Whenever you want to travel to Raja Ampat, there is a big change you’ll have to spend a day in Sorong. In this blog I’ll share some of my favourite things to do in Sorong in 2024 (scroll for my 10-page Sorong Guide to the end).
In case you didn’t know yet; hi my name is Nienke aka Nona Holland and I’ve been living in Raja-Ampat, West-Papua since May 2023. I like to share how I experience life in Indonesia, as well as sharing all the tips & tricks I have about travelling to the so-called ‘Last Paradise’! In this blog I explain how I ended up living in Raja Ampat.
But back to my Sorong Favourites & Sorong guide first:
Sorong is the capital city of the province of West Papua, the province where Raja Ampat belongs to. In Sorong you can find the Domine Eduard Osok (SOQ) airport which is the gateway to Raja Ampat.
Due to flight & ferry schedules (the ferry goes both to and from Raja Ampat at 9 am and 2 pm) there is a big possibility you’ll have to spend one day in the ‘city of oil’ (Kota Minyak). And if you start looking for information online, you’ll see there is not so much to find about Sorong.
From my personal experience I would suggest to stay 1 night only; more is not needed. However, me and my Indonesian boyfriend do enjoy spending time in Sorong every month. So let me share my favourites!
Visit one of the local markets for the local experience
Visit the local market Pasar Boswesen. This might be a bit overwhelming (there won’t be many tourists around) but in my opinion, visiting a local market always shows a lot about the local, daily life. If you want to see the fish market I suggest to go early, even before 6 am. Otherwise you might miss out on the catch of the day. Next to food (I love all the tropical fruit variations!), you can also find tons of clothes and souvenirs at the local markets.
Get to know more about the Papuan culture at Rumah Etnik
You can find Rumah Entik Papua 15 minutes from the ‘center’ of Sorong. Here can you learn more about the traditional Papuan culture. And if you feel like it you can even dress-up in the typical Papuan clothes. Entrance is around 20.000idr if I remember correctly: dressing-up was 85.000idr per person. We had so much fun doing this!
Have delicious food after a week of rice and fish
After a month of (mostly) rice and fish, I can’t wait to dig in into good food! As both Rio and I are foodies, let me share some of our favourite:
- Eat Pizza at Pizzeria Terrazza: Pizza has never tasted better after your Raja Ampat diet!
- Enjoy your final fresh seafood meal at Republic Seafood (it is so good and always busy!!).
- Try the best ‘Mie Ayam Surabaya‘ ever as a true local.
For the ladies: get pampered in one of the salons!
You can’t compare Sorong to Bali: it is not the city to find many spa’s or salons. However, every once in a while I like to get a facial at Angel Clinic Sorong. This is much needed as the sun is SUPER strong in West Papua, and all the snorkelling and diving does not any good either.
At Angel Clinic you can go for a mani or pedi or get a massage. I haven’t tried the massage yet, however I will try it out next time I visit Sorong again! Of course I’ll share my experience afterwards.
Hang out at the rooftop of the Rylich Panorama Hotel
So the Rylich Panorama hotel is our absolute favourite hotel (and we stayed in 4 of them so far). Not only because of the incredible staff, but mostly because of the nice facilities! The hotel has a really nice rooftop area which a nice pool & even jacuzzi’s. Rio always likes to spend time in the huge gym (this is a proper gym guys!) and if you feel like it, you can even go for Karaoke in the hotel.
In case you feel like staying at the Rylich Panorama Hotel: send them a message and tell them Nona Holland forwarded you for a nice discount 😉
Looking for more information and/or inspiration?
I wrote a 10-page Sorong City Guide that includes ALL my favourites (more food & hotel options!), how to get around the city, how the ferry to and from Raja Ampat works etc.
For only 7,95 EUR you can save yourself a lot of time (and money!); no more endless hours researching online.. and FINALLY a Sorong Guide that is written by someone who spent more then 24-hours in the city. (Sorry I had to say it: this annoys me a lot if I’m brutally honest).
You can buy it HERE
Happy travelling!
xo Nienke / Nona Holland
