Yesterday (25 June 2010) I went to Lake Kabori and Maruni beach with a friend of mine Paul Gasper. We visited the lake as part of my survey to assess whether the site is still potential as a tourist attraction or not. It is not far from Manokwari - the capital of West Papua province in the Republic of Indonesia. It took around 25 minutes by motorcycle from the city to Lake Kabori and Maruni beach.
I have known this lake since I was a child. I have never swum in the lake because people say that there were crocodiles in there.
We arrived at the bank of the lake near a bridge where water was flowing under it to the sea. It was in low tide. The water level near the edge of the lake was less than 50 centimeters.
I have known this lake since I was a child. I have never swum in the lake because people say that there were crocodiles in there.
We arrived at the bank of the lake near a bridge where water was flowing under it to the sea. It was in low tide. The water level near the edge of the lake was less than 50 centimeters.
Without fearing the existence of crocodiles, I jumped onto the sandy bank of the lake and walked slowly across the water to a small sand dune in the middle of the lake. It was quite safe traveling around Lake Kabori, exploring the flora and fauna that inhabit the lake and its surroundings.
While I and Paul were walking around the sand dune in the middle of the lake, we saw a boat rowed by some Papuan mothers and their children. They were catching fish. Paul called them. They heard our call and turned their boat. We had to walk deeper into the water to be able to talk with with. The hard soil gradually changed to muddy ground in the higher water level. We waited for them to row their boat closer to us. When the distance was close enough for us to communicate, I greeted the mothers and the children. We asked whether there were still crocodiles in this lake and whether we could hire their boats to bring tourists around the lake. The mothers said that the local people had killed all the crocodiles so we would not be able to see any. With more housings were being constructed along the lake, animals that lived in the lake were now intensively hunted for their meat. They also said that tourists could hire their canoes to paddle around the lake.
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| Lake Kabori during low tide |
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| Lake Kabori in Manokwari |
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| Maruni beach |
If you are an adventurous person, and want to visit West Papua with me as your tour organizer or guide, pease contact me via email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180
Also read:
Manokwari bay in the afternoon
Manokwari bay in the morning