Paradise Bird Watching and Wildlife Tour in Indonesia: April 2025

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Bird Photography Trip in Malagufuk Village of Sorong Regency

Malagufuk is a small village located in the middle of the rainforest of Klasow valley. It is the habitat of a kot of species of birds, insects, reptiles and mammals.

A lot of tourists go there to watch tropical birds such as Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, Blue-Black Kingfisher, Papuan Dwarf Kingfisher, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Zoe Imperial Pigeon, Purple-tailed Imperial Pigeon, Orange-bellied Fruit-dove, Pink-spotted Fruit-dove, Brown Cuckoo-dove. Birds of paradise can also be watched in the forest of the village. They include: Lesser Birds of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise, Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, Magnificent Riflebird.

The duration of the birding tour in Malagufuk village is usually 3 days/ 2 nights.

Birding could be carried out during the day and night. Birds that could be watched at night along the boardwalk and concrete path include Papuan Frogmouth, Papuan Boobook, and Hooded Pitta, Hook-billed Kingfisher, Tawny Straightbill, and etc.

Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher

Sometimes when we do night walk in the forest of Malagufuk, we could see cuscus, echidna, green tree python.

Itinerary

Here is a brief description of the tour in Malagufuk:

Day 1: We will meet you at the airport or harbor of Sorong city. We will organize your transfer by 4WD car to Malagufuk in Klasow valley. It takes approximately 1 hour 30 minutes to reach the destination. Birding and wildlife watching trip into Malagufuk village for 1 to 2 hours. Check into the homestay.
Day 2: Birding and wildlife watching. Nightwalk.
Day 3: Birding and wildlife watching in Malagufuk's forest. Check-out after lunch. Return to Sorong city by 4WD car.

Western-crowned Pigeon, Wompoo Fruit-dove, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra Beautiful Fruit Dove

Some tropical birds in Malagufuk

Equipment

There are some devices that tour participants need to bring to enhance their birding and wildlife watching experience. They are binoculars, camera with telephoto lens, flash light. Raincoat or rain-poncho will also be needed. Participants can wear hiking boots or wellington boots to explore the forest. Insect spray will also be needed.

Accommodation

There are no hotels in Malagufuk. Tour participants will stay in simple homestays that are run by local villagers.

The birding and wildlife watching tour can be continued to Waigeo island or Batanta island of Raja Ampat for another 3 days/ 2 nights trip. Short half day birding tour in Sorong city and also be organized for tour participants who do not have much time in Sorong.

Booking

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

Sunday, April 20, 2025

Birding and Sightseeing Tour from Sorong City

Sorong city is main transit point for tourists who are going to or returning from Raja Ampat. It is the place where visitors spend 1 or 2 days before continuing their trip. They look for activities that would enable them to see nature and enjoy watching birds, and butterflies as well as see beautiful scenery of the surrounding environment.

Beautiful Fruit Dove

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Birding and sightseeing tour is a popular activity which tourists can enjoy while in Sorong. Usually the birding program starts early in the morning at around 05:00. The destination is forest area outside the city. We will meet tour participants at the hotel and go by car for around 1 hour to birding site. Arriving at around 06:00, we will have some coffee or tea with biscuits or fruits.

Blyth's Hornbill

Golden Myna

After that we will start walking along the roadside to look for such birds as Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Palm Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, Orange-bellied Fruit Dove, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Beautiful Fruit Dove, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Helmeted Friarbird, Blyth's Hornbill, Brown Oriole, Sahul Sunbird, Black Sunbird, Pacific Baza, Gray-headed Goshawk, Brahminy Kite, Long-tailed Honeybuzzard, Yellow-faced Myna, Golden Myna, and etc.

Yellow-faced Myna

To enhance the birding experience of participants, we will bring spotting scope and binoculars. At around 09:00, we will continue our trip to beach area to look for such birds as Willie Wagtail, Beach Kingfisher, Common Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Pacific Reef Heron, Striated Heron, and etc.

Palm Cockatoo

We could watch these sea birds while walking along the boardwalk or the beach. At around 10:00, we will return to Sorong city.

Foreign tourists were birdwatching and sightseeing

Birdwatching and Sightseeing Tour from Sorong city

This short birding and sightseeing walking tour at the outskirts of Sorong city is suitable for tourists who want to enjoy the natural beauty of the landscape of Sorong regency and at the same time see the diverse avifauna of the region.

Olive-crowned Flowerpecker

Visitors who are interested in taking longer birding trip could take tour packages that combines visits to rainforest areas in Malagufuk, and Kasulala of Sorong regency and Waigeo island in Raja Ampat regency. The birding trip in Raja Ampat could be combined with snorkeling and sightseeing trips to islands that are located near Waigeo.

If you are interested in taking this short birding and sightseeing tour, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com

Thursday, April 10, 2025

Sorong City Sightseeing and Birding Attractions for Tourists

Sorong city is the transit point for visitors who are interested in traveling to or from Raja Ampat. Scuba divers need 1 day off before flying back to their country. On the average, they have got at least 24 hours of stay in the city. There interesting places that they can visit while in Sorong city. Here are some of them:

Papuan Eclectus

Beach Kingfisher

Sorong Ridge and Coastal Area - This place is located in north-east region outside of the city approximately 1 hour drive. Visitors can enjoy walking along its roadside and boardwalk to watch birds, butterflies, and see green tropical forest along the way. The blue sea and the rocky islets offer magnificent view of the seascape of Sorong regency for tourists to enjoy. There are a lot of species of birds which visitors could watch while doing nature walk along the ridge and coastal area of this place. They include: Yellow-faced Myna, Golden Myna, Black-browed Triller, Gray-headed Goshawk, Sahul Sunbird, Black Sunbird, Blyth's Hornbill, Orange-bellied Fruit Dove, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Papuan Eclectus, Red-cheeked Parrot, Brown Oriole, Helmeted Friarbird, Pacific Baza, Golden Monarch, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Coconut Lorikeet, and etc. At the beach, visitors could watch such birds as Beach Kingfisher, Pacific Reef Heron, Common Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Willie Wagtail, and etc. Visitors need binoculars, camera with telephoto lens and spotting scope (optional) to enjoy birdwatching in this area.

Sightseeing and Birdwatching Tour in Sorong regency

Sorong Hill - This is a place at the suburb of the city that can be reached in 30 minutes drive. The view of the surrounding tropical forest can be enjoyed by visitors by standing on a towers and wooden platform that were built by government. Visitors could also enjoy birdwatching and insect watching by walking along its boardwalk. Black Butcherbird, Double-eyed Fig Parrot, Red-cheeked Parrot, Orange-fronted Fruit Dove, Black Sunbird, Sahul Sunbird, Willie Wagtail, Olive-crowned Flowerpecker, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Blyth's Hornbill, and etc.

Beautiful Fruit Dove

Hill Forest at the Suburb of Sorong City

Mangrove Forest Outside the City - There is a mangrove forest area that is located outside Sorong city. It is a hidden place. Birds such as Brown-backed Honeyeater, Orange-fronted Fruit Dove, Blue-fronted Fig Parrot, Glossy-mantled Manucode, Collared Kingfisher, White-bellied Cuckooshrike, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, and etc. could be found in this area.

Sightseeing trip in Sorong city

Buddhist Temple - For visitors who are interested in culture, they can visit this Buddhist Temple that is located on a hill inside Sorong city. Visitors could enjoy the landscape view of Sorong city by walking to the higher ground of the temple. Upon special request, visitors could do meditation inside the temple.
Sorong Regency's Hiking and Swimming Sites - The name of the place is Gauksuak. It is located outside Sorong city. The rainforest on the mountaineous area is the habitat of a lot of species of animals and plants. Lesser Bird of Paradise, Blyth's Hornbill, Coconut Lorikeet, Papuan Pitta could be watched early on the morning. However, the habitat of the paradise birds could only be watched by visitors who are physically fit.

Dom Island - This is a small island that is located off the coast of Sorong city. It used to be the centre of administration of Dutch government in 1950s. At that time the Dutch was busy developing Sorong as logistical base for the exploration and exploitation of oil and coal in Klamono, Teminabuan, Bintuni and Babo. Now Dom is one of the crowdest islands in Indonesia.
Mangrove Tour by Boat and Recreational Fishing in Sorong city - the mangrove forest of Sorong is the natural habitat of a lot of species of fish. Tourists who are interested in fishing can enjoy recreational fishing by boat.

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

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Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Sightseeing and Meditative Trip in Sorong City

I have just guided Kary, a tourist from France on a motorcycle tour around Sorong city. I picked her up at Swissbel Hotel and then arranged a trip to a newly reclaimed land in the west of Sorong city. It is in the north of Halte Dom (the water taxi harbor). There were a lot of people who were sitting on the wall of the reclaimed land. The wall was protected by big granite stones from seasonal sea waves. The atmosphere was very relaxing. The city dwellers of Sorong were enjoying the beautiful scenery of the blue sea and the sunset. It was quite noisy to be at that place. Plastic wastes, cans began to appear on that area. Soon, shops, restaurants, offices and other businesses will be opened there. It is good for the economy of the city. Unfortunately, there was coral reef areas that had been burried under that newly formed reclaimed land.

A Buddhist Temple on a hill in Sorong City

We continued our trip to a more quiet place located on a hill above Sorong city. It was Vihara Buddha Jayanti - a Buddhist Temple. The workers asked me why we were so late in visiting the temple. It was around 06:30 when we arrived. After paying the entrance fee and being allowed to enter the higher ground of the temple, we walked along the stairs up to the frontyard of the temple. It was a peaceful place for anyone who wants to enjoy the landscape view of Sorong city. We could hear the noisy sounds of the motorized vehicles.

sacred statues Buddha and Kwan Im or Guanyin

Buddhism Sacred Statues in Vihara Buddha Jayanti of Sorong City

When a worker from the temple appeared from the stairs, we asked him to grant us permission to see the inside part of the temple. He told us to wait. He still had other things to do. He had to open a faucet to let water flowed along the hose. They were watering the surrounding flower plants.

Mazu - Sea Goddess

The concrete road that connected the Buddhist Temple and the main street was badly damaged. I had to be extra careful when riding my motorcyle down the steep hill.

We continued our trip to Marina Star Restaurant where we enjoyed a plate of fried shrimp bakwan snack, ice tea and beer. At around 10:00 p.m. I brought her back to Swissbel Hotel of Sorong city and then I immediately drove my motorcycle back home. The next day, I still have to organize another tour for this tourist to the suburb of Sorong.

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