Rainforest Birding Tour
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| 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.
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
