Birdwatching Tour in Lowland Forest of Manokwari

Birding in Lowland Forest of Manokwari

Watching Tropical Birds of New Guinea
I have just returned from lowland forest in northwest region of Manokwari where I organized a 4-day/ 3-night birdwatching tour for a French tourist - Mr. Laurent Benier. We walked along the banks of a river to watch tropical birds such as Papuan Blyth's Hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus), Little Egret (Egretta garzetta), Yellow-faced Myna (Mino dumontii), Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus), Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), Eclectus Parrot (Eclectus roratus), Black-capped Lory (Lorius lory), Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus), Dollarbird (Eurystomus orientalis), Glossy Swiftlet (Collocalia esculenta), Grey Goshawk (Accipiter novaehollandiae). Little-ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius).
Camping at the Riverbank

Our Camping Tents in Manokwari Forest

The land along the river area is mostly flat so, it is very suitable for birdwatchers who want to enjoy easy birding walk, swimming, and camping. Lowland forest of Manokwari as tourist destination for birdwatching is relatively new compared to Arfak mountains. However, tourists who go there and spend a few days in the forest say that they enjoy the birding and camping activities very much.
Swimming and Sunbathing or Fishing
During the day, bird activity decreases. Visitors can enjoy swimming, and sunbathing or do some nature walk inside the jungle. There are also fish in the river. Local guides like to catch fish and fry them for lunch or dinner. They catch fish by using hook and line, by using spear or gun, or by spreading net.
The lowland forest of Manokwari is also the natural habitat of a lot of species of butterflies, dragonflies, beetles, grasshoppers/ katydids. So, it is a nice place for visitors who are interested in watching insect too.
Interested in Birding in Manokwari

Papuan Hornbill in Lowland Forest of Manokwari

If you are interested in birding and camping in lowland forest of Manokwari, you need to bring several things:

• Water shoes and flipflop - you do not need hiking boots. You need water-shoes or footwear that are resistant water.
• Mosquito/ insect repellent  and sunblock lotion
• Flashlight/ torch - we do birdwatching during the day and to certain extent at night. We do nigt walk to find cuscus possum, Papuan Frogmouth and Nightjar.
• Binoculars - having a good pair of binoculars will enhance your birding experience especially if you want to see the details of eyes, wings or colors of birds that sit on the branches of distant trees or that fly in the sky. You could also bring your spotting scope if you have it.
• Fieldguide book "Birds of New Guinea written by Thane K. Pratt and Bruce Beehler.
• Camera - I personally use Fujifilm Finepix HS50EXR. It has got telephoto lens. I highly recommend that visitors bring D-SLR camera with telephoto lens. If it is too expensive, a bridge camera such as Nikon Coolpix P900, Canon Powershot SX60 HS can be a good choice for taking pictures of birds.

Camping Gear

You do not have to bring tents, cooking and eating utensils. As a tour guide, I can provide them for you.

How to get there?

It is easy to go to Manokwari. First, you need to fly to Jakarta or other major cities in Indonesia. Second, find a domestic flight that will bring you to Manokwari city. I will be happy to meet you at the airport or hotel in town and organize your birdwatching trip to lowland forest of Manokwari.

Here is my (Charles Roring) email address: peace4wp@gmail.com and whatsapp: +6281332245180 if you are interested in visiting Manokwari and enjoy birding and camping with me.

Lesser Birds of Paradise (Paradisaea minor)

I have guided hundreds of tourists on various birding tours in tropical rainforest of West Papua. One of the main targets which they want to see is bird of paradise.
There are tens of species of paradise birds. The famous one is the Lesser Birds of Paradise (Paradisaea minor). These birds live in lowland to lower montane forest and are usually active in the mornings and in the afternoons. To watch them, visitors need to wear a good pair of binoculars such as the 10x42 mm.
If you haven't seen the birds in their natural habitat, here is a photo print link from my zazzle store which you could click to see. It will be a good decoration for your room.

Lesser Birds of Paradise

Lesser Birds of Paradise can be watched in Klasow valley of Sorong regency, in Arfak mountains of Manokwari and in Tambrauw mountains. However, it is not the only bird species that visitors can watch. There are a lot of other birds and wild animals which visitors can see in the forest.

Rainforest Tour Manokwari Lowland Forest

I have just opened a new rainforest tour destination in Manokwari this year. It is located in the north-west region of Manokwari. Its name is Mesirrokow river forest. The forest is the natural habitat of various species of birds such as Sulphur Crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), Palm Cockatoo, Papuan Hornbill, Willie Wagtail, Little-ringed Plover, Variable Goshawk, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Lowland Peltop, and Brahminy Kite. There are also other animals such as soa-soa lizard, wild pigs, and deers.

Visitors can enjoy swimming, fishing, sunbathing and camping at the bank of the river. As a tour guide, I have organized several riverwalk and camping tours in the Mesirrokow forest for visitors who come from The United Kingdom, Switzerland, France and etc. 

They enjoyed their trips because they could swim in the river as much as they like and watch birds in the surrounding forest. 

This fores is suitable for nature lover who want to experience jungle tour in Manokwari. 

Camping and Birding

Most of the activities will be carried out along the Mesirrokow river-forest. Tents will be installed at the bank of the river. Because of the open space in the river is very wide, we could easily watch birds that fly or sit on the branches of the trees in both sides of the river. To enhance birding experience, a spotting scope with tripod and a good pair of binoculars will be provided.
Birds such as Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, and Papuan Hornbill can easily be seen in the mornings and in the afternoons. For watching Willie Wagtail, we need to walk along the river and have a look at fallen trees that are drifted during the floods and stuck in the middle of the river. The birds like to sit on the log or branches of he desd trees that extend over the river. Little-ringed Plover like to walk along the sandbank. A good pair of 10x42 mm binoculars is a perfect device for birding in this area.

Visitors are recommended to bring flashlight/ torch, insect repellent lotion and sunblock lotion, a good pair of binoculars, and clothings that are suitable for jungle tour and swimming. For camping in the jungle, we will provide tents as well as cooking and eating utensils. 

If you are interested, please, contact me by e-mail to: peace4wp@gmail.com or sent text/ whatsapp message to my cell phone +6281332245180

North East Raja Ampat Tour

Yenandau beach of Raja Ampat

I often receive emails from visitors who want to go to Raja Ampat but do not want to visit places that are considered as more touristic. They want to see the islands that are outside of the main-stream marine tourism routes.
To cater for these requests, I offer a new route located in the north east of the archipelago. Its name is the jungle or Warebar river and a group of karst islets called Dolphins Lagoon.

Raja Ampat is a famous destination for marine lovers. Most visitors go to Mansuar, Kri, Gam, Arborek, Kabui bay and Pianemo.
North East of Raja Ampat
As a tourist guide, I want to promote the northeast region of Raja Ampat that is also beautiful. Visitors can go trekking through Warebar river to watch birds and other wild animals, or swim at the white sandy beach of Yenandau, and enjoy snorkeling over the coral reef of Mamiaef island and the sand banks of the sea.

The Dolphins Lagoon
I don't know why local people called it Dolphins' Lagoon. Perhaps, it was a feeding ground for Dolphins. But it really has got beautiful landscape (or seascape). In addition to swimming, and snorkeling, visitors can see beautiful scenery of Dolphins' blue lagoon and swim over its coral reef to see various colorful reef and a lot tropical fish that live in the tropical waters of Raja Ampat. Make sure that you bring a good camera for take pictures of underwater and above-water marine environment. Colorful parrotfish, surgeonfish, butterflyfish, and groupers thrive in the area. However, since we go there to watch marine animals in natural place, I cannot give 100 % guarantee that you will see dolphins.

Warebar river of Yenbekaki village

Typical Itinerary
Day 1
Arriving in Sorong city
Taking a rest in one of the hotels in the city
Buying food and other supplies in traditional market and supermarket.

Day 2
Leaving Sorong for North East region of Raja Ampat, we will pass by Urbinasopen village and its Imbikwan island and sea sandbanks. We will continue our trip to the north east where we will enter a big bay and land on the beach. We will take a rest in a villager's house after the long boat trip. After that we will explore the village (known as Yenbekaki) and swim at its beach. In the afternoon, we can go hiking in the hills behind the village.  At night, we can do night walk in search of turtles that land on the beach to lay eggs.

Day 3
This time we will explore the tropical rainforest of Waigeo island by going through Warebar river to see its wildlife. Cuscus possum, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Papuan hornbills and soa-soa lizard are some of the animals that live in the jungle. We could spend one night in tents in the jungle.

Day 4
We will leave the river to Yenandau beach. We will enjoy swimming and snorkeling over its coral reef. After that, we will continue our trip to Mamiaef island where we will swim over its coral reef. We will explore the coral reef in the sand bank areas, and walk along the beach of the mainland. Overnight stay in Mamiaef island.

Day 5
We will continue our trip to Yensner to see its blue lagoon. Crystal clear water of the lagoon is home to a lot of species of reef fish. We could walk up the slope of one of the islands in the lagoon to take beautiful pictures of the scenery.  We will spend one night in Yensner.

Day 6 
We will say good bye to Raja Ampat and leave the archipelago for Sorong city

Day 7
Transfer to airport

Participants: This tour is suitable for those who like nature (hiking in the jungle and watching wild animals as well as swimming and snorkeling over coral reef to see marine animals). I suggest that the number of participants should be at least 4 people to share the cost.

Booking:
If you are interested, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by e-mail to: peace4wp@gmail.com for more customized itinerary and cost calculation.

Trekking and Birding in Arfak Range of Manokwari

Coastal area of Mawowi forest of Arfak mountains

Arfak mountains of Manokwari have been an important birdwatching destination since early 1990s. Most birdwatchers go there to find Lesser Birds of Paradise (Paradisaea minor), Vogelkop Bowerbird (Amblyornis inornatus), Magnificent Birds of Paradise (Cicinnurus magnificus), Cinnamon Ground Dove (Gallicolumba rufigula) and a lot of other birds that live in the jungle.
Mabowi Forest of Arfak Mountains
There are several places in the mountains that are frequently visited by tourists. In this article, my focus of description is Mawowi forest. It is located in the eastern part of Arfak range. Visitors who go there will stay in the jungle. There is a campsite for tourists located deep in the forest. It can be used as a base to watch birds, insects and other wild animals that make Mawowi forest as their natural habitat.

Little Paradise Kingfisher

Warmarway Village
Mawowi forest is under the traditional territory of Warmarway village. Visitors can go there by car or by motorcycle. It takes around 1 hour to reach the coastal village by motorized vehicle. Local villagers can work as porters, cooks to help birdwatchers explore the jungle to see its wild animals, colorful birds and unique plants.
Rainforest Tour
On the average, visitors stays between 3 to 4 days in the jungle to explore the bio-diversity of Arfak mountains. As a tour guide, I can organize birdwatching and camping tour in Mawowi Forest of Arfak range for anybody who is interested in staying and birding in the mountains.
Booking
Please, send text message to my cell phone: +6281332245180 and contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com