Rao (Incorrectly mentioned as Bau on Google Maps) is an Island located near the coast of North Halmahera, Indonesia. Featuring untouched forests, waterfalls, coral reefs and vast beaches. Only one hour and fifteen minutes from Morotai Airport, the island is a wonderful destination for travelers interested in nature, bird watching, surfing, snorkeling, diving, and at a more authentic look at Indonesia, from one of it’s more secluded parts.
Homestays at Rao
There are a total of fourteen homestays in Rao at the village of Posi-Posi (On Google Maps), with 5 homestays having direct beach access, and 9 others within the village. Prices per-room, per-night vary between IDR 150,000 to IDR 270,000 (In rooms with Air-Conditioning) [USD 8-16 / EUR 7-14]
Each of these Homestays have their own owners and contacts that you may find in the Homestays page. For more information and regarding any bookings you will have to contact the owner directly via WhatsApp.
Nature and Exploration
The Island of Rao, while only being at the size of 60,06 km², has a lot to offer in its nature, you can visit areas with dense forests, waterfalls and old mangroves using local guides that can be found within the villages at Rao. You can also arrange a guide by discussing with the local village head Junsman (+62 821-1460-5224).
Some of the birds that have been spotted are: The sub-species of the Common Paradise Kingfisher (Tanysiptera galatea), Blyth’s Hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus), Paradise Crow (Lycocorax obiensis), and many more.
Other than the various species of birds you can also spot the dragonlike Sailfin Lizard, Halmahera Python, Coconut crabs , and The Wallace’s Giant Bee that was formerly classified as extinct.
However please note these things can be quite difficult to find, and you will have to rely on the local guides to assist you. Unfortunately we only have confirmed sightings of the animals mentioned and we have yet to have a proper photograph, if you do manage to capture a photo, we would greatly appreciate it if you could share it with us.
Surfing and Beaches
From December to February it is the peak surfing season at Rao, featuring impressive waves and vast clean beaches it is an ideal surfing destination.
The most frequented beach for surfing is currently Batu Kopi (Coffee Rock in English) that features a 3km long stretch of beach with no plastic and very little visitors.
However at the moment there isn’t any surfing equipment available for rent or purchase. You would have to bring your own.
How to get to Rao Island?
There are several ways to get to Rao Island! The most common way is to get here via a taxi boat from Wayabula harbor at Morotai (On Google Maps), from there it will take 10-20 minutes by boat to arrive at Rao. If you are arriving from an International flight at Manado, we also have a detailed explanation on how to get to Rao via flight or ship routes in our Travel Guide page.
Contacts
We have a complete list of available contacts in our Contacts page! Which includes Whatsapp contacts of village authorities, homestays, cafes, drivers, and local guides on Rao and Morotai.
If you have an questions about Rao Island, or simply a would like to leave a review or complaint, or if there’s something new you would like to suggest to be changed or added. You may contact the site administrator! On Whatsapp at +6282190478289 (Adrian)
Thank you for reading! We look forward to welcoming you in Rao.
Website last updated May 12, 2026