Resorts
PAPUA PARADISE RESORT
Papua Paradise Resort (Papua Paradise Resort)
Located on the island of Birie and inside the Raja Ampat National Marine Park, Papua Paradise Resort is around a two hour speed boat transfer from Sorong. The resort comprises 16 double bungalows and 1 family bungalow made from local natural materials such as bamboo and palm leaf all built over the house reef. Each spacious bungalow has its own sea view terrace and en-suite bathroom with hot shower. All bungalows are fan cooled and are furnished with traditional Papuan decorations. Tea and coffee making facilities are available and each room has a mosquito net. 24 hour electricity is provided by two generators. The sea-view restaurant is a delightful spot to refuel after the diving day and indulge in a relaxing drink. The kitchen is a busy place at Papua Paradise Resort as it serves 4 meals a day; breakfast, lunch, afternoon snacks and dinner. The chefs fuse traditional Indonesian dishes using local ingredients combined with a European touch. Look out for very hot chillies, juicy mangos and of course some seafood!
The dive centre is well run by a very enthusiastic team of local guides and western instructors. You can jump in the water on the 150 metres long house reef directly from the dive centre and be greeted by baby Black-tip Reef Sharks, Wobbegong Shark, Pygmy Seahorses and even Mandarin Fish! House reef dives are usually done by boat dives because of the slight current that runs through the strait. If you can tear yourself away from the house reef, you can take advantage of the local dive sites. There are over 50 local dive sites and whether you revel in sharks, great schools of fish and Manta Ray encounters, or prefer critter hunting and reef combing, there is a dive site for you. Most divers opt for the ‘unlimited’ dive package with Excursions to Manta Point and Cape Kri. The resort as 4 boats, 2 small boats that can carry 6 divers, 1 bigger boat which takes 10 divers, and Paradise 4 that has a marine head, sundeck and dry area and can carry 12 divers. All the local dive sites are between 5 and 20 minutes away from the resort. Divers dive in groups of a maximum or 4 divers per guide and a private guide can also be booked by request. Nitrox and 15 litre tanks are available.
Papua Paradise Resort is committed to support the conservation of Raja Ampat and enforcing the no-take zone. Regular patrols look out for illegal shark fishing and the resort managers place great emphasis on educating the local villagers on conservation issues. The resort employs more then 25 local villagers to maintain it and many of them were involved since the start of the construction in 2009. Satellite wifi is available for an additional charge in the restaurant.
Stays are typically of 7, 14 or 21 nights commencing on Mondays or Thursdays. Shorter or longer stays are possible but will require an additional transfer fee.
Price: From about $2224 for 7 nights; from about $4056 for 14 nights; from about $5594 for 21 nights. Includes: transfers to and from Sorong; 7, 14 or 21 nights on a twin/share basis with full board and afternoon tea at Papua Paradise Resort; Up to 4 dives a day within resort schedules on air or nitrox.
In addition a Raja Ampat Marine Park fee of IDR1 000 000 is due locally.
Single occupancy supplement: About $376 for 7 nights, about $755 for 14 nights and about $1131 for 21 nights.