Raja Ampat sets the global benchmark for marine biodiversity. And at the heart of it, on the edge of the legendary Dampier Strait, sits Kri Eco Resort. Built in 1994, this was the first dive resort ever opened in Raja Ampat. The local Papuan owners designed it using traditional methods and materials, employing village craftsmen to build the overwater cottages. The result feels authentic rather than polished, which suits the setting.
The location explains most of the appeal. From Kri Eco Resort, you reach Cape Kri in minutes. That is the site where Dr Gerry Allen once counted 374 fish species on a single dive, still a world record. Melissa's Garden lies close by, a shallow slope of staghorn coral and soft corals that glows in the morning light. Blue Magic, a manta cleaning station, sits within easy boat range. Sardines Reef, where hunting sharks and pelagics work the current line, is another regular stop. The house reef itself holds blacktip sharks, turtles, and schooling jackfish, all visible from the jetty.
Diving at Kri Eco Resort follows a simple, effective rhythm. The standard package includes 3 guided boat dives per day, plus an optional night or dusk dive. Nitrox is free for certified enriched air divers. The dive centre operates 6 days a week, Saturday is a rest day for the boat crew and guides. No boat diving, but the jetty stays open for unlimited unguided shore dives. The diver-to-guide ratio runs at 3 or 4 to one, which means your guide shows you the pygmy seahorses, the wobbegongs, and the camouflaged frogfish that less attentive groups swim straight past.
Beyond scuba, Kri Eco Resort offers a genuine connection to place. The local staff includes former shark finners and dynamite fishermen now working as dive guides and boat crew. That shift from exploitation to protection is visible on the reefs. Shark numbers are climbing. Coral cover remains high. Staying here directly supports that transition. The resort also runs a coral plantation program and trains local Papuans for Green Fins certification.
Accommodation comes in 3 overwater categories. The Superior Water Cottages share a bathroom. The Deluxe Water Cottages have ensuite bathrooms, a minibar, and a hairdryer. All cottages use local wood and nipa palm roofing, with balconies overlooking the strait. The dining area and lounge also sit over the water. Meals are buffet style, blending Indonesian flavours with Western staples. Water, tea, and coffee run 24/7. There is free WiFi in the lounge and restaurant; slow but sufficient for email and photos. Laundry is free. Kayaks and stand-up paddleboards are available at no extra cost.
Kri Eco Resort is not a luxury property. It is a comfortable, well-run, economy dive resort that prioritises access to the world's richest reefs over air-conditioned lounges. The trade-offs are worth it: your money goes further, your bottom time stretches longer, and your environmental impact sits lower. For divers who measure value in species counts, Kri Eco Resort makes perfect sense.
All cottages at Kri Eco Resort stand on stilts above the Dampier Strait. You sleep within earshot of lapping water. From your balcony, you watch blacktip reef sharks patrol the shallows below. The resort offers 3 categories, built in traditional Papuan style using local wood and nipa palm.
Deluxe Water Cottages (4 standard + 1 family): These enjoy private ensuite bathrooms and a bit more space. The family version holds 2 children comfortably. Positioned for sunset views across the strait.
- One king bed plus a single sofa bed (family cottage: king + two singles)
- Private bathroom with hot water shower, shampoo, conditioner, soap
- Hair dryer, minibar, safe deposit box
- Balcony with deck chairs, dressing table
- Ceiling fan, mosquito net, camera table with sockets
- Free laundry service, daily housekeeping
Superior Water Cottages (4 standard + 1 family): These sit along the beach, with shared bathroom facilities located a few metres behind each pair of cottages. Showers are warm, very welcome after a dusk dive. The family cottage adds an extra single bed.
- One double bed or two single beds
- Shared bathroom with western toilet and shower
- Ceiling fan, mosquito net, camera table with sockets
- Free laundry service
- Daily housekeeping
Papuan Water Cottages (2 units): These original cottages sit along the main jetty, built in the earliest days of the resort. Bathrooms are shared and use mandi facilities - a traditional dip-and-dunk shower that holds warmth well after night dives.
- Twin beds (can be pushed together)
- Shared bathroom with western toilet, shower, and mandi
- Ceiling fan, mosquito net, camera table with sockets
- Free laundry service
Kri Eco Resort does not position itself as luxury accommodation. The cottages are simple, well maintained, and appropriate for the setting. What matters here is the proximity to the water. You are never more than a few steps from a dive, a snorkel, or a quiet moment watching the tide turn.
The diving focuses on sites around the magnificent Dampier Strait, a region of Raja Ampat so good that liveaboards travel hundreds of miles for a day or so at the sites that are right on Kri Eco Resort's doorstep. There are 30 or so sites within a 10 km radius of Kri, including Cape Kri, Sardines, Manta Sandy, Blue Magic and Mioskon. Trips to more distant dive sites can be arranged at additional cost if requested.
The rhythm here is relaxed but purposeful. Boats depart the jetty at Kri Eco Resort between 7-8 am, depending on tides and the day’s chosen sites.
- Morning: 2 guided boat dives. The boat returns to the resort between dives. You get a proper surface interval back on land: grab a coffee, charge a camera battery, or simply watch the reef fish from the dining platform.
- Afternoon: 1 guided boat dive, usually after a relaxed lunch.
- Evening (optional): A sunset or night dive. The house reef alone makes night diving worthwhile, but boat night dives are available on request.
The schedule runs 6 days a week. On Saturdays, the guides rest. That doesn’t mean diving stops. Far from it. Saturday is when the unlimited diving package truly shines: you are free to explore the extraordinary house reef from the jetty as many times as you like. No guiding, no pressure. Just you and a buddy, exploring at your own pace.
Dive Type Options & What to Expect:
- Guided boat dives: Standard. Small groups, usually 4:1 guest-to-guide ratio. The guides know every current, cleaning station, and hiding pygmy seahorse.
- Jetty dives (unguided): Available any time, but particularly popular on Saturdays. Buddy teams only. Tanks (air and Nitrox) are free for package guests.
- Night dives: Offered as a fourth daily dive. The house jetty is excellent; boat night dives to nearby sites can be arranged.
- Fluorescence night dives: Available on request. Special lights make corals glow in psychedelic colours.
- Courses & refreshers: PADI courses from Discover Scuba Diving up to Advanced Open Water and Nitrox. Refresher courses are strongly recommended if you haven’t dived in over a year since currents here can be lively, and good buoyancy matters.
- Nitrox: Free for certified enriched air divers throughout your stay. If you’re not yet certified, the course takes half a day and pays for itself quickly.
Resort Diving Facilities:
Everything is designed to remove friction. You don’t haul gear. You don’t rinse and hang. You just dive.
- Equipment storage: Staff wash and store your gear each day. You collect it from the room each morning, ready to go. Secure, individual lockers available.
- Camera table & rinse tank: Freshwater tank with low-pressure hose. Dedicated table with power nearby.
- Tanks: 12-litre aluminium. INT (A-clamp) valves as standard. Nitrox tanks use DIN with an INT adaptor screwed in.
- Compressors & nitrox membrane system: On-site. Continuous supply of 28-30% nitrox.
- Jetty shower: Freshwater rinse after shore dives.
- Equipment rental: Full sets available (BCD, reg, wetsuit, computer). Pre-book to avoid disappointment.
- Weights & belts: Included in dive packages.
- Camera charging: 220V European plugs in rooms. Surge-protected strips available on request.
The boats are locally built fibreglass eco-catamarans (twin 40 HP) and faster speedboats for longer runs. Each carries a Wenoll oxygen kit, first aid, tool box, GPS, and a mobile phone. Ladders are diver-friendly. There’s shade, fresh water, and a dry bag for spares.
Safety & Emergency Protocols:
Remote location does not mean remote standards. Kri Eco Resort takes safety seriously, quietly and competently.
- Qualified medical staff onsite: not just first aid, but actual medical personnel.
- Emergency oxygen on every dive boat (DAN system, demand & constant flow masks) and at the jetty.
- First aid kits on all boats plus resort clinic.
- DAN membership mandatory for all divers. If you don’t have annual cover, you can purchase short-term DAN insurance at the resort on arrival.
- No decompression diving, strict NDL limits enforced due to remote location.
- Refresher policy: Recommended after 12 months without diving. Mandatory for divers with <50 logged dives who haven’t dived in 12+ months (dive manager’s discretion).
- Daily dive briefings cover currents, entry/exit, and emergency procedures.
- Satellite communication for medical evacuation coordination.
- Hyperbaric chamber location known to all guides. The nearest chamber is in Sorong, with evacuation protocols in place.
The genius of Kri Eco Resort lies in what it doesn’t try to be. You will find is a thoughtful collection of amenities that respect both your comfort and the surroundings. WiFi works in the lounge and guest rooms. Don’t expect fibre-optic speeds – this is a remote island, and the connection runs on satellite. But for emails, messaging home, and the occasional video call, it’s perfectly fine. A guest computer stands ready if you’ve left your own device behind.
Complimentary laundry service. Drop your things in the morning; collect them clean and folded by evening. No extra charge. There’s a small souvenir shop too. Useful for the inevitable moment you realise you want to take something home beyond memories.
Kayaks and stand-up paddleboards are free for guests, available any day of the week. Paddle out to the local sandbar at low tide. Drift along the coastline and watch kingfishers dart from overhanging branches. The water is calm, the current negligible, and the perspective from surface level is unexpectedly beautiful.
Snorkelling, of course, remains exceptional. The house reef alone holds schools of jacks, blacktip reef sharks, turtles, and the occasional bumphead parrotfish. Guided snorkelling trips to sites like Friwenbonda or Yenbuba Jetty can be arranged on request. Equipment rental is available, though bringing your own mask and fins is always more comfortable.
For those who prefer land beneath their feet, a jungle trek reveals coconut crabs the size of dinner plates, curious cuscus dozing in branches, and the low, laughing call of the rufous-bellied kookaburra. No need to go far, the island’s interior starts just behind the resort.
Saturday afternoon brings something genuinely special. The Red Bird of Paradise excursion departs at 3 pm, a short boat ride to a neighbouring village, followed by a 45-minute hike through primary forest. You stand in the understorey and watch as males perform their extraordinary courtship dance: a series of wing-flutters, head-tilts, and iridescent displays that seem almost choreographed.
For the truly dedicated, a Wilson’s Bird of Paradise trip can be arranged (minimum 2 days’ notice, any day except Saturday). The 4 am start is punishing. The payoff, witnessing one of the most elusive birds on Earth, is unforgettable. Binoculars are provided. Bring walking shoes.
Sunset is the unspoken daily ritual. The water bungalows face west. Grab a drink from the minibar and find a spot on the jetty. The sky turns shades of violet and orange. The strait goes glassy. A group of dolphins passes sometimes. Most evenings, nothing happens at all except the sun going down. And that’s enough.
Facilities at a Glance:
- Free WiFi in lounge and guest rooms. Guest computer.
- Complimentary laundry service. Drop in morning, returned same day.
- Kayaks (free). Stand-up paddleboards (free). Snorkelling gear rental. Guided snorkelling trips (extra cost).
- Jungle trekking (self-guided). Red Bird of Paradise excursion (Saturdays, donation-based). Wilson’s Bird of Paradise trip (pre-booked, extra cost).
- Massage services (book at reception).
- Small souvenir shop on-site.
- Lounge with book exchange and reading area.
At Kri Eco Resort, dining is straightforward and quietly generous. Meals that satisfy without weighing you down, flavours that comfort without boring you, and the flexibility to fit a schedule ruled by tides and air consumption.
- Breakfast arrives cooked and hot. Eggs any style, toast, fresh tropical fruit, coffee strong enough to wake you before that first morning dive. Alongside the usual suspects, you will find small Indonesian touches: a little gado-gado, perhaps, or nasi goreng for those who prefer savoury first thing.
- Lunch and dinner are buffet-style, served in the open-sided dining room built out over the water. The menu swings between Indonesian classics and international staples: rice and pasta dishes, fresh seafood, soups, salads. Nothing fussy. Everything satisfying.
- Snacks, fruit, tea, and coffee remain available throughout the day. Grab a banana between dives. Pour a coffee while you log your sightings. The kitchen doesn’t shut down between meals.
- Beer and soft drinks are available for purchase. The minibar carries sodas, fresh juice, and alcoholic options. Many guests bring their own spirits from duty-free. The resort has no issue with this, and the staff will happily provide mixers and ice.
- Tea, coffee, and drinking water flow freely, 24/7. No extra charge. No questions asked.
If you have serious dietary needs - coeliac disease, severe allergies, vegan preferences that go beyond the usual - you must advise the resort before you arrive. They will do everything possible to accommodate you. But they cannot perform miracles on short notice in the middle of the Dampier Strait. Send notice. Pack backup snacks if you are worried. And trust that the kitchen takes these requests seriously.
The dining area itself deserves mention. Built on pilings over the reef, it catches the morning sun and the evening breeze in equal measure. Mealtimes become social without trying: divers from different countries, different backgrounds, all connected by the shared exhaustion of a good dive. You will sit there, plate of ikan bakar in front of you, watching a turtle surface just beyond the jetty, and think: this is exactly how a dive holiday should feel.
