“Incredible beyond belief. One of the best experiences of my life."
Raja Ampat Kayaking Guesthouse Experience
- Raja Ampat
- 8 Days
- 3/5 Difficulty
As seen in:
Trip Details
Destination
Season
October to February
Duration
Next available dates
- October 27 - November 3, 2026
Trip Type
Difficulty
Price
€3,000 Euros p/p
One of the Most Unique Sea Kayaking Destinations in the World
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Trip highlights
paddle through the world's richest marine paradise
Stay With Local Papuan Families
This journey is about more than incredible scenery—it’s an opportunity to experience the warmth and hospitality of West Papua. Throughout the expedition you’ll stay in locally owned guesthouses – often perched right over the water – sharing delicious home-cooked meals and gaining an authentic insight into village life. Accompanied by an experienced Papuan guide, you’ll discover local traditions, stories and hidden places that few visitors ever have the privilege to experience.
Adventure at Nature's Pace
Small Groups, Expert Guides
Itinerary
Day 1
Swiss Bel Hotel
You will arrive in Sorong and get a taxi to the Swiss Bel Hotel. This is a four-star hotel in the heart of Sorong. We will meet at 7.30 pm at the SwissBel Hotel for a trip Briefing.
Accommodation provided. No meals provided.
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Accommodation
About the Accommodation
We’ll spend one night in a four-star hotel in Sorong and six nights of the trip in local guesthouses. These are run by local families who provide the rooms, as well as breakfast, lunch and dinner. Most families do not speak English. The guesthouses are comfortable but basic. Each one is a little different but they are all traditional huts made with materials locally sourced. Many of them are built over or near the ocean providing an incredible atmosphere as well as a cool place to sleep. Some have private bathrooms and some are shared. All have a bed with a comfy mattress and pillows as well as a mosquito net. Participants are expected to bring their own sleeping sheet. Rooms are twin share with one queen bed or two single beds per cabin. All Guesthouses have a flush toilet and fresh water showers.
Key Features
A full fleet of good quality, expedition style kayaks. Singles and doubles available, all with rudders and bulkheads.2027 Dates
October 27 – November 3
2 spots Available
What’s included
- 1 nights accommodation in Sorong (Twin Share)
- 6 nights accommodation in Guesthouses (Twin Share)
- Meals for the duration of the trip
- Kayaks and all equipment
- Western kayak guide and Papuan kayak guide
- Ferry transfers to Waisai
- Raja Ampat Marine Entry Permit
Not included
- Meals while in Sorong before and after trip
- light weight sleeping sheet
- light weight towel for beach use
- snorkel, mask and fins
- Indonesian Visa
- Travel insurance
- Taxi to and from the airport
Weather
Activities
Birds of Paradise Tour
This is a moderate to hard hike, one hour one way. The hike takes us through steeper, rocky terrain but rewards us with views of Birds of Paradise as the males dance in the canopy overhead attracting females. This is an early morning hike on our last day of the trip.
FAQs
What are the meals like on the guesthouse trip?
How much rain will we encounter on our trip?
What sort of winds will we encounter while paddling?
Will we encounter Swell during the trip?
What is the average air temperature in Raja Ampat?
What is the average ocean Temperature?
What is the average humidity levels?
Will the trip be cloudy or sunny?
What sort of kayak will we be paddling?
We have a fleet of Rainbow kayaks.
The single kayaks are Lazers 5.15 and the double kayaks are Atlantis boats. The boats are plastic, have forward and rear water-tight hatches, rudders, and padded seats.
Type Width Length Cockpit Volume
Laser 5.15 59 cm 515cm 84×48 395L
Atlantis 64 cm 545cm 84×48 470L
What kind of paddles will be used?
We have two types of paddles depending on your paddling style. We have a low angle touring blade, Werner Skagits and high angle touring blades, the Werner Tyee. Both are fibreglass reinforced nylon blades.
What sort of kayak will we be paddling?
What kind of kayak sprayskirts will we be using?
What kind of PFDs will we be using?
Should I bring a snorkel?
Yes, a snorkel, mask and fins is a must on this trip! The snorkelling is phenomenal and we often see species endemic to this area on outings, as well as thousands of fish, brightly colored coral. It is easy to spend hours snorkelling in this amazing place.
What should I expect in terms of water temperature?
The water temperature is an average of 29C.
Should I bring a stinger suit?
Yes, It is nice to have a stinger suit to protect against possible sea lice or stingers. It is possible to get chilly on the snorkel outings, depending on how long you spend in the water.
What type of snorkel outings will we have?
There are a few snorkel sites with some current, so it is nice to have fins. Most of the snorkelling is done from a beach, but sometimes we take the tender to a site and jump from the tender straight into the water. There is a ladder on the side of the tender to reinter with ease. Sometimes we drift snorkel, but more often we enter and exit from a beach where there is very little current.
Will we visit any traditional villages along the way?
Yes, we will have the opportunity to visit 1 or 2 villages on the trip.
Is there a dress code in the villages?
Yes, women should wear shorts past the knee, pants or a sorong and a conservative t-shirt or long sleeve shirt. Men should wear shorts or pants and a t-shirt in the villages.
Are there opportunities to buy anything in the villages?
Some of the villages make coconut oil, hats or carvings for sale to tourists. Most villages will have a small convenience store where guests can buy treats if they want.
Is there anything I can bring to give to the villages and the people?
Are there mosquitos on land?
When we go ashore for breaks from kayaking or for short hikes, mosquitos are always a possibility so mosquito spray and optional long pants and shirt are a good idea.
Are there sharks and are they dangerous?
There are sharks in Raja Ampat. The majority of sharks that we will encounter are reef sharks and they are non-aggressive and curious. It would be very uncommon to encounter an aggressive shark in Raja Ampat.
Are there crocodiles?
There are crocodiles in Raja Ampat. Unfortunately for the crocodile species, the local villages and people have hunted most of them out of the area. There are a few sighted every season and these are generally seen in remote mangrove forests or many kilometers up rivers, far from villages and fisherman. As staff in Raja Ampat, we have not seen a single crocodile since we started coming to Raja Ampat in 2010.
Is there malaria in Raja Ampat?
Are participants required to sign waivers to come on your trips?
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Reviews
Meet your guides
Angela Bueckert
ACMG Ski GuideAngela’s enthusiasm for sharing new experiences with her guests is ever-present. She has been guiding water-based expeditions for over 15 years, and she’s guided sea kayaking expeditions in Iceland, Greenland, Palawan, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Antarctica, and more.
Matt Edwards
ACMG Ski GuideFinding out what’s around the corner or at the top of the next mountain has taken Matt to some of the remotest places on the planet. He’s been organizing and guiding custom adventures for guests all over the world, for over a decade.
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