Sonder is a small subdistrict town in Minahasa highland of North Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. It is surrounded by hills, valleys and rivers. Sonder is a good destination for visitors who love birdwatching, butterflywatching, seeing the landscape of villages and farmland as well as talking with villagers. It is a must see destination for nature lovers. Sonder, in 1970s and 1980s was very famous as the producer of clove. Local farmers grow clove trees along the slopes of the surrounding hills and mountains. In Indonesia, the dried buds of clove flower is used as ingredients in cigarette.
The forest and farmland that surround Sonder town and its villages are the habitat of a lot of species of birds and butterflies.
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| Sulawesi Hanging Parrot |
ITINERARY
Day 1
You arrive in Manado city, we will meet you at the airport and organize your transfer by car to Sonder town. Check into homestay. Take a rest for around 2 hours. We will start our birdwatching and butterflywatching activity in Mount Lengkoan - the higher elevation forest and farmland of Sonder. It is the habitat of various species of birds such as Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher, Pygmy Hanging Parrot, Pygmy Woodpecker, Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker, Crimson Sunbird, Yellow-sided Flowerpecker, Sulawesi Myzomela, Warbling White-eye, Black Sunbird, and etc. There is a quiet road in the area that allows visitors to enjoy birding in this farm forest area.
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| Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker |
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| Crimson Sunbird |
From higher elevation forest and farmland, visitors could walk down the slopes that are covered by clove, spathodea, coconut, aren, durian, rambutan, and other fruit trees. Sometimes we could see farmers working in their farmland.
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| Sulawesi Myzomela |
They are the habitat of such birds as Yellow-billed Malkoha, Black-naped Oriole, Gray-cheeked Green Pigeon, Gray Wagtail, Sulawesi Drongo, Black-crowned White-eye, Hair-crested Drongo (White-eye), Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove, Gray-sided Flowerpecker, and etc.
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| Purple Heron, Collared Kingfisher, Brown-throated Sunbird, Zebra Dove, Hair-crested Drongo, Sooty-headed Bulbul, Finch-billed Myna |
Day 2
We will do our birding and butterflywatching activitiee in Lalek Farm Forest. There are more open areas that are good for watching birds. Roadside birding can easily be carried out along these farm roads because the road is mostly empty during the whole day. Sometimes, we could see birds such as Zebra Dove, Barred Rail crossing the road. Migratory bird such as the Gray Wagtail also like to walk on the asphalt road in certain months of the year. In an open farmland, birds such as Sulawesi Crow and Black Kite flying in the air. It is much easier for this predator to hunt rats that like to feed on agricultural produce that local farmers grow. In the same farmlabd, we could also find some White-breasted Woodswallows sitting on dry branches of trees. Pale Blue Monarch, Black-naped Oriole as well as Sulawesi Hanging Parrot could be seen in the branches of trees.
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| White-breasted Woodswallow |
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| Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove (Macropygia doreya albicapilla) |
In the rice field area of Sonder, we could watch more birds such as Javan Pond Heron, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Purple Heron, White-browed Crake, Barred Rail, Buff-banded Rail, White-breasted Woodswallow, Collared Kingfisher, Scaly-breasted Munia, Chestnut Munia, Black-faced Munia, Barn Swallow, Glossy Swiftlet, White-nest Swiftlet, and etc. Farmers don't like the munias. They are pests for rice plants. However, for the egrets, farmers consider them as friends. These birds feed on insects and small water animals that harm the rice and vegetable plants.
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| Barred Rail |
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| Pale Blue Monarch |
Day 3
After breakfast, we will do birding down the slope road between Lahendong and Sonder. This is the natural habitat of Bay Coucal, Black-naped Oriole, Hair-crested Drongo (white-eyed), Sulawesi Crow, Black Kite, Sulawesi Goshawk, Lesser Fish Eagle, Pale Blue Monarch, Sulawesi-crested Myna, Green Imperial Pigeon, Zebra Dove, Sooty-headed Bulbul, and etc.
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| Birding and Photography Tour in Sonder of Minahasa highland |
Night birding can also be organized for tour participants to look for Sulawesi Scops Owl, Speckled Boobook and Minahasa-masked Owl.
Day 4
We will do morning birding in Mount Mahawu to look for Scaly-breasted Kingfisher, Sulawesi Pitta, Sulawesi Myzomela, Superb Fruit-dove, Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove, Crimson Sunbird, Warbling White-eye,and etc.
We will return to Manado city and organize your transfer to airport. End of Tour.
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| Sulawesi Scops Owl |
Bringing binoculars and a spotting scope enhances the birding experience of each tour participant. For photographers, they could bring bridge camera such as Nikon Coolpix P1000, D-SLR or Mirrorless camera with telephoto lens.
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| Colorful flowers at the roadside of Tincep village in Subdistrict Sonder |
Sonder is a small subdistrict town that is formed from several smaller villages. Visitors who are interested in exploring local life could walk through the alleyways of Sonder to see the daily activities of the villagers. There are those who dry their agricultural harvest such as clove, corn and rice. There are also villagers who run fish farming in their house yards. Some open food stalls and small shops. Minahasan people like to grow flowers at the frontyards of their houses. So, visitors will be able to see various colorful flowers while visiting Sonder.
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| Manado Yellow Tiger Butterfly |
These flower plants attract small birds and butterflies, dragonflies and other insects. So, visitors could also watch various species of butterflies while exploring the villages, farmland and forest of Sonder. There are Blanchard's Wood Nymph, Blanchard's Tree Nymph, Sulawesi-banded Swallowtail, Lime Swallowtail, The Clipper, Meyer's Jay, Milon's Bluebottle, Common Birdwing and etc.
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| Meyer's Jay Butterfly |
Where is Sonder and How to get there?
Sonder is a small subdistrict town in the highland of Minahasa. It can be reached by car from Manado city.
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| Subdistrict town of Sonder in Minahasa highland of North Sulawesi, Indonesia |
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| Land route between Manado city and Sonder |
Visitors need to fly from their countries to one of the major cities in Indonesia such as Jakarta, Surabaya or Denpasar and then continue their flight to Manado city. Airlines such as Garuda, Citilink, Lion Air, Batik Air, and SuperAirjet provide regular daily flights between big cities in Indonesia and Manado city. There are also international direct flights between Singapore and Manado city that is served by Scoot Air; and between Guangzhou and Manado city served by China Southern Airline.
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| Flight routes to Manado city from Singapore; and other major cities in Indonesia. |
Accommodation
Visitors who want to take multiple day tour can stay in homestays in Subdistrict Sonder or in hotels in Tomohon town.
Booking
If you are interested in taking a birdwatching and butterflywatching tour in Minahasa highland, and want me to organize your tour, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com. You could also contact me via whatsapp by pressing the contact link.
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