Hotels near Gam, Raja Ampat

My 7 nights stay in November was just perfect! I read the excellent reviews of the hotel before booking and I confirm that it is totally worth it. I took the hotel + dives package (6 days, 7 nights) and I would not change anthing if I had to go back again. About the dives: Speedboats from hotel are not even a minut away from the resort. Super convenient and practical. The fact that it is a high speed boat allowed us to reach dives sites very fast compared to ther dive boats I have experienced. Usually 20, 40 or 50 min max (except special day trips that bring you further). The gear is of very good quality, so is the very mordern boat. We were always diving in small group of 6-8 guests + 3 dive masters which made it very easy to just be diving all together without any wasted waiting time. The dive masters are adorable. They are a mix of different nationalities, including local. The captains (locals) are also always making sure you are fine having enough water and watermelon. Special thank you to Ronja & Joséphine (both interns) who are so kind, caring and very professional when you needed assistance during dives (I had ear issues and I got tured during a strong current dive). Big thank you to Yigit, Erkan, Abner (dive masters) for making the best out of our dives while making sure the good mood is there! It is a pleasure to see a diving team so enthousiatic about their work, even though they dive there every day. In general, everything is just super smooth as the boat is basically in front of the hotel and the team will bring and set up your gear for you. No need to mention that all diving spots were amazing! Coral is very healthy and fish diversity is incredible. I only repeated 1 dive spot out of 17 dives. Hotel itself: The rooms are as per the pictures: modern, clean, comfortable but small. It’s fine because you will spend most of the time outside. All the staff is very kind: special recognition to Rivon at the reception and the smiling waitresses at the restaurant. Food prices are a bit expensive but the variety (local + international) and quality was good. Hotel location is very practical as it is in front of the ferry port but still super calm. Going there solo: I was a solo traveller and I think I was the only one from the whole hotel which was full. Being everyday diving with people gave me the opportunity to socialize and make friends. Also the staff feels like family after some days spent in the hotel, as it is not big. I can recommend but don’t expect to have big shared tables with lots of solo travellers- at least when I was there. You will need to do a little effort on your side to join others in activities outside diving. Things to be aware of & areas of improvement: - The hotel doesn’t have beach fromt. It is by the sea, but it is a small hatbour with a few boats. - There is not much to do in Waisai except diving/snorkeling. I would not recommend if you are not passionated about sealife. Local restaurants are 25 min away walk

A very good hotel altogether, not far from the ferry and close to everything in Waisai. Great bungalows with anything you need, very comfortable. The host is a very welcoming and kind person. I will definitely stay there again next time I'm in Waisai.

Waisai is a nice town. The residents are not jaded by tourists (yet) as they see them with less frequency than other locations in Indonesia. Simply stated, they are wonderful. All the children say hello and approach often to ask your name and where you are from. Being there in the beginning of December allowed us to see the Christmas parade and train that takes children around town. Magical in so many ways as you can't help but smile when a parade such as this has Mickey Mouse and the much beloved Hello Kitty. And the train is totally lit up with lights and smiles. Beautiful. Most everyone that shows up in Waisai heads out to a resort. Many of the remainder head to home stays in nearby islands or away from town. These can be nice but we don't do well with being so contained. We did a live aboard here in Raja Ampat and then dove with Olin Dive Center in town for another week. The hotel is very situated in town as it is a short walk to the beach, is very close to the wonderful daily market, close to grocery stores and near to the dive shop. We came to stay for 4 days but stayed the week. Rooms are clean and air-conditioned. They are large, have television and provide a breakfast (included in price). Out back there are clothes lines for use. Not much English is spoken but translation apps made life easy. Staff are very nice! At a moments notice the staff set us up with the town's tourist representative (Husna) to help us out with a great deal including getting to Wayag and also seeing the Red, as well as Wilson's, bird of paradise. The hotel was less expensive than the hostel where another diver stayed. We are unsure if we will return for a third visit to Raja but if we do, we will definitely stay at this hotel again as the the place is nice and the town it is in is wonderful.