Riverwalk Tour in Manokwari Lowland Forest

There are a lot of big and small rivers in Manokwari which tourists can explore to see exotic tropical plants and animals of West Papua's rainforest. One of them is Mesirrokow river-forest located in the west of Manokwari city. As a tourist guide, I have organized a number of riverwalk birding and wildlife tours for visitors who come from France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and several other European and North American countries.
Visitors who take this riverwalk tour can stay in tents in the jungle of Mesirrokow for several days to watch birds, butterflies and other wild animals, see the beautiful landscape of the tropical rainforest,  unique and beautiful flowers, swim in the river.

Riverwalk Tour in Manokwari Lowland Forest

Birding
Birdwatchers who want to go there should bring binoculars, spotting scope, and digital camera with telephoto lens as well as field guide birdwatching book "Birds of New Guinea" written by Thane K. Pratt and Bruce Beehler. Birds that live in the lowland of Manokwari play important roles in the ecosystem of the forest. They eat fruits and disperse seeds to every corner of the forest. Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Palm Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, Papuan Hornbill, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Western Crowned Pigeon, Beautiful Fruit Dove, Great Cuckoo Dove, Yellow capped Pymy Parrot, Yellow-faced Myna, Golden Myna, and etc.

Papuan Blyth's Hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus)

Wild Animals
It is not only birds that live in the forest but also other animals such as soa-soa monitor lizard, wallaby, deer, wild pigs, snakes, fruit bats, and thousands of species of insects. Local people like to go hunting in the forest to catch deer and wild pigs. Butterflies such as Ornithoptera priamus, Taenaris catops, Vindula arsinoe, Papilio ullysses can easily be seen while we walk in the forest.

Flowers
Scarlet jade vine, Faradaya splendida, Monochoria vaginalis, Thunbergia grandiflora, and a lot of orchids grow in the forest. People who live in coastal villages in the area also grow flower plants in front of their houses such as hibiscus and bougainvillea.

Camping
I can provide tents, sleeping bags, cooking and eating utensils, and solar powered lamps for tourists who want to take this riverwalk tour with me in the jungle of Manokwari.

Camping in the forest of Manokwari Lowland Area

Getting there:
Fly from your country to Jakarta (the capital of Indonesia) or Bali (an important tourist hub in Indonesia).
Continue your trip to Manokwari city by taking a domestic flight. Airlines such as Sriwijaya Air, Garuda, Xpress Air, and Batik Air have got regular flight service from major cities in Indonesia to Manokwari.
When you arrive in Manokwari city, I can meet you at the airport and organize your riverwalk tour to the lowland forest.

What to bring
For staying in the forest for several days, you need to bring:
Clothing that is suitable for tropical region and for riverwalk tour such as t-shirt, shorts, water shoes. Bring bathing suit if you want to enjoy swimming in the river every day.
Binoculars and camera
Flashlight/ torch
Sunblock lotion and anti insect bites lotion

Booking
If you are interested in taking this river walk tour with me as your private guide, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or send text/ whatsapp message to: +6281332245180.
Please, note that I often guide tourists in the jungle and there is no internet connection in the middle of the forest. You may get later reply.

Birding and Camping in Lowland Forest of Manokwari

Birding in Manokwari forest

Hiking and Biding in Lowland Forest of Manokwari

I often receive requests from birdwatchers who are interested in birding in lowland forest of Manokwari. Most of the land in Manokwari regency consists of steep mountains and deep ravines. But there is some area that is covered by lowland forest. It is a perfect site for visitors who want to enjoy easy birding walk. Some female birdwatchers prefer walking along flat land to hiking up and down steep mountains. So, lowland forest is a good choice.
Lowland Birds

Birding in Lowland Forest of Manokwari

The lowland forest of Manokwari is a highly recommended site for those who want to see Papuan Blyth's hornbills, Palm Cockatoo, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, Beautiful Fruit Dove, Great Cuckoo Dove, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Western Crowned Pigeon, Little-ringed Plover, Variable Goshawk, Brahminy Kite, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Large-tailed Nightjar, Moustached Treeswift, Rainbow Bee-eater, Yellow Faced Myna, Dollarbird, Black-capped Lory, Rainbow Lorikeet, Little Egret and a lot more.
Camping near a river
As of today, there are no guesthouses in the lowland forest of Manokwari. For visitors who want to enjoy birding in the area for several days, the only way to do that is by staying in tents.
We provide
 As a tourist guide, we provide tents, solar powered lights, basic cooking and eating utensils for birdwatchers or nature lovers who want to take birding tour with us.

Itinerary
Day 1 

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo

Transfer by car to lowland forest in the west of Manokwari.
Riverwalk to Campsite 1
Birding to see Dollarbird, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Papuan Hornbill and Little Egret, Large-tailed Nightjar, Glossy Swiftlet, Moustached Treeswift, and etc. Birding along the banks of the river very easy. There is a wide open space that allows birdwatchers to see birds on both sides of the river.
Day 2

Move to Campsite 2 that is located deeper into the jungle. Birding walk to find Palm Cockatoo, Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot, Rainbow Bee-eater, Variable Goshawk, and a lot more.
Day 3

Willie Wagtail in Lowland Forest of Manokwari

We will dismantle our tents and walk slowly back to main road. Along the banks of the river, we may see Willie Wagtail, Beautiful Fruit Dove, Brahminy Kite, or perhaps if we are lucky enough, we may be able to see the Pesquet/ Vulturine Parrot that has become one of the most threatened species.
Arriving at the main road, we will return to the city again by car.

Other Activities

Eclectus Parrot

Besides doing riverwalk and birdwatching, visitors who go to lowland forest of Manokwari can enjoy swimming, fishing, taking pictures of various species of tropical flowers, and butterflies as well as other insects that make the forest as their natural habitat.

What to bring
Avid birdwatchers usually bring their own gear such as binoculars and spotting scope and field guide book BIRDS OF NEW GUINEA written by Thane K. Pratt, Bruce Beehler. Other items: flashlight/ torch, bathing suit for swimming in the river, fishing rod, hook and line if you are interested in catching fish, ziploc or plastic bags to protect electronic devices, sunblock for sunbathing, and insect repellent lotion.

Booking
For more info, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or send whatsapp message to my cell phone: +6281332245180.

Also read:

• Birding in Minahasa
• Manado City Birdwatching and Sightseeing Tour
• Birding in North Sulawesi
• Birding in Sonder of Minahasa
• Birdwatching in Sulawesi
• Birdwatching and butterflywatching in Sonder

Scarlet Jade Vine Flowers in Manokwari forest

Scarlet Jade Vine

This is the photograph of Scarlet Jade Vine (Mucuna bennetti) flowers that I see in the lowland forest of Manokwari. It is also called New Guinea creeper. The plant climbs trees that grow near the river to get enough sunlight and water. Huge number of red flowers bloom from the solid stems and twigs of the liana vines that are "wrapping" their parent trees.
The massive number of flowers in the trees creates an impression as if they are burning in flames. There are also other species of tropical flowers that we can see in the lowland forest of Manokwari if we go hiking, camping, birding and wildlife watching.
One of them is Blue Trumpet Vine (Thunbergia grandiflora) flowers that hang on big trees in the forest edges. Their petals are blue and yellowish white in their center hole.

Blue Trumpet Vine

Blue Trumpet Vine Flowers in forest edge

These vine flowers need a lot of light to grow. That's why they cannot grow under the canopy of the forest. They can be found growing in the the forest edges along the rivers or in the forest that have got some open areas.

If you are interested in hiking and camping in Manokwari lowland forest to see its flowers, butterflies, birds and unique plants, and want me to be your guide, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or send text message/ whatsapp to my number +6281332245180.

Also read: 

Rainforest Flowers

Small White Rose and Red Rose

Rainforest Flowers in Mesirrokow River of Manokwari

Terrestrial Orchid "Yellow Crown"
 in Lowland Forest of Manokwari

I organize hiking, camping and wildlife watching tours in the rainforest of Mesirrokow in Manokwari regency. Visitors who book the tours go there to watch birds. But there are also tourists who are interested in seeing tropical flowers as well.
An Ideal Site for Flowers to Grow
The wide open space that is created by rivers in Mesirrokow forest is an ideal site for a lot of species of wild flowers to grow. There is enough sunlight, and abundant water as well as shades provided by large trees that grow on both sides of the river.

Four Yellow Petal Flower in Manokwari Lowland Forest

Every time I visit Mesirrokow forest, I always spend time in looking for beautiful and colorful flowers. When I see them I take pictures for documentation and identification purposes. There is a blue-yellow terrestrial orchids that grows under the shades of big trees near the footpath where tourists, hunters, and farmers walk through. I still don't know its scientific/ latin name. Its leaves are slender and long and have got dark green color.

There is also yellow flower that grows on the side of the river whose soil consists of a lot of gravel and sand. But the flower plant looks so healthy. I still cannot identify it. Tropical flowers in lowland forest of Mesirrokow grow well and are pollinated by bees, other insects and birds.

Booking
If you are interested in visiting Mesirrokow forest to see its natural beauty, its birds, flowers and butterflies, you could book a 3 to 4 day hiking and camping tour with me (Charles Roring) to: peace4wp@gmail.com and whatsapp: +6281332245180.

How to get there?

• Fly from your country to Jakarta city, the capital of Indonesia
• Take a domestic airlines such as Garuda, Xpress Air, Sriwijaya and etc to fly to Manokwari city and organize your rainforest flower watching tour in Mesirrokow forest.

Also read:
Flowers in the rainforest
Wild Flowers in Arfak mountains

Rainforest Tour in Manokwari Lowland

Rainforest Birding Tour

Mesirrokow forest - Manokwari Lowland Area

We are now entering dry season in Manokwari. It is a good time for visitors who are interested in taking rainforest tour in lowland area. There is a good forest in lowland area of Manokwari. Its name is Mesirrokow. A lot of species of birds, butterflies, marsupials and mammals live in this forest. Birds such as Blyth's Hornbill, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Yellow-faced Myna, Eclectus Parrot, and Little Egret can be seen when we walk along the banks of a river that flows through Mesirrokow forest.

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)

At night we could explore the tall grass that grow along the riverside to find Papuan Frogmouth, Large-tailed Nightjar. If breadfruit trees have got a lot of fruits, we could find cuscus possum and fruit bats. Mesirrokow forest is a nice place for nature lovers who want to enjoy the beauty of tropical rainforest. They can enjoy swimming, hiking, camping, birding and wildlife watching for a few days there.
I have organized numerous rainforest hiking and camping tours for tourists who want to spend several days of their vacation period in the jungle of Manokwari to watch Brahminy Kite, Willie Wagtail, Little-ringed Plover, Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot, Variable Goshawk, Magnificent Riflebird, Western-crowned Pigeon.
Bringing a good pair of binoculars and spotting scope is important for watching birds and wild animals that sit on the branches of distant trees on both sides of the river. This is an easy birding trip and rainforest tour which is suitable for everybody who does not want to go trekking up very steep slopes of mountains in Manokwari.
Wild Flowers

Monochoria vaginalis flower

There are a lot of flowers that I see in the lowland forest of Manokwari from Glory Vine (Faradaya splendida) that grows near the river to Terrestrial Orchids (Spathoglottis plicata) and New Guinea Tulip (Spathodea campanulata). My favorite flower is the Blue-Purple Pondweed (Monochoria vaginalis). It looks beautiful but it is considered as invasive noxious weed in certain countries. In Mesirrokow forest, this aquatic flower plant is not a threat to the surrounding environment. Its population is very small. Compared to Common Water Hycinth (Eichhornia crascippes), the flower of Monochoria vaginalis is smaller.
From my personal observations, the Glory Vine flower emits very fragrant scent. It is very potential to be cultivated for essential oil production.
Camping

Camping in Lowland Forest of Manokwari

As a tour guide, we have prepared some places as campsites. As a tourist guide, I provide camping tents, cooking and eating utensils for visitors who want to stay in the forest for 3 to 5 days. So, visitors do not need to bring those heavy things in their luggage when flying to Manokwari.

Things to bring
A good pair of binoculars, camera and spotting scope
Flashlight/ torch
Insect repellent/ sunblock lotion
Ziploc bags for cell phone, and passports and other electronic goods

Cost of the tour: This depends on the number of participants and how long they want to stay in the rainforest.

How to get there: 

• Fly from your country to Denpasar Bali or Jakarta city of Indonesia
• Fly from Denpasar city or Jakarta city to Manokwari
• I will meet you at the airport and organize your tour to lowland forest of Manokwari

Booking:
Please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or whatsapp: +6281332245180