A sliver of white sand, a church, a few hundred metres of palm-shaded lanes, and a jetty whose pilings have turned into a reef.
Arborek is a tiny flat island in the Dampier Strait, about 600 metres long, entirely taken up by one tidy Papuan village of a couple of hundred people.
The village has become a model for community tourism: residents run the homestays, guide the snorkelling and help look after the reef, which is protected by local agreement.
The star attraction is the jetty. Its pilings are covered in soft coral and sponges, and schools of fish, batfish and the occasional turtle gather in their shade. You can step off the end and snorkel straight in.
Nearby sandy channels are known for manta rays, which come in to be cleaned by small fish. Back on land, the women of the village weave hats and bags from pandan leaves through a cooperative.
Easy to see in a few hours, better with a night.
Boats tie up at the long wooden pier. Look down: the water is often thick with fish before you've even got your fins on.
Swim along the jetty and out over the reef edge. Watch the current at the end and stay off the coral.
Wander the sand lanes past the church, the school and gardens of hibiscus. The whole loop takes twenty minutes.
Buy a woven pandan hat or bag directly from the women who made it.
With a local boat and guide, head out to the nearby manta cleaning stations to snorkel or dive with the rays.
About an hour by boat from Waisai, or a short hop from the homestays on Kri and Mansuar. Most visitors arrange transfers through their homestay.
Simple homestays with meals included: fish, rice and vegetables. Electricity and water can be limited.
Dress modestly in the village and cover up away from the water. Ask before photographing people, and don't stand on or touch coral.
Raja Ampat practical notes →
