Where Are We?
We are located approximately 30 nautical miles from the town of Kaimana in the Indonesian province of West Papua, previously known as Irian Jaya, on the western part of the island of New Guinea. Our location is indicated on the Google map above. Triton Bay is one of three regions that comprise the Bird’s Head Seascape (the other two being Raja Ampat and Cenderawasih Bay), which is now considered by marine biologists to be the epicenter of the Coral Triangle and which contains more fish and coral species than anywhere else on the planet.
International & Domestic Flights
Currently the best route to Triton Bay is to fly via Jakarta to Kaimana (KNG), West Papua. You can also fly from Bali but expect to transit at least 2~3 times.
There are now 140 countries whose citizens do NOT have to apply for a Visa before arriving into Indonesia if they are planning to stay for 30 days or less. (See https://www.bali.com/visa-indonesia-entry-requirements-bali.html for details). If you need to apply for a Visa on Arrival (now USD 35 effective July 3, 2014), or if you wish to stay in Indonesia for more than 30 days, you should apply for a visa before you travel, or pay for a visa on arrival as you enter Indonesia. This type of visa is valid for 30 days, and can be extended once (for a maximum of 30 days) by applying to an immigration office within Indonesia. Look for VOA counter as you enter the terminal building but before immigration.
Flights to Kaimana originating in Jakarta usually depart around midnight and arrive in Sorong or Manokwari in the morning. From these two places it is a short flight to Kaimana.
If you arrive into Jakarta early the same day and don’t want to spend time in Jakarta itself, you may want to check into an airport hotel to relax a little before your onward journey. We recommend the Airport Hotel Jakarta due to its convenient location upstairs from the arrival gate. If you stay there, they can arrange the transfer to the domestic terminal for you. Another option is the FM7 Resort Hotel Jakarta which is also close to the airport and they also arrange transfers. Reservations can be made online using the following sites: www.jakartaairporthotel.com or www.fm7hotel.com or www.hotels.com or www.agoda.com. Alternatively, if you choose not to check into an airport hotel or head into town, stay in the international terminal as long as you can as the restaurants and facilities are better there.
Check-in for the domestic flight with Lion/Batik Air is usually from Terminal 1. Flights with Garuda are depart from Terminal 3, however do double check with your airline for your departure terminal as this can change. Allow plenty of time for transiting between terminals. There is now an airport train that runs between terminals. We recommend flying into Kaimana on either Friday or Saturday in order to benefit from our scheduled Saturday pick up and drop off over to the resort.
For those that have not yet experienced the Indonesian way of flying with Excess Luggage, the check in desk in Jakarta will give you a note which you will need to take to the Lion Air/ Garuda Indonesia Excess Luggage window to pay. You will need Indonesian Rupiah (IDR). Once you have paid they will give you a receipt that you take back to the same check in desk and then you will receive your tickets. Don’t queue up again! Just head to the front of the line. There is no longer a separate domestic airport tax – this is now included in your flight tickets.
On arrival into Sorong or Manokwari, even though you already appear to have an onward ticket to Kaimana, you will need to go to the small transit desk between the luggage hall and transit lounge. Here they will take your original ticket and give you a new one. Then make your way to the lounge passing through security again. For the short flight to Kaimana the space for your hand luggage is very limited and they may ask you to put your bag in the back of the plane as you board. Just tell them it is fragile and hopefully they will treat it a little more carefully or allow you to take it onboard. There will not be a tag/label on your bag so when you disembark you should wait and they will hand it back to you before you head to the terminal building.
On Arrival into Kaimana
You will be met by a member of the Triton Bay Divers team who will assist you with your luggage. A car will transport you to our boat. Although the boat is covered, you may want to have sunscreen and sunglasses on-hand. Sit back, relax, and take in the beautiful scenery. If you are lucky you may even see a pod of dolphins, or catch a glimpse of the resident Bryde’s whale population which are local to the area. Depending on the weather conditions you may also have an opportunity to view the ancient rock art near Namatota Island. The boat journey to Triton Bay Divers takes approximately 2 hours so we recommend you take a bathroom break either on your flight over to Kaimana or at the airport on arrival, as there are no toilet facilities on the boat unfortunately. At the resort you will be welcomed with a refreshing drink and some well deserved lunch!
Although we try to provide the most up-to-date information that we have on local flights, the airlines regularly change flight schedules at the last minute so please try to be as flexible as possible with your international connections. Booking an overnight in Sorong or Jakarta on your return flight is advisable.
Flight Changes - October 2020 Update
As with everywhere else in the world, the pandemic has created a huge impact on flights to Kaimana. Lion Air/Wings Air is still showing regular flights arriving and departing Kaimana on Wednesdays and Saturdays for 2021 on their website. HOWEVER, as of this month (October 2020) flights have been changed to Mondays and Wednesdays so there is a possibility these changes will carry through to 2021. Lion Air will not announce their final schedule for any given month until the first week of that month, so it is impossible to know now what the schedule for 2021 will be. We are closely monitoring flight schedules and will update this page with information as it becomes available, and transfer days for the coming season will adjust accordingly.
