SeasonMapRaja Ampat (Waisai) weather in January
Indonesia
January in Raja Ampat: sweltering, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 27 rainy days.
#8 of 12 months in Raja Ampat · #786 of 1383 destinations to visit in January · comfort 67/100 (tier C)
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
Traveller notes on Raja Ampat in January
Other months in Raja Ampat
Raja Ampat's forum rates the October-through-April window as the best overall, with October itself a genuine transition month — the strong south winds of July-September starting to calm, though rain can still turn up as the wet season approaches. Regulars flag October as a good stretch for marine life, with bait-fish schools and manta activity drawing divers to the sites.
Add your own note from Raja Ampat's card on the map.
Raja Ampat climate normals — January
| Daytime high | 29°C / 84°F | 🔥 sweltering |
|---|---|---|
| Nighttime low | 26°C / 79°F | |
| Feels like (high) | 35°C / 95°F | |
| Sea temperature | 30°C / 86°F | ♨️ bath-warm |
| Rainfall | 348 mm / 13.7 in | ⛈ soaked |
| Rainy days | 27 days | |
| Humidity | 83% | 💦 very humid |
| Dew point | 24°C / 75°F | |
| Sunshine | 9.2 h/day | |
| Daylight | 12.1 h | |
| Wind | 11 km/h / 7 mph | |
| Air quality (US AQI) | 20 | 🍃 good |
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Raja Ampat in January
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Peak crowdsCalm season on the straits, Christmas and New Year peak, Year-end break in Indonesia(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Raja Ampat's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Fair weatherRaja Ampat's weather doesn't swing hard through the year — comfort stays fairly steady in every month.
What's on in Raja Ampat in January
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Rule
Marine park entry permit
1 Jan – 31 DecEvery visitor buys an entry tag valid for a calendar year, either online beforehand or at the authority office in Waisai. It funds the patrols, and it is checked on the boats. Source ↗
- Season
Calm season on the straits
15 Oct – 30 Apr · usuallyDry seasonCrowdedThe settled months for both liveaboards and homestays, when the crossings between the big islands are comfortable and the currents are workable. Book the boats a year out for the peak weeks.
- Nature
Manta season
1 Nov – 30 Apr · usuallyDive seasonPlankton in the straits brings reef mantas onto the cleaning stations around Dampier and Arborek, densest in the first months of the year. The same water that feeds them cuts the visibility.
- Holiday
Christmas and New Year peak
18 Dec – 5 JanChristmas & New YearCrowdedBook earlyThe one fortnight everything here sells out, on liveaboards and in the village homestays alike. Getting to Sorong on the right day is the harder half of the trip. Source ↗
- Season
Wet season
MonsoonRisk27 rainy days and about 348 mm in the month — the real kind of rainy season, not afternoon showers.
from the climate normals
Where is Raja Ampat?
Raja Ampat in January — FAQ
- Is January a good time to visit Raja Ampat?
- January in Raja Ampat: sweltering, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 27 rainy days. It ranks #8 of 12 months for Raja Ampat on SeasonMap's comfort score (67/100).
- What is the weather like in Raja Ampat in January?
- In January, Raja Ampat averages a daily high of 28.7°C and a low of 25.9°C, with about 348.2 mm of rain over roughly 27.1 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Raja Ampat in January?
- Raja Ampat has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 20 in January.