Introduction
Indonesia is a great destination for visitors who like to enjoy snorkeling and birdwatching. The recommended destination is West Papua province in the estern region of the country. West Papua itself is the western half of New Guinea island. According to field guide book Birds of New Guinea by Thane K. Pratt and Bruce Beehler, there are 780 species of birds that are reported in the region where 366 of them are endemic species. For marine life, according to Diving Indonesia's Bird's Head Seascape, there are 1,629 reef fishes, 569 hard corals and 57 manthis shrimp.
The following itinerary will enable participants to explore the rainforest and coral reef in such places as Raja Ampat, Sorong, and Arfak mountains.
ITINERARY
Day 1
You arrive at the airport of Sorong. We will meet you and then organize your transfer to a hotel. After taking a rest for around two hours, we will organize your birding tour to the suburban area of Sorong city to look for Orange-fronted Fruit Dove, Sacred Kingfisher, Great-billed Heron, Little Egret, Pacific Swallow, Rainbow Bee-eater, Sahul Sunbird, Yellow-faced Myna, Helmetted Friarbird, and etc.
Day 2
In the morning after having breakfast, we will organize your transfer to People's harbor of Sorong where you will continue your trip by a fast ferry boat to Raja Ampat. It takes approximately 2 hours from Sorong to the harbor of Waisai town. After that you will be transferred by boat or by taxi to a resort in the southern region of Waigeo island. Checking into your room, you can take a rest for a while. We can start watching birds again starting from the ones that like to sit on the branches of trees in the resort such as Willie Wagtail, Beach Kingfisher, Palm Cockatoo, Pied Imperial Pigeon and perhaps the Papuan Frogmouth. There are also sea birds that fly over the sea surface in search of fish. They include Lesser Frigatebird, Lesser-crested Tern, Sooty Tern, Brahminy Kite, and etc.
When the tide is high, tour participants can enjoy snorkeling at the house reef of the resort.
Day 3
Early in the morning at 04:00, we will wake up. After making preparation, We will have bread, and tea or coffee. At around 04:30, we will go by boat to a beach in Kabui bay. The duration of the trip is around 25 minutes. Arriving at the beach, we will continue our trip by hiking up the slope of the forest to the site of Wilson's Bird of Paradise. We will watch the bird until around 08:30 and then slowly walk back to the beach. Birds such as Common Paradise Kingfisher, Eclectus Parrot, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Palm Cockatoo, Brahminy Kite, Eastern Osprey and White-bellied Sea Eagle, Great Cuckoo Dove, are usually active in the area in the morning time. We will return to the resort by boat again, take a rest and then have lunch.
We will go by boat to Nyetreiram islet to enjoy snorkeling and then in the evening to see coconut crab. Back to the resort, we will have dinner and take a rest.
Day 4
We will wake up in the morning at 05:00 and then make preparation. At 05:15, we can have tea or coffee and some bread or biscuits. After that we will start hiking a steep slope to the site of Red Bird of Paradise. We will watch the birds until around 09:00. In the forest, there are other birds that we can watch as well including Rusty Mouse Warbler, Hooded Butcherbird, Helmetted Friarbird, Brown-headed Crow, and Raja Ampat Pitohui. As we walk out of the forest, we will walk along the roadside to watch such birds as Pied Imperial Pigeon, Eclectus Parrot, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Torresian Crow, Claret-breasted Fruit Dove, Glossy-mantled Manucode, Olive-crowned Flowerpecker, Lowland Peltop, and etc.
In the afternoon we will go by boat to a beach where we can enjoy birdwatching in the area. Birds such as Spice Imperial Pigeon, White-bellied Woodswallow, Great-billed Heron, Striated Heron, Pacific Reef Heron, Sahul Sunbird, Black Sunbird, Beach Kingfisher, and Sacred Kingfisher can be watched in the area. We will watch birds, enjoy the beauty of the seascape until around 18:00. After that, we will return to the resort to have dinner and take a rest.
Day 5
We will return to Sorong city by ferry. Arriving at the People's Harbor of Sorong, we will continue by 4WD car to Klasow valley. It takes around 2 hours by car and 2 hours of walking along a wooden bridge to a village that is located in the forest. Along the way, we will have a chance to watch Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, Red-cheeked Parrot, Orange-bellied Fruit Dove, Coconut Lorikeet, Black-capped Lory and etc.
Arriving at that village, we can take a rest for around 1 hour and then start doing birdwatching activity again in the open area of the village. Birds such as Yellow-faced Myna, Golden Myna, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Moustached Treeswift, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Oriental Dollarbird, and etc.
In the evening, we can do night walk along the bridge to find insects such as moths, lizard, or wallaby. Flying fox or fruit bats can sometimes be seen eating fruits at the trees in the village.
Day 6
We will wake up early in the morning at 04:00. We need to prepare our birding equipment, have tea or coffee and biscuits before hiking for two hours to the site of Lesser Birds of Paradise. On the way, we will stop for a while to watch Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise. In the same area there are other birds as well including Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Black-sided Robin, Shining Flycatcher and etc.
Returning to the village, we will have lunch and then take a rest. Afternoon birding will be conducted until 18:00 to find such birds as Large Fig Parrot, Black Lory, Boyer's Cuckooshrike, Red-cheek Parrot and Yellow-billed Kingfisher and etc.
Day 7
We will start birdwatching at around 06:00 to find Wester-crowned Pigeon, Frilled Monarch, Blue Jewel Babbler, Hooded Butcherbird, Black-capped Lory, Moluccan King Parrot, Papuan Babbler, King Bird of Paradise and Magnificent Riflebird. We will also go to fruiting trees to look for Wompoo Fruit Dove, Ornate Fruit Dove, Slender-billed Cuckoo Dove, and etc.
We will return to the village in the afternoon to have lunch and take a rest. At 14:00 local time, we will slowly walk back to main road and return to Sorong city by 4WD car. Checking into the hotel, we will take a rest and make preparation before continuing our flight to Manokwari.
Day 8
Take a way breakfast will be organized prior to transfer to airport. We will fly to Manokwari. Arriving in the city, we will go to a supermarket and a traditional market to buy food supplies. When everything is ready, we will continue our trip to Arfak mountains by 4WD car. It takes around 2 hours to reach our destination.
After unloading our things from the car and getting our rooms, we can go to a nearby hide to watch Vogelkop Bowerbird until around 17:30. When we return to the guesthouse, we can still do general birding to find Great Cuckoo Dove, Black-billed Cuckoo Dove, Green-backed Robin, Blue Grey Robin, Black Fantail, and etc.
Day 9
We will wake up early in the morning at around 05:00. After having tea or coffee.and biscuits, we will go hiking to the site of Western Parotia. Other birds such as Spotted Catbird, female Black Sicklebill also like to visit the same site. We will watch the birds until 09:00. After that, we can walk down the slope and do general birding along the road to look for such birds as Western Smoky Honeyeater, Ornate Melidectes, Vogelkop Melidectes, Sclater's Whistler, Black-breasted Boatbill, Mid-mountain Berrypecker, Friendly Fantail and Grey Wagtail.
In the afternoon, we can go to the site of Magnificent Bird of Paradise to watch the bird as well as other birds such as Golden Monarch, Pygmy Drongo, Hooded Pitohui, Spectacled Longbill, Black-winged Monarch and etc. Back to the guesthouse, we will take a rest. After dinner, we will go back to sleep.
Day 10
We will wake up early at 04:30. After making preparation and having tea or coffee with biscuits, we will leave for the blind of Black Sicklebill. The site is also visited by Western Parotia, Black-eared Catbird, Blue Grey Robin and etc.
At 09:00 we will slowly walk down the slope to the guesthouse again. We will look for Goldenface, Mountain Fruit Dove, Capped White Eye, and Olive-crowned Flowerpecker in the flower garden around the guesthouse. In the afternoon, we can go to the forest again to watch Vogelkop Bowerbird or Western Parotia.
Day 11
As usual, we will wake up early in the morning at 04:30. We will make preparation and have tea or coffee as well as bread or biscuits. We will go to the site of Vogelkop Superb Bird of Paradise. We will watch the birds until around 09:00. Other birds such as Magnificent Bird of Paradise, female Western Parotia and Black-eared Catbird also like to visit the same birding site.
Back to the guesthouse, we will take a rest and have lunch.
In the afternoon, we still have a chance to visit one of the blinds that we haven't seen well. After that, we will pack our things and then go back to Manokwari city and check into a hotel there.
Day 12
In morning, we will organize your transfer to airport where you will fly back to your country.