IslandToursTravel

Backpacker routes

Deck class, homestays and the long way round

The cheapest way to see the most water. Local ferries, village beds and overland connections — with the parts that go wrong written down.

Corridors

Routes people actually travel

Flores → Ambon

Labuan Bajo, Maumere, Kupang and the Pelni network east into Maluku.

3–5 weeks$32 / day

Palawan → Visayas

El Nido to Coron by expedition boat, then ferries through Panay and Cebu.

3–4 weeks$28 / day

Malay Peninsula east coast

Perhentians to Tioman on buses and slow boats, mostly car-free.

2 weeks$25 / day

Gulf of Thailand loop

Night boats between Tao, Phangan and Samui, then west to the Andaman.

2–3 weeks$30 / day

Worked example

Getting to Raja Ampat on a budget

One island, every leg costed. Sample data for this preview.

Fly to Sorong, cross to Waisai on the public ferry, then a village boat.

16–24 hours from Jakarta · $180 – $320

  1. Jakarta (CGK) → Sorong (SOQ)

    Duration:
    6–11 hrs (usually via Makassar)
    Cost:
    $120 – $220
    Frequency:
    Several daily, most overnight
    Tickets:
    Airline websites and local agents

  2. Sorong Airport → Sorong Harbour

    Duration:
    20 min
    Cost:
    $4 – $8
    Frequency:
    On demand
    Tickets:
    Pay the driver, agree the fare first

  3. Sorong Harbour → Waisai

    Duration:
    2 hrs
    Cost:
    $10 – $14
    Frequency:
    Usually twice daily, around 09:00 and 14:00
    Tickets:
    Ticket window at the harbour, cash, on the day

    Miss the afternoon boat and you sleep in Sorong. It does not wait.

  4. Waisai → Your island

    Duration:
    30 min – 3 hrs
    Cost:
    $25 – $90 (shared) / $150+ (private)
    Frequency:
    Arranged by your homestay or resort
    Tickets:
    Booked in advance directly with your host

    No scheduled service. Nobody comes to get you unless you arranged it.

Cheap islands

Where $30 a day still works

Raja Ampat

West Papua, Indonesia

Raja Ampat

The most biodiverse reef system on earth, four days from anywhere.

$–$$$$$ChallengingOct–Apr
El Nido

Palawan, Philippines

El Nido

Limestone cathedrals and hidden lagoons, backed by a very busy town.

$–$$$$$Easy accessNov–May
Perhentian Islands

Terengganu, Malaysia

Perhentian Islands

Cheap diving, clear water, no roads and no hurry.

$–$$$Easy accessMar–Oct
Siargao

Surigao del Norte, Philippines

Siargao

Surf island turned island-hopping base, still mostly coconut palms.

$–$$$$Moderate accessAug–Nov (surf) / Mar–Jun (calm)
Koh Tao

Surat Thani, Thailand

Koh Tao

Where half of Asia learns to dive.

$–$$$$Easy accessFeb–Apr / Jun–Sep
Banda Islands
Hidden

Maluku, Indonesia

Banda Islands

The original spice islands. A volcano, a colonial harbour, and almost no one.

$–$$$ExpeditionOct–Nov / Mar–Apr
Derawan
Hidden

East Kalimantan, Indonesia

Derawan

Turtles, jellyfish lakes and a stilt village off Borneo.

$–$$$Hard to reachMar–Oct
Togean Islands
Hidden

Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

Togean Islands

A long, awkward journey into the middle of the Gulf of Tomini.

$–$$ExpeditionMar–Oct
Malapascua

Cebu, Philippines

Malapascua

Dawn dives with thresher sharks, then nothing else to do at all.

$–$$$Moderate accessNov–May
Tioman

Pahang, Malaysia

Tioman

Jungle mountains straight out of the South China Sea.

$–$$$Easy accessMar–Oct