Raja Ampat, Indonesia - Local Homestay and Diving in Kri and Gam

Raja Ampat, or the Four Kings, is an archipelago located off the northwest tip of Bird's Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea, in Indonesia's Southwest Papua province. The Raja Ampat archipelago straddles the Equator and forms part of Coral Triangle which contains the richest marine biodiversity on earth. It's not an easy trip to get here, so after an 11-day liveaboard in the area, we decided to spend two more weeks enjoying local culture.
We wanted to stay in an accommodation that is owned and operated by local people, which provide a unique cultural experience at an affordable price. It really was the best way to enjoy Raja Ampat. We wanted to support the local economy and empower the traditional owners of Raja Ampat in their efforts to preserve both their environment and their way of life.
We spent the first week on the island of Kri, staying at the Yembuba homestay and diving with Soul Scuba. For our second week, we moved to the island of Gam, staying with Tau Yado House and diving with Tarzan-Diving. Both dive operations were top-notch well-run organizations featuring friendly and knowledgeable local dive guides. In many instances, both operators visited the same dive sites, which was fine with us. The first location was a bit more popular and busier, with the Soul Dive center serving as the local hang-out. The second location was a bit more secluded and private, with a bit more solitude.
After spending a month in Raja Ampat, it is now time to leave Indonesia. Our 🧭 compass now points North-West to explore the beautiful country of Thailand for the next 2 months. From there, we head to Vietnam and the Philippines if anyone wants to join us.
#AlwaysAnAdventure #LoveLovingYou #ZachMan #MissingYouSoMuch #ThisIsLife #BeKind #Repurposed #ExperiencesNotStuff #NoMistakesOnlyLessons #coddiwomple #hodophile #TravelerLife #nomads #RovingRetirement #SlowTravel #ForeverOnVacation #Scuba #ScubaDiving #Diving #Indonesia #RajaAmpat #Shark #Manta #MantaRay #Wobbegong #WobbegongShark #SoulScuba #Yenbuba #TarzanDiving #TauYadoHouse #Homestay

[@nigelhaines404]

Your nicely shot video came up on my feed and so decided to subscribe since you've videoed some of the locations in SE Asia I've dived in the past 20 years since I did my first scuba dive 50 years ago this year! Must say Raja Ampat & Tubbataha are my favourites. It would've been the icing on the cake if you could've shown the interiors of some of the homestays' eating & shower facilities to complement your exterior shots. How was the food? To put a cherry on top of the cake why not consider purchasing a small camera drone (DJI Mini 4 Pro is excellent) to add aerial shots to your u/w & land video? After doing liveaboard's & higher end eco resort facilities I too am contemplating staying longer and utilising locally owned accommodations next time I visit the area. Keep up the good work!

[@KrisNChrisHenry]

Thanks for the nice reply. I agree with you that Raja Ampat & Tubbataha are our favorites, but Komodo ranks right up there. I didn't include pics/videos of shower or interior areas as they are as primitive as it gets - just being honest so you're not surprised. The bungalow is a square room with a bed and desk. Electricity is only on in the evening, since the homestay has to run a generator. Meals are very basic and repetitive, but enough to get nourishment for the day, definitely not on par with a liveaboard or dive resort. But that is part of the charm and adventure. We would do the homestay again.