BIRD WATCHING IN WEST PAPUA

Duration : 7 Days 6 Nights

Day 1 – MANOKWARI ARRRIVAL – ARFAK MOUNTAIN

Welcome to Manokwari – West Papua. Meet and greet with your bird watching expert guide to coastal area of Arfak range. Our destination is Susnguakti forest. It is a lower montane forest in the eastern region of Arfak range. It takes approximately 1.5 hours ride to reach our destination. The car is usually operated by villagers to transport people and agricultural goods to the city.

Arriving at the entrance path of the forest, we still have to continue our trip on foot for 1 hour to our jungle hut. The slopes are steep. Please, wear hiking boots.

Arriving at the jungle hut, local guides will make fire to boil water for making coffee and tea as well as preparing food. They also will prepare dome tents, mattresses, and pillows. After having tea and coffee with some biscuits we will explore the surrounding forest near our base camp. We will have dinner at around 19.00. After dinner we will do night walk in the forest to find cuscus possum and other nocturnal animals. We will return at around 22.00 to sleep.

Accommodation plan : Tent / guest house

Day 2 – BIRD WATCHING IN ARFAK MOUNTAIN

When it is still dark, we will wake up at 05.00 to have tea, coffee, some biscuits or bread. After making some preparations, at 05.30, we will start walking to the birding site of Lesser Birds of Paradise. Several male Lesser Bird of Paradises begin to call their female counterparts at approximately 06.00. They will compete one another to win the heart of their female birds by performing Courtship Dance. We will watch them until 09.00 where we will continue our birding tour to higher elevation forest of Susnguakti forest to watch King Bird of Paradise (Cicinnurus regius). We will return to our jungle huts at around 11.00 to have our lunch and take a rest for a while or take a bath at a river near the jungle huts. There is NO TOILET in the middle of the forest, we could use the small river near our basecamp whose water is flowing into the ground again. The river does not flow into the sea.

At approximately 15.00, we could do hiking to higher elevation forest to watch Magnificent Riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus), and other birds such as Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Beautiful Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus pulchellus), Spangled Drongo, Common Paradise Kingfisher (Tanysiptera galatea) and etc. We will return to our basecamp again at around 18.00 to take a shower and have dinner. At night, after dinner at around 20.30, we do another night walk to find Cuscus Possum, Ground Brown Skink, and Papua Dragon Lizard. At around 22.30 we will return to our huts to sleep.

Accommodation plan : Tent / guest house

Day 3 – ARFAK - MANOKWARI

We will wake up early in the morning to find birds of paradise that we haven't seen well. It could be Lesser BOPs or Magnificent Riflebird. After that we will have a tour to a nearby river in the forest to find Great Cuckoo Dove, or Azure Kingfisher, hopefully the Common Paradise Kingfisher will also show up. Early lunch can be prepared at 11.00. After that, we will pack our things and slowly walk back to the main road again. A short visit to a coastal village at the foot of the mountains will allow us to see how local people live in their daily life. Our local guide will show how to use a traditional match (made od bamboo, pebble, and palm fiber) to make fire. We will return to Manokwari city at around 15.00.

Transfer to the hotel for rest overnight.

Accommodation plan : Swiss bell Hotel Manokwari

DAY 04 – MANOKWARI – SORONG – WAISAI RAJA AMPAT

Transfer to the airport to catch your flight to Sorong city. Arrive in Sorong, continue to catch a public Ferry for 2 hour journey to Waisai Island – Raja Ampat. Transfer to the hotel for rest overnight.

Accommodation plan : Hamu Eco – Waisai

DAY 05 –RED BIRD OF PARADISE IN SAPOKREN

Early in the morning we drive to Sapokren Village, the starting point to red bird of paradise viewing spot. In addition to the red bird of paradise, Wilson red bird of paradise, parrots, hornbill, cockatoos, king fisher can be spotted. The males red bird of paradise begin the performance to attract females at 06.00am – 7.30am.other bird endemic to West Papua can also be spotted. We then walking down to Sapokren village. Visit the village then return to the accommodation for lunch. In the afternoon, we will do a soft hike in Sapokren village area to spot other endemic birds.

Accommodation plan : Hamu Eco – Waisai

DAY 06 – BIRD WACTHING IN GAM ISLAND

Early in the morning we cross to Gam Island by speedboat for a guided bird watching in Sawinggrai Village. After bird watching, we visit Arborek village for snorkeling.

Return to Waisai island for rest overnight.

Accommodation plan : Hamu Eco – Waisai

DAY 07 – DEPARTURE

Transfer to the harbor to catch Public Ferry to Sorong Island. Arrive in Sorong, transfer to the airport to catch flight to next destination.