Rainforest Tour in the North Coast of Manokwari

When travelers plan a hiking tour to Manokwari, they always put Arfak mountains in the list of their destination. It is true that the mountain range is rich of wild life. However, I want to introduce another destination in the north coast of this regency which is called Pantura (meaning literally Beach North). North Coast of Manokwari is still covered with low elevation rainforest that is also home to various species of birds, butterflies and nocturnal - marsupial animals such as kuskus and kangaroo (locally called Lao-lao). The wild life in West Papua is different from the one that can be seen in other islands of Indonesian archipelago. Animals and plants in West Papua have more resemblence to the ones that can be found in other Pacific islands and Australia.

The Pantura area is also a nice place for snorkeling. Coral reef areas in Asai bach and around Kaki island are rich of various species of tropical fish. If you want to enjoy snorkeling in Pantura of Manokwari, bring your own snorkeling mask and fins. You cannot rent them here.
Recommended Underwater Camera
Also don't forget to bring an underwater camera. If you don't have one, I recommend you to buy Panasonic Lumix DMC FT3 or the Nikon Coolpix AW100. Equipped with GPS and compass, these cameras are versatile tool for anybody who wants to capture the beautiful corals that are home to colorful fish and other marine animals. For photo quality, from the official website of Panasonic, the company claims that the Panasonic Lumix DMC FT3 can create 12.1 megapixel images whereas from the official website of Nikon, the digital camera manufacturer claims that its Coolpix AW100 can produce 16 MP photographs.
I personally had tried the Panasonic Lumix DMC FT3 once for snorkeling and after that it was broken! The photograph that I made can be seen above. It's quite clear even though it was taken in low light condition - the weather was cloudy at that time. Unfortunately, it leaked and water entered through its door. Before using it, I had checked its door and locked it. Even though the company claims that it can withstand water pressure up to 12 meters below sea level, my Panasonic DMC FT3 is now broken. So, if I want to buy a digital waterproof camera, I will buy Nikon Coolpix AW 100 for its better pixel quality and, perhaps, its claimed waterproof endurance.  

In my last trip to the north coast region, I accompanied three European tourists. we walked up stream the Asai river. We saw sandpiper, pigeon, and hornbills. I shot the sandpiper bird below from a distance of around 60 meters using my super zoom camera - Nikon Coolpix P500. With its 36 x optical zoom capability, I could enlarge the image of the bird in the LCD screen at the back side of the camera before pressing the shutter button. The bird was walking on the bank of the river when I shot it using my digital camera. I suggest that tourists bring telephoto camera, digiscope or binoculars if they want to go hiking in the rainforest of Manokwari. Also, don't forget to buy extra batteries for the electronic devices.

I have visited this river several times but I feel that it is still an interesting destination for anybody who is interested in exploring the rainforest of New Guinea - the largest tropical island in the world. So, if you plan to fly to Manokwari, don't forget to contact me via my email: peace4wp@gmail.com.

Also read: Tropical rainforest of Asai river

Tropical rainforest in Mountains Along the Northern coast of Manokwari

Three days ago I wrote about Tropical rainforest of Arfak Mountains. Now I am going to share you my story about Pantura. Tropical rainforest in the mountains along the north coast of Manokwari is still in very good condition. It is also high in biodiversity both in the mountainous region and in the coral reef around some rock islets and Kaki island. You might wonder why I consider coral reef as tropical rainforest of the ocean. It is indeed a tropical rainforest because it absorbs CO2 gases through photosynthesis processes, that we emit everyday, balancing the earth's biosphere. In addition, the coral reef has a lot of species of marine animals. The biodiversity of coral reef is even higher then the tropical rainforest. I have been there several times guiding tourists on snorkeling trip or hiking with a friend of mine surveying some nice places to be promoted for my eco-tourism project.

The northern coast of Manokwari is also called Pantura meaning in Indonesian language Pantai Utara or "Beach North." I like hiking in the rainforest of Pantura because it can be visited by public transportation or ojek - a motorcycle taxi which is the cheapest way to travel around the region. In one tour, I can enjoy both the beauty of the beach and the tropical rainforest.

The easiest way to see the insects, birds, and mammals or reptiles is by entering the forest through a river. There are a lot of small rivers in the area. My favorite one is Asai. The water flows slowly enabling us to cross it or to walk along its banks without any difficulties. More animals can be found in the forest near the river because they depend on water.

While I was standing deep in the forest of the Asai river several kilometers from the main road, I had a chance of taking some nice pictures of tiger beetle. There were two of them mating on the sandy sediment of river bank. These insects were not afraid of me while I was slowly approaching them with a digital camera in my hands. I tried not to make many movements that could scare them away. After taking their pictures, I continued my exploration inside the forest. Above my head was the sound of sulphur-crested cockatoo breaking the calmness of the surrounding environment.

I also saw some nice birds catching fish in shallow water. I was sad that I did not bring a long lens camera to shoot them. I promised to myself that one day if I returned to this river again, I would bring a better camera. After eating lunch and taking a break for one hour, I walked back to the main road. I had not been walking for fifteen minutes when suddenly I saw a snake on the branches of a tree. It was going down the tree. I tried to move closer to this exotic reptile. I was surprised to see through the LCD screen of my digital camera that it was coming closer to me.

I was nervous actually when I realized about the situation. I could feel my hands trembling with fear guessing that it could bite me I did not step back immediately. Well, I managed to take some pictures of this wonderful reptile although most of them were blurred due to my trembling hands.
If you are interested in visiting Manokwari to enjoy the beauty and see the high biodiversity of the coral reef and the tropical rainforest, you can contact me, Charles Roring, via my email peace4wp@gmail.com. I will be happy to guide you around this wonderful nature.
Also read:
Birds from the tropical rainforest of Manokwari Papua
Arfak mountains
Tropical rainforest preservation in district Senopi