Rainforest Flowers in Manokwari Highland and Lowland

Beach Hibiscus

Manokwari is an interesting regency in West Papua that is worth exploring. Its area is still covered by tropical rainforest that is the natural habitat of a lot of species of flower plants. Visitors can come to Manokwari to see wild flowers that grow in coastal area, along the rivers and in highland region, particularly in Arfak mountains.
Lowland and Coastal Flowers
In lowland area, we can see various colors of hibiscus, bougainvillea, arboreal and terrestrial orchids, water hychinth, Glory Vine (Faradaya splendida), Morning Glory, Scarlett Jade Vine (also known as New Guinea creeper), Africa Tulip (Spathodea), Morning Glory and varous other species of flowers that I cannot identify.
Highland Flowers

There are tropical rainforest flowers that can be seen in montane and cloud forest. Some of them include rhododendron konori, and terrestrial orchid flowers.
The best time to see flowers
From my personal experience, the best time to see flowers is at the end of dry season and when we are about to enter rainy season. At that time, we can see a lot of plants with colorful flowes. However, because most of the tropical rainforest has got dark green leaves, green colors still dominate the landscape view of the mountain, hill and lowland forest.

How to get to Manokwari
It is easy to come here, first, you need to fly from your country to Jakarta (the capital of Indonesia)
After that, fly to Manokwari city. There several airlines that provide regular flight to Manolwari such as Garuda, Sriwijaya, Xpress Air, NAM Air.

Glory Vine

Additional Activities
In addition to seeing flowers, visitors can enjoy hiking and camping in the forest to watch butterflies, birds, and other wild animals as well as enjoy snorkeling in coral reef area of Manokwari.

Extending Your Tour
I could also organize additional tour for you to Raja Ampat where you could enjoy swimming, snorkeling, and birdwatching in the region. The length of the tour is 3 to 5 days. During the marine tour, visitors will be able to see coral reef, various species of tropical fish such as anemonefish, butterflyfish, grouper, moorish idol, parrotfish, wrass, lionfish, boxfish. Sometimes we can also see turtles, sea star and even stingray.
Don't forget to bring snorkeling gear such as mask, snorkel, and fins. A good waterproof underwater camera will be needed for taking pictures of the marine life of Raja Ampat.
Interested in snorkeling and birding with me?
I can be your guide and accompany you to explore rainforest and coral reef in this regency, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com. Or you could send text whatsapp message to: +628133224510.

Uninhabited island in Raja Ampat

Also read: Flower Tour in Minahasa

Rainforest Tour in Manokwari Arfak range

Destination: Susnguakti forest in Arfak mountains
Durations: 3 days/ 2 nights
For booking: Please, send email to: peace4wp@gmail.com

I offer a 3-day rainforest hiking and camping tour in Susnguakti forest of Arfak range to visitors/ nature lovers who are interested in watching birds, fireflies, cuscus possum and various kinds of insects such as birdwing butterfly, spider, cruiser butterfly, moth and etc.. The tour is organized in the following itinerary:

Day 1

We will leave Manokwari city for the coastal area of Arfak mountains by a public transport vehicle. It takes approximately one hour for the car to reach our destination. We will walk up steep slopes of Susnguakti forest to reach our basecamp that is built by a small river. Butterflies, New Guinea orb web spider, birds can be seen in the surrounding areas of the basecamp. At night, we could do jungle walk to find nocturnal animal such as cuscus possum. Food will be prepared in the campsite. Oveenight stay in the jungle.

Day 2

Wildlife Tour in Susnguakti forest

We will wake up early in the morning at 05.00. After drinking some coffee or tea and have biscuits, we will start walking to the birding ground of Lesser Birds of Paradise. Male lesser birds of paradise dance and show their beautiful feather to attract their female counterparts for mating. We will watch them until 09.00. We will walk back to our basecamp and have lunch there. We will move to higher elevation area where we will spend the night in the second basecamp. We could do another night walk to find nocturnal birds such as Marbled Frogmouth and Papuan Frogmouth. We could also see fire-flies, various kinds of moth, and glowing mushroom. 

Cuscus in Susnguakti forest

Day 3

The next morning, we could walk to around to find Common Paradise Kingfisher, Yellow-billed Kingfisher or even Magnificent Riflebird. Sometimes, Papuan Blyth's hornbill, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo or even Dwarf Cassowary bird walking around the jungle.

How to get there?

Fly from your country to Jakarta city

Continue your trip by taking an airline such as Garuda, Xpress Air, Sriwijaya, or Batik to fly to Manokwari city. I will meet you at the airport and organize your tour to Mount Mabowi of  Arfak mountains.

Birding and Snorkeling in Raja Ampat

Red Bird of Paradise in Waigeo island of Raja Ampat

I have just completed my trip in Raja Ampat islands of West Papua. It is a world class destination for visitors who are interested in scuba diving, snorkeling and sightseeing. The coral reef environment of Raja Ampat is the natural habitat of more than one thousand species of fish. Parrotfish, convict surgeonfish, striped surgeonfish, sweetlips, butterflyfish, pink anemone fish, lionfish, walking shark, and manta are some of them.

Wooden Guesthouse for Snorkeling Visitors

Birding
As a matter of fact, Waigeo island Raja Ampat is also a nice place for birdwatching. There are a lot of species of birds such as Great-billed Parrot, Palm Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Beach Kingfisher, Sacred Kingfisher, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Radjah Shelduck, including two species of Birds of Paradise in Raja Ampat, i.e. Wilson Bird of Paradise (Cicinnurus respublica) and Red Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea rubra). These paradise birds are sexually active in the mornings and in the afternoons. Male paradise birds perform courtship dance to attract females. A female paradise bird will select one whose performance and feather is beautiful for mating.

Male Red Bird of Paradise

A male Red Paradise Bird can have more than one sexual partners. We may see him as a womaniser just because he could involve in casual sex encounters with females. But he does this naturally. The rainforest which is their natural habitat is being cut and they have also been hunted by human for centuries.
There are also other animals such as cuscus possum, soa-soa lizard, butterflies, beetles. The rainforest of the islands are home to various species of flower plants, lianas and big tropical trees.
Snorkeling and Birding Buddy
As a tour guide I offer birding and snorkeling trip for anyone who is interested in visiting Raja Ampat and wants me to be a snorkeling or birdwatching buddy. I can accompany solo traveling visitor or organize tours for a group of visitors consisting of 3 to 8 people or even more.
Extending Your Trip
We can extend your birding tour to other parts of West Papua such as Klasow valley of Sorong regency and Arfak mountains of Manokwari where you could explore tropical rainforest of New Guinea island in search of Lesser Birds of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise and Northern Cassowary.
Booking
Please, contact Charles Roring by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com whatsapp: +6281332245180

Palm Cockatoo in Raja Ampat

Riverwalk Tour in Manokwari Lowland Forest

There are a lot of big and small rivers in Manokwari which tourists can explore to see exotic tropical plants and animals of West Papua's rainforest. One of them is Mesirrokow river-forest located in the west of Manokwari city. As a tourist guide, I have organized a number of riverwalk birding and wildlife tours for visitors who come from France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and several other European and North American countries.
Visitors who take this riverwalk tour can stay in tents in the jungle of Mesirrokow for several days to watch birds, butterflies and other wild animals, see the beautiful landscape of the tropical rainforest,  unique and beautiful flowers, swim in the river.

Riverwalk Tour in Manokwari Lowland Forest

Birding
Birdwatchers who want to go there should bring binoculars, spotting scope, and digital camera with telephoto lens as well as field guide birdwatching book "Birds of New Guinea" written by Thane K. Pratt and Bruce Beehler. Birds that live in the lowland of Manokwari play important roles in the ecosystem of the forest. They eat fruits and disperse seeds to every corner of the forest. Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Palm Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, Papuan Hornbill, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Western Crowned Pigeon, Beautiful Fruit Dove, Great Cuckoo Dove, Yellow capped Pymy Parrot, Yellow-faced Myna, Golden Myna, and etc.

Papuan Blyth's Hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus)

Wild Animals
It is not only birds that live in the forest but also other animals such as soa-soa monitor lizard, wallaby, deer, wild pigs, snakes, fruit bats, and thousands of species of insects. Local people like to go hunting in the forest to catch deer and wild pigs. Butterflies such as Ornithoptera priamus, Taenaris catops, Vindula arsinoe, Papilio ullysses can easily be seen while we walk in the forest.

Flowers
Scarlet jade vine, Faradaya splendida, Monochoria vaginalis, Thunbergia grandiflora, and a lot of orchids grow in the forest. People who live in coastal villages in the area also grow flower plants in front of their houses such as hibiscus and bougainvillea.

Camping
I can provide tents, sleeping bags, cooking and eating utensils, and solar powered lamps for tourists who want to take this riverwalk tour with me in the jungle of Manokwari.

Camping in the forest of Manokwari Lowland Area

Getting there:
Fly from your country to Jakarta (the capital of Indonesia) or Bali (an important tourist hub in Indonesia).
Continue your trip to Manokwari city by taking a domestic flight. Airlines such as Sriwijaya Air, Garuda, Xpress Air, and Batik Air have got regular flight service from major cities in Indonesia to Manokwari.
When you arrive in Manokwari city, I can meet you at the airport and organize your riverwalk tour to the lowland forest.

What to bring
For staying in the forest for several days, you need to bring:
Clothing that is suitable for tropical region and for riverwalk tour such as t-shirt, shorts, water shoes. Bring bathing suit if you want to enjoy swimming in the river every day.
Binoculars and camera
Flashlight/ torch
Sunblock lotion and anti insect bites lotion

Booking
If you are interested in taking this river walk tour with me as your private guide, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or send text/ whatsapp message to: +6281332245180.
Please, note that I often guide tourists in the jungle and there is no internet connection in the middle of the forest. You may get later reply.

Birding and Camping in Lowland Forest of Manokwari

Birding in Manokwari forest

Hiking and Biding in Lowland Forest of Manokwari

I often receive requests from birdwatchers who are interested in birding in lowland forest of Manokwari. Most of the land in Manokwari regency consists of steep mountains and deep ravines. But there is some area that is covered by lowland forest. It is a perfect site for visitors who want to enjoy easy birding walk. Some female birdwatchers prefer walking along flat land to hiking up and down steep mountains. So, lowland forest is a good choice.
Lowland Birds

Birding in Lowland Forest of Manokwari

The lowland forest of Manokwari is a highly recommended site for those who want to see Papuan Blyth's hornbills, Palm Cockatoo, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, Beautiful Fruit Dove, Great Cuckoo Dove, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Western Crowned Pigeon, Little-ringed Plover, Variable Goshawk, Brahminy Kite, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Large-tailed Nightjar, Moustached Treeswift, Rainbow Bee-eater, Yellow Faced Myna, Dollarbird, Black-capped Lory, Rainbow Lorikeet, Little Egret and a lot more.
Camping near a river
As of today, there are no guesthouses in the lowland forest of Manokwari. For visitors who want to enjoy birding in the area for several days, the only way to do that is by staying in tents.
We provide
 As a tourist guide, we provide tents, solar powered lights, basic cooking and eating utensils for birdwatchers or nature lovers who want to take birding tour with us.

Itinerary
Day 1 

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo

Transfer by car to lowland forest in the west of Manokwari.
Riverwalk to Campsite 1
Birding to see Dollarbird, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Papuan Hornbill and Little Egret, Large-tailed Nightjar, Glossy Swiftlet, Moustached Treeswift, and etc. Birding along the banks of the river very easy. There is a wide open space that allows birdwatchers to see birds on both sides of the river.
Day 2

Move to Campsite 2 that is located deeper into the jungle. Birding walk to find Palm Cockatoo, Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot, Rainbow Bee-eater, Variable Goshawk, and a lot more.
Day 3

Willie Wagtail in Lowland Forest of Manokwari

We will dismantle our tents and walk slowly back to main road. Along the banks of the river, we may see Willie Wagtail, Beautiful Fruit Dove, Brahminy Kite, or perhaps if we are lucky enough, we may be able to see the Pesquet/ Vulturine Parrot that has become one of the most threatened species.
Arriving at the main road, we will return to the city again by car.

Other Activities

Eclectus Parrot

Besides doing riverwalk and birdwatching, visitors who go to lowland forest of Manokwari can enjoy swimming, fishing, taking pictures of various species of tropical flowers, and butterflies as well as other insects that make the forest as their natural habitat.

What to bring
Avid birdwatchers usually bring their own gear such as binoculars and spotting scope and field guide book BIRDS OF NEW GUINEA written by Thane K. Pratt, Bruce Beehler. Other items: flashlight/ torch, bathing suit for swimming in the river, fishing rod, hook and line if you are interested in catching fish, ziploc or plastic bags to protect electronic devices, sunblock for sunbathing, and insect repellent lotion.

Booking
For more info, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or send whatsapp message to my cell phone: +6281332245180.

Also read:

• Birding in Minahasa
• Manado City Birdwatching and Sightseeing Tour
• Birding in North Sulawesi
• Birding in Sonder of Minahasa
• Birdwatching in Sulawesi
• Birdwatching and butterflywatching in Sonder