A Short Visit to Mansinam Island

Mansinam Island

This is Mansinam island in Dorey bay of Manokwari. Every day, it is visited by Christian pilgrims who want to see the sites where German and Dutch missionaries lived between 1800s and early 1900s to preach Gospel for the first time to the indigenous Papuan people.
More than half of the island is still covered by green forest that is the habitat of birds, butterflies and reptiles. The coastal areas of Mansinam, especially its southern and northeast regions, are good for swimming, snorkeling and other water sports activities. I have guided tourists to this tropical island numerous times. We went there to see its villagers, hiked to the top of Mansinam to see Jesus statue, and also went to the beach to see its coral reef.
In the book The Malay Archipelago, Alfred Russel Wallace wrote that he landed on this island and met three German missionaries, Ottow, his wife and Geissler who had been there since 5 February 1855. They were preaching Gospel. Wallace did his research on flora, fauna and natural history of Netherlands New Guinea at that time.

Mansinam island

Mansinam now is still attractive for tourists who love marine sports. I often guide tourists to enjoy snorkeling in the coral reef area for visitors who want to see such fish as grouper, boxfish, damselfish, striped surgeonfish, convict surgeonfish, yellow-tail blue devil, three-spots dascyllus, and butterflyfish.
Tourists are highly recommended to bring their own masks, snorkels and fins.

How to go to Mansinam island

• Fly from your country to Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia.
• After that fly from Jakarta to Manokwari - the capital of Papua Barat province. Domestic airlines such as Garuda, Sriwijaya Air, and Batik Air offer regular flights to this city.
• I can meet you at the airport or hotel where you stay and organize your tour to the island.

Other Snorkeling Spots

As a matter of fact, there are coral reef areas in Manokwari which tourists can visit to enjoy snorkeling. In the northern region, visitors can swim over the coral reef to see Red and Black anemonefish, wrasse, parrotfish and etc. 

Land Tour
In addition to visiting Mansinam island, I also offer hiking, and sightseeing tour to  forests and remote places in West Papua for tourists who like to see birds, butterflies, reptiles, mammals, and visit villages to meet local people in their daily activities. Birdwatching can also be arranged if tourists bring their own binoculars.

Booking
Please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or whatapp: +6281332245180, if you plan to visit Mansinam island or explore other places in West Papua.

Mansinam

Mansinam island

Mansinam is a small island close to Manokwari city of West Papua that is good for snorkeling and free diving. The island has got coral reef sites which tourists can swim over to see butterflyfish, damselfish, grouper, moorish idol, anemonefish, parrotfish, sea star, urchin, and even turtles. To enjoy snorkeling and freediving, visitors need to bring their own snorkeling mask, snorkel and fins. Don't forget to bring an underwater camera if you have such as GoPro action camera or Nikon W300
There are unique vegetation in the coastal area of Mansinam. There are kersen (also called Singapore cherry) trees, cattapa, pandanus and beach hibiscus. In addition to snorkeling and freediving, visitors can explore the island by hiking to its highest point where there is the statue of Jesus. German missionaries Carl Wilhelm Ottow, his wife Wilhelmine Auguste Ottow, and J.G. Geissler for the first time began introducing Christianity to the indigenous Papuan people on 5 February 1855. That's why Mansinam is called the island of civilization. Every year, on that date, thousands of people from all corners of the world gather on the island to celebrate the event. They also conduct cultural street parade on the streets of Manokwari city the next day.

Other Tourist Attractions in Manokwari

King Bird of Paradise (Cicinnurus regius)

Besides guiding tourists to Mansinam, I also guide tourists to Susnguakti forest of Arfak mountains for visitors who want to watch Lesser Birds of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise and Cuscus Possum. Usually, the duration is 3 days/ 2 nights. Hiking and birding are carried out in the mornings, and in the afternoons whereas night walks to find cuscus possum, Papua Dragon Tree Lizard are conducted between 20:30 and 23:00 local time. There is a base camp that is provided for tourists. Mattrasses, pillows, tents, cooking and eating utensils are available too. So, tourists do not need to carry those heavy things to enjoy hiking and wildlife watching in the Susnguakti forest.
As a tour guide, I organize tours to several different places in West Papua such as eastern region in Waigeo island of Raja Ampat, Klabolo forest of Sorong regency, Tambrauw mountains, and Susnguakti forest of Manokwari. The activities are multi-sports. They involve hiking, riverwalk, birding, swimming, snorkeling and freediving.
Booking
Please, contact me (Charles Roring) by whatsapp to: +81332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com to book your adventure tours in Manokwari or other parts of West Papua.

Snorkeling and Freediving in Drop-off Reef of Mansinam Island

I have just completed a snorkeling tour in Mansinam island for 2 tourists. They were two girls from United Kingdom and New Zealand. We enjoyed snorkeling and recreational freediving in the drop-off reef. We were accompanied by a student who studied Marine Biology. It was a great experience because we could see a lot of fish and hard corals. Reef flat was around 1 to 2 meters deep. The drop off area was from 2 to 25 meters deep. It was a site that was good for freediving.

New Zealander girl was freediving in Mansinam island

To take pictures I had to freedive to a depth of around 5 meters so that I could be closer to the fish. One of girls, Leyla, practiced her freediving skill too. She descended to a depth of 5 meters. When she was going down to deeper waters, I took some pictures of her. This snorkeling and freediving trip were special experience for them.

Marine Life in Mansinam island

Black-backed Butterflyfish

After exploring the coral reef, we did some hiking tour to Jesus statue located at the top of Mansinam island. We met some pilgrims who were walking up the slopes to see it too.
In the previous day, we went hiking to a hill forest in the north of Manokwari ciry. We saw a lot of millipede, spiders, butterflies, lizard and bats. I saw a terrestrial snake New Guinea Ground Boa - also called Viper Boa (Candoia aspera).

Rainforest Tour in Manokwari hill

Flying route to Manokwari city from Jakarta (the capital of Indonesia)

How to fly to Manokwari city
The adventure tour that I describe above is concentrated in Manokwari - the capital of Papua Barat province in the Republic of Indonesia. You could also take the tour here. What you need is flying to Manokwari city.

• First, fly from your state to Jakarta, the capital of the Republic of Indonesia.
• Second, take a domestic flight from Jakarta to Manokwari city. Airlines such as Garuda, Sriwijaya Air, Batik Air provide regular flights to Manokwari. 
• There are hotels such as Aston Niu, Swissbel, Oriestom Hotel that you could choose to stay.
• Tickets for your flights and rooms in the hotel can be ordered through traveloka.com
• I will be happy to meet you at the airport or at the hotel where you stay in Manokwari and then organize your trip both to the forest and to the coral reef areas.

If you are interested in visiting Manokwari to see its coral reef and rainforest, and want me to organise your tour, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by e-mail to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Also read:

• Ecotourism in Minahasa of North Sulawesi
• Traditional Palm Sugar Production in Rambunan Village of District Sonder, Minahasa regency
• Sulawesi Scops Owl

Watercolor Painting of Gereja Lahai Roi

Here is the painting of Gereja Lahai Roi. Gereja means church. The church is located in Mansinam, a small island in Manokwari regency of West Papua. Mansinam was the first place in New Guinea that received European missionaries on 5 February 1855 who went there to preach Gospel. Every year tens of thousands of town dwellers of Manokwari, together with pilgrims from all corners of the world, come to Mansinam to celebrate the Gospel Preaching Day. Some intellectuals consider that day as the beginning of modern civilization of Papuan people. I used Staedler 2B graphite pencil to sketch the landscape before coloring it using Fabercastel and Derwent watercolour pencils. For me, creating fine lines for the details of coconut trees and the building of the church is much easier if it is carried out by pencil dan wet brush.

Gereja Lahai Roi di Pulau Mansinam, Manokwari

Today, I have decided to spend more time painting the landscape, and wildlife of West Papua to create awareness among the city dwellers of Manokwari and the people of Indonesia that it is important to preserve our nature. If you are interested in watercolor painting then you need to practice sketching and painting now. Try to read books about how to paint in watercolour. 

Also read:

• Minahasa Highland Tour
• Farm Tour in Minahasa Highland
• A Short Visit to Mansinam Island

Jalan-jalan di Manokwari - Tamasya ke Pulau Mansinam

Pulau Mansinam yang terletak di dalam Teluk Dore - tempat kota Manokwari berada merupakan kawasan wisata sejarah yang sering dikunjungi masyarakat Papua. Menurut catatan Gereja Kristen Injili di Tanah Papua, pada tanggal 5 Februari 1855, 3 orang misionaris berkebangsaan Jerman mendarat di pulau itu. Mereka adalah Otto dan isterinya serta Geissler. Kedatangan mereka adalah untuk menyebarkan injil kepada orang-orang Papua yang belum mengenal agama. Kala itu, penduduk di kawasan pantai dan pegunungan masih sering terlibat perang suku satu sama lain.

Kurang lebih dua tahun kemudian, datang juga seorang peneliti berkebangsaan Inggris yang bernama Alfred Russel Wallace ke Manokwari untuk melihat burung-burung surga serta flora dan fauna yang hidup di sana. Dia sempat bertemu dengan ketiga misionaris tersebut sebagaimana ditulisnya dalam buku catatan perjalanannya di nusantara yang berjudul The Malay Archipelago.

Pramuwisata Charles Roring bersama wisatawan Belanda

Pulau Mansinam memiliki pantai yang indah karena ditumbuhi oleh terumbu karang. Masyarakat Papua sering ke pulau ini untuk melihat situs sejarah pendaratan ketiga misionaris tersebut. Jika Anda hanya ingin berenang dan snorkeling di Pulau Mansinam, tempat yang saya sarankan adalah di sebelah selatan pulau itu. Terumbu karang di kedalaman 1 hingga 5 meter masih dalam keadaan baik dan bisa dilihat dengan menggunakan mask. Karena tidak ada jasa penyewaan snorkeling mask di Manokwari, maka saya sarankan agar Anda membawanya sendiri sebelum berangkat ke Manokwari. Biaya taksi air dari pelabuhan ketapang Manokwari adalah Rp. 10.000/orang sekali jalan. Di samping wisata alam dan sejarah, para pengunjung yang singgah di pulau ini bisa bertemu dengan seniman setempat yang bernama Peter Rumbruren. Seniman serba bisa tersebut membangun sebuah bangunan tradisional di depan rumahnya tempat ia menaruh ukir-ukiran yang terbuat dari kayu.

Selain keindahan bawah laut yang menawan, wisatawan dapat pula melihat hutan pantai yang tumbuh di bagian belakang pulau ini. Pemerintah sedang membangun jalan lingkar pulau Mansinam untuk memudahkan masyarakat berjalan kaki atau naik sepeda mengelilinginya. Satu hal yang menarik untuk diketahui pula adalah bahwa sinyal ponsel cukup baik di pulau ini. Oleh karena itu, Anda bisa langsung meng-upload foto atau video yang mereka ambil di pulau tropis ini untuk dibagikan ke teman-teman di media sosial. oleh Charles Roring/ E-mail: peace4wp@gmail.com