Dive Into Raja Ampat (Waiwo Resort)

I would absolutely recommend this resort to anyone heading to Raja Ampat. You will be greeted by staff from the resort at the airport who will help you get to the ferry. Once you arrive to island, staff from the resort will come on the ferry to get you and take you to the resort. VIP service in my opinion! The resort accommodations are rustic but clean. There is air conditioning which works very well! The first thing I noticed upon arrival was the kindness and welcoming of the owner/staff. They make you feel like you are in a bed and breakfast not a resort. You wake up to a chorus of beautiful birds which was absolutely amazing! The slight crashing of the waves and beautiful blue water are really just paradise. The dive shop and crew are fantastic! They take care of everything including carrying all of your camera equipment and gear to the boat. There is a nice camera room with charging stations. Diving was awesome and the dive masters are very knowledgeable about the area. We also did a trip to the blue river which I highly recommend! The trip to Piaynemo is a must! It’s a 3 tank dive day with great dive sites (Melissa’s Garden is amazing) along with a hike to the famous picture you see when you google Raja Ampat! We went on to a live aboard after the resort and the staff helped us with every detail including contacting the boat so our transfer went smoothly! The food was really delicious! They will bring lunch if you go on the longer trips. This is a perfect location with really good dive sites, friendly staff and great accommodations.

We really enjoyed our stay at Waiwo. Their waterfront villa is right against the water (the waves come right to the edge of your porch!), and we really appreciated that they have air conditioning too.Food is included with your room. You get three buffet-style meals per day. Generally, the food is a mixture of Indonesian and Western dishes. It's also pretty good quality considering how remote this location is. If you want a snack or a drink between meals, you can order something from the restaurant for an extra charge, but we were so well-fed that we only ordered maybe two snacks the entire week that we were there.And then there was the diving: Raja Ampat is said to have some of the best diving in the world, and it did not disappoint. Lao Lao and Blue Magic had more fish than anywhere I have ever seen, while Melissa's Garden had the most beautiful coral reef I have ever seen. And a pleasant surprise: one of the best night dives of my life was right on Waiwo's house reef, a mere 100 feet from the resort!A big thank you to the staff: Peter and Yolanda for managing the resort and taking amazing care of all the guests, Sonly for running a smooth diving operation, and Obet for being an excellent dive master. We will be back!

Dive Into Raja Ampat operates within the Waiwo Resort, Waisai and their dive and stay packages offer great value in Raja Ampat and a relaxed environment. The Indonesian style waterfront bungalows with AC were nice and large with water lapping at the deck at high tide. Fresh water, tea and coffee provided in the room, but bring your own shampoo, conditioner and mosquito repellent.The chef prepared Indonesian food was plentiful and some of the best I ever had in Indonesia which they kindly adjusted to a milder spice level for my husband. Western meal choices are also offered and their hamburgers were an excellent alternative.Wifi is only available in the open air dining room where a limited choice of alcohol drinks are kept in a locked fridge. On request the manager kindly went out to get some tonic from town and also some extra toiletries, which was much appreciated.The diving was well organised- the day before you would know which of the iconic Dampier Strait dive sites you would be going to. New divers arrive any day, so they try to give variety and take into account where you have already been. Some of the sites were a bit further 45 -60 min (surcharge for 60 min trips) but their big boat was fast and comfortable, sheltered and had a toilet. They also have a smaller boat, with shelter. The dive guides gave good briefings and set a relaxed pace underwater suiting us photographers. We had 1 guide between 2 divers while they were not very busy and were allowed up to 70 minutes on closer dive sites. Surface intervals were often spent on an island with refreshments.The dive team loaded, unloaded and rinsed our gear after each days diving and hung in our individual stalls overnight to dry. They offered Nitrox and had a large dedicated camera room with plenty of charging outlets, workspace and dedicated rinse baths.We were a bit early in October and thought the visibility was lower than previous visits, apparently there had been a lot of rain. All of the usual fishes and critters were seen except we were unlucky with the mantas, which were seen in big numbers the day we departed. Snorkelling in front of the resort over a sandy bottom , there was clear water, but I did not see much.Dive Into Raja Ampat will organise your transfer from the airport to the resort by a 2 hour twice daily public ferry between Sorong and Waisai Island any day of the week. There is no minimum stay, so it suits divers that have time before or after a liveaboard. They also offer birdwatching excursions to see Birds of Paradise.

Ria did a great job picking us up. Her porters did exactly what they were supposed to, loaded us onto the ferry, had the tickets ready, and everything was well arranged. We had a little bit of time to wait, so she took us back to Swiss-Belhotel along with several other guests, giving us the chance to relax in the lobby. Ria returned a little later and took us over to the ferry with our luggage. Everything went very smoothly except for the initial communication issue. Arrival on the other side at Waisai was on time and uneventful. Her porters met us there as well and took us to the resort in a comfortable taxi designed for a few people. The resort manager at Waiwoo, Peter, was very friendly and accommodating. I am sure I mentioned before that the resort itself was excellent for the price. Our rooms were actually on the sand, and I would recommend those two or three cabins that are available. The other rooms are set back slightly from the beach. The cabins we had had the ocean lapping under the porch, which was very relaxing and provided a beautiful view. The common area had fast internet, and I sent you some pictures. It was comfortable, and the food was quite excellent—not quite Aurora quality, but still very tasty and enjoyable. The staff at Waiwoo did a wonderful job. The rooms were attended to every day, kept clean, with towels and sheets changed regularly. The air conditioning worked exceptionally well—almost too cold, in fact. The dive boats were in excellent condition, and the dive staff was safe and attentive. The only drawback was that almost none of the staff spoke English, making briefings challenging. Communication with all guests was very basic, so there was no real mixing because of the language barrier. This was not a safety issue, however, and the dives themselves were easier in some ways because they always jumped with the current, never against it. This still allowed encounters with millions of fish and fantastic coral formations. The boats were spacious and well-powered, making them fast and efficient. We were able to access almost everything we did on Aurora, except for the Misool area from Waiwoo. You may not be aware, but the dive shop is actually separate from the resort. They work in conjunction, but they are separate entities. Both were well managed. I would have no problem sending my clients to this resort. It was done correctly, and I was 100 percent satisfied. All the guests seemed very happy, and we were able to mingle just like on the boat, with people from all over. The staff was wonderful, and the other guests were very friendly. This place could easily be recommended, especially considering the excellent price-to-value ratio. The return to the ferry was done correctly and on time. The porters were perfect, had the tickets in hand, and took care of us from start to finish.