Reviews of TABARI DIVE LODGE

My wife and I recently stayed at Tabari Dive Lodge, and it was nothing short of magical. The lodge is tucked away in a quiet, peaceful location with its own private beach, offering the perfect escape from the hustle of everyday life. Every meal was exceptional—fresh, flavourful, and beautifully prepared. Our fist meal the evening we arrived was grilled stuffed King Prawns!! One unforgettable detail: while dining, we watched black-tip reef sharks and moray eels gliding beneath us in the water, It was like dining in an aquarium. The staff went above and beyond. When my wife wasn’t feeling well, they brought her meals to her in bed and even made her a soothing homemade ginger tea. Their kindness and attention made all the difference. Special thanks to Bridget, the owner, who was always around and ready to help with anything we needed. Her warmth and hospitality made us feel truly at home. As for the diving—absolutely world class. We experienced so many unforgettable moments, including a giant manta ray that hovered above us—a true bucket list moment! Even snorkeling just off the beach was incredible. We genuinely loved everything about our stay. If you're looking for unspoiled beauty, amazing marine life, top-notch service, and unforgettable diving, Tabari Dive Lodge is the place to go. We’re already planning our return! We stayed at the Swiss Belhotel before and after Tabari, it's a perfect transit hotel, clean and convenient. Here is the WhatsApp number for the taxi we used in Sorong. He meet us at the airport, took us to dinner and waited for us. Also picked us up at he ferry and took us to the airport at 6am, super nice guy. +62 812-8935-5038

The rooms are very open so bring a eye mask unless you are ok with waking up at 6am every morning.

Everything: From the food, the staff, the room, the vibes and knowledge about the reefs

NOTHING ! Everything was just perfect

The staff was very nice and helpful. The dives, dive guides and equipment was all good. The food was amazing, lots of different foods and just very tasteful. The view from the whole place was great and we loved the reef sharks under the restaurant. The hut was nice and comfortable!

Nothing to dislike, just remember you are on a small island with nothing around. If you want to do something you have to arrange it with the owners and they will be happy to help.

Every single thing at Tabari was perfect. Staying there was a real pleasure and definitely beyond any expectation. Brigitte, Jeff and their team welcomed and treated us in a very loving way that we felt like home all the time. All excursions were very well organized, the team very supportive and helpful during the under water sessions. They goal was to accommodate us make sure that every excursion is a blast. The home stay is lovely. Very intimate. The island itself is beautiful and the premises are very comfortable. You can definitely see that they put lots of effort to build this home stay. We were seeing baby sharks around the lodge many times per day. About the food, we had different meals and lunchs everyday and the food was absolutely delicious. Thumbs up to the chef. Even one day, we asked for a special meal and they cooked it for us. It was also nice to have French crepes for breakfast. We spent quite some time discussing with Brigitte, Jeff and the team and they are all very nice. It was a pleasure. I can’t believe that this is over, but definitely it’s a place I want to come back. Thanks for everything.

Absolutely nothing.

Amazing place - really good Service (rooms made every day, helpful with every little request). Bungalows locations are great, bed and mosquito nets perfect, owners super friendly and helpful. Also the divemasters are really good, passionate and great at finding critters. Oh ab the food is really beating all expectations you have when going to Such a remote place. We really loved our stay there. We miss seeing Baby sharks daily!

A bit more furniture in the big Bungalows to put Staff would be nice.

The food, views, and amazingly kind people make Tabari a must stay location.

Be prepared for cold showers in brackish water. Everything is always a little bit damp and sticky.

Beautiful island with a very friendly host. Brigitte takes good care of everything. Good food, clean bungalow

On low tide it is difficult to get to the housereef and/or to get to your transfer boat

I deeply admire Brigitte, the founder and manager of Tabari Lodge. After spending a month in Raja Ampat, I realized how challenging it is to run such an exceptional lodge in this remote region. Raja Ampat is remote, truly remote. nothing ever works as planned so what you find in Tabari Lodge is outstanding. In Tabari Lodge, It's not about luxury but dedication and effort, which Brigitte and her team excel at. We stayed for a week and loved the stunning views, beautiful atmosphere, and the thoughtful design of the rooms, the wonderful bar and the restaurant. We enjoyed quiet moments doing yoga on the jetty, snorkeling around the island, and diving with the wonderful team. Evenings filled with music, guitar, and dance made our stay unforgettable. It's truly a beautiful piece of paradise.

The property is located on a beautiful secluded island, but otherwise, the property itself is very poorly maintained. The living conditions were unacceptable. The only other positive aspect is the staff - Yollanda and her staff were as helpful as they can be despite everything.

We booked for 8 nights but only stayed for 4 nights before deciding we had to leave. Several key problems : 1) bed bugs! - the bed and linens were moist and clearly never changed for some time. They all had bed bugs and our group had over 20-30 bites just after our short stay. 2) the hut / room were unbearably hot despite leaving the door wide open. Fans were available but given the lack of electricity to charge them, they were basically useless. On rainy nights, the ceiling also dripped water. It was better to just sleep outside. 3) electricity - understandable that power is not on 24/7 on these islands. However during our stay, the power was only available sporadically at best. And while it was available, our sockets caught fire (more than once!). 4) meals - food provided were limited to small portions of few vegetables and some meat only

Outstanding Place for nature lovers with an amazing housereef and excellent Management resp. staff - we will come back!

We totally loved our stay at Tabari. The location is extraordinary on a remote island, and the attention to detail is clear as soon as you arrive on the jetty. Brigitte and Jeff are the most fantastic hosts, making sure all the guests feel at home. Their team is really lovely, attentive and have good positive energy. The bungalows are really well maintained, and so are all the facilities. The food is fantastic, there are delicious French crêpes or omelettes in the morning, fresh fruits on the table at all times, local fresh fish every day, freshly home baked cakes for dessert… Brigitte is always here to ask everyone if they need anything and it has been a joy and a privilege getting to know them as well as all the other guests. I had a severe ear infection and Brigitte went the extra mile organising my medication to be picked and delivered from Sorong when it wasn’t available anywhere else around Waisai. The excursions are also really well organised. We spend months doing research looking for this kind of owner-run place, and we were so happy to discover this gem :) we feel so lucky that we were able to stay here given this place is usually fully booked well in advance. Thank you Brigitte and Jeff and all the team at Tabari!

Brigitte and the staff are amazing, they do the best to make the guest happy. Food is excellent and the diving guys are professionals and funny. Merpati island is small with a good variety of corals and fish, including baby sharks around the jetty. The bungalow is spacious and cozy, just on the beach.

The lack of hot water to make the shower really bothers after some days.

We just spent 7 days at Tabari Dive Lodge and definitely recommend this accommodation. Many thanks to Brigitte for making us feel so welcome, so at home. The atmosphere was lovely! We stayed in the 'family' bungalow and it was very comfortable. Nights can be hot (no AC but a small fan is provided). All the meals were delicious, handmade, and portions were very generous (breakfast is made of eggs + fresh crepes + fruits). The divemaster and his team were very friendly, patient, and organized. The diving equipment is in great condition. It takes only an hour from Wasai with the private boat. All dives were very unique, and we loved the excursions Brigitte organized for us to Le Passage and Piaynemo.

Everything! The island, the bungalows, the food and most of all the people!

Gorgeous views, amazing staff, sharks always on at the homestay, delicious food for all meals of the day and great dive sites, captains and team, will return

We liked that the restaurant and communal areas were set up so it was easy to talk to other guests, e.g. one or two big tables in the restaurant. The room was spacious and had an en suite bathroom, and a large decking area to sit out on. We were also provided with a fan at night which was nice. Brigitte helped in dealing with any minor issues we had during our stay, along with other requests we had, which was appreciated. They have a high ratio of dive masters per diver (often 1/2 people per dive master), which we appreciated too.

The food was generally tasty, although we would have preferred more vegetables. The meals were sometimes too carb-heavy and breakfast is just pancakes, crepes, and a small omelette. Sometimes the portions for lunch/dinner could be a bit on the small side, and the meals were often served late. Although some fruit is always available for people to take as they wish. Our room was next to the generator, and the smell of fuel wafted into our room, and it could be a bit noisy. We asked to move but no other rooms were available. Another resort we went to was running entirely on solar power, which could be an improvement for Tabari in the future. A couple of times in the morning we had no water in our bathroom, as the staff had forgotten to fill up the water tank, but they sorted it when we asked. The water in the bathroom was also salty. Also, the water pressure in the shower was quite low, and it just had a small amount of water coming out. We asked if it was broken but were told they were all like this. The reef on the other side of the island is quite nice, but the beach there has rubbish around which isn’t cleaned up.

Everything was wonderful. No words can describe how amazing this place is. Brigitte and her staff were so nice. I was sick when we arrived. So they took care very well and provided help all the time. The food was extraordinary. It was the best we had in 2 month in indonesia and of course the best of Raja Ampat. The island is a lovely place. The room and community area was filled with hospitality and lots of attention to detail (flower bucket on the bed when we arrived etc.). We did not want to leave this place. We will definetly come back. It was the best place we have ever been, and we have been to many places. We also did diving during our stay. It was very well. We dived with Like and Olen. They were bery knowledgable and showed us even the smallest and best hidden animals.

Nothing! Everything was extraordinary.

The location is everything. As soon as you arrive you fall in love. Top that with nice bungalows, good food, and kick-ass diving. What’s not to like? Special thanks to divemaster Like, who was amazing to dive with. And Brigitte for her amazing hospitality. Look no further when searching for a stay in Raja Ampat.

Expect a brackish shower. It’s fine if you set your mind to it.

We stayed at that incredible place for 9 nights Tabari is quite a precious discovery in Raja-Ampat area. It is on Pulau Merpati, a tiny island. It takes about an hour to get there from Waisai by a speedboat only. The trip like that will take for about an hour. Brigitte and Jeff, and their incredible team make the stay of their guests unforgettable and comfortable. Tabari means: - family-like environment away from the civilization - daily shark feeding - mind-blowing sunsets - picturesque house reef with turtles and other sea creatures - exquisite French / Indonesian cuisine - diving guided by careful and experienced staff at various sites - marine trips to neighboring islands - sounds of exotics birds and tides - Milky Way in the night sky, which one cannot tear their eyes away. The electricity is available in the morning and evenings; when it is on, the internet by Starlink works like a swing. The bungalows are cozy with the WC and shower. The real gigantic shell is adapted as a wash basin. There are canopies over beds. There were on almost no mosquitos during our stay in late July. At times you can spot some little cute geckos in the bungalow, they hunt insects. There is a hammock on the verandah of a bungalow, so it is nice to chill there enjoying the view. Room cleaning is on the daily basis. Bath and beach towels are provided, which is very comfortable. Meals are served 3 times day at the large table with all the guests seated round, then it is nice to discuss with other guests what has been seen and experienced during the day. We felt at ease like in a real family. Tea / coffee, cookies and some fruit are available at the kitchen during the day. The house reef is magnificent, very vibrant, diverse, soft and stony corals, many sea creatures! Bridget carefully organizes transfers from Waisai and back, she can agree upon a taxi from the ferry to Sorong airport, she is a helping hand with all the issues.

It is worth going there in spite of limited electricity / the internet, no AC and always cool and salty shower in the bathroom. But you are to know what you are striving for while going there.

Excellent location, very peaceful on a small, quiet island. The staff and owners were brilliant, the food was good and the excursions available every day meant you could choose to chill on the island or head out to snorkel/dive in the day and see the beauty of the area. The diving was incredible, Like and Spaniel were great guides on all the dives and Matteo a great captain. They made every day a really fun experience.

Not that we didn’t like anything, but be prepared for the shower as when it has not rained in a while it can be salty as expected so just bring a good conditioner.

You find yourself on a small island surrounded by corrals. Because of the common tours and meals, the ambiance is like a family run guesthouse. However the exceptional food and daily cleaning gives the idea of a resort (bear in mind the modest price you pay), I am a snorkeller, but have joined enough dive excursion worldwide to recognize the professionaly of the divemasters. By all means it is obvious the place has a westener management. which is a plus compared to other, similar accommodations in the area. Great value for money.

We had such an amazing time here. Raja Ampat is one of the most expensive areas to stay in Indonesia. Tabari was great value for your money.The yummy french/Indonesia cuisine was such a nice change from other places we have stayed in Indonesia. Bridget and her staff were so friendly and looked after us so well. There are only 6 rooms which were lovely.Having no air conditioning was no problem as there was always a lovely breeze. Diving was exceptional and the house reef was healthy. Highly recommend this place and would love to go stay again.

I think it will be very hard to get a booking as there will be many returning guests.