How to reach Raja Ampat ?

The nearest airport to Raja Ampat is located in Sorong. Unlike the olden days, the growth of tourism has made travelling to Raja Ampat more accessible and more affordable. Air Carriers such as Garuda, Sriwijaya, Lion Air, and Express Air offer transportation to Sorong from various destinations.

What timing should I consider for my flights ?

For your arrival (with a transfer via the 09:00 Ferry to Waisai), we recommend booking a flight that arrives in Sorong no later than 8:00 AM. This will allow you enough time to catch the ferry to Waisai, the capital city of Raja Ampat. Upon arrival at the airport (or pickup at your hotel), our team will transfer you to the Ferry terminal. The ferry is scheduled to arrive at Waisai around 11:00 AM. From there, our boat will transport you to our island, which will take approximately 1.5 hours. You can expect to reach our island between 13:30 and 14:30. Please note that there may be delays if the ferry departure is running late or if there are changes in weather conditions.

For your return (with a transfer via the 09:00 AM Ferry to Waisai), you will need to leave the island at approximately 6:30 AM to catch the ferry in Waisai at 9:00 AM which departs for Sorong. You can expect to arrive in Sorong around 11:30 AM. To ensure a smooth journey, please book a flight to Jakarta or Makassar that departs at 1:30 PM or later. These flights offer connections to Jakarta, Bali, and other cities. If your flight is scheduled earlier than 1:30 PM, you will have to stay overnight in Sorong.

How much cost the flight to reach Sorong ?

The fare for a return air ticket from Jakarta or Bali to Sorong can vary between 3.5 million IDR to 6 million IDR, which is equivalent to approximately 200 EUR to 600 EUR.

However please note that airlines often offer lower fares for those who book their tickets well in advance. Please try to book your tickets at least a few months before your travel date to secure the best prices.

What are the baggage limits ?

Many international carriers provide baggage allowances for Scuba equipment, however domestic airlines are limited. At present, the baggage allowance for Lion and Sriwijaya is 20 Kg per person. The allowance for Wings Air and several smaller companies is 15kg. Any excess baggage must be paid for at the airport. Rates for excess baggage are subject to change without notice and vary depending on the airline, aircraft type and location.

Can I bring Spray or Aerosol ? 

No, do not bring aerosol or spray in your checked baggage.
Based on our experience, we had similar cases where luggage were delayed due to aerosol or spray in checked  luggages.

Customs and airport security tends to take their time checking each spray or aerosol size in checked luggage (officialy max 100ml), which may result in your baggage being delayed and impact the schedule to catch the Ferry.

An additional island transfer will cost 600 EUR in the event of delayed luggage, so we recommend not to bring any aerosol or spray in your checked luggage.

Can I bring Liquid ? 

The maximum capacity of containers liquid is 100 ml in cabin luggage.

For Cabin luggage, they shall be placed together with liquid, aerosol, spray in one transparent plastic bag sealed (1 per person), measuring 30x40cm maximum.

For checked luggage there is no restriction on the size of liquid container. However, customs and airport security tends to take their time checking each liquid container size in checked baggage, which may result in your baggage being delayed and impact the schedule to catch the Ferry.

Hence we strongly suggest to not bring liquid bigger than 1L in your checked luggage.

Which way do you recommend to find Domestic flight ?

For domestic flights in Indonesia, we recommend using www.traveloka.com specialized in South East Asia and list all domestic airlines in Indonesia to find the right flight but we recommend booking at the specific local airline website only (Garuda, Baik Air, Lion Air, Sriwijaya, Nam…) as we had bad feedback from guests on the flight changes via traveloka. International flight booking websites usually only list the flight operated by Garuda, but not the other local airline such as Batik Air, Lion Air, Sriwijaya, Nam, etc…

Due to bad feedback from our guests (delayed arrival, last-minute change or cancellation), we STRONGLY recommend to not using AirAsia airline for the flight from/to Sorong.

Do I need a Visa to travel to Indonesia ?

That depends on your Nationality. Most of the western nationalities have a “Free Tourist Visa” upon arrival valid for 30 days. Some others nationalities require a Visa to travel to Indonesia. Please check the Indonesian Embassy in your country to see if you qualify for a “Free Tourist Visa”.

To access the list of citizenship eligible for Visa on arrival, please click on the following link: https://www.imigrasi.go.id/en/2022/07/20/how-to-get-visa-on-arrival-in-indonesia/

The Visa on Arrival process in Indonesia is simple. Upon arrival from your international flight, you will find a dedicated desk where you can purchase the Visa on Arrival for a fee of 500,000 IDR (or equivalent in EUR or USD) per person. The visa will be sticked to your passport, then you can proceed to the next immigration counter, where your passport will be stamped to enter into Indonesia.

Flight transfer tips in Jakarta

Be careful with the transfer between the International and Domestic terminals. It takes about 20min for a bus or taxi between terminals, but the time to find a taxi or a bus can take up to 30min. If you take a taxi, choose only Silverbird (black Mercedes) which are safe and cost about 100,000 IDR for terminal transfer (other types of taxi are STRONGLY not advised due to frequent overcharge or scam). For transfers between Domestic and International flights that are not from the same airline company, we advise a minimum 4h and a reasonable is 6h to cope with any delay or other issues.

Flight transfer tips in Makassar

During transfer in Makassar, you will be required to exit the plane, collect a boarding ticket at the transfer desk, and return to the gate to return to the next (or same) plane. Be careful of the gate number as it is very often that the gate number displayed on the screen does not match the boarding pass, and sometimes both of them do not match with the actual gate. So please always ask the staff to reconfirm the gate number and time.

What happen in case of delayed flight arrival in Sorong ?

In case of a delayed flight that prevents you to catch our regular transfer, another dedicated boat would have to be arranged. It would cost 300 EUR per person >12 years (minimum 2) for an additional boat at a different time and it would probably require staying a night in Sorong for a cost of about 85 EUR per night.

Any other travel tip ?

Please ensure that your passport validity is a minimum of 6 months from your last day outside of your home country. Most airlines will not let you fly with a passport that expires in less than 6 months from the return date of your vacation.

Which days I should arrive in Sorong to reach Yeben Island ?

Our little paradise is unique due to the remote location that preserves it from mass tourism. To reach it, we have dedicated transport included in all our packages on specific days.

Arrival/Departure are scheduled on specific days (usually on Monday or Saturday). Some other days can be available as well, see the calendar for the actual status.

For each type of cottage (42m2 Standard and 84m2 Superior), you can see the exact availability and possible arrival/departure dates as well (on the website calendar, "A" is for possible arrival day, "D" is for possible departure day).

The transport is fully inclusive from the airport or Hotel until the Island of Yeben via Waisai using the scheduled ferry.

Can we arrive an other day than Monday / Saturday ?

On case by case basis, we can sometime add extra transfer at additional cost of 300 EUR / person each way (via Waisai ferry). Please contact us to check extra transfer possibility (at additional cost).

All additional transfers from Sorong are arranged the same way as regular free days (always via Waisai ferry, no direct transfer).

Does your transfer are direct from Sorong to Yeben Island ?

All our transfer are via Waisai using the public ferry, and then our transfer boat will pick you up in Waisai and brings you to our little paradise. Due to our very remote location, we do not offer direct transfer from Sorong to our island as the cost would be very high and the duration saved is not much.

Can we reach Yeben Island from other location than Sorong ?

Yes, on Monday or Saturday, it is possible to arrange your transfer from another resort or Homestay around Dampier Strait on our way between Waisai and Yeben (such as Waisai Pier, Biodiversity Resort, Papua Explorer or Papua Diving and Sorido Bay resort) at no surcharge.

For other days or other locations not on our way, a dedicated transfer can be arranged as well with a specific surcharge. Please contact us for the details.

How the transfer from from/to Yeben island is organized ?

We will pickup you up at your preferred location (Sorong Airport, Sorong Hotel or another location agreed upon during the reservation). Our friendly staff will guide you all the way, take your baggage, and ticket as required and your Marine Park entry fee will be already prepared by our team as agreed during the reservation.

What is the timing for transfer via Waisai ?

For transfer via Waisai, you shall be in Sorong not later than 08:00 am because the Waisai Ferry departs at 09:00 am (it takes up to 30min to get your baggage and 15min to reach the ferry from the airport).

What about the return from Yeben to Sorong ?

On the departure day, you will leave the island early morning around 06:30 am and will reach Sorong around 11:00 am depending on your exact schedule. You shall take a flight not earlier than 13:30 pm to have sufficient margin in case of delay due to weather or ferry schedule.

What else to know about the transfer ?

Please bring warm clothing for the ferry transfer, they tend to put the AC very strong and it can be very cold during the trip.

Does the Island can be fully accessed by walk ?

The east side of Yeben where the resort is located is accessible by walk. We have completed a path that allows us to walk from the resort to the jungle and beach on the east side. The west side is not accessible. We plan to add some other paths all over the island in the future but it takes time as Yeben island is about 50 hectares of virgin vegetation.

Is there any nice beach accessible from the resort ?

The beach in front of the resort is not great for swimming as there is lots of coral debris and muddy sand, but we have Tanjung Beach on the east side accessible via a dedicated path through the jungle and hill. It takes about 10min by walk to reach it. Tanjung Beach is a really amazing place with a lovely untouched landscape and white sand.

Can child have beach activities ?

For playing in the sand, the resort is great. For playing with children in the water, the best is to go to Tanjung Beach on the east side accessible via a dedicated path through the jungle and hill.

Can I snorkel from the resort ?

Snorkelling from the resort is possible for a good swimmer. The best spots are around the jetty or about 7-10min on the east or to the west from the resort. There are also many schools of fish all around the jetty that are fascinating. From Tanjung Beach (10 minutes on a walk you can as well enjoy beautiful spots with nice corals. If you intend to visit us for snorkelling only, all our packages include two snorkelling excursions each day to many areas, such as the beautiful Yeben shallow, Manta Cove or other locations around Yeben. You can also join divers to explore other areas because most of the diving spots are also suitable for snorkelling.

Can I snorkel or swim from the beach ?

Snorkelling in Raja Ampat is mainly from a jetty or boat. Unlike areas like Maldives or Thailand, most reefs do not have sandy bottoms and instead with many corals (which make the place so famous). In very shallow water (less than a meter deep), it can be dangerous to sharpen corals and have a high risk of damaging them with fins.

What is the purpose of Unlimited Snorkeling Excursion ?

For the snorkeler passionate, this allows you to be full of activities during your stay without worrying about any surcharge for boat, guide, equipment or extra kayak rental. All are included in many different locations. In addition. It is also great for a couple with one diver and one non-diver so that the non-diver can join together all spots.

Is there any restriction on the Unlimited Snorkeling Excursion ?

The restriction is on the schedule and itinerary. Different spots are scheduled by the resort each day at 08:00 am and 14:00 pm. Snorkelers and Diver can be on the same boat depending on the location and number of guests at the resort.

Do we return to Yeben when booked a tour or excursion ?

All our excursions and tour are based on returning to Cove Eco Resort at the end of the day.

Depending on the spot visited (close or far) you will return to the resort for lunch, or get a picnic lunch at a nearby beach for areas that are more distant.

Why the excursion price are expensive ?

The price of the excursion is based on gas, boat charge, crew, park entrance, donation and hiring of local guides and government taxes. Sorong's costs are higher than other regions of Indonesia and Yeben island is extremely remote. For example, the gas has to be shipped 100km from Sorong prior to being used which multiplies all costs. Many areas in the additional excursion have extra entrance fees that are already included in the price of the excursion.

To get the most competitive price the best is to join with other guests in order to get a degressive price.

Can I snorkel or Dive during the Excursions ?

For all excursions, you can dive and snorkel as usual, except for Wayag, which does not include diving as the schedule is too tight (there is 2.5-3h each way from/to Wayag).

If I book an excursion but other guest join the same, will I be refunded ?

Our excursion prices are based on the number of guests that join together.
If additional guests join the same, we will adjust your cost as per our price list and refund you 100% of the difference.

You can check our Excursion Calculator to see our options and pricing:
Activities Calculator

If I book an excursion but at the island I change my mind and cancel it, will I be refunded ?

If you change your mind and decide to cancel excursions that have been booked in advance, 100% of the cancelled excursion cost can be used at the resort (other activities, extra food and beverage), or 50% of the amount will be refunded.

If I book an excursion but at the island the weather condition prevent to do it, will I be refunded ?

If unexpected weather conditions prevent to do any extra excursion with full safety, the related cost will be refunded 100%.

How can I confirm my reservation ?

To confirm your reservation, we require the payment of 30% of the full invoice within a week of the invoice issuance. The 70% balance will have to be paid 60 days prior to arrival.

In the event that your arrival is in less than 60 days, we request full payment.

Do you need any specific information to make the reservation ?

Yes, upon the reservation we will send you a link to fill out an online form to collect your information (flights, passport, meal preferences, allergies, dive history, dive certification no, dive insurance, etc...)

How long in advance I should book my vacation to Cove Eco Resort

For the low season (May to September we recommend you book at least 3 months in advance. For the high season October to May, we recommend you to book at least 6 months in advance. For the peak periods (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year, Easter...) you should make your reservation 12 months in advance as we are small, we are getting full relatively quickly.

Can I pay in different currency ?

Yes, depending of your bank country we can accept various currencies such as EUR, USD, IDR, GBP, AUD based on the actual mid-market rate. For currency other than EUR or IDR, we apply a fee of 1% to cover the exchange rate, transfer and conversion fees.

Can I pay by card ?

Yes, we accept payment by card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) in USD during reservation with a fee of 4%.

At the resort, we can accept payment by card (Visa, Mastercard only) in IDR with a fee of 4%. You shall contact your bank prior to arrival in Indonesia for authorization as some banks could reject the payment if not pre-approved.

However, we recommend payment by bank transfer in EUR or USD to avoid 4% credit card fees.

What is your cancellation policy ?

Please refer to our Terms and Condition.

All cancellations must be received in writing to info@coveecoresort.com

Cancellation for booking to another period (Voucher valid for 36 months, to the same person):
For cancellation in 0-7 days from arrival, a Voucher of 50% of the amount paid will be offered
For cancellation within 8-30 days from arrival, a Voucher of 75% of the amount paid will be offered
For cancellation in more than 30 days from arrival, a Voucher of 100% of the amount paid will be offered

Definitive cancellation (refund):
For cancellation within 0-30 days from arrival, no refund will be offered
For cancellation within 31-60 days from arrival, a refund of 50% of the total invoice amount will be offered
For cancellation in more than 60 days from arrival, a refund of 70% of the total invoice amount will be offered

30% deposit is not refundable (the maximum refund is 70% of the total invoice amount).
Marine Park Entry Fee and dive insurance are not refundable and are excluded from any refund.

If booked via a travel agent, refunds are to be claimed via your agent.
Any refunds outside of our terms will be a claim on your Insurance company.