Batanta Island – Raja Ampat’s Untamed Hidden Gem

When I first heard about Batanta Island, I was intrigued. Unlike the more well-known islands of Raja Ampat, Batanta felt like a mystery—remote, rugged, and rarely mentioned in guidebooks. After spending a few days there, I can confidently say: this is one of Raja Ampat’s best-kept secrets. Batanta isn’t about luxury resorts or crowds of divers. It’s about thick jungle trails, waterfalls and the kind of silence you only find in true wilderness. I stayed in a simple homestay, had a private dive with Manta Rays and explored the jungle of Batanta. Here are all my tips for your visit to Batanta, Raja Ampat.

Find my full travel route for Raja Ampat here

Top Things to Do on Batanta, Raja Ampat

Visit Batanta Waterfalls

One of the island’s highlights several waterfalls tucked deep within the jungle. I did a guided trip through my homestay and they took us to two different waterfalls and some snorkeling spots on the way there. After a short trek, you’ll find a refreshing cascade perfect for a dip. The hike itself passes through the jungle—an adventure in itself! After reaching the first waterfall you continue upstream until you reach the second waterfall. There’s a little cave underneath that you can swim into.

Birdwatching

Batanta and Waigeo are home to a bird species found nowhere else: the Wilson’s Bird-of-Paradise. Remarkably, Batanta is the only island in Raja Ampat where you can encounter the cassowary—a towering, flightless bird known for its striking appearance and impressive size. The island also offers excellent opportunities for birdwatching, with numerous rare and elusive species making it a true haven for bird enthusiasts.

Go diving (at Manta Point)

Close to Pulau Dayang there is a spot that the Manta’s frequent. The best part? Only the homestays dive here. The liveaboards and dive centers are not allowed to access this spot. One of my most special dives, was with Dayan Dive Homestay, because it was just me and the dive guide. It was my first time seeing Manta’s and it was just the two of us underwater while the Manta’s circled around us for an hour, unforgettable!

Disclaimer: Even though I loved my dive at Dayan Dive Homestay, I have to give a little warning. Not all the gear is in the best condition. I had a leaky regulator a couple of times. If you’re comfortable checking you’re gear thoroughly or if you’re bringing your own, you will be fine. However, if you’re a beginner and this makes you uncomfortable, I would not recommend diving with any of the homestays.

Try to spot a Dugong

The sheltered bays along Batanta’s northern coastline are lined with seagrass meadows that often draw in dugongs—gentle marine mammals that have become increasingly rare around busier islands like Waigeo, Gam, Mansuar, and Kri due to rising boat activity. If spotting a dugong is high on your wish list, it’s best to plan for a few days in the area. While sightings are not uncommon, these elusive creatures move on their own terms, and there’s never a guaranteed time or place to find them.

Snorkeling

Most of the house reefs around Batanta are stunning and easily accessible. However, during our trip to the waterfalls we also made a stop at Urun island and it was such an impressive healthy reef, I’d highly recommend making a stop there if you can.

How to Get to Batanta Island

There are a few different option. I came from Kri, so I just booked a speedboat from my homestay. However, there is also a cargo boat that runs between Sorong and local village Yensawai, Batanta. If I’d know that before, I would have planned my island hopping tour in a different order to save money. I would have ended my trip in Batanta and taken the cargo boat from the Yensawai to Sorong. You need to be a little bit flexible, because the cargo boats don’t run everyday and are not as reliable. The boats also take quite long, so if you’re short on time, this might not be the right option for you. But if you can plan around it, you can save quite a bit of money.

Batanta and Pam cargo boat schedule

Departs Sorong: Scheduled departure time 20:00 every Friday from this jetty at the Sorong public harbour. It’s best to be there by 18:00, because the boat often leaves as soon as it’s loaded.

Arrival in Yensawai, Batanta: The boat will arrive around 02:00 on Saturday if it’s running to schedule. As soon as the cargo transfer is complete it will depart again. This is usually around 03:00. (The schedule still says Arefi, but the boat actually docks at Yensawai.)

Arrival in Pam Village, Pambemuk: The boat is scheduled to arrive Saturdays around 06:30.

Departs Pam Village: Saturdays at 09:00.

Arrival Yensawai: Saturday at 12:30 if running to schedule.

Departs Yensawai: Saturday at 13:30 if running to schedule.

Arrival Sorong: Saturday at around 18:30 if running to schedule..

Cost

Sorong to Pam – IDR 145,000
Sorong to Yensawai – IDR 96,000
Yensawai to Pam – IDR 50,000

Or if you are just arriving in Raja Ampat and want to take the conventional route instead of the cargo boat:

Fly to Sorong (SOQ) from Jakarta, Makassar, or Manado.
Ferry to Waisai (2 hours).
Boat Transfer to Batanta – Arrange via your homestay; it’s roughly 1.5–2 hours from Waisai.

Where to stay on Batanta Island

I stayed at Dayan Dive Homestay. It was simple, but beautiful! They are one of the few homestays offering diving and I knew I wanted to dive with the Manta’s. Therefore it was an easy choice.

If you’re looking for luxury, I can recommend Papua Paradise Eco Resort.