Sorido Bay Resort, Raja Ampat

Diving at Sorido Bay Resort

Sorido Bay is operated by Papua Diving, a PADI 5-Star Dive Resort and one of Raja Ampat’s pioneering dive operators. The diving schedule includes three guided boat dives per day, usually two in the morning and one in the afternoon, with optional dusk or night dives. The dive service operates six days a week from Saturday evening to Friday afternoon. Saturdays are the resort’s ‘off-gas’ and equipment-drying day before Sunday departures, with no boat activities until 18:00, although guests can dive or snorkel from the jetty in a buddy team. Certified nitrox divers receive free nitrox, PADI courses are available, rental equipment can be hired, and dive insurance is mandatory. 

The resort is a particularly good choice for photographers. Papua Diving promises a 3:1 diver-to-guide ratio, and the resort has camera stations in the rooms as well as the Raja Ampat SEACAM Center. The house reef and jetty give guests additional unguided diving opportunities, while Sorido Bay also offers blackwater diving. Dive boats carry practical safety equipment including life jackets, GPS, compass, tool box and mobile phones. 

Cape Kri lies just metres from Sorido Bay, one of Raja Ampat’s most famous sites known for the record number of fish species recorded on a single dive. Nearby sites in the Dampier Strait include Blue Magic, Sardines and Manta Sandy, while trips to The Passage, Fam, Wai, Hidden Bay and Batanta are also possible, giving divers access to reefs, channels, pinnacles, mangrove systems and manta cleaning stations. The resort operatoes year-round, with October to April considered prime season and water temperatures usually around 28–29°C.

Diving in Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat’s diving is split between the northern Dampier Strait region and Misool in the south. Sorido Bay sits in the northern heart of Raja Ampat, where nutrient-rich currents, dense fish life and spectacular coral growth define many of the best-known sites. Around Mansuar Island and the Dampier Strait, divers can explore Chicken Reef, Sardine Reef, Batu Lima, Blue Magic, Cape Kri, Manta Ridge, Manta Sandy and Arborek Jetty. North of the strait, Waigeo and Gam offer sites such as Mayhem and The Passage, where tidal flow supports soft corals, sea fans and mangrove-fringed reefs. 

Further south, Misool is known for dramatic ridges, pinnacles, soft corals, manta rays and sites such as Boo, Fiabacet and Magic Mountain. Across Raja Ampat, divers can encounter healthy reefs, schooling reef fish, manta rays, reef sharks, wobbegongs, pygmy seahorses, soft corals, walls and pinnacles. North Raja Ampat can be dived year-round, while southern areas are generally best from September to July.

Learn more about diving in Raja Ampat on the ZuBlu site here.

ZuBlu’s dive travel experts will help you create the ideal package at Sorido Bay Resort, including your preferred room type, diving, excursions, equipment rental, transfers and any special requests. Share your travel dates, group size, diving experience and budget, and we’ll recommend the best options for your trip.

We’ll also help with practical travel planning, including flight routes, arrival timings and resort transfers, making sure your itinerary works as smoothly as possible from start to finish.

Once you’ve finalised your plans, your travel expert will put a complimentary hold on your preferred room and send a final quote that includes accommodation, meals, diving, transfers, rental equipment or excursions. This quote will also show any extras paid in advance or at the resort - there are no hidden fees - as well as a payment schedule and cancellation terms and conditions.

Your booking is confirmed once the required deposit, or full payment when necessary, has been received.

After confirmation, your dedicated guest concierge will take over and assist with flight routes, transfers, any personal information required by the resort, and questions about your reservation. They are there to make the entire process as straightforward as possible.

Ready to start planning you trip? Speak to a travel expert now.

Looking for some more information about dive resorts in Raja Ampat? Dive into our guide on the ZuBlu site here.

Getting there

The nearest airport is Domine Eduard Osok Airport in Sorong (SOQ). Guests can fly into Jakarta, Bali or Manado, then connect domestically to Sorong before joining the resort transfer to Kri Island. Sorido Bay’s boat transfers run between Sorong and Kri Island on scheduled arrival and departure days, with free scheduled transfers included for standard package bookings of at least seven nights. 

Standard arrival and departure days are Sundays and Wednesdays. On Sundays, the transfer boat is scheduled to depart Sorong at around 09:30. On departure, the boat is scheduled to arrive back in Sorong at around 09:00, and guests should not book onward flights before 10:30. Wednesday transfer timing can depend on total guest numbers and should be checked before flights are booked. Transfers are not provided on Saturdays, and non-standard arrival or departure days may require a private boat charter.

Other activities

Non-divers and snorkelers have plenty to do around Sorido Bay and Kri Island. Snorkelling is possible from shore and from the jetty, with guided snorkelling trips also available. Guests can use kayaks and stand-up paddleboards, join half-day or full-day excursions around Raja Ampat, take part in birdwatching trips, walk along Kri Island’s beach at low tide, explore jungle trails, or book a treatment at the Healing Hut. Saturday activities are more limited, but the Red Bird-of-Paradise tour is available in the afternoon, with proceeds supporting local guides and village initiatives. 

Good to Know

• WiFi – Available in lounge areas and guest rooms; the satellite connection is suitable for email and some video chat but is not guaranteed to perform like broadband.
• Mobile coverage – A Telkomsel SIM with data is recommended as a backup connection, though reliability can vary in this remote location.
• Electricity – 24-hour generator power is provided.
• Plug type – 220V round two-prong European-style plugs are used, with 110V outlets available at Sorido Bay Resort.
• Payments at the resort – Incidentals can be paid in cash or by Visa/Mastercard; a 3% credit-card processing fee may apply.
• Currency – Cash payments are accepted in Indonesian rupiah, US dollars and euros; cards and bank transfer are also accepted.
• Time zone – Raja Ampat and Kri Island operate on Eastern Indonesian Time, GMT+9.
• Marine park fee – All visitors must pay the Raja Ampat marine park entrance fee; foreign visitors are charged IDR 1,700,000 and children under 12 are exempt.
• Dive insurance – Mandatory for divers; short-term DAN cover can be arranged on arrival if needed.
• Minimum stay and transfers – Free scheduled boat transfers apply to standard package bookings of at least seven nights.