Sorong Airport is the main airport for travelling to Raja Ampat. Here’s an overview of the airport and some Sorong travel tips.
Sorong Airport departure gates © chris@divehappy.com
If you want to visit Raja Ampat for diving or on-land nature tourism, it’s very likely you’ll be arriving at Sorong airport to begin your adventure. Domine Eduard Osok Airport, to give Sorong Airport its official name, opened in 2017 as a brand new airport built right next to the old one.
Flying to Sorong
There’s a direct flight from Jakarta to Sorong most days with Garuda Indonesia. There’s unfortunately not a direct flight from Bali to Sorong at the time of writing – you’ll need to fly to Jakarta or Makassar first and get a connecting flight. Check Skyscanner for Jakarta to Sorong flights and Bali to Sorong flights.
If you’re flying direct to Sorong and not stopping for a few days in Bali or elsewhere in Indonesia, you will probably have a long layover in Jakarta Airport before your flight to Sorong. See How To Get To Raja Ampat for details on Jakarta airport hotels and navigating Jakarta Airport’s Terminal 3.
Arriving At Sorong Airport
While the new Sorong Airport is clean and modern, it’s also still quite basic. Arriving passengers walk straight off the plane onto the tarmac and into the baggage claim area. From there it’s straight out the other side to the waiting throng of taxi drivers and dive staff waving names on paper. It’s best if you’ve arranged with your diving operation or travel company to have a pickup waiting for you.
There are ATMs as you exit from Sorong Airport if you need Indonesian Rupiah. It’s probably a good idea to get some local currency in Jakarta Airport too if you had time while in transit, just in case the ATMs are out of order or don’t work for you.
Hotels At Sorong Airport
There’s no dedicated airport hotel in Sorong Airport but there are several located just outside the airport perimeter. Aston Sorong is the pick of the bunch – see the map below to browse the others.
Departing From Sorong Airport
Departing from Sorong Airport is straightforward. You need to show your passport and ticket to enter the terminal, and only passengers are allowed so you have to say goodbye to your travel and dive guides before entering.
Once in and through the security X Ray machine, there’s the usual array of check-in desks for different airlines. Once checked in, the Departures area is up the escalators. Once through the final security check, there’s three departure gates, a small, modest business class lounge and a pay-as-you-go lounge too. There’s a couple of other coffee shops and snack shops. It’s wise to eat a hearty breakfast before you leave for the airport.
Travelling from Sorong Airport to Sorong City Centre
It’s about a twenty minute drive to the centre of Sorong from the airport. Sorong is a sprawling, under construction kind of place and it’s not particularly pedestrian friendly if you prefer to walk, so getting taxis to move around the city is the easiest, safest way to go.
Places To Eat In Sorong
The two places that get regularly recommended by boat staff are the local restaurant at the Marina, which is the pick up and drop off point for dive boats to ferry their passengers to and from the big boats waiting in Sorong harbour, and Pizza Terrazza di Sorong, which has genuinely good pizza, run by a husband and wife team. You can find them on Google Maps. TripAdvisor has some other Sorong restaurant suggestions too.
Places To Stay In Sorong
Besides the aforementioned Aston Sorong hotel, the other Sorong acccomodation that’s usually recommended is the Swiss-Belhotel Sorong. This is a decent enough 3 star hotel – clean, comfortable bed, and a good shower. The restaurant is good enough but, unsurprisingly for a hotel, relatively expensive.
You can see other places to stay in Sorong and their proximity to Sorong Airport on the map below.
Raja Ampat Diving Guides and Info
For an overview of what to expect when diving Raja Ampat and useful tips on how to get there and what to bring with you, see our Diving Raja Ampat: A Quick Guide and listen to the Divehappy podcast episodes on Raja Ampat. Misool Eco Resort and Triton Bay. For practicalities on getting there, see How To Get To Raja Ampat, Sorong Airport Guide and the Liveaboard Packing List
Raja Ampat Liveaboard Trip Reports
- Raja Ampat Liveaboard Trip Report June 2023
- Raja Ampat Liveaboard Trip Report December 2022
- Raja Ampat Liveaboard Trip Report December 2019
- Raja Ampat to Triton Bay Liveaboard Trip Report February 2017
- Raja Ampat to Banda Islands and Ambon Trip Liveaboard Report February 2016
- Raja Ampat to Triton Bay Liveaboard Trip Report February 2008
Triton Bay Trip Reports (as part of Raja Ampat liveaboard trips)
Booking Raja Ampat Liveaboards
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- Check Last Minute Raja Ampat Liveaboard Deals for big discounts on Raja Ampat liveaboard trips that are departing in the next couple of months
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