Recommended Snorkeling Sites in West Papua

I often guide tourists on various vacation tours in West Papua province of Indonesia. We enjoy snorkeling in coral reef sites as well as go hiking and wildlife watching in the forest areas. The durations of the tours are between 1 to 2 weeks or even more. 

Snorkeling in West Papua

There are a lot of coral reef sites in West Papua province of Indonesia. Some of them are described below: 

Wondama - This is a regency in West Papua. It has got a lot of big and small islands that are surrounded by coral reefs. Its capital is Rasiei town. Most part of the National Park of Cendrawasih Bay is inside the territory of Wondama. Along the coast of Wondama town there are coral reefs, visitors can enjoy snorkeling over them. The snorkeling tours can be continued further to islands at the tip of Wondama Bay. For visitors who want to see villages to meet local people and explore rainforest to see birds and wildlife, Wondama regency is a highly recommended destination especially for budget travellers.

Raja Ampat - There are two small satellite islands in the east of Waigeo of Raja Ampat. They are called Waim and Mamiaef islands. They are not mentioned in the usual travel brochure about Raja Ampat tourism. But these empty islands are very beautiful. White sandy beach, coconut trees, and pristine coral reef are the typical scenery that most tourists will see there. I used to enjoy snorkeling in a lot of coral reef sites in Raja Ampat including Arborek, Yenbuba Strait, Mansuar island, Kri island, Piaynemo, Friwen, Kabui Bay, and a lot more. They are beautiful. Raja Ampat has got the richest marine biodiversity in the world. Misool, Batanta and Kofiau are important sites for snorkeling and scuba diving too. In my personal opinion, Kofiau islands and Batanta, although remotely located, are worth visiting. Marine life is abundant there.

Manokwari - as the capital of Papua Barat (meaning: West Papua) province, it can easily be reached by passenger planes operated by Sriwijaya Air, Batik Air and Lion Air. Coral reefs can be found in the eastern part of Manokwari. Manokwari is also the entrance gate for visitors who want to travel to Wondama. Manokwari is also an important destination for those who are interested in taking rainforest tours.

During 2020, the Indonesian government limit the influx tourists to this country due to Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021, the world will start introducing vaccines. We hope that after the introduction of the vaccines, people will be able to travel again as usual and the snorkeling sites can be visited by tourists.

 Also read:

Coral Reef in the Waters of Manokwari