Paradise Bird Watching and Wildlife Tour in Indonesia: December 2024

Monday, December 30, 2024

Birding in Waigeo of Raja Ampat and Klasow valley of Sorong Regency

Waigeo island is the most recommended destination for visitors who want to enjoy birding in Raja Ampat. The main targets of observation are Red Bird of Paradise and Wilson's Bird of Paradise. A lot of species of tropical birds can be watched in Raja Ampat especially Waigeo and its surrounding islands. They include Claret-breasted Fruit-dove, Palm Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Red-cheeked Parrot, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Beautiful Fruit-dove, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Collared Kingfisher, Beach Kingfisher, Spangled Drongo, Papuan Frogmouth, Marbled Frogmouth, and etc.

The trip in Raja Ampat is usually combined with snorkeling and sightseeing trips in Kabui bay, Friwen, Yenbuba Strait, Arborek island and Piaynemo karst. Visitors who are interested in snorkeling should bring their own snorkeling masks, snorkels and pipes. Underwater cameras are also needed for taking pictures of marine life during the snorkeling excursions in Raja Ampat.

Red Bird of Paradise

Snorkeling photo from Arborek

Snorkeling Photo from Waigeo

Coral reef in Raja Ampat

I often guide tourists on birding or wildlife watching trip to Malagufuk, Sorong's ridge forest and Waigeo island in Raja Ampat. The duration of the trip is usually around 1 to 2 weeks covering lowland, hill and sea or coastal avifauna. During the tour, we could see various species of tropical birds from parrots and fruit doves to kingfishers and paradise birds.

Blyth's Hornbill

In Malagufuk, I usually spend between 3 to 4 days. We do birding in the mornings, late afternoons and at nights. Birds that we watch include Lesser Birds of Paradise, Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, Magnificent Riflebird, King Bird of Paradise, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Azure Kingfisher, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Beautiful Fruit Dove, Wompoo Fruit Dove, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Purple-tailed Imperial Pigeon, Red-cheeked Parrot, Palm Cockatoo, Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot, Coconut Lorikeet, and a lot more.

After exploring the rainforest of Malagufuk, we usually continue our adventure by birding in coastal mangrove forest of Sorong city. There, we could look for Orange-fronted Fruit Dove, Blue-fronted Fig Parrot, White-bellied Cuckooshrike, Collared Imperial Pigeon, Sahul Sunbird, Willie Wagtail, Olive-crowned Flowerpecker, Sacred Kingfisher and etc. Sorong city is the main transit point for visitors who want to travel to Raja Ampat.

Common Paradise Kingfisher

If you are interested in taking a birding, sightseeing and snorkeling tour in West Papua and want me to guide you, please, contact me by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com.

Birding and Snorkeling Tour in Waigeo Island of Raja Ampat Regency

Raja Ampat is a popular destination in Indonesia for visitors who love snorkeling and birding. There are a lot of islands which visitors can choose to explore if they want to see the beauty of the coral reef and the marine life as well as the biodiversity of the tropical rainforest of the regency.

Coconut Lorikeet

For visitors who love birding, Waigeo island is the highly recommended destination. There are a lot of birds that visitors can watch including Palm Cockatoo, Papuan Eclectus, Spice Imperial Pigeon, Hooded Butcherbird, Red-cheeked Parrot, and etc.

Birds are usually active in the mornings and in the afternoons. To watch them, visitors need good binoculars. As a birding guide, I usually bring a spotting scope. It will significantly enhance the birding experience of tour participants. Distant birds that sit on the branches of trees could be watched easily using the scope.

Papuan Eclectus

Raja Ampat is also a great destination for birdwatchers who love snorkeling. The coral reefs of Waigeo and its surrounding islands are the habitat of a lot of fishes such as grouper, moorish idol, butterflyfish, box fish, jackfish, wrasse, parrotfish, damselfish, and etc. To enjoy snorkeling, visitors need to bring mask, snorkel and fins. Some visitors bring underwater camera. The southern coast of Waigeo is good for snorkeling. There are also small islands such as Kri, Mioskon, Friwen, and Urai that are good destination for snorkeling. To enjoy snorkeling at these sites, visitors need to be accompanied by guides.

Coral reef, white sand beach, rainforest of Waigeo and Kabui bay

Natural Beauty of Raja Ampat

For visitors who love both snorkeling and rainforest birding in one place, they can choose Batanta island as their destination. There are homestays in Batanta.

After taking an adventure trip in Batanta, Waigeo, Kri and Mansuar islands of Raja Ampat, visitors could continue their exploration of rainforest of mainland West Papua by visiting Sausapor or Kasulala forest. There are colorful birds and butterflies in these places.

For Sausapor town, there is a good beach resort. Its name is Sansapore Pacific Park.

If you are interested in traveling to Raja Ampat and nearby Sorong city to enjoy snorkeling and birding and want me to organize your trip, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com.

Wednesday, December 25, 2024

Birding near Sorong city

I often receive requests from tourists who want to spend their time in Sorong city for 1 or 2 days before continuing their trip to Raja Ampat or flying back to their country.

As a tourist guide, I offer birding tours for visitors who want to enjoy sightseeing and birding tours to see mangrove or rainforest and watch birds and butterflies. Some interesting birds that participants could watch during this tour include the Orange-fronted Fuit-dove, Sahul Sunbird, Brown-backed Honeyeater, Brown Oriole, Helmeted Friarbird, Collared Imperial Pigeon, Sacred Kingfisher, Collared Kingfisher, Beach Kingfisher, Little Kingfisher, Orange-breasted Figparrot, and etc.

Blue-fronted Fig Parrot

Usually the tour starts at 06:00 and finishes as 10:00. After that, participants will be returned to their hotel to take lunch and rest. For tourists who want to go birding in the afternoon, the trip starts at 12:00 and finishes at 18:00.

This tour is suitable for solo traveler, a couple or a small group of tourists who fly to Sorong city as transit point.

Brown-backed Honeyeater, Sahul Sunbird, Shining Flycatcher

Equipment

In general, participants of this birding tour need to bring their own binoculars. However, if they do not have binoculars, I, as a birding guide, usually bring a spotting scope which can be shared by participants to watch birds.

Birdwatching activity using a spotting scope

In addition to nature/ birdwatching and butterflywatching tours, visits to other tourist attractions in town can also be added into the itinerary. Non-birding tourists can visit traditional market, Doom island or mangrove park. Natural places such as Buddhist temple, Cathedral Church of Christ the King, shopping malls, Love Hill and Batu Lubang Beach can be included in the tour package.

If you are interested in taking the tour and want me to organize it, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com.

Birding in Raja Ampat and Sorong

Visitors who travel to Sorong city can take birding and wildlife watching tours in Raja Ampat and Sorong regency. The duration of the tours is from 5 to 7 days.

While in Sorong regency, visitors can visit Kasulala forest to watch Lesser Birds of Paradise, King0 Bird of Paradise, Brown Oriole, Helmeted Friarbird, Red-cheeked Parrot, Hooded Butcherbird, Coconut Lorikeet as well as ground hopping birds such as Hooded Pitta and Papuan .

Visitors who like to explore rainforest could do night walk to look for Papuan Frogmouth, Marbled Frogmouth, Papuan Boobook, Papuan Hawk Owl and other birds sleep on lower branches of trees.

In addition to birds, visitors could also watch butterflies, monitor lizard, cuscus and snake.

Palm Cockatoo

In Waigeo, visitors could watch such birds as Red Bird of Paradise and Wilson's Bird of Paradise.

A lot of other birds could be watched in those places including Palm Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, Yellow-billed Kingfisher and Rufous-bellied Kookaburra.

Snorkeling in Raja Ampat

Tour participants who take this tour could combine birding and snorkeling. Usually, snorkeling is done at the house reef of the resort or homestay which they stay. Snorkeling tour to other sites such as Friwen wall, Urai, and Yenbuba Strait as well as Arborek could also be organized upon request.

Coral reef in Raja Ampat

Snorkeling Photo from Raja Ampat

Wilson's Bird of Paradise

If you are interested in watching birds and enjoying snorkeling in Raja Ampat as well as hiking and wildlifewatching in Sorong regency, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com.

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Friday, December 13, 2024

Birding in Kasulala Forest of Sorong, and Waigeo of Raja Ampat

Sorong regency has been famous as destination for visitors want to explore tropical rainforest and watch tropical birds of Southwest Papua Province of Indonesia.

Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher

Eclectus Parrot

There is a forest that is located in the east of Sorong city. Its name is Kasulala forest. It is the habitat of various species of birds such as Lesser Birds of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Palm Cockatoo, Red-cheeked Parrot, Large Fig Parrot, Yellow-faced Myna, Golden Myna, Northern Fantail, Sooty-thicket Fantail, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Wompoo Fruit Dove, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Beautiful Fruit Dove, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Azure Kingfisher, Papuan Dwarf Kingfisher, and etc.

Wompoo Fruit Dove

Equipment:

Visitors who want to watch birds in Kasulala forest need to bring binoculars. Flash light will also be needed for night walk in the forest.

There are other optional equipment which visitors may also bring such as spotting scope, laser pointer and camera with telephoto lens.

Pinon Imperial Pigeon

Accommodation

Visitors who want to visit Kasulala forest can stay in guesthouses that are built on the hill overlooking Klasow valley. They can stay for 1 night, 2 nights, 3 nights or even longer.

Accommodation in Kasulala Forest

After exploring rainforest and watching birds in this part of Sorong regency, you could continue tour trip to Raja Ampat for another rainforest wildlife watching trip or snorkeling and scubadiving tour.

Waigeo Island of Raja Ampat

There are a lot of birding sites in Raja Ampat. Most birdwatchers go to Waigeo island. There, they could watch Red Bird of Paradise and Wilson's Bird of Paradise as well as other birds such as Eclectus Parrot, Coconut Lorikeet, Palm Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Great-billed Parrot, Beach Kingfisher, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Claret-breasted Fruit Dove, Western-crowned Pigeon, Blyth's Hornbill, Radjah Shelduck, Whimbrel, Pacific Swallow, Collared Kingfisher, Moustached Treeswift, White-breasted Woodswallow, and etc.

A female Papuan Eclectus was flying over the blue sea in Waigeo island of Raja Ampat

Birdwatching could also be done in various small islands around Raja Ampat to look for Spice Imperial Pigeon, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Osprey, Violet-necked Lory, Channel-billed Cuckoo and etc.

Osprey

Sightseeing Tour in Sorong City for Non Birders

I often receive request for tours in Sorong city from visitors who plan to travel to Raja Ampat. Most of my tours are related to birdwatching. However, I also provide sightseeing tours for visitors who are not keen on birding. Here are the places that we will visit.

Tourist Attractions in Sorong city

Traditional Market - There is a market in Sorong city that is the place for city dwellers to buy and sell goods such as rice, fish, meet, vegetables, and fruits. There are also other products that we could see from kitchen and gardening tools to smart phones.

Architectural Buildings:

Buddhist Temple has got unique architecture. It was built on a tower overlooking the city of Sorong. We could see the landscape of Sorong and some islands around it from the hill. The Chinese architecture looks unique compared to other buildings in Sorong city.

Sightseeing Tour in Sorong

Cathedral Church of Christ the King in Sorong city

Cathedral Church of Christ the King whose design was inspired by the Bower of Vogelkop Bowerbird

The design of the Cathedral Church of Christ the King was inspired by the bower of Vogelkop Bowerbird. Its wooden carving is also beautiful. It shows the unique artistic skill of the Papuan people that is reflected from relief of the wooden carvings.

Hill Forest - This is another natural attractions of Sorong city. Visitors could see the landscape of Sorong, watch birds, or just enjoy the green vegetation and fresh air that is released from.the surrounding trees of the hill

Doom Island is a small island located off the coast of Sorong city. It was the first place in Sorong where Dutch government established their administrative post. Now Doom island has become one of the crowdest human settlement in Sorong. We could see old Dutch buildings that are mixed with houses of local people who work as fishermen, traders, civil servant and etc.

Mangrove Forest is located near Sorong city. It is the place for visitors who love nature. There are several species of birds and butterflies that live in this natural places. Tour participants need binoculars and camera with telephoto lens in order to watch birds and butterflies in this site. Insect repellent lotion or spray will also be needed.

Booking

If you are interested in taking this sightseeing tour in Sorong city, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com

Short Birding Tour in Sorong City

This short birding tour in Sorong city is suitable for a solo traveling tourist, a couple or a small group of tourists who do not have much time. The tour starts at 06:00 and finishes at 10:00.

The time of the tour can be changed to afternoon session from 14:00 to 18:00.

We will go by a chartered car to mangrove forest a little outside Sorong city. It takes around 30 minutes to reach it. We will start to explore the mangrove forest on foot. It is an easy birding walk. Usually, there are not many tourists in that area in early morning time.

Blue-fronted Fig Parrot (formerly called Orange-fronted Fig Parrot)

There are several species of tropical birds in trees including Sahul Sunbird, Orange-fronted Fruit Dove, Little Kingfisher, Beach Kingfisher, Blue-fronted Fig Parrot (formerly called Orange-fronted Fig Parrot), Brown-backed Honeyeater, Brahminy Kite, Willie Wagtail, Metallic Starling, Shining Flycatcher, Collared Imperial Pigeon and White-bellied Cuckooshrike. Coastal birds such as Common Sandpiper, and Striated Heron can also be watched in the area.

To enhance the birdwatching experience, a pair of binoculars, spotting scope and camera with telephoto lens will be needed by the visitors.

White-bellied Cuckooshrike

The binoculars and spotting scope will enable birdwatchers to watch distant birds well. We will finish birding at 10:00. After that we will return to the hotel where the participants of this tour stay.

Sahul Sunbird, Shining Flycatcher, Brown-backed Honeyeater

Brown-backed Honeyeater, Sahul Sunbird and Shining Flycatcher

After the tour, visitors could take another tour 1 day or half day nature tour at the outskirts of Sorong city or continue their trip to Raja Ampat or fly to another city.

Nature Tour/ Birding Tour from Sorong city

If you are interested in taking a short birding tour in Sorong city before or after your trip in Raja Ampat, and want me to organize your tour and guide you, please, contact me by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com.

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Paradise Bird Watching and Wildlife Tour in Indonesia

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