Papua Paradise Eco Resort
A resort of 26 traditionally built overwater bungalows on Birie Island, with its own dive centre and birds of paradise in the forest behind.
- Neighbourhood
- Birie Island, Raja Ampat
- Status
- Open
Why we recommend it
Papua Paradise works as well for those who snorkel or do not dive at all as it does for divers: the house reef runs the length of the resort, the bungalows sit directly above it, and the forest of Birie offers something the reefs cannot. Guests can walk out at sunrise to look for birds of paradise, and trips are organised to find Wilson’s bird of paradise.
It is also a simple place by intention. The bungalows are cooled by natural ventilation rather than machinery in all but the top category, and the island is otherwise uninhabited. Those who want a resort centred more firmly on diving might look at Sorido Bay Resort, the dive resort on Kri Island, or at Misool Eco Resort, another of the archipelago’s island resorts.
Rooms & Suites
The bungalows come in three categories, Superior, Deluxe and Premier. All are built over the water with traditional materials, and each has a wide veranda and a semi-open private bathroom. Superior bungalows have a hammock on the veranda. Deluxe bungalows add a four-poster bed and daybeds outside. The Premier bungalows are the largest and the only ones with air conditioning, and have a bath with a view of the sea. The others rely on natural ventilation. The bungalows do not have direct access to the water from their decks.
Dining
The Seaview Restaurant overlooks the house reef and serves a buffet of European and Indonesian dishes. Produce is bought from villages on the surrounding islands and grown in the resort’s own vegetable garden, with the remainder brought from Sorong. Bread, yoghurt, cakes, pasta and ravioli are made in the kitchen.
Wellness & Spa
Gangga Divers, the resort’s dive centre, is a PADI operation with international instructors, a fleet of custom-made fibreglass boats and a range of courses; nitrox is available to qualified divers. The house reef is known for mandarin fish, and manta rays, sharks and dugong are also seen there. Day excursions go to the Fam Islands for snorkelling and to the Passage and Hidden Bay.
The spa, called Spa in Paradise, offers a menu of treatments. On land, jungle paths around the peninsula are used for birdwatching, with Blyth’s hornbills, palm cockatoos, sulphur-crested cockatoos and pied imperial pigeons among the species recorded.
Location
Birie lies in the Sagawin Strait in the central part of Raja Ampat, the archipelago off the north-west of New Guinea. Access is through Sorong: a short transfer from the airport to the harbour is followed by a speedboat journey of about two hours. For a second Indonesian marine park to pair with it, see OKYTO’s guide to Komodo, its dragons, reefs and boats.
- Address
- Arefi, Birie Island, Selat Sagawin, Kabupaten Raja Ampat, Papua Barat 98484, Indonesia
- Website
- Official website