3 Hiking and Camping Trip Destinations in West Papua

As a tour guide, I have accompanied a lot of tourists on various hiking and camping trips in West Papua. From all of the outdoor adventure trips destinations that I have done, there are three places that I like the most.

1. Aiwatar hill - It is still placed on the top list of the hiking and camping trip destinations that I recommend it for you. It is located in District Senopi. To reach the hill, you need to fly to Manokwari city and continue your trip by airplane to District Kebar. After that, you can walk or hitchhike a truck to District Senopi. The next morning, if you are fit enough to walk, you can leave the village for the hill. It takes around five hours walking through the jungle and crossing rivers to get to Aiwatar. The scenery of the tropical rainforest with some big and small rivers will make you feel that you are in the middle of nowhere. During your hiking trip in the rainforest of Senopi, you may be able to see deers, birds of paradise, ornate lory, goliath cockatoo, kangaroo,  and various other animals live in the region. 
2. Asai  - This hiking and camping trip destination is located in the north coast of Manokwari regency. The tropical rainforest of Asai is rich of bio diversity. It is the natural habitat of cuscus, sulphur crested cockatoo and snakes. As you walk deeper into the jungle, you will see more birds, and unique plants. You will be surrounded by green vegetation. Don't forget to bring sleeping bag and waterproof camping tent if you want to stay for several nights at the bank of Asai river.  In addition to hiking, cycling from Manokwari town to Asai village is also possible to be carried out by travelers. I personally have done it twice. On the average, a cyclist needs four hours to reach Asai. Before leaving the town, the cyclist needs to check all the gear mechanism and tires of his or her bike are in good working order.
3. Camp Dopi of Inggramui forest - This is a hiking tour destination that is not far from Manokwari city. So, it is the cheapest place to go compared to the above destinations. I have guided European and American tourists to Dopi river. Blyth's hornbills usually fly above our heads when we walk through the stream of the river. If you spend at least one night camping at the bank of Dopi river, you will have the opportunity to go to the dancing site of the lesser birds of paradise. Monitor lizards, kangaroo and deers live in the jungle of this river too. You may see them while hiking through the rainforest of Dopi river. If you want to watch birds of paradise, don't forget to bring a pair of binoculars or telephoto camera with extra batteries.

For all of your hiking and camping trips in this tropical rainforest of West Papua, bring tent. If you take a tour from me, the tent will be provided by me. If you decide to bring your own tent, it has to be water resistant. The material should be light. 

Senopi Village and a Jungle Walk to Aiwatar Hill

Senopi is a small village in Tambrauw mountains. It is located between Manokwari and Sorong. Although it has not been listed by Lonely Planet in its Indonesia's travel guide book, the tropical rainforest near Senopi village has got a world class birding center in Aiwatar hill where only very small number of tourists has ever visited.

The picture of male lesser bird of paradise (paradisaea minor) was taken by Wim Boyden when we were hiking in the rainforest near Aiwatar hill. 

I went there last year with two tourists from Belgium, Wim and Vicky. Guided by three local guides, we walked through the tropical rainforest of Senopi for around 5 hours to reach the hill. The species of plants that cover the rocky hill of Aiwatar are different from plants that grow in other hills and mountains outside Aiwatar. They are the same as the species of plants that we can find in the coastal area. Aiwatar is located deep in the inland area of the Tambrauw mountains. However, beach plants and flowers are not the only attraction that we can see in Aiwatar. If we walk up the slopes of the hill to reach its top, we will see warm water comes out of the ground. It is not fresh water it is salty. When I was there with Wim Boyden and Maker (our local guide), we were able to see various species of birds on the branches of the trees around the hill. The best time to watch birds on this hill is early in the morning. It means that we need to be on the hill before the birds come or before dawn. It's a hard journey but Aiwatar hill is worth visiting.  It is not only birds that you can see while hiking to Aiwatar. Perhaps, you may see wild deer, tree kangaroo, boar, wild cows, kuskus and snakes too.
If you are an adventurous person, you can go further by visiting Sekwa village. Try to meet Paul Warere, a local Papuan villager who can guide tourists in the jungle. He will accompany you to explore the rainforest and watch wildlife or see waterfall.

There are two ways to reach Senopi. The first is by car, and the second is by airplane. The cheapest is by airplane (because the ticket is subsidized by the government). Since a lot of local people choose to go by airplane, the seats for tourists may not always be available. If you are interested in visiting Senopi and trekking to Aiwatar and the surrounding rainforest of Senopi, inform your planned trips at least 3 months prior to your arrival in Manokwari city. To secure your flight seats to Kebar valley, you can contact me via my email charlesroring@gmail.com. I will try to reserve your ticket(s). If you cannot get the airplane ticket(s), the cost that you will spend for paying a rent car will be very expensive. by Charles Roring

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Tropical rainforest preservation in District Senopi

Tropical rainforest of District Senopi is one of the best hiking trip destinations in the bird's head region of West Papua province. I have been trying to help the indigenous Papuan people preserving their rainforest through the promotion of ecotourism schemes for Tambrauw Mountains, Arfak mountains and the Table Mountain. The objective of the promotion is to attract tourists to Manokwari regency so that they can enjoy the natural beauty of the high biodiversity of the forest and at the same time give financial support to the eco-tourism service providers that are mostly run by the indigenous people of Papua. New threat to Papua tropical rainforest occurs every day, from illegal logging to forest clearing for palm oil plantation. When this responsible tourism program can provide jobs and generate income for the Papuan people, they will not be interested in giving  up their  land and forest to the logging companies and palm oil plantation corporations that are now threatening every square inch of the forest in Papua. No Forest-No Tourists, and No tourists means No Money.

Rainforest in Tambrauw Mountains

Senopi Village of Tambrauw Mountains
Senopi is a district located around 200 kilometers from Manokwari city. Most part of the region is still covered with tropical rainforest. Its nearby Kebar district has the largest savanna in the birds head region of West Papua. Some tourists have already visited Senopi. They went there to enjoy hiking tours in the jungle where they would see male lesser birds of paradise dancing on the branches and twigs of a tree located some two hours walk from the village. Early in the morning and in the afternoon before sunset, male birds of paradise gather in a tree to perform courtship dance in front of some female birds of paradise as their spectators. This is a very beautiful scene for nature lovers. Besides watching birds of paradise, tourists can also see various kinds of tropical rainforest animals such as kuskus, tree kangaroo, boars and other beautiful birds such as hornbills and sulphur-crested cockatoo.

The best time to see the birds is early in the morning. They usually can be found in flowering or fruiting trees. It is not difficult to reach Senopi. Once you arrive in Manokwari, you can go to YAT Losmen or contact me  via my email peace4wp@gmail.com to arrange a car to the village.
Other important tourist attractions in Senopi are the population of deers (Cervus timorensis) that you will sometimes meet while hiking through the jungle of the district. More birds species can also be seen on the Aiwatar Hill which is located some 4 hours walk from Senopi. It is better for you to stay one night by the Kamundan river and very early in the morning  you can climb the hill to watch the birds drinking salty water that comes out of the ground until they get drunk.

I have been traveling a lot in recent months taking pictures of birds, butterfly, coral reef, ornamental fish and anything that represents the high biodiversity of the tropical rainforest and coral reef of West Papua. But my bird watching journey to Airwatar Hill is one of the most memorable experiences that I've ever had. Unfortunately, this birding center is still not known among the birding communities around the world.
I hope that the increasing number of tourists going to Senopi to enjoy hiking tours will help the indigenous Papuan villagers improve their living condition and at the same time protect their forest and its surrounding environment for future Papuan generations. by Charles Roring

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Bird Watching in Aiwatar Hill of District Senopi

If you are somebody who likes bird watching then you have come to a webpage about birding in Manokwari regency of West Papua province. I visited Senopi, a small district, in Tambrauw mountains last August 2010. I went there as a tourist guide who accompanied Wim and Vicky Boyden. They were tourists from Belgium. This was their second visit to the region. We were there for one week. Senopi village is famous for its birding hill called Aiwatar. To reach the hill, we have to wake up early in the morning - when it is still dark and walk for around 4 to 6 hours. Please, read my other article Birding Center in Aiwatar hill of District Senopi - Manokwari regency - West Papua province, the Republic of Indonesia.

We woke up early but our local birdman was sick so we returned to the guest house again. At around 8 a.m. the local guide came to pick us up. So, we took our bag, digital camera and some food and began our long walk to the hill. We crossed several small rivers, gardens where the local Papuan grow caladium (taro), sweet potatoes and vegetables. Up in the trees, black capped and rainbow lories were singing to welcome the bright morning. We stopped for a while and Vicky took their long lens Canon Eos SLR camera to shoot those birds.

They looked beautiful and didn't seem to be annoyed by our presence. After taking pictures of these birds, we continued walking again. We had been trekking along the bank of Kamundan river for one and a half hours when we suddenly heard the barking sound of a dog. It was barking at a big deer. It was far from us, around 300 meters. Wim took out their camera again trying to shoot them. The deer was moving away. The result was a blurry photograph. On our right was a creek and on our left was the big Kamundan river. It was not long after we saw the deer when suddenly again we heard a group of wild ducks fluttering their wings and flying away. Perhaps they thought that we were hunters who wanted to shoot them.

The footpath between Senopi village and the Aiwatar hill was flat. Endurance was all that we needed to accomplish our long journey. Finally we arrived at a place that was located across from the hill. This time we had to cross the Kamundan river. The surface of the round granite stones was slippery. Maker our local birding guide cut some plants to make them as canes for Wim and Vicky. Maker was not alone. He guided us with his daughter and sister. They held the hands of these two European tourists while they were crossing the river so that they would not fall down tripped by the slippery stones. I decided to walk ahead of them so that I could take some pictures of them. We walked slowly to safely arrive on the other side of the river. While standing in the middle of the river, I took some pictures of the Aiwatar hill. It was amazing. We were in the middle of nowhere far from the coastal region of Papua island but what I saw was a hill that was covered by coastal plants. It's weird, isn't it? Right in the middle of the hill was the drinking ground of various species of birds.

We still had to climb the hill to see the birds. Thirty minutes later we managed to climb the hill. I was tired and took a rest for awhile. While I, Vicky, and Maker's sister and daughter were taking a rest, Maker took Wim Boyden for a small tour near the edge of the hill. Wim managed to shoot some birds there. He showed them to us but we could not identify them. It took one month before I could know the names of the birds. I copied these bird photographs from Wim's laptop and sent them via email to Bert Harris. He has the Birds of New Guinea by Beehler. That afternoon although I was feeling hungry, I was eager to see as many birds as possible. We walked under the trees to avoid from being seen by the birds. And yes, we could see many of them eating fruits. Some other species were taking a rest. During our tour to the hill, we saw slender-billed cuckoo-dove, crown pigeon, pinon imperial pigeon (ducula pinon), fruit dove, and northern fantail (Rhipdura rufiventris). Actually we could see more species there if we spent one night there at the foot of the hill by the bank of Kamundan river and woke up early in the morning to climb the hill again before dawn.
We left Aiwater before 6 and arrived in Senopi village at night. The trip to Aiwatar hill was a tiring journey but it was worth visiting. I heard that a geologist engineer visited the area around Aiwatar hill a few weeks before we arrived. He did some survey for finding gold deposit. I am afraid that this natural wonders of the world will be destroyed by Papuan people themselves because of the "possible" gold deposit that lies beneath hill.

Oh, I forgot something, one the way back to the village we met a group of deers drinking water in a tributary of Kamundan. It's a fleeting moment. The sun had set in the west. We were surprised and they were too. They ran away and we were late in shooting them. by Charles Roring
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Birding Site in Aiwatar Hill of Senopi village

Bird lovers might not know the existence of a place called Aiwatar. It is located some 4 hours walk from Senopi village in the Tambrauw Mountains of Manokwari regency. Manokwari is also the name of a city which is the capital of West Papua province. I, Wim and Vicky Boyden went to Aiwatar on 18 August 2010. We began walking in the morning at around 7 and arrived there at around 11.30 a.m. Wim and Vicky Boyden brought their EOS long lens Canon digital camera to shoot the birds that were singing in the branches of the trees along our walk to the Aiwatar - the Bird Center.

For bird watching, birders have abundant birds to shoot with their long lens camera while hiking around the tropical rainforest of Senopi village. But it is nothing compared to a place called Aiwatar. So, although we had been very tired, we were very determined to reach the area. We were informed by the villagers that there are a lot of birds with a large variety of colors and species. Walking in the tropical rainforest of District Senopi was a hard work but was also a fascinating experience.
The sounds of ornate lorikeet, cockatoo and hornbill and various other birds fill the atmosphere of that clear morning sky combined with the sound of the flow of water from the tributaries of Kamundan river. The feather of lorries that we saw in the trees near the Senopi village looked like rainbow. I liked hearing the music of the nature during that morning walk.

We had to cross the Kamundan river to reach the Aiwatar. When we were about to enter the river, from a distance around three hundred meters from us, we saw a dog barking on big deer that was trying to cross the river. According to our local Papuan field guide, the dog belonged to a hunter but he was not sure whether the hunter was with the dog or not. Wim took his long lens camera trying to take the picture of the barking dog and the nervous deer which were too far from us. The result was a blurry picture.
We still had some two hours walking before we arrived in Aiwatar - the place which the villagers  in the District of Senopi call "Pusat Burung" or the bird center. According to Maker - our local birdman, very few tourists have visited Aiwatar. Even though I was very tired at the time, when I saw birds flying around the trees, I suddenly felt relieved. Arriving at the foot of Aiwatar hill located on the other bank of Kamundan river, I soaked my whole body in the flowing water. It was very refreshing. Our lunch of that day was cassava which was cooked inside bamboos. Our drink was unboiled, but clear and fresh water taken from the river. I don't know the names of the birds that were shot by Wim Boyden through his long lens camera but there are various other birds which we did not shoot. I also brought a Sony Super SteadyShot DSC-W80 digital camera but it was not equipped with long lens. Below is a photograph of Aiwatar which I took while standing in the middle of the Kamundan river (one of the largest rivers in the Bird's head or Vogelkop region of West Papua). 

Well, what is bird center? It is a place in the remote mountainous region of Tambraw mountains inside the territory of District Senopi. Here, salty warm water comes out of the ground in several places around a hill called Aiwatar. Another amazing thing is that although Aiwatar is located very very far from the beach, most of the plants that grow in the area are the same as the plants that usually grow along the coastal region. The ground surface is covered with sharp corals that is normally seen in the coastal area. Every morning thousands of birds come to this place to drink the water until they get drunk.

I am not a birder but when I was in Aiwatar I became a bird lover. I hope that one day I could buy a long lens camera to shoot a lot of beautiful photographs of birds that live in the tropical rainforest of West Papua, both along the coastal and mountainous regions. by Charles Roring - If after reading this post and you are interested in visiting West Papua province of Indonesia and want me as your guide, please contact me via this email: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.