The nearest large town is the Morobe provincial capital Lae to the south, while settlements on the north coast include the former German town of Finschhafen, the district capital of Wasu, Malalamai and Saidor with its World War II era Saidor Airport.
Construction of a nickel processing plant for the Ramu Nickel Project, majority owned by the China Metallurgical Group Corporation, commenced in 2006 in Basamuk Bay, on the Rai Coast between Astrolabe Bay and Saidor.