About

About Cove Eco Resort

Cove Eco Resort is tucked away on the northern side of beautiful Yeben Island in northwest Raja Ampat, roughly two hours by boat from Waisai. Due to this remote location, Yeben remains one of the best preserved parts of the entire area, making it the ideal location for an environmentally-conscious escape into nature. The private island is approximately 50 hectares in size and covers some seven-kilometres of coral reef, around three-kilometres of white sandy beaches, dense mangroves and tropical jungle.

This three-star eco resort features ten cottages with aircon built by local craftsmen from the neighbouring villages using sustainable natural materials. They are located along the beachfront and carefully arranged to cause the least disturbance to the surrounding nature. On average, the resort accommodates just 20 guests at a time, with an entire island to explore and find your own space. Cove Eco Resort aims to provide a home away from home in one of the last true paradises on earth, welcoming both divers and non-divers with open arms and helping them to create memorable moments together.

Explore the resort

During your stay, the resort’s chef will prepare fresh, tasty and unique meals that blend both Asian and Western flavours. Three meals are offered every day and the menu is regularly changed, ensuring no repetition over seven days. Barbecues of fresh local seafood are also organised regularly. Alcohol and soft drinks are available for an additional charge and guests are free to bring their favourite tipple with them.

Outdoor activities are the main pastime at Cove Eco Resort. Yeben’s reefs are great for snorkelers, with an amazing variety of fishes and coral, and can be explored from the jetty or from any beach. Guided snorkelling is also available on the house reef or at other locations with a boat. The resort also has a selection of glass-bottom kayaks which can be utilised on a first-come-first-served basis.

Guests can embark on a range of excursions throughout Raja Ampat, visiting areas such as Wayag, Arborek, Waigeo and the Fam Islands. Traditional Papuan dance displays are also organised regularly. On days when you’d prefer to take things easy, facilities such as table tennis and a pool table are provided. Wifi is available throughout the resort but connection can be slow due to the remote location

Diving from Cove Eco Resort

Cove’s onsite PADI dive centre is stocked with a range of high-quality and well-maintained Scubapro dive equipment. With all-inclusive packages, guests are provided with a mask, snorkel, fins and rashguard for the duration of their stay, with additional diving equipment available to rent. Non-certified divers don’t have to miss out, with the option of undertaking a discovery dive alongside a dedicated guide. PADI Open Water and PADI Advanced Open Water dive certifications are also offered.

A typical dive day at this resort starts around 8am. You will either enjoy two morning dives and go back to the resort for lunch, or conduct three dives followed by a picnic at a nearby beach close to the next dive site. The guides will always endeavour to show guests a new dive spot each time, so that you never return to the same reef twice. Divers are sure to enjoy this resort’s proximity to world-famous dive sites including Mayhem, Melissa’s Garden, Manta Cove, Yeben Shallow, Rufus Wall, and Manta Sandy. Plus, with a five-kilometre protected zone surrounding the island, these waters are incredibly biodiverse - the resort even boasts a ‘secret’ manta cleaning station.

Conservation

Cove Eco Resort aims to have a positive impact on the environment and community and strives to preserve and maintain the greatness of the Papuan way of life and the beauty of Raja Ampat. The team set up security patrols to deter dynamite fishing in the surrounding waters and have successfully worked together with local communities to enforce a “No Fishing Zone” which stretches for five-kilometres from the island. Having extensively cleaned the island and surrounding waters of rubbish left behind by irresponsible locals and foreign tourists, Cove Eco Resort now provides guests with free reusable water bottles to reduce single use plastics.