was delicious!
Great beach with a house reef for snorkeling
Short walk to Tarzan Diving Center (highly recommend)
Comfortable bungalows with fan
Generator provided power from 5pm – around midnight
2 hammocks on the balcony
Easy to coordinate boat rides for day trips/ arrival and departure
Great environment for kids (ours is 11 years old)
The long version:
We arrived on the afternoon ferry in Waisai and were greeted right away by somebody and we were instructed where to get our Raja Ampat Marine Entry passes for diving in the area. Then they showed us to the dock where our host family’s boat was ready to pick us up. They loaded our luggage and wrapped it all with a big tarp to keep it dry. Our family stayed at Wainay Homestay June 4th-12th which is during the low season. There was only one other guest during part of our stay. Manu’s family went above and beyond to make sure that we had everything we needed. Our bungalow had two comfortable beds and there were hammocks on the deck out the back door. They had a friend of theirs, Faruk, staying there during our trip that spoke Bahasa and English. Faruk was so helpful with communication and planning activities. On the first day they took us to Mike’s Point for snorkeling and fishing. Our 11 year old daughter had so much fun playing with the kids from our homestay and the neighboring homestay which belongs to Manu’s brother. Faruk arranged a day trip (which took a lot of planning on his part) to The Blue River on Waisai. It was stunning and such a wonderful adventure. We were able to bring the kids from our homestay and another from the village so our daughter had a blast jumping off the platform into the river with all of them. We quickly learned that there is no language barrier with laughter and fun! The family runs a generator from 5pm til about midnight which provides power to the bungalows and lights up the paths from the bathrooms to the bungalows and the eating area. Faruk took us on several hikes to explore the island and view the sunset from the top which was stunning. There are a few dogs at the homestay that are in pretty good health and are either friendly or keep to themselves. The tide changed the day before we left and washed some trash onto the beach which we helped the family clean up. Aside from that the beach and house reef were great. They said that the trash washes in from Waisai and Sorong because there aren’t good sanitation practices in place. The eating area was kept clean and always had tea, coffee and water. The mother of our host family prepared delicious food for every meal with fresh fruit and vegetables, fish and other seafood that they catch and chicken from the market along with rice or potatoes. The breakfast was always made early enough that we could eat before heading out on our dives. She also prepared lunch for us to take with us on the days that we were away from the homestay. We had arranged 2 to 3 dives per day with Tarzan Diving Center which is only about a 5 minute walk from Wainay – part of the path is steep and can be slippery. We snorkeled many times right in front of the homestay during the day and a couple times at night, too. It was a lot of fun to explore the tide pools during low tide and we saw many creatures. We highly recommend Wainay Homestay to anyone looking for a wonderful place to stay in Raja Ampat.
The short version:
Warm and welcoming host family
Amazing food – seriously every meal was delicious!
Great beach with a house reef for snorkeling
Short walk to Tarzan Diving Center (highly recommend)
Comfortable bungalows with fan
Generator provided power from 5pm – around midnight
2 hammocks on the balcony
Easy to coordinate boat rides for day trips/ arrival and departure
Great environment for kids (ours is 11 years old)
The long version:
We arrived on the afternoon ferry in Waisai and were greeted right away by somebody and we were instructed where to get our Raja Ampat Marine Entry passes for diving in the area. Then they showed us to the dock where our host family’s boat was ready to pick us up. They loaded our luggage and wrapped it all with a big tarp to keep it dry. Our family stayed at Wainay Homestay June 4th-12th which is during the low season. There was only one other guest during part of our stay. Manu’s family went above and beyond to make sure that we had everything we needed. Our bungalow had two comfortable beds and there were hammocks on the deck out the back door. They had a friend of theirs, Faruk, staying there during our trip that spoke Bahasa and English. Faruk was so helpful with communication and planning activities. On the first day they took us to Mike’s Point for snorkeling and fishing. Our 11 year old daughter had so much fun playing with the kids from our homestay and the neighboring homestay which belongs to Manu’s brother. Faruk arranged a day trip (which took a lot of planning on his part) to The Blue River on Waisai. It was stunning and such a wonderful adventure. We were able to bring the kids from our homestay and another from the village so our daughter had a blast jumping off the platform into the river with all of them. We quickly learned that there is no language barrier with laughter and fun! The family runs a generator from 5pm til about midnight which provides power to the bungalows and lights up the paths from the bathrooms to the bungalows and the eating area. Faruk took us on several hikes to explore the island and view the sunset from the top which was stunning. There are a few dogs at the homestay that are in pretty good health and are either friendly or keep to themselves. The tide changed the day before we left and washed some trash onto the beach which we helped the family clean up. Aside from that the beach and house reef were great. They said that the trash washes in from Waisai and Sorong because there aren’t good sanitation practices in place. The eating area was kept clean and always had tea, coffee and water. The mother of our host family prepared delicious food for every meal with fresh fruit and vegetables, fish and other seafood that they catch and chicken from the market along with rice or potatoes. The breakfast was always made early enough that we could eat before heading out on our dives. She also prepared lunch for us to take with us on the days that we were away from the homestay. We had arranged 2 to 3 dives per day with Tarzan Diving Center which is only about a 5 minute walk from Wainay – part of the path is steep and can be slippery. We snorkeled many times right in front of the homestay during the day and a couple times at night, too. It was a lot of fun to explore the tide pools during low tide and we saw many creatures. We highly recommend Wainay Homestay to anyone looking for a wonderful place to stay in Raja Ampat.
Hemos estado alojados cuatro días en Wainai, y reseñar la tranquilidad del lugar, comida excelente, en nuestro caso vegetariana, y muy atentos a todo en cuanto a traslados con sus embarcaciones. Está situado a un par de minutos andando del Corepen Diving Center, por si hemos contratado el buceo con ellos. Como dato anecdótico, hemos podido observar el simpático cuscús desde el mismo alojamiento, a muy pocos metros. En definitiva, gente muy amable.
Hemos estado alojados cuatro días en Wainai, y reseñar la tranquilidad del lugar, comida excelente, en nuestro caso vegetariana, y muy atentos a todo en cuanto a traslados con sus embarcaciones. Está situado a un par de minutos andando del Corepen Diving Center, por si hemos contratado el buceo con ellos. Como dato anecdótico, hemos podido observar el simpático cuscús desde el mismo alojamiento, a muy pocos metros. En definitiva, gente muy amable.
A great little Homestay. It is quiet, and within easy walking distance of several dive shops. Manu and his family seem like they work hard to provide visitors with a clean and welcoming space. None of the facilities in the area are fancy, and it seemed like the bathrooms at Wainay were the same or better than nearby homestays. Manu also is responsive to texts – just break out the translator to communicate in Indonesian! – and if you need English, Faruk can help. Finally, the food. Just amazing. If you love a hearty breakfast, I would say bring some snacks for that, but there was more than enough for lunches and dinners. The food was fresh and delicious, and I wish that I could have watched and learned how some of the dishes were made. Thank you for a wonderful stay!
A great little Homestay. It is quiet, and within easy walking distance of several dive shops. Manu and his family seem like they work hard to provide visitors with a clean and welcoming space. None of the facilities in the area are fancy, and it seemed like the bathrooms at Wainay were the same or better than nearby homestays. Manu also is responsive to texts – just break out the translator to communicate in Indonesian! – and if you need English, Faruk can help. Finally, the food. Just amazing. If you love a hearty breakfast, I would say bring some snacks for that, but there was more than enough for lunches and dinners. The food was fresh and delicious, and I wish that I could have watched and learned how some of the dishes were made. Thank you for a wonderful stay!
Hele fijne homestay.
Voor elke maaltijd wordt vers gekookt. Het is heerlijk en ze maken grote porties, met verse vis en altijd groenten aanwezig (dat laatste is geen standaard in Raja Ampat)
Elke dag in de ochtend en middag gaan snorkelen met gids van de homestay. Altijd mooie plekken, we hebben ons altijd veilig gevoeld.
Het uitzicht vanaf de homestay is ook mooi, fijne rustige baai die met geluk ook door zeeolifanten wordt bezocht. Vanaf het strand kan je al een anemone met harlekijnvisjes zien. Epaulete haaien zijn ook te vinden in het ondiepe water. Neushoornvogels en zwarte kaketoes bezoeken de homestay ook. We hebben helaas ook bezoeken van ratten (waarschijnlijk door logistiek van Tarzan :().
De homestay is een aanrader! Ga hier niet heen als je de luxe van een resort op Bali verwacht. Maar als je komt om te genieten van de prachtige natuur, heerlijk eten en lieve mensen dan zit je hier echt wel goed.
Injo Nabor!
-April 2025
Hele fijne homestay.
Voor elke maaltijd wordt vers gekookt. Het is heerlijk en ze maken grote porties, met verse vis en altijd groenten aanwezig (dat laatste is geen standaard in Raja Ampat)
Elke dag in de ochtend en middag gaan snorkelen met gids van de homestay. Altijd mooie plekken, we hebben ons altijd veilig gevoeld.
Het uitzicht vanaf de homestay is ook mooi, fijne rustige baai die met geluk ook door zeeolifanten wordt bezocht. Vanaf het strand kan je al een anemone met harlekijnvisjes zien. Epaulete haaien zijn ook te vinden in het ondiepe water. Neushoornvogels en zwarte kaketoes bezoeken de homestay ook. We hebben helaas ook bezoeken van ratten (waarschijnlijk door logistiek van Tarzan :().
De homestay is een aanrader! Ga hier niet heen als je de luxe van een resort op Bali verwacht. Maar als je komt om te genieten van de prachtige natuur, heerlijk eten en lieve mensen dan zit je hier echt wel goed.
Injo Nabor!
-April 2025
I had an amazing week at Wainay Homestay, a perfect spot to unwind and connect with nature. Although there wasn’t much spoken interaction with the family, their warm smiles conveyed everything. Fortunately, their family friend Faruk, who speaks excellent English, was always there to ensure we had everything we needed and relayed all our compliments to the family, especially about the food. The meals were consistently delicious and abundant, accompanied by fresh fruit. We even got french fries and when we told them, how much we loved it, they made it a few more timea. Throughout the day, we had access to water, tea, and coffee.
The cabin was fantastic. I particularly loved relaxing in the hammock with a stunning view of the ocean’s vibrant blue colors. The soothing sounds of the surrounding forest animals added to the tranquil atmosphere. The hut featured a large mattress on the floor, complete with a mosquito net, and a wall-mounted fan that could be used when electricity was available, typically from around 6 PM to midnight.
My snack bag I brought was safe from any rodents, but I hung it up on a rope, just to be sure.
There is a separate little hut that houses a toilet (one western-style and one squat) and both come with showers that provide a great water flow.
Two dive shops are conveniently located nearby, just a short walk through the forest.
They are in the process of setting up Wi-Fi, which we could use on some days, making it a great advantage for staying in touch with loved ones back home. There is some phone signal at Wainay, albeit sporadic, but sufficient for sending text messages or catching up on news.
I highly recommend this place.
I had an amazing week at Wainay Homestay, a perfect spot to unwind and connect with nature. Although there wasn’t much spoken interaction with the family, their warm smiles conveyed everything. Fortunately, their family friend Faruk, who speaks excellent English, was always there to ensure we had everything we needed and relayed all our compliments to the family, especially about the food. The meals were consistently delicious and abundant, accompanied by fresh fruit. We even got french fries and when we told them, how much we loved it, they made it a few more timea. Throughout the day, we had access to water, tea, and coffee.
The cabin was fantastic. I particularly loved relaxing in the hammock with a stunning view of the ocean’s vibrant blue colors. The soothing sounds of the surrounding forest animals added to the tranquil atmosphere. The hut featured a large mattress on the floor, complete with a mosquito net, and a wall-mounted fan that could be used when electricity was available, typically from around 6 PM to midnight.
My snack bag I brought was safe from any rodents, but I hung it up on a rope, just to be sure.
There is a separate little hut that houses a toilet (one western-style and one squat) and both come with showers that provide a great water flow.
Two dive shops are conveniently located nearby, just a short walk through the forest.
They are in the process of setting up Wi-Fi, which we could use on some days, making it a great advantage for staying in touch with loved ones back home. There is some phone signal at Wainay, albeit sporadic, but sufficient for sending text messages or catching up on news.
I highly recommend this place.
Nice homestay with great sunrise view, spacious rooms and a good house reef for snorkelling.
Bathroom is brilliant and the kitchen area is nice too. Internet (Telkomsel) and phone signal is intermittent.
Kind but distant hosts and an overall good place to base yourself on South Gam.
Nice homestay with great sunrise view, spacious rooms and a good house reef for snorkelling.
Bathroom is brilliant and the kitchen area is nice too. Internet (Telkomsel) and phone signal is intermittent.
Kind but distant hosts and an overall good place to base yourself on South Gam.
Simple homestay on a private, quiet stretch of coast (rocky, not really a beach) bit close to other homestays that offer diving. Lots of nice birds in the forest behind the homestay and a nice reef in front for snorkeling, so in terms of location great for people who want a quiet place in the midst of Raja Ampat nature.
The room was very basic, just a big mattress on the floor with a good mosquito net, plus a small table. The deck comes with two big hammocks and a clothes line, no chairs. The room was reasonably clean. The ‘ceiling’ of the mosquito net was pretty dirty with what seemed like animal droppings, which I guess makes the presence of the mosquito net all the more welcome. The sheets on the bed were a little musty, but I figure this is mostly unavoidable in a tropical rainforest environment.
The bathroom has basically all you need (room-temp shower, sit-down toilet, bucket of water to flush with, small tap to wash hands), but is not very clean. Some soap to wash hands with would be a good addition.
The food was pretty tasty, especially lunch and dinner. Rice, veg, protein and fruit, all good! Breakfast was ok, something like banana fritters or crepes usually. We did however end up with pretty bad belly after a few days here, so we ended up leaving earlier than planned, also given the comfort level of the bathroom.
Simple homestay on a private, quiet stretch of coast (rocky, not really a beach) bit close to other homestays that offer diving. Lots of nice birds in the forest behind the homestay and a nice reef in front for snorkeling, so in terms of location great for people who want a quiet place in the midst of Raja Ampat nature.
The room was very basic, just a big mattress on the floor with a good mosquito net, plus a small table. The deck comes with two big hammocks and a clothes line, no chairs. The room was reasonably clean. The ‘ceiling’ of the mosquito net was pretty dirty with what seemed like animal droppings, which I guess makes the presence of the mosquito net all the more welcome. The sheets on the bed were a little musty, but I figure this is mostly unavoidable in a tropical rainforest environment.
The bathroom has basically all you need (room-temp shower, sit-down toilet, bucket of water to flush with, small tap to wash hands), but is not very clean. Some soap to wash hands with would be a good addition.
The food was pretty tasty, especially lunch and dinner. Rice, veg, protein and fruit, all good! Breakfast was ok, something like banana fritters or crepes usually. We did however end up with pretty bad belly after a few days here, so we ended up leaving earlier than planned, also given the comfort level of the bathroom.
In 5/10 minute walking distance to tarzan diving and other homestays there. Private and quiet beach. Perfect for snorkeling or reading a book in your hammock.
When it rains the walk to the other beach can be a bit more challenging, slippery, while you walk over a small hill top.
Very simple homestay. Hammocks are perfect, food is oke.
The owners really don’t speak a word of english which makes communication very challenging. When there is a translator they are very helpful.
In 5/10 minute walking distance to tarzan diving and other homestays there. Private and quiet beach. Perfect for snorkeling or reading a book in your hammock.
When it rains the walk to the other beach can be a bit more challenging, slippery, while you walk over a small hill top.
Very simple homestay. Hammocks are perfect, food is oke.
The owners really don’t speak a word of english which makes communication very challenging. When there is a translator they are very helpful.
We stayed at Wainay Homestay for 8 nights in November, and we truly loved it. We dove with Tarzan (highly recommended!), and it was a short walk there (up and down a little hill through the jungle with no noticeable mosquitoes). We were really glad we didn’t stay a boat ride away, and this location was apart from other homestays and was super-peaceful. The family has a few of their own cabins on one side of the dining area, and 4 (soon 5) guest cabins are down a short path on the other side.
We knew in advance that there might be limited ingredient availability throughout Raja Ampat, but the food pleasantly surprised us! (Food-related reviews had helped us choose Wainay!) It was really tasty, flavorful, and plentiful; we’re vegetarian, and we were thrilled there. (They also had fish, chicken, or eggs each lunch & supper and sometimes eggs at breakfast.) I have an irritable stomach, and I felt wonderful the whole time there. Tea, Nescafe, and drinking water (in a large blue container) were available at all times too.
It’s good to read up on homestay norms in Raja Ampat, but we really appreciated a lot of nice touches. The room had a fan that was good to fall asleep with (power was on from 6pm to maybe midnight), which I don’t think every homestay has, and the front porch got a nice breeze. I’m sensitive to heat, but I was fine with my routine: dive in the morning, hang out reading in the hammock or take a nap inside in the afternoon (we opted not to do afternoon dives), then go in the ocean or shower in the late afternoon to cool off. (What a life!!) The mattress was really comfortable, and it made sense on the floor so the mosquito netting could stay snug. (Please be careful with the netting—it’s delicate!) Mosquitoes didn’t really bother us; we noticed maybe a couple each day at dawn/dusk and our herbal spray did the trick. (If we were careless about using it, we got maybe a bite per day.) We didn’t notice any other pest creatures. The bathroom had a choice of squat or Western toilet (with a practical bucket-flush system), and there was a wall-mounted choice of two showerheads. Water was cool (not ice-cold, comfortable!), and the pressure was good because the water tank was at the top of the hill. There was always toilet paper and also a “bum gun.”
The family is really lovely, though the language barrier kept us from chatting much; but Manu speaks some English, and their friend Anton (who visited one evening) is fully fluent. So that was all fine.
Also, communication: We signed up for transportation from the ferry and we texted once on the ferry to confirm. (We didn’t get a reply, which we knew is how it works.) When we went to the offices that sell both types of permits for visiting, we asked a Stay Raja Ampat person to connect us with the person from Wainay Homestay; Manu’s sons were right there waiting quietly. We went over in their boat (and they had a tarp system to keep our bags dry), a calm and beautiful 45-minute ride—it was all good, I just wasn’t sure in advance what to expect, so now you do!
We were worried about whether we’d have a decent phone signal (we had Airalo on one phone and a local SIM card on the other), and it was fine. (There’s no Wifi anywhere in the region. Also, our Surfshark VPN slowed down our data everywhere in Indonesia and Malaysia, but if we turned it off, data speed was fine for our purposes.) We were even able to have all three of our hoped-for WhatApp videocalls with family! A couple times we were able to load certain websites or videos better from the dining area than our cabin, but other times it all worked fine from both locations.
Overall, we were super-happy with our stay at Wainay Homestay and would highly recommend it!
We stayed at Wainay Homestay for 8 nights in November, and we truly loved it. We dove with Tarzan (highly recommended!), and it was a short walk there (up and down a little hill through the jungle with no noticeable mosquitoes). We were really glad we didn’t stay a boat ride away, and this location was apart from other homestays and was super-peaceful. The family has a few of their own cabins on one side of the dining area, and 4 (soon 5) guest cabins are down a short path on the other side.
We knew in advance that there might be limited ingredient availability throughout Raja Ampat, but the food pleasantly surprised us! (Food-related reviews had helped us choose Wainay!) It was really tasty, flavorful, and plentiful; we’re vegetarian, and we were thrilled there. (They also had fish, chicken, or eggs each lunch & supper and sometimes eggs at breakfast.) I have an irritable stomach, and I felt wonderful the whole time there. Tea, Nescafe, and drinking water (in a large blue container) were available at all times too.
It’s good to read up on homestay norms in Raja Ampat, but we really appreciated a lot of nice touches. The room had a fan that was good to fall asleep with (power was on from 6pm to maybe midnight), which I don’t think every homestay has, and the front porch got a nice breeze. I’m sensitive to heat, but I was fine with my routine: dive in the morning, hang out reading in the hammock or take a nap inside in the afternoon (we opted not to do afternoon dives), then go in the ocean or shower in the late afternoon to cool off. (What a life!!) The mattress was really comfortable, and it made sense on the floor so the mosquito netting could stay snug. (Please be careful with the netting—it’s delicate!) Mosquitoes didn’t really bother us; we noticed maybe a couple each day at dawn/dusk and our herbal spray did the trick. (If we were careless about using it, we got maybe a bite per day.) We didn’t notice any other pest creatures. The bathroom had a choice of squat or Western toilet (with a practical bucket-flush system), and there was a wall-mounted choice of two showerheads. Water was cool (not ice-cold, comfortable!), and the pressure was good because the water tank was at the top of the hill. There was always toilet paper and also a “bum gun.”
The family is really lovely, though the language barrier kept us from chatting much; but Manu speaks some English, and their friend Anton (who visited one evening) is fully fluent. So that was all fine.
Also, communication: We signed up for transportation from the ferry and we texted once on the ferry to confirm. (We didn’t get a reply, which we knew is how it works.) When we went to the offices that sell both types of permits for visiting, we asked a Stay Raja Ampat person to connect us with the person from Wainay Homestay; Manu’s sons were right there waiting quietly. We went over in their boat (and they had a tarp system to keep our bags dry), a calm and beautiful 45-minute ride—it was all good, I just wasn’t sure in advance what to expect, so now you do!
We were worried about whether we’d have a decent phone signal (we had Airalo on one phone and a local SIM card on the other), and it was fine. (There’s no Wifi anywhere in the region. Also, our Surfshark VPN slowed down our data everywhere in Indonesia and Malaysia, but if we turned it off, data speed was fine for our purposes.) We were even able to have all three of our hoped-for WhatApp videocalls with family! A couple times we were able to load certain websites or videos better from the dining area than our cabin, but other times it all worked fine from both locations.
Overall, we were super-happy with our stay at Wainay Homestay and would highly recommend it!
We stayed 9 days at wainay homestay.
Our experience was absolutely positive.
The homestay is the only one in this area of the beach.
The room had a mattress with mosquito net, a small table with two towels, handkerchiefs, mosquito repellent to be attached to the electricity, paddle fan and two hammocks to be mounted in front of the entrance.
The electricity is turned on around 6 to 6:30 p.m. when it starts to get dark and is turned off during the night at varying times.
The bathroom is shared, a two-minute walk from the rooms.
There are two bathrooms, one with a toilet and shower and the other with a turk and shower. The shower water is lukewarm.
Meal times are:
7 a.m breakfast, 12 a.m lunch and 7 p.m dinner. In case of excursions they are super willing to anticipate or postpone times as needed and especially if communicated the day before a lunch box is prepared to bring for excursions.
As already written in the other reviews the food is really very good, plentiful and there is a good choice every time.
Wainay is 5 min walk from Tarzan diving and Kordilis. In addition, the owner Manu works as a guide at Tarzan diving.
Manu and his family were very helpful. When we arrived, we asked them to add a mattress for our personal need, and in no time, it was made available to us.
They also moved our flight to Manado by one day and without hesitation accommodated us an extra night.
The experience was wonderful and we recommend it to all people who want to stay in raja ampat in a calm place to have a one-of-a-kind experience.
We stayed 9 days at wainay homestay.
Our experience was absolutely positive.
The homestay is the only one in this area of the beach.
The room had a mattress with mosquito net, a small table with two towels, handkerchiefs, mosquito repellent to be attached to the electricity, paddle fan and two hammocks to be mounted in front of the entrance.
The electricity is turned on around 6 to 6:30 p.m. when it starts to get dark and is turned off during the night at varying times.
The bathroom is shared, a two-minute walk from the rooms.
There are two bathrooms, one with a toilet and shower and the other with a turk and shower. The shower water is lukewarm.
Meal times are:
7 a.m breakfast, 12 a.m lunch and 7 p.m dinner. In case of excursions they are super willing to anticipate or postpone times as needed and especially if communicated the day before a lunch box is prepared to bring for excursions.
As already written in the other reviews the food is really very good, plentiful and there is a good choice every time.
Wainay is 5 min walk from Tarzan diving and Kordilis. In addition, the owner Manu works as a guide at Tarzan diving.
Manu and his family were very helpful. When we arrived, we asked them to add a mattress for our personal need, and in no time, it was made available to us.
They also moved our flight to Manado by one day and without hesitation accommodated us an extra night.
The experience was wonderful and we recommend it to all people who want to stay in raja ampat in a calm place to have a one-of-a-kind experience.
Fantastic Homestay to stay at on Gam island. Had a few perks that you don’t always get in Raja Ampat – including an actual shower head in the bathroom, a fan in the room and 2 hammocks for the balcony. Really lovely setting where you can listen to the sound of the waves in bed at night. Food was lovely and varied – one of the best we found in Raja Ampat. Great location in between Tarzan Diving and Kordiris Dive Homestay meaning you can dive at both depending on availability. Highly Recommend!
Fantastic Homestay to stay at on Gam island. Had a few perks that you don’t always get in Raja Ampat – including an actual shower head in the bathroom, a fan in the room and 2 hammocks for the balcony. Really lovely setting where you can listen to the sound of the waves in bed at night. Food was lovely and varied – one of the best we found in Raja Ampat. Great location in between Tarzan Diving and Kordiris Dive Homestay meaning you can dive at both depending on availability. Highly Recommend!
We spent 3 nights at Wainay and it was a great place to stay. Very quiet and clean, and as other people said, the food was excellent, maybe the best out of three homestays we visited in RA. Manu and his family are very friendly and helpful, it is a shame that we could not communicate too much. Don’t forget your translation app.
Regarding activities, Manu took us on a boat ride around the mangrove between Kordiris and Gam. The landscape is great, snorkelling very interesting in the clear waters of the mangrove… don’t miss it !
A short walk in the forest or along the shore at low tide takes you to Kordiris, Coreben or Tarzan homestays and dive centers. We took a double dive with Coreben and it was excellent.
4G signal is weak but pretty good in the bungalow, more erratic in the restaurant.
It is also a decent place for birdwatchers. In the mangrove we saw many dollarbirds, rainbow bee-eaters and beach kingfishers. In the forest, eclectus parrots, great-billed parrots, hornbills… but no birds of paradise!
We spent 3 nights at Wainay and it was a great place to stay. Very quiet and clean, and as other people said, the food was excellent, maybe the best out of three homestays we visited in RA. Manu and his family are very friendly and helpful, it is a shame that we could not communicate too much. Don’t forget your translation app.
Regarding activities, Manu took us on a boat ride around the mangrove between Kordiris and Gam. The landscape is great, snorkelling very interesting in the clear waters of the mangrove… don’t miss it !
A short walk in the forest or along the shore at low tide takes you to Kordiris, Coreben or Tarzan homestays and dive centers. We took a double dive with Coreben and it was excellent.
4G signal is weak but pretty good in the bungalow, more erratic in the restaurant.
It is also a decent place for birdwatchers. In the mangrove we saw many dollarbirds, rainbow bee-eaters and beach kingfishers. In the forest, eclectus parrots, great-billed parrots, hornbills… but no birds of paradise!
Wir haben 5 Nächte bei Manu und seiner Familie verbracht und haben unseren Aufenthalt sehr genossen. Die Bungalows sind sind einfach aber vollkommen ausreichend. Die Hängematten sehr gemütlich! Die Bungalows liegen in einer kleinen Bucht, die man ganz für sich alleine hat!
Das Essen war wirklich sehr gut und abwechslungsreich. Wir sind jeden Tag zum Tarzan Dive Center gegangen um mit ihnen zu Tauchen, dort ist man auch in 5 Minuten.
Alles in allem sehr gut!
Danke an Manu und seine Familie
Wir haben 5 Nächte bei Manu und seiner Familie verbracht und haben unseren Aufenthalt sehr genossen. Die Bungalows sind sind einfach aber vollkommen ausreichend. Die Hängematten sehr gemütlich! Die Bungalows liegen in einer kleinen Bucht, die man ganz für sich alleine hat!
Das Essen war wirklich sehr gut und abwechslungsreich. Wir sind jeden Tag zum Tarzan Dive Center gegangen um mit ihnen zu Tauchen, dort ist man auch in 5 Minuten.
Alles in allem sehr gut!
Danke an Manu und seine Familie
We stayed 11 days at Wainay. This was my 4th Homestay in Raja Ampat. It was great!
The good:
It’s an easy 5-10 minute walk to the dive shops just up the beach, Corepen and Tarzan. I had wanted to dive with Corepen since I had dived with them before, but they were full. We dived with Tarzan and they were great. Manu had some dive gear at the homestay, so you might be able to dive with him too. We didn’t investigate, since we had already booked with Tarzan.
It’s nice and quiet, because Wainay is in it’s own little cove. It’s just the 3 (soon to be 4) huts of the homestay, and Manu and his family.
The snorkeling off the beach is great. Lots of different kinds of nice healthy coral, plenty of fish, turtles, etc. It’s actually the one place where I saw a school of bumphead parrot fish on this Indonesia trip. Snorkeling all the way up to Tarzan’s Pier is great. We went out around slack tide and had basically no current. Getting into and out of the water is a little tricky at low tide. The best path seems to be in front of the kitchen, where the boat comes in.
The bungalows are nice, basic. A mattress on the floor, and a good mosquito net with no holes. Airy, so not too hot when there’s a breeze, which was fairly often while we were there. Nice porches in front with big comfy hammocks and plenty of shade. The bungalows are on the edge of the water at high tide, so we could often go to sleep to the sound of the waves.
Since it’s a new homestay, nobody knows about it, and we were the only guests there for 10 of the 11 nights. Very peaceful.
We saw hornbills, palm cockatoos, sulphur crested cockatoos, sea eagles, and a few different types of parroty birds from the room. Two herons were usually fishing on the shore in the morning and evening.
Telkomsel has service from the dining area often, but I would regularly lose service for hours at a time. Good enough for occasional emails and some light browsing.
There is a generator, which was on from around 7pm to midnight. Plugs in the room, as well as lights and a fan. Very nice to have the fan for a few hours to fall asleep. The generator was audible, but mostly drowned out by the waves.
There are two bathrooms, a squat toilet with bucket, and a western toilet with a nice cool shower. They have a water tank up on the hill, so have good water pressure. This is Raja Ampat though, so water is limited.
I never thought I would be talking about the food in Raja Ampat, but the meals at Wainay were really good, especially the first few days. Many different dishes. Lots of fish, tempe, tofu, veggies. Fresh garlic and ginger, soy based and sambal based sauces. Fried bananas often for breakfast. Really tasty home cooking.
The bad:
If you’re really into your white sand beaches, the beach at Wainay is quite narrow, just a small strip around high tide. The beach is mostly coral bedrock.
The family has a bunch of dogs. The dogs took some time to warm up to us. They would wake us up at least once every night barking. There were super cute puppies though!
Overall we loved our stay at Wainay
We stayed 11 days at Wainay. This was my 4th Homestay in Raja Ampat. It was great!
The good:
It’s an easy 5-10 minute walk to the dive shops just up the beach, Corepen and Tarzan. I had wanted to dive with Corepen since I had dived with them before, but they were full. We dived with Tarzan and they were great. Manu had some dive gear at the homestay, so you might be able to dive with him too. We didn’t investigate, since we had already booked with Tarzan.
It’s nice and quiet, because Wainay is in it’s own little cove. It’s just the 3 (soon to be 4) huts of the homestay, and Manu and his family.
The snorkeling off the beach is great. Lots of different kinds of nice healthy coral, plenty of fish, turtles, etc. It’s actually the one place where I saw a school of bumphead parrot fish on this Indonesia trip. Snorkeling all the way up to Tarzan’s Pier is great. We went out around slack tide and had basically no current. Getting into and out of the water is a little tricky at low tide. The best path seems to be in front of the kitchen, where the boat comes in.
The bungalows are nice, basic. A mattress on the floor, and a good mosquito net with no holes. Airy, so not too hot when there’s a breeze, which was fairly often while we were there. Nice porches in front with big comfy hammocks and plenty of shade. The bungalows are on the edge of the water at high tide, so we could often go to sleep to the sound of the waves.
Since it’s a new homestay, nobody knows about it, and we were the only guests there for 10 of the 11 nights. Very peaceful.
We saw hornbills, palm cockatoos, sulphur crested cockatoos, sea eagles, and a few different types of parroty birds from the room. Two herons were usually fishing on the shore in the morning and evening.
Telkomsel has service from the dining area often, but I would regularly lose service for hours at a time. Good enough for occasional emails and some light browsing.
There is a generator, which was on from around 7pm to midnight. Plugs in the room, as well as lights and a fan. Very nice to have the fan for a few hours to fall asleep. The generator was audible, but mostly drowned out by the waves.
There are two bathrooms, a squat toilet with bucket, and a western toilet with a nice cool shower. They have a water tank up on the hill, so have good water pressure. This is Raja Ampat though, so water is limited.
I never thought I would be talking about the food in Raja Ampat, but the meals at Wainay were really good, especially the first few days. Many different dishes. Lots of fish, tempe, tofu, veggies. Fresh garlic and ginger, soy based and sambal based sauces. Fried bananas often for breakfast. Really tasty home cooking.
The bad:
If you’re really into your white sand beaches, the beach at Wainay is quite narrow, just a small strip around high tide. The beach is mostly coral bedrock.
The family has a bunch of dogs. The dogs took some time to warm up to us. They would wake us up at least once every night barking. There were super cute puppies though!
Overall we loved our stay at Wainay
I had a beautiful stay at Wainay. The weather was not good for snorkelling but I could wade out to the amazing coral gardens and explore the forest and coast. The food and hospitality was fantastic! Many thanks to Manu and his family.
I had a beautiful stay at Wainay. The weather was not good for snorkelling but I could wade out to the amazing coral gardens and explore the forest and coast. The food and hospitality was fantastic! Many thanks to Manu and his family.