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Papua Explorers Eco Resort

7 Nights Diver Package - Superior 2195 € PPDO / Deluxe 2350 € PPDO

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PADI 5 Star Certified

Nitrox Free

WIFI Available

Star Rating

Located south of Gam Island and along the Dampier Strait’s coast, Papua Explorers Eco Resort is dedicated to sustainability and conservation efforts, receiving the AFTO Sustainability Award in 2019. These efforts include the distribution of free reusable water bottles to guests and providing water refill stations throughout the resort. Papua Explorers Eco Resort has scheduled transfers to the island from Sorong every Sunday and Wednesday with their own transfer boat. The boat leaves no later than 12:00 noon and they strongly recommend guests arrange their flights to arrive earlier than this. In case the guests cannot catch these transfers, the resort can provide special transfers at an extra cost. Although they do their best to accommodate late arrivals due to flight delays, they may not be able to wait for long if there are other guests in the boat. In these cases, special transfers will need to be arranged for the guests that arrive late.

Papua Explorers Eco Resort WEATHER

The 15 over-water bungalows are constructed using local and natural materials influenced by traditional Papuan style with a modern twist. The three styles of accommodation: the deluxe water bungalow, the superior water bungalow, and the family villa, each has its own bathroom with hot water, a ceiling fan, mosquito net, desk, and seating area. The bungalows each have a private veranda that overlooks the water. The deluxe water bungalow and the superior water bungalows are one-bedrooms that accommodate one to two people, and a third guest is possible for the deluxe water bungalow. The family villa has two large bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a living area. The resort provides towels, eco-friendly hygiene products, tea and coffee facilities, and a safe. The bungalows have 220 V electricity with European plugs. The resort’s restaurant is located over the water, just off the main jetty. Here, there are breakfast and lunch buffets, where guests dine on sausage, eggs, toast, fresh fruit, traditional Indonesian cuisine, and homemade snacks. Dinner consists of starters such as soup, bread, or salad and main dishes such as local fish, chicken, and beef dishes, or barbeque. Vegetarian and vegan options are available.

At Papua Explorers, guests can dive into the heart of the Coral Triangle, an aquatic epicenter known for its biodiversity. Over 50 dive sites surround the resort, most of which are accessible by short boat rides. Dive sites include Manta Point, Cape Kri, Mike’s Point, and Mioskon. Divers explore the hard and soft corals where damsels, fusiliers, and anthias can be spotted. Off the reefs, there are often schools of tuna, trevally, and mackerel. Jetties and reef points are home to batfish, surgeonfish, and barracuda. Pelagic life is common here, with mantas and reef sharks in the open water. Day trips to snorkel and dive at nearby islands are also available for an extra charge. Raja Ampat has stable temperatures year-round, typically around 30°C (86°F), and the water tends to be about the same. The weather is often sunny, mixed with tropical rain showers throughout the day.

Located within 30 minutes of most of our dive sites, Raja Ampat’s spectacular underwater world is easily accessible by boat. Highlights include: Manta Point, 20 min; Cape Kri, 15 min; Mioskon, 25 min; Otdima, 5 min; The Passage, 45 min; Mike’s Point, 10 min; Sardines Reef, 25 min; Blue Magic, 25 min; Chicken Reef, 20 min; Hidden Bay, 30 min. The majority of the dive sites will have current in varying degrees, from mild through to very strong, depending on the tides and moon. For those divers who do not have reef hooks, they will provide these to assist you during dives with stronger current. Some dive sites are not suitable for beginners or anyone that doesn’t feel comfortable in currents. The dive guides check the current direction and strength before the divers get in the water and change the dive plan or site if necessary. Dive groups are maximum 6 people with a head dive guide and an assistant guide in each group.

The PADI 5 Star Dive Center is equipped with an equipment storage room, camera room, rental gear, and rinse tanks. The dive center is located at the end of the main jetty and is staffed with 15 local dive guides, five PADI instructors, two compressor techs, and 20 trained boat crew members. The resort offers nitrox to certified divers but does not support tec diving or rebreathers. Other activities include birdwatching, kayaking, exploring local villages, jungle hikes, and trips to the spa.

Narrative text and photographs courtesy of Papua Explorers Eco Resort.

Dive Conditions

Conditions can make or break your trip. Temperature, visibility and the current vary greatly across this expansive country. Be sure to check the conditions of each destination you’re planning to dive before you leave. Diving is excellent year-round, but the best time is from May to September. Monsoon season is from December to June. Visibility may not be as good during the monsoon, however, certain locations like the Komodo Islands are a diver’s dream during this time due to an influx of mantas.

Most of Indonesia can be dived year-round with March to October being the most popular time of year to dive. This period of time marks the dry season in most parts of the country, with the exception of some dive areas like Ambon and southern Raja Ampat where most rainfall occurs in May/June to October/September due to the southern monsoon. It's best to visit these areas in the months of November to April for optimal dive conditions.

Generally speaking, Indonesia's climate is almost entirely tropical, with May to September as the dry season, and October to April the rainy season, and with heavier rainfall from December through February. However, the opposite might be true for certain dive areas in Indonesia like Raja Ampat and Ambon, and the best time of year to visit Indonesia really depends on where you intend to stay in the country.

The water temperatures remain quite consistent through the country, hovering at 26°-29°C (82°- 85°F) year-round. Typically, you won't need anything more than a 3-5mm wetsuit, or even a skinsuit. However, the diving conditions and difficulty in Indonesia hugely vary, depending on where and when you dive in the country.

Ambon Bay, Maluku – world class muck diving. Critters that can be seen here include rhinopias, frogfish, ghost pipefish, lots of juvenile fish, stonefish, mandarin fish, nudibranchs, harlequin and coleman shrimps, wonderpus, mimic and flamboyant cuttlefish, and even the much-sought-after psychedelic frogfish.

Alor, East Nusa Tenggara – the hidden gem. This off-the-beaten-path dive destination offers a mix of both world-class wide-angle and macro sites. Pristine coral reefs, steep walls, sloping muck sites--the diving in Alor is really diverse and would please the most discerning diver and underwater photographer.

Banda Sea, Maluku – sea snakes and hammerheads. Most of the diving around the Banda Sea involves excellent wall dives, and great macro sites, but the biggest draw is probably the resident sea snakes at Manuk and Gunung Api islands.

Bali – wrecks and mola molas. Unique critters, fascinating wrecks, beautiful walls, colorful corals, excellent muck dives, huge schools of fish, pelagics--Bali has it all. Technical diving and freediving are also possible in Bali with a good number of reputable dive operations.

Derawan Islands, Borneo – manta rays and whalesharks. Derawan is a remote group of islands in East Kalimantan (East Borneo), and is home to one of the three jellyfish lakes known to men, with the other two located in Palau and Misool Island in Raja Ampat.

Komodo, East Nusa Tenggara – drift dives and world class reefs. Komodo National Park is a group of volcanic islands with over 5,700 giant lizards known as Komodo dragons. This UNESCO World Heritage Site also hosts a world-class scuba diving scene. Imagine drift dives with colorful corals in various formations teeming with marine life, big and small. Divers can see big schools of fish pretty much year-round, as well as eagle and manta rays.

Lembeh, North Sulawesi – muck diving capital. Known as the world's capital for muck diving, Lembeh Strait in North Sulawesi offers second-to-none macro biodiversity. The number species that you can cross off your list within a week of diving Lembeh is staggering.

Manado and Bunaken, North Sulawesi – wall dives and reefs. Manado Bay offers a mix of great muck and reef sites, treating divers to unique critters like mimic octopus and flamboyant cuttlefish, as well as various seahorses, squid, nudibranchs, and frogfish.

Raja Ampat, West Papua – the holy grail of Indonesia. Alongside Kaimana Regency and Triton Bay in the south, and Cenderawasih Bay in the east, Raja Ampat archipelago makes up a massive area, collectively known as the Bird’s Head Seascape. Divers can visit the Raja Ampat area many times in their lifes and discover something new each time.

Wakatobi, South East Sulawesi – beautiful coral reefs. Wakatobi's reefs are extremely healthy and offer unique large coral formations, various sea fans, and sponges which are overflowing with marine life. The underwater topography is no less unique, featuring various walls, ridges, and overhangs. While it's not the place for large pelagics, eagle rays and reef sharks can typically be seen.