Tour at the Outskirts of Sorong city, Indonesia

Sorong is the capital of Southwest Papua Province of Indonesia. A lot of visitors fly to Sorong to spend their holiday in Raja Ampat. Many of them look for tourism activities which they can enjoy while staying in this city.

Sahul Sunbird

As a tourist guide, I offer sightseeing and nature tour to the outskirt areas of Sorong. We usually starts very early in the morning at 05:00. Our destination is a forest site around 40 minutes drive from the city center. We will go by car. When we arrive, we still have time for coffee or tea and some biscuits. When the sun is about to rise in the east, we can start walking into the nearby forest to watch it. 

Rufous-bellied Kookaburra

Usually a male Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise will land on the top of a tree trunk and begin to call his female mating partner. If the weather is good, the female bird will come at around 06:15. We could watch how the male Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise performs his courtship dance. After watching the paradise bird, we could continue walking to an open area to watch various species of tropical birds and butterfies in the area. For birds, there are Papuan Eclectus, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Yellow-faced Myna, Sahul Sunbird, Brown Oriole, Helmeted Friarbird, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo and etc. 

For butterflies, there are New Guinea Clipper, Mangrove Tiger Butterfly and Priamus Birdwing. 

Sightseeing and Nature Tour in Sorong city

We usually bring spotting scope and binoculars to watch them. Some tour participants bring their own telephoto camera. 

Sightseeing tour in Sorong city

This tour is suitable for anyone who has got a free morning or a free afternoon in Sorong city without knowing what to do and where to go. 

Solo traveling visitor, a couple or a group of tourists can book this sightseeing and nature tour program from Sorong city. 

Birdwatching tour from Sorong city to forest areas in its surroundings

Flights to Sorong city - There are regular flights between Sorong and Jakarta as well as between Denpasar Bali and Sorong city. Flights from other major cities Indonesia such as Manado, Makassar, Surabaya, Ambon and Manokwari to Sorong city are also available. They are served by Garuda, Lion Air, Batik Air and Super Airjet. 

Accommodation - We could pick up tour participants from Swissbel hotel, Aston Hotel, Vega Hotel or any hotels in the city and organize the trip by a chartered car to natural places outside Sorong city. 

To book your tour in Sorong city, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or through whatsapp by pressing the following button:

Also read:

• Explore Sorong city and its surroundings
• 1 Day Birding Tour at the Outskirts of Sorong city
• Sorong city Sightseeing and Birdwatching Tour

Wildlife Watching Trip in Klaimis Forest of Sorong Regency

Sorong city is the capital of the newly formed Southwest Papua Province of Indonesia. It is the main destination for visitors who plan to enjoy their holiday in Raja Ampat. 

Visitors who have arrived in Sorong city could take wildlife watching tour in the forest of Klasow valley to watch paradise birds and other tropical birds as well as insects, mammals and reptiles. 

Lesser Bird of Paradise

Some of the birds that visitors could watch include: Lesser Birds of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise, Magnificent Riflebird, Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Azure Kingfisher, Papuan Dwarf Kingfisher, Western-crowned Pigeon, Orange-bellied Fruit-dove, Rufuous-bellied Kookaburra, Papuan Pitta, Eastern Hooded Pitta, Blue Jewel Babbler, Pheasant Pigeon, Thick-billed Ground Pigeon, Northern Cassowary, and etc.

Magnificent Riflebird

Birding activity is usually carried very early in the morning at 05:00. Tour participant will be guided to walk for around 1 hour to the site of Lesser Bird of Paradise. At 06:00, male paradise birds start to call their female mating partners. The courtship dance usually lasts for 2 to 3 hours depending on the weather. After watching the paradise birds, rainforest tour will be continued to the site of Magnificent Riflebird. 

Western-crowned Pigeon

Night birding is usually conducted after dinner for tour participants to watch Papuan Frogmouth, Marbled Frogmouth, Papuan Boobook, Papuan Hawk Owl and Hook-billed Kingfisher.

In addition to birds, visitors could also find cuscus, Long-fingered Triok, dorcopsis, and etc. For reptile, the famous attraction is Green Tree Python. However, there are also monitor lizard that can be found when visitors explore the forest. 

Accommodation

There is a jungle homestay that visitors could use. On the average, visitors spend around 3 days/ 2 nights in the forest. They are served by local villagers. 

If you are interested in taking wildlife watching trip in Klaimis forest of Sorong regency and want me to organize your trip, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp through the following button:

Also read: 

• 1 Day Birding Tour at the Outskirts of Sorong City
• Birdwatching in Raja Ampat of Indonesia
• Night Wildlife Tour in Klaimis Forest of Sorong Regency
• What to do in Sorong city
• Late Afternoon and Night Birding in Sorong
• Birding in Sorong, Snorkeling in Raja Ampat
• Birding Tour Across Tangkoko Nature Reserve, Mount Mahawu, Sonder Forest and Manado city

Day Birding Tour in Sorong Regency

I have just completed a 2-day-trip birding tour for 2 visitors in several birding sites outside Sorong city. 

Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise in the suburb of Sorong city

In Day 1, we started our trip at 05:00. We went to the outskirts of Aimas by car to watch Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise. The weather was cloudy. There was a little rain but it stopped when the sun began to rise in the east. We watched the paradise bird for around one and a half hour. Both the male and female Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise came to their usual mating site which were two vertical branch of a tree. After that we continued the tour by walking around an open area to watch Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Sahul Brush Cuckoo, Yellow-faced Myna, Helmeted Friarbird, Variable Goshawk, Brown Oriole, Helmeted Friarbird and etc. 

Blyth's Hornbill

At 08:00, we returned to Sorong city for the tour participants to have breakfast in their hotelm We continued again at 09:00. We went to a hill outside Sorong city. There, we saw Pacific Baza, Dollardbird, Sahul Sunbird, Brown Oriole, Helmeted Friarbird, Coconut Lorikeet, Yellow-faced Myna, Glossy Swiftlet and etc. We returned to Sorong city at around 11:00. 

In the afternoon at 15:00, we continued our day trip birding tour to the north coast. We watched Beach Kingfisher, Orange-fronted Fruit-dove, Torresian Crow, and Pacific Swallow. 

The next morning which was the Day 2 of our birding trip, we went to a forest outside Sorong city. It was quite far. It took around 1 hour to reach it. Ther we watched Lesser Bird of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise and Papuan Pitta. We saw other birds as well such as Blyth's Hornbill, Papuan Eclectus, Black-capped Lory and Pinon Imperial Pigeon. 

In the afternoon at 15:00, we went by car to Mangrove forest at the outskirts of Sorong city. We saw Glossy-mantled Manucode, Orange-fronted Fruit-dove, Brown-backed Honeyeater, Blue-fronted Fig Parrot (also called Orange-breasted Fig Parrot), Collared Imperial Pigeon, Willie Wagtail, Spotted Dove, Glossy Starling, and Brown Oriole. We also saw Sacred Kingfisher, Little Kingfisher and Emperor Fairywren. 

Papuan Eclectus

It was a great birding tour. The participants enjoyed the beautiful landscape of Sorong regency. We returned to Sorong at 18:00 and arrived in the hotel at around 19:00. 

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

Also read:

• 1 Day Birding Tour at the Outskirts of Sorong
• Morning Birding Tour in Sorong city
• What to do in Sorong city
• Birds in North Sulawesi
• Birding in Sonder of Minahasa Highland

1 Day Birding Tour in Sorong Regency Lowland Forest and Coastal Area

A few days ago (March 13th, 2026), I guided a couple (Marcus and Jo) from Australia on a birding tour in the lowland and coastal forest of Sorong regency. We started early in the morning at 05:30. I met them at Aston hotel and then by car we went to a forest area outside Sorong city. It took around 40 minutes to reach the entrance site of the forest. At that time, we could hear the calls of Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise (Seleucidis melanoleucus). 

1 Day Birding Tour in the forest of Sorong Regency

The bird was sitting on the vertical pole of a tree waiting for his female mating partner to come. I set up my 2 tripods, one with a pair of binoculars mounted on it and the other with a spottiny scope, and aimed them at the paradise bird. We waited for the female bird to come. The male Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise did some rehearsal  by hopping down and up the pole. He hopped down to the top of lower pole and sit on it for awhile. 

Marcus and Jo used their camera to take pictures of the paradise bird. They also made some video using their cell phone through the spotting scope. 

After waiting for around one and a half hour, unfortunately the female paradise bird did not come, the male one flew away leaving the dancing lek. 

We left the watching site and continued our activity by doing general birding. We saw a lot of species of interesting birds including Papuan Eclectus, Spangled Drongo, Yellow-faced Myna, Glossy-mantled Manucode, Orange-bellied Fruit-dove, Willie Wagtail, Helmeted Friarbird, Black Butcherbird, Sahul Sunbird, Palm Cockatoo, Black-capped Lory, Shining Flycatcher, Blyth's Hornbill and Gray-headed Goshawk. 

A female Papuan Eclectus

If you are interested in taking this 1 day birding tour at the outskirts of Sorong city and want me to organize your tour, please, contact me by gmail to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Also read:

• 1 Day Birding Tour at the Outskirts of Sorong city
• Birds in the Suburb of Sorong city

• Birding and Wildlife Tour in Tangkoko and Minahasa Highland
• Birds in North Sulawesi
• Reizen in Noord Sulawesi
• Birding in Sonder

Water Lily from A Swamp in Merauke

In addition to guiding tourists, my daily avtivity now is drawing and painting. I have just completed an old sketch of Water Lily of Merauke in watercolour. This is a small painting on paper size A5 (14.5 cm×21 cm) Winsor & Newton Wire-O sketch book. I saw this water lily flower in a swamp at the outskirts of Merauke. I visited the town years ago. There was only one flower at that time. Usually in a swamp, there are various kinds of water plants and including tens of waterlily flowers. However, I only saw one flower. So, the only one water lily flower that was still standing in the dark water of the swamp, when I arrived, deserved my attention. The swamp was at the roadside. I even asked the driver to stop his car so that I could walk closer to it. 

Water Lily from Merauke 

The watercolour painting is now inside a simple frame that I hang on the wall of the front room of my house.

I still have other watercolour paintings that I will discuss in my later posts. 

4 Days/3 Nights Birding in Sorong Regency

Today is 3 March 2026. I have just started a birding tour with 2 participants from Germany. We are now in Malagufuk of Klasow valley. We left Sorong city at 08:30 by a 4wd car and did birding along the 3,3 kilometers boardwalk that led us to the village. We saw Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Wompoo Fruit-dove, Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher and Eastern Hooded Pitta. It was a good start.  When we were having lunch, a female Blyth's hornbill landed on a wooden beam of our dining hall.  

Large Fig Parrot

At 15:15, we went birding again to the southern forest of the village. We saw Black-capped Lory, Black Lory, Coconut Lorikeet, Golden Myna, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Papuan Eclectus, Red-cheeked Parrot, Helmeted Friarbird, and Lowland Peltop. 

Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher

At dusk, we were waiting for Papuan Nightjar. Unfortunately, he did not show up. There were flying fox flying over the village. Unfortunately, the Papuan nightjar did not fly that evening. So, we returned to the guesthouse.

Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot

In the morning of 4 March 2026, we went to the lek of Lesser Bird of Paradise. We left Malagufuk village at 05:00. It took around 30 minutes of walking to reach the place. We still had to wait for around 30 minutes for the sunlight to appear in the sky. After waiting for quite long and walking around the forest area for two hours to chase the birds, finally, we could watch the courtship dance of the Lesser Bird of Paradise. There were 4 male and 3 female Lesser Birds of Paradise. 

Lesser Bird of Paradise

We also went to the site of King Bird of Paradise. I could also take picture of the bird using my Vivo V40 Lite that is mounted on my SVbony SV410 spotting scope. 

King Bird of Paradise

In the afternoon, we saw a lot of birds around the edge of the village. There were Glossy-mantled Manucode, Blyth's Hornbill, Black Lory, Golden Myna, Yellow-faced Myna, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Gray-streaked Flycatcher, Golden Cuckooshrike, Sahul Sunbird, Red-cheeked Parrot, Sultan's Cuckoo-dove, Glossy Swiftlet. 

Sultan's Cuckoo-dove

We did night walk. We saw Yellow-bellied Gerygone, a Brown Tree Mouse. We tried to attract Papuan Boobook by playing its recorded calls. Unfortunately, when this nocturnal bird came, he landed a tall tree whose branches were blocked by other branches from a nearby tree. So, we could not see the bird.

In the morning of 5 March was a great birding experience for us. We saw Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, Papuan Pitta, Northern Cassowary, Purple-tailed Imperial Pigeon, Black-sided Robin. 

Hook-billed Kingfisher

On the way back to the village after watching the Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, we saw Purple-tailed Imperial Pigeon, Hook-billed Kingfisher. We also watched birds that were active in a tall merbau tree. There were Lowland Peltops, White-bellied Cuckooshrike, Yellow-faced Myna, Coconut Lorikeet and Large Fig Parrot. There was a Palm Cockatoo that landed briefly on the tip of a dry branch. I was able to take some picture of the bird. 

Palm Cockatoo

On 6 March 2026, we went to the hides of Papuan Pitta and Eastern Hooded Pitta. We were able to see them after attracting them with calls and worms. We also saw Little Shrikethrush, Papuan Dwarf Kingfisher, Sahul Brush Cuckoo, Azure Kingfisher and Long-tailed Honeybuzzard. After lunch, we returned to Sorong city. It has been a great birdinf trip for our German guests. 

Azure Kingfisher

If you are interested in taking a birdwatching tour in Sorong regency of Indonesia and want me to organize your trip, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or through whatsapp at +6281332245180. You could also press this contact link.

Also read:

• 1 Day Birding Tour at the Outskirts of Sorong tegency
• Explore Sorong city and Its Surroundings

• Reizen in Noord Sulawesi
• Birding Paradise: Exploring North Sulawesi from Manado to Minahasa Highland
• Tangkoko National Park
• Birding and Wildlife Tour in Tangkoko and Minahasa Highland
• Birds in North Sulawesi
• Birding in Sonder
• Birdwatching Tour in the Farmland and Forest of Minahasa Highland
• Birding Tour Across Tangkoko Nature Reserve, Lake Tondano, Mount Mahawu and Sonder's Forest