Embarking on an adventure with Millekul Adventures means stepping into a world of breathtaking natural beauty and thrilling experiences. We understand you might have questions before you set off on this incredible journey. That’s why we’ve created this comprehensive FAQ section.

Here, you’ll find answers to a wide range of queries covering everything from trip details, preparations, safety measures, to our environmental commitments. This section is designed to help you feel fully informed and ready for your adventure.

We’ve done our best to cover all the essentials, but every adventure is unique, and so are your questions. If you don’t find the answers you’re looking for, or if you need more specific information, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly.

Travel info

From Europe:
The only direct flight is by Garuda straight from Amsterdam to Jakarta, once or twice per week. Or check Turkish Airlines or Qatar and similar Arabic airlines that many fly with. Finnair sometimes has good options to the SE-Asia hubs.

From US:
Over Japan and when Garuda. Over China or other SE-Asia hubs as example South Korea, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur with several options to Indonesia. Over Philippines and maybe Guam?

From Australia/New Zealand:
Over Bali or Jakarta. Quantas from several cities, Garuda fly from Sydney and Melbourne. Some more airlines available.

Garuda, Indonesia’s best airline has just now also started up a direct flight from Bali to Sorong, Thursday, Friday and Sunday for from 2,0 million IDR. But no direct flight on the return, only by a stop in Makassar.

It’s possible to avoid huge Jakarta completely and fly direct to Makassar from Kuala Lumpur (Air Asia and Batik Air) or from Singapore (Batik Air and Scoot/Singapore Airlines). Stay at a hotel in Makassar (the Ibis Budget airport hotel is less good, noisy!). Or better stay 2 nights in close by Rammang Rammang, see FAQ below.

NOTE! Makassar have the only morning/day flights further to Sorong (Batik Air 09:00 and Lion Air 10:50). Batik Air is little more reliable than Lion Air.

Or fly straight into Bali if possible as from Australia, Qatar and maybe also Europe? From Bali, Garuda has now 2 days per week a new direct night flight to Sorong from 2,0 million IDR but not any direct flight on the return.

Alternative is go by Garuda, Citilink, Batik Air, Lion Air by Makassar from Bali or Jakarta. Continue with Batik Air or Lion Air from Makassar to Sorong. Same for return. Longer and more stops, probably more expensive. Check this up as nice if you want to stay in Bali and/or Makassar as Rammang Rammang a couple of days.


Another alternative is fly from Singapore to Manado (Scoot/Singapore Airlines) and it’s an early morning flight further to Sorong (Lion Air 07:00, NOTE sometimes been cancelled) after staying a hotel night there. Manado is also a good place for a longer stop as they have tourist destinations around Manado.

A last different alternative is to go by Moluccas on the way to Sorong. From Jakarta and Makassar you can fly direct to Ambon. All are night flights except one expensive morning flight by Garuda from Jakarta to Ambon. From Ambon there is a short afternoon flight by a propeller plane further to Sorong by Wings Abadi Airlines under the Lion Air group. So a different stop is possible here around Ambon or maybe go to Banda Islands, the famous “Spice Islands” that is very beautiful. When we talk about a longer stop but please check its season so the ferries goes to Banda Islands first!

Instead of make a stop in Jakarta we really recommend a stop to recover and get climatized in the amazing Rammang Rammang karst mountains, the worlds third biggest karst area on land (after China and Vietnam) that is close and perfect on the way to Sorong. It’s only 45 min to 1 h from Makassar airport (UPG). Plus you get also the advantage to get the only morning/day flights further to Sorong. So no second red eye flight to Sorong as all other alternatives. Make a long stop enough for exploration/recovery as at least 2 nights there. Maybe paddle a local colourful canoe (peadle boat) on the small river between the huge karst mountains and the many rice fields?
Or do trekking in the area or just relax after the long trip?
Google Rammang Rammang and check the reviews on Tripadvisor for Rammang Rammang Ecolodge.
You can check the blog we made about it here.

See more in above FAQ, “Is it possible to avoid the huge Jakarta airport and big city?”

Many participants take the direct night flight from Jakarta by Garuda, Batik Air or Pelita Air (new, cheaper) that fly out just after midnight, 00:10, 00:30 and 00:50.
NOTE: It’s the next day’s date to book!

Less participants take the 1 stop flight over Makassar with Batik or Lion Air as they also start after midnight and have a stop of around 2 hours in the middle of the night in Makassar is not so fun even if it’s a little cheaper.

All these flights are so called “red eye flights” and after making a night flight from Europe or US you could arrive very tired to Sorong.

So we recommend a stop on the way, maybe in Jakarta or maybe fly via Makassar during the daytime and stay there at a hotel or at Rammang Rammang area and experience more of Indonesia? Plus you have the only day flights further to Sorong?
Read more in above FAQ “Do you have a recommendation of a better stop on the way to Sorong?”

From Makassar airport (UPG) there are two morning flights further to Sorong Batik Air 09:00 and Lion Air 10:50. And you know you can fly direct to Makassar from the hubs Kuala Lumpur or Singapore?
See more on above FAQ: “Is it possible to avoid the huge Jakarta airport and big city?”

Garuda, Indonesia’s best airline has just now also started up a direct night flight from Bali to Sorong, Friday and Sunday for from 2,0 million IDR. But no direct flight on the return, only by a stop in Makassar.

It’s also an early morning flight available from Manado to Sorong (Lion Air 07:00, NOTE has sometimes cancelled!). Possible after staying a hotel night there.

We have a very good recommendation of make a stop on the way to Raja Ampat to avoid the terrible red eye night flights from Jakarta to Sorong and go by only morning flight to Sorong instead. Try to get time adapted instead of the opposite! You could even avoid busy boring Jakarta and fly over Kuala Lumpur, KL, or Singapore which could be cheaper, especially at Christmas time. So you can fly to Sorong and not pass Jakarta. See above FAQ “Is it possible to avoid the huge Jakarta airport and big city?”

Another alternative is to fly to Denpasar, Bali and from Bali fly to Makassar and from there continue to Sorong. Or go direct to Sorong from Denpasar, Bali to Sorong by the new Garuda night flights 2 days per week but there is no direct return. So you can also avoid Jakarta by flying straight to Bali and not only over Kuala Lumpur, KL, or Singapore. You could check that too. There could also be an option flying from Manado to Sorong. Manado in North Sulawesi have now flights again from Singapore. Manado had earlier international flights some airports in China and maybe Japan. But we think most of them are gone now.

Jakarta has both direct night flights to Sorong (cheapest new Pelita Air) and non direct night flights with one stop in Makassar late at night. Only red eye flights to Sorong from Jakarta. No morning or day flights from Jakarta.

There are four alternatives to get from Singapore to Sorong:

  1. Singapore-Jakarta-Sorong (last leg direct night flight or 1 stop in Makassar) Many airlines both international, Singapore/Scoot airlines or Indonesian airlines, if one airline the whole way but at least 1 stop in Jakarta, Garuda or Batik Air
  2. Singapore-Makassar-Sorong, first Singapore/Scoot or Batik Air airlines, later Batik Air or Lion Air. Have to stay one night in Makassar, a nice retreat from the airport 45 min-1 hour. If one airline goes the whole way but 1 stop in Makassar, Batik Air. Shortest and recommended alternative, see more below
  3. Singapore-Manado-Sorong, first Singapore/Scoot airlines, later Lion Air. Not bad but could be more expensive and 0700 flight from Manado so have to stay one night in Manado.
  4. Singapore-Bali-Sorong, many airlines both international, Singapore/Scoot airlines. Or straight to Bali if possible as from Australia, Qatar and maybe also Europe? From Bali, Garuda has now 2 days per week a new direct night flight to Sorong from 2,0 million IDR but not any direct flight on the return. Alternative is go by Garuda, Citilink, Batik Air, Lion Air by Makassar. Continue with Batik Air or Lion Air from Makassar to Sorong. Same for return. Longer and 2 stops, probably more expensive. Check up but nice if you want to stay in Bali.


Domestic flights don’t have to be booked long time in advance as prices are more stable. A good site we use for see all available flights and airlines at the same time with same prices as individual airlines have and that has better service is:

https://en.tiket.com/ 

That is also available in English. You can also book flights from Kuala Lumpur or Singapore there. Another similar website is:

https://www.traveloka.com/en-id/

This website our Indonesian team uses the most. Tiket.com has good service as they even called up a Swedish participant when a flight was changed. This many Indonesian airlines don’t do even if you made the booking at their own site. For example, Lion Air has terrible customer service and are very difficult to reach.
Some participants also have problem buying the airline tickets direct at the domestic airline websites. If so try Ticket.com or Traveloka.com.

Garuda is the safest and most reliable Indonesian airline but also the highest price. Garuda is the only Indonesian airline approved to fly into EU aerospace. The low price airline of Garuda, Citilink is also OK but is not flying to Sorong. Starting prices for Garuda are IDR 3,600,000.

Batik Air is Lion Air group’s premium airline and they are a better rated airline than Lion Air even they are in the same company group. We use Batik Air ourselves. Lion Air is a low price airline that sometimes have cancelled flights. Starting prices for Batik Air are IDR 2,899,000 and Lion Air at IDR 2,600,000.

As of 3rd December 2023, Pelita Air has opened a new route from Jakarta-Sorong with night flights every day of the week. They are also the cheapest option starting from IDR 2,599,000. The company is under Pertamina group, the huge oil and gas company of Indonesia so it should be rather good. They have new planes, keep the schedules but the food on the planes is less good.

Yes you are allowed to carry 1 liter in your cabin luggage on domestic flights (1 unopened bottle of liquor, wine as long it is sealed and within 24 hours from the time of buying. Plus 4 liters in your check in luggage).

Arrival info

You don’t need much cash unless you are drinking a lot of beer and buying many souvenirs. Almost everything is included in the price for the 2-week trips. So with one ATM withdrawal of 2,5 million IDR you manage well for the start of the trip.

There are many reliable ATMs in Sorong that work with Visa and MasterCard. You should use ATMs that give you 100 000 IDR bills, with a withdrawal of maximum 2,5 million IDR. Make sure that there is a sign stating 100 000 IDR. The ATM will work in English when you enter a foreign card. Our guides can assist you if you need help. You can also withdraw money in ATMs in Jakarta or Makassar.

There is the 4-star Swiss-Belhotel  where you can get the smallest Deluxe room option for roughly IDR 900.000 (prices may fluctuate depending on demand and different booking sites). Swiss-Bel has a swimming pool and a very good breakfast buffet. The hotel is close to us and the ferry.
NOTE if you arrive early morning you cant check in until maybe 12:00 as normal is 14:00. Checkout is 12:00 but they maybe could be nice and let you stay 1 or 2 hours more. Early check in is possible for half room price but can only be ordered at the reception the same day. If you return to the hotel after the trip you can store extra luggage there.
Google “Swiss-Belhotel Sorong”. We can help you book the hotel room and we also offer a Sorong package with all taxi transports, hotel, all meals and activities. See in our price information.

You could also stay in our own guesthouse, the “Bamboo House” for 300 000 IDR per night and person including breakfast. If you only want a day room before the trip start or after the trip ended we charge 150 000 IDR per person.
We have small bedrooms with comfortable IKEA mattresses at bunkbeds and AC in a new 2 floor house. It’s in a quiet area high up on a hill. A small jungle outside with different tropical fruit trees and many pineapple plants plus also jungle sounds over the night! We have banana plants on the back and 2 balconies with some sea view. Including breakfast and one shared toilet/shower plus outside sinks on each floor.

We have at 1st floor, big entrance, 2 office rooms, 1 kitchen, 1 dinner room. We have at 2nd floor, 1 small kitchen, 1 all room and 4 guest rooms. 2 bedrooms are for 2 or maybe 3, as 2 of the bunkbeds has a draw out bed with same IKEA mattress in these 2 little bigger rooms. So these could take 3 persons but it’s a little tight. We have one smaller bedroom for 2 persons and one family bedroom for 4 maybe 5 persons if take in one extra bed, with one extra room outside and a huge balcony. All on our 2nd floor.

A low budget place nearby is the Misool Hostel for 150 000 IDR per person and 24 hours. They have 4 up to 6 beds rooms with AC but no windows. It’s shared toilets and shower rooms in the corridor. The rooms are also shared but you likely get your own room as the hostel often is very little booked.
Google “Misool hostel” and you find them on Instagram, Facebook, Google etc. They have a nice small café with drinks, some fried chicken dishes and a very good Italian style ice cream bar there! Just down the hill from our guesthouse.

Of course there are other places to stay at in Sorong as the new Aston hotel and the nearby Fave hotel (both close to the airport) but we have picked these three options for convenience as its close distance to the ferry.

If you need taxi from/to the airport and any of these accommodations we have a driver, Abdul. He is good English speaking and he could pick you up or leave you for the normal taxi price of 100 000 IDR and in cash only.

You can visit the Sapta Ratna Pagoda Buddhist temple (IDR 10.000 entrance fee), visit Pasar Remu market, see the fishermen sell their catch at Pasar Jembatan Puri (Jembatan Puri Market) and visit the mangrove park.

West Papua is relatively safe for foreigners, especially in the city like Sorong. There can be moments of unease in certain times of the day especially above 10pm so we don’t recommend you to go out walking past 10pm.

In Misool you need not worry about your safety as it is very safe and we don’t meet many people on our trips.

In both places the locals, especially children might call out to you and maybe even go up to you for a little chat.

If you feel uneasy you can always tell us. We’ll be your bodyguards :)

West Papua and Indonesia in general (aside from Aceh) is not a very strict Muslim area. Female participants don’t have to cover more than at home, and our Muslim kayak guides are used to ”Swedish nudity” already. Please do not change clothes and expose yourself on the boat or at the beaches. Bikini/shorts are ok while camping and in Sorong normal summer clothes are fine just like at home.

In Sorong we use yellow taxis for transport. The local transportation apps Gojek and Grab also work if you have them. We can assist you in getting transport from the airport to your hotel.

The ferry to Misool departs once a week on Monday at 10 pm and arrives at the port in Yellu at 7 am . But at times it may be delayed due to weather. On the ferry you can purchase snacks and drinks.

The ferry might stop operations during new years but we can hire speedboat for the transport to Misool.

We have a couple of options for homestays in Misool.

Homestay to choose in 12/5 days Medium trips

  1. Low budget homestay
    1. Overwater bungalows with fans only in Inner archipelago, Yapap homestay, closer to Yapap area. Restaurant over the water. No beach/no land as all on stilts!
    2. Alternative overwater bungalows with fans only in Inner archipelago, Yamini homestay, closer to Dafalen area Restaurant over the water. No beach/no land as all on stilts!
    3. Alternative homestay on an Island closer to Yellu village (ferry from/to Sorong), Binomat homestay. Has a beach with sand but a little swampy as also mangroves around. Good coral reef outside the very long jetty. One big main building with 8 rooms with 2 beds each with its own toilet/shower. Only fans in the room.
  2. Medium budget homestay with AC bungalowsSmall AC bungalows over water in the Middle archipelago, Nut Tonton homestay. Restaurants on land and they have small beaches. Currents/waves sometimes around the small island so better snorkeling in the Island chain crossover by boat (extra cost)
  1. High budget homestay with bigger rooms and AC
    1. More fancy high budget AC bungalow rooms on land in the outer islands homestay, Panun Paradise Island homestay (our base) is maybe the most beautiful homestay island in Misool. A turtle beach island there they go up and lay eggs that later hatch etc. Also some peaks to hike and you can walk over to the other side of the island with 2 beaches (further one may need a machete!)
    2. More fancy high budget AC bungalows over water in the inner islands homestay, Lalelkai homestay. It’s also possible to take instead a room in their big main building with 6 rooms with bunk beds. Shared toilet/shower. Shared AC unit between the rooms. Low budget rooms. Lalelkai have their own dive center but no sand beach and less good possibility to walk around the island. Restaurant over the water.

NOTE! Lalelkai has sliding prices and this is the price for 2 persons, if single occupancy is more expensive.

We have partnered with a local boatman for transports within Misool in their longboats. The costs for transport are covered in the trip prices, but there are additional fees for additional uses of the boat.

Equipment

Some of the things you should bring are:

  • Clothes
  • Your personal toiletries & medicine
  • Hat & Sunglasses
  • Gloves
  • Snorkeling gear
  • Headlamp
  • Water bottle or pouch, preferably more than 1L but not bigger than 2 liter pouches if fit our PDF’s external pouch.
  • Coral and marine safe sunscreen (no Oxybenzone, Octocrylene, Octinoxate, Parabens, Nanoparticles)
  • Coral shoes and flip flops

Dry fit clothes are best, preferably long sleeves to protect against sun and jellyfish. It is also recommended to wear leggings for the same reason. It’s also important to bring a hat and sunglasses.

For footwear, water shoes like KEEN water shoes (Newport H2 best) work for the entire trip. Our guests also bring coral shoes too, though we’d recommend bringing sandals for the camp and homestays and shoes for the jungle.

In the camp and for sleep you can wear a t-shirt and shorts for comfort. But we recommend using longer sleeved and long pants for the jungle to reduce the risk of mosquito bites.

For kayaks we have Point 65. Whisky 16 Tourer, Doubloon tandem kayaks, and XO17 tandem kayaks. We also have SUP now!

We also have different types of paddles.

  1. Point 65 Super Tourer
  2. Point 65 Super Tourer II
  3. Point 65 Nigel Foster GS
  4. Gearlab Akiak Inuit paddle
  5. Epic Mid Wing paddle
  6. Kajaksport Sea Touring
  7. Werner Sprite paddle
  8. Aqua Bond Sharkie paddle

We also have pumps, PFD, kayak covers, spray skirts, paddle leash, seat pads, among other things.

Read more details about Equipment here.

Handling of equipment
Kayaks must not be dragged through the sand or rocks. When landing on a beach they must always be lifted. Paddles should not be slammed against stones or be used as a stick to get the kayak free floating. Ask for help instead as breaking equipment is expensive!

Yes, we can lend you drybags, gloves (limited), hats among other things. Just ask us before or during the trip and we’ll let you know if its available. We ask you to be responsible and take very good care of the equipment lend to you.

Trip conditions

Misool has its own localized weather patterns, so it can be difficult to predict exactly how the weather will be like.

Read more about the weather here.

We have breakfast usually around 7 or 8 o’clock. The homestays start serving breakfast at 7 o’clock. Get ready to kayak, sit in a kayak or boat around 9 o’clock or 9:30 if we move accommodation.

Kayak to lunch at around 12 o’clock but we have already made several stops as peak hikes, cave walks, walk to jellyfish lakes, or admire several highlights from the kayak etc. So it’s not kayaking all the time as we use the kayaks to explore like using a bike in a new city! So we make many stops in the kayak on the water or on the shorelines etc. We can also connect the kayaks and jump in the sea from the kayaks for snorkelling!

We have a large cockpit room in the kayaks where you can exercise the legs while kayaking. Or you put the legs on deck to get another position for your body etc.

At 12 o’clock a long lunch is normally 2 hours at a beach stop or a jetty. If we do good snorkelling we also do that at lunch. So say it’s one hour from the time we arrive to all having eaten lunch, after we go to rest or do activities such as walking or snorkelling (if possible).

Back in kayaks at around 2 o’clock. So again we go by many highlights or island stops so not continuous kayaking. Kayak to latest 5 o’clock, normally to 4 o’clock when we arrive back at our camp or homestay.

Dinner at 7 o’clock. Social talk after and in some evenings night kayaking around 1 hour at 8 o’clock.

Go to bed at 9 o’clock or stay up longer and be social!

It’s not 2 to 3 hours non stop kayaking before lunch and 2 to 3 hours non stop kayaking after lunch.

The only day that it’s more kayaking is the second paddling day of the long supported trip and when you can step up in the boat after lunch approx half way if it’s a boat supported trip. But it’s a long cave walk in the middle of the paddling before lunch and after lunch it’s possible to go by boat or make several beach stops if you talk to the guides.

The unsupported long trip has 3 longer distances at the end of the trip of up to 25 km per day. It’s paddling day 6, 8 and 9. The participants should be stronger and more adapted towards the end of the trip and it has also worked for beginners in the last season. It’s also a lunch break with a long stop these paddling days.

Anyone can join our trips! Even beginners never sit in a kayak before.  With the use of tandem kayak with a friend or partner it’s even easier. We also adjust the trip to suit your level and as we have several guides we can adapt for several levels. If no friend or partner you can also use a tandem kayak with a guide! Kayaking is a low intensity activity like walking so you don’t need to be in a great shape.

You can read a review on Tripadvisor here of an intermediate paddler who had her stepmom who was a beginner on a long and unsupported trip and it worked!

Our kayaking trips works very well for families and if the children are younger it works well with the use of tandem kayaks. We have had many families making our kayaking trips, most so far made long trips but also our medium trips are of interest. It will be a very amazing adventure for the whole family as we adapt the trips. We also make special trips for families. Here you can read some Tripadvisor reviews from 2 families earlier making trips with us:

Activities during the trip aside from kayaking include snorkeling, trekking, hiking, village visits, caving and SUP boarding.

Read more about the Trips on our Trips page.

A supported trip is where you are supported by the boat, especially during the transport days where the boat will bring all the stuff between the accommodations.

An unsupported trip is where we have no boat support. This means we have to carry all our equipment and provisions for the trip in the kayaks. This also means simpler camping, longer distances and little sower kayaks.

See more under each kind of trip what the difference is of the boat supported and the unsupported version.

Connectivity & Power

Some homestays now offer Starlink satllite wifi for a price. As for the ferry, they do not offer wifi.

There is a good signal in some villages and the largest 4G/LTE mast gives some coverage South of the island chain we kayak in. But we paddle almost only on the North side of the island chain where the mountains take away the signal. And the bandwidth is limited so rather bad capacity all the time. In Panun the signal is working but with a much lower capacity. The network is often down for hours up to several days sometimes so it’s not even possible to make calls and send text messages.

Over 90% we are in signal shade or in the outreach of the signal during our kayaking trip. There is a signal in Panun, the 2 peaks we hike and during the 2 village visits.

Now some homestays offer Starlink satellite internet for a price. But for mobile internet it is limited to the villages and the surrounding area.

For SMS, participants in the short trip are able to send 1 SMS throughout the duration of the trip. Long trip participants get a quota of 2 SMS for the entire trip. If you’d like to send more than the allotted quota it is 1 USD per SMS.
For now no calls are possible with our satellite communication.

Yes. They can contact you through our ZOLEO satellite system. Here are the numbers:

Millekul ZOLEO 1: +3197032403651
Millekul ZOLEO 2: +3197032403652
Millekul ZOLEO 3: +3197032403661
We will notify your family of the number used during your trip.

The homestay we use during the trips has a generator between six o’clock in the evening to at least six o’clock in the morning. The voltage is 220 V. There is also electricity in the cabin on the night ferry.

Yes you can charge your mobile phone or cameras that support USB charging during the camping as we have a large power bank in each tent with USB A ports. So no need to bring your own power banks.

You can charge drone batteries during the night at the homestay we stay at. You can’t charge drone batteries while camping.

Accommodation

We provide Hilleberg tents that fit 2 people, inflatable Exped mattresses complete with pillows, pumps, and silk sheets for comfort, up to two fans per tent with a power-bank, a footbowl for cleaning your feet and a brush.
As for hygiene during camping we will provide Separett separating fan toilet and simple toilet. Washing stations with soaps for hands and eating utensils are also provided among other things. We also have shower bags filled with fresh water bathing during camping at the beach and in the jungle we will bring a scoop so you can bathe using the fresh and cool water from the river. During camping you can only use eco friendly soaps and shampoos, which we provide.

Read more about our toilets here.

Yes, it is possible but limited by availability. Please do tell us in advance so we can book the rooms and pack the tents accordingly. If not then for the tents it is a shared tent for two people and the rooms are also shared in the homestay with one room or double room bungalow fitting up to four people. For your own cabin at the ferry it’s an additional cost of 500 000 IDR to Misool and back if an AC cabin.

If you are doing the Long and Medium start trips you will begin in Panun Homestay. In Panun breakfast and lunch will be provided by the homestay and you can expect an Indonesian breakfast (usually rice, fried noodles and eggs) with some cakes and fruits on the side, and for the dinner it will be a more robust meal where you can expect fish (grilled, fried and/or stew),  squid, vegetables, soup and rice as it’s not a meal without rice in Indonesia.

When we are in the Inner archipelago homestays during the middle of the Long trip and start of the Short and Medium end trips, the breakfasts are provided by us. We provide cereal, granola and muesli with milk. To complement the breakfast we also serve freshly baked cakes.
For dinner the homestay provides the meals. The dinners will be comprised of fish, vegetables and rice.

We use Lyofood for lunches

You can arrange diving trips at all homestays but you need to book a dive master prior to your stay.

Food & Drink

Cooked food (most of the time breakfast and dinner only as we are out paddling in between) and drinks in the homestay are provided by the homestay.

During camping and when out paddling we provide freeze dried food from Lyofood – the highest quality food from a small family company.

Read more about Lyofood here: www.lyofood.com – external link.

We also provide an assortment of fruits, snacks, beverages (coffee, tea, and milk) during the trip.

The drinking water comes from the best water plant in Misool which is on par with the best filtered drinking water quality in Sorong. Before every trip we order a couple of gallons based on how many guests there are, so you need not worry about lack of water on the trip.

Lyofood is a brand of freeze dried food made in Poland. It is made with 100% natural ingredients and has a long shelf-life despite not having any preservatives. There are organic dishes, vegan and vegetarian, lactose free or gluten free dishes too. They are healthy, lightweight, and fast to prepare making them perfect for our trips. All you need to do to prepare the food is; open them, take the oxygen absorber packet out, add water according to specifications, stir and then wait for 10 minutes.

Read more about Lyofood here: www.lyofood.com – external link.

During camping we eat Lyofood for breakfast, lunch and dinner, which might get a little boring so we often prepare fruits and boiled eggs to complement our breakfasts and if we first always try to get fresh fish from fishermen for dinner. If there are no fish we have Lyofood.

In the homestays you can expect to eat a lot of fish prepared in many different types of ways with rice as the main carbohydrate. They also provide different types of vegetables so you can expect to eat a healthy and balanced meal. In addition to that, for breakfasts in the homestay we provide a western breakfast consisting of cereal and granola with milk and juice, boiled eggs and fruit.

You will also get hard-bread with tubed cheese and salami for snacking anytime.

Snacks like chips and biscuits are already included in the trip so you won’t have to buy more. Though if you’d like to bring more that’s up to you.

Yes, you may at additional cost. We can buy the beverages before the trip if you request it. We also have cooler boxes that we can fill with ice to keep the beverages cool throughout the trip, also at additional cost of buying and transporting the ice from the villages.

You have to tell us in advance, but yes. Lyofood has vegan/vegetarian options for their meals and some are gluten, lactose and allergen free so we can pack your meals accordingly, and we can ask the homestays if they could cook vegan/vegetarian dishes or not include some common allergens like peanuts.

In the homestays, yes. During camping, while we do bring some spoons with us, it is highly recommended that you bring your own cutlery.

Yes, you can except in the homestay areas. You can only catch and release there. Half of our single kayaks have a fish rod holder so you also can do trolling while kayaking at deeper sea.

Health & Safety

Minimum recommendation of vaccination are hepatitis A+B and have a Tetanus inoculation or check up if a booster is necessary. The new dengue vaccine, Qdenga could also be recommended if you can get it in your country. We have had 2 cases of dengue during our kayaking trips but it was a long time ago. Last case was 2019 and after that nothing. Eventual go for a Japanese encephalitis even Raja Ampat is a low risk area it is confirmed in the area.

We have never had a case of malaria contracted on our kayaking trips (over 350 participants and guides made trips since 2017). The only resort in Misool which has been running since 2008 with several hundreds of guests per season has also never had any malaria cases. But malaria is endemic to Papua. We recommend that you always sleep under a mosquito net, wear light-coloured clothing, cover up during evening and early morning hours, and use an insect repellent if necessary (we have one natural and very effective mosquito repellent included in the medium and long trips). As for malarial prophylactics, we suggest you consult with your doctor.

We provide first aid kits and a big medicine bag with medicines taking what we encountered so far since 2017. So a lot of antibiotics, cream, wound care, skin and earchannel helping medines and aftersun.

But if you do have any personal or specific medicine that you need please do bring them.

As we will be doing our activities out in nature, on the water, you can expect there to be some wildlife that may pose a threat to us on the trip. For instance, there are jellyfish, poisonous amphibians, insects like mosquitoes and ants, and sea snakes that are commonly spotted on our trip. For the most part they are easily avoided as most of them are not aggressive and will only attack when aggravated.

We have eco friendly insect repellent to ward of insects (only included for medium and long trips).

And yes, there are saltwater crocodiles in Misool, especially on the mangrove bays and river mouths of the mainland but we and the locals have not seen them in the area where we do our trips.

Yes, everytime we go out we bring hot water and vinegar for jellyfish treatment. We also bring burn aid for relief.

During our season in Misool we don’t get huge swells and a lot of the time we are paddling in closed off and protected areas. There might be some moments for example during some crossings that we have to make where there is the potential for some strong currents and swells. In that case, the guide will take a safer route, or you can request a boat transport when we are at a beach if using the boat supported trips.

Sustainability

As our team is composed of people who love nature we aim to be as sustainable as possible and reduce our impact on the environment.Making efficient use of the boat transports, reducing the usage of single use plastics, using biodegradable items whenever possible (this includes our soaps, shampoos, sunscreen and insect repellent which are all environmentally friendly), cleaning up the sea and beaches when possible are among the things we do to ensure a sustainable and environmentally friendly trip.

When snorkeling we do not touch any animals or corals.

When kayaking or walking during low tide we avoid the corals and when walking we only step on sand, rocks or dead coral.

When caving we do not leave anything inside and do not touch any active forming stalagmites and stalactites.

When snorkeling in the jellyfish lake we make sure we don’t have any sunscreen or any type of lotions on us. We also avoid the use of fins and make sure we swim as gently as possible as to not harm the jellyfish.

Gifts & Tipping

Tipping is not mandatory. But, if you are happy with the service of the guides and the experience you had. The guides will be happy with 1 million IDR each and you can tip as low as 800 000 IDR. For kayak assistants and boatmen the half and 250 000 IDR  to homestay staff and boat assistants. But there are no fixed amounts that you should tip the team. Just tip as you see fit.

You can gather all the tips and give it to the main guide and he will divide the tip.

It’s optional but recommended to bring gifts for the children when visiting the village. The teachers mentioned that they need books, especially children’s books in English because they still have a lack of English education in the villages.

Misc

No, we do not rent or lend out any equipment outside of booked trips.

No, we do not offer day trips. The only types of trips we offer are on the website.

Read more about our Trips here.

You can put your bags in our guesthouse.

We do not arrange diving trips but we can help arrange contact with dive guides.

We have already tried our best to ensure the best prices for our guests, especially compared to our competitors (that have 100 EUR or more per kayaking day). But we can assure you that this trip is definitely worth taking.

You will see things here that are unique or hard to find in other places. The pristine water, diverse underwater life, colorful corals, the flocks of birds hunting, the very rare stingless jellyfish lake, are among the things that make this trip worth it. Not only that, but our guides are also great companions on your trip. You will find that we will forge a good bond between each other as the trip progresses. We often part as friends with a lot of our guests!

We say these things not just because we want you to come here (well, we do, but that’s not really the point) We say these things because we believe that we will give you a trip that you will look fondly back on. An adventure of a lifetime!

Did you not find what you were looking for?

If you don’t find the answers you’re looking for, or if you need more specific information, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly. Our dedicated team is always eager to assist and ensure that your experience with us is nothing short of amazing.

Short trips

Kayaking in Misool’s  inner Archipelago of karst castles, towers and coral wonder.

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medium start trips

Kayaking on the majestic outer archipelago and its stunning lagoons, snorkel the best corals.

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Medium End trips

Kayaking in the karst labyrinths of the inner archipelago and the lush jungle of Misool.

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Long trips

Kayaking on the whole length of Misool’s inspiring chain of islands and the great jungle.

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Advanced trips

Challenge yourself Island hopping and camping in the South Island chain of Misool.

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Private & Customized trips

Adapt our normal trip according to your group’s interest or plan an entirely new adventure.

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