Raja Ampat is inside the CDC's malaria listing. Sunset is the hour to cover up.
- CDC Level 2 Zika in Indonesia (Bali only, not Raja Ampat)
- Travel clinic CDC recommends medicine or vaccines for some areas · which ones
The CDC lists malaria prevention medicine for all of eastern Indonesia, and Raja Ampat is inside that area, liveaboard routes included. Southwest Papua logged 5,692 confirmed malaria cases in 2026 through late October. The malaria mosquito bites from dusk to dawn, so homestay evenings and beach landings matter more than the dives.
Yes. Every part of Raja Ampat, from Sorong's port to the Kri and Gam homestays and the liveaboard routes, is inside the area where the CDC lists malaria prevention medicine for Indonesia. Dengue is present but low in this corner of Papua. The hours that matter most run from sunset to sunrise.
Malaria: the CDC lists medicine for all of eastern Indonesia
Raja Ampat now belongs to Southwest Papua, which Indonesia's Ministry of Health reports as its own province and the CDC's list doesn't name. The listing opens with "All areas of eastern Indonesia," though, and that takes it in.
The CDC's recommendation. Its Indonesia page places malaria transmission in "All areas of eastern Indonesia (the provinces of Maluku, North Maluku, East Nusa Tenggara, Papua, and West Papua)," and for these areas lists "Atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine, tafenoquine." Book a travel-medicine appointment 4–6 weeks before departure, bring the plan night by night, and say you'll be diving. Which medicine, if any, fits your health and route is the clinician's call. Our malaria-zone checklist covers the rest.
Local numbers back the listing. Indonesia's Ministry of Health early-warning system logged 5,692 confirmed malaria cases in Southwest Papua in 2026 through late October, alongside 6,221 in West Papua and more than 150,000 in Papua province. The ministry said in April 2022 that no regency or city in Papua or West Papua had yet eliminated malaria.
Homestays, boats and the hours after sunset
Malaria mosquitoes bite from dusk to dawn, so the evenings decide most of your exposure. The homestays on Kri, Gam and the other Dampier Strait islands tend to be wooden or bamboo huts on the beach, usually with a bed net and electricity only in the evening. Tuck the net under the mattress and keep it closed, leave the room light off after dark so it doesn't draw insects in, and wear long sleeves and trousers on the veranda and the jetty.
Liveaboards tend to anchor offshore, where a breeze keeps mosquitoes down. The bites come on beach walks and village landings, so put repellent on before every trip in the tender and wear treated sleeves on deck after dark.
In Sorong and Waisai, the day-biting Aedes mosquito adds dengue. The early-warning system logged only 301 suspected cases across Southwest Papua in 2026 through late October, one of Indonesia's lowest provincial counts. Repellent goes on over sunscreen in the morning and again after dives. Our dengue & Zika routine has the full schedule.
The rest of the list
The CDC says "There is elevated chikungunya risk in Indonesia," though Southwest Papua logged almost no suspected cases this year. The Zika notice covers Bali, not Papua. Ask about Japanese encephalitis vaccine if you'll sleep in open huts. The CDC suggests considering it for shorter trips that include "staying in places without air conditioning, screens, or bed nets." Yellow fever vaccine is not recommended, and you don't need proof on a direct trip from the US.
When to go
Most visitors come roughly October to April, when the seas tend to be calmer, and many liveaboards leave for other regions around June to September. Rain tends to fall in every month, and the CDC's malaria listing names no season, so the routine applies whenever you go.
Where you're going
Sorong
The gateway airport and main liveaboard port, inside the CDC's malaria listing. Day-biting dengue mosquitoes work the town, so put repellent on in the morning and again before an evening near the harbor.
Waisai
The regency capital and the ferry landing from Sorong, with dive operators and bungalows. Pack repellent for every beach outing, and cover up from sunset.
Kri & Gam homestays
Beach huts that tend to come with a bed net and evening-only power. These nights are the main dusk-to-dawn exposure, so keep the net tucked in and closed, and raise Japanese encephalitis vaccine at the clinic if the huts are open-sided.
Liveaboards
Boats tend to anchor offshore, where a breeze keeps mosquitoes down. Beach and village landings bring the bites, so put repellent on before every trip in the tender.
Starting in Bali, or adding Komodo? The Bali & Indonesia briefing and the Komodo briefing cover those legs.
The Raja Ampat kit
- Picaridin 20% travel sprays: odorless in the heat, layers over sunscreen and goes back on quickly between dives. One 3.4 oz bottle covers about a week of daily use for one person.
- Permethrin 0.5% for evening clothes: treat a long-sleeved shirt and light trousers at home 48 hours before you fly, for the deck, the jetty and the veranda. Fabric only, never skin.
- A light bed net as a backup in case a homestay net is torn.
What travelers report
Paraphrased from two TripAdvisor reviews, one from a homestay on Gam and one from a liveaboard trip out of Waisai, and linked so you can read them in full. Neither is dated.
- Aldejus Homestay, Besir (Gam Island) · sunset and breakfast
A guest advised keeping the bed's mosquito net closed at all times, not switching on the room light because it fills the room with bugs, and bringing repellent, since insects were numerous at sunset and sometimes even at breakfast. TripAdvisor ↗
- Jaya liveaboard (via Scuba Republic, Waisai)
A liveaboard guest's tips for the trip included packing insect repellent for the beach outings. TripAdvisor ↗
One more rule outlasts the trip. Any fever during or after your trip, even months later, means a doctor visit, and you tell them you were in Papua. Dengue usually shows up within two weeks; malaria can take longer.
Traveler questions
Do I need malaria pills for a Raja Ampat liveaboard?
The CDC's listing covers "All areas of eastern Indonesia," and Raja Ampat is inside it, liveaboard routes included. For these areas it lists atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine or tafenoquine. Sleeping offshore doesn't take you out of the listing, and the trip starts in Sorong, the gateway town. Which medicine, if any, fits your health and route is a call for a travel clinic, made 4–6 weeks before departure. Our malaria-zone checklist covers the rest.
Are liveaboards or homestays better for mosquitoes?
Liveaboards tend to have the edge. Boats tend to anchor offshore, where a breeze keeps mosquitoes down, and the bites come on beach and village landings. Homestay huts sit on the beach, so sunset on the deck is the exposure. On either, put repellent on before sunset, wear long sleeves after dark, and sleep under an intact net or in a closed cabin.
Does Bali's Zika notice cover Raja Ampat?
No. The CDC's Level 2 Zika notice is about Bali: "Cases of Zika are being reported in returning travelers from Bali, Indonesia." It doesn't cover Raja Ampat or any part of Papua. If your trip includes Bali, the notice applies to that leg, and pregnant travelers should read it before booking.
What should I tell the travel clinic?
Bring every night of the route, from Sorong and Waisai to each homestay island or the boat, plus any Bali or Jakarta stop. Say you'll be diving and ask which option suits you, and mention open-sided huts so the clinician can weigh Japanese encephalitis vaccine. Book 4–6 weeks before departure, since malaria medicine starts before you arrive.
Sources
Health authorities, surveillance reports and news coverage of official bulletins used for this briefing, last checked October 2026. Traveler reports are linked where they appear. This page summarizes public-health guidance and is not medical advice.
- CDC destination page for travelers
- CDC Travel Health Notice
- surveilans.kemkes.go.id
- kemkes.go.id
- metrotvnews.com
- infopublik.id
- World Health Organization
- World Health Organization
- World Health Organization
- World Health Organization
- bali.antaranews.com
- rri.co.id
- detik.com
- World Health Organization
- thestar.com.my
- rri.co.id
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- Peer-reviewed study (PubMed Central)
- Peer-reviewed study (PubMed Central)
- kemkes.go.id
- kemkes.go.id
- kemkes.go.id