Finding Nemo in Manokwari Waters

I know several coral reef sites in Manokwari which tourists can visit to see nemo and a lot of other species of tropical fish. From my snorkeling trips, I usually see Pink Anemonefish, Red and Black Anemonefish, as well as Spinecheek Anemonefish. They live in coral reef at depths from 1.5 meters to 10 meters below sea level. 

Finding Nemo

For visitors who want to enjoy snorkeling tour with me, I suggest that they bring their own snorkeling device that fit on their faces and feet. To take pictures underwater, a pocket camera such as Nikon W300 or Olympus Tough TG-5, or Canon G7X with waterproof case. I personally use Fujifilm XQ2 with its waterproof case. Most of the pictures in this collage plate were made by Fujifilm XQ2 and Canon G1X. 

When I take pictures of the fish, I try my best to be closer or in an eye level position with the fish. However, it cannot always be done because of the waves and current. 

If you are interested in visiting Manokwari city and want me to organize your snorkeling tours to various coral reef places, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by sending whatsapp message to my number +6281332245180 or email to: peace4wp@gmail.com

Snorkeling Season for Manokwari

Manokwari city is a nice destination for snorkeling. I have guided a lot of tourists from various European, North American and Asian countries to enjoy swimming, snorkeling and sightseeing in West Papua. There are several coral reef sites in around Manokwari which are the natural habitat of hundreds of species of reef fish.
My favorite sites are Mansinam, North Coast of Manokwari, and South Coast of Manokwari. While swimming over the reef, I and the visitors could see parrotfish, butterflyfish, lionfish, moorish idol, anemonefish, boxfish, wrasse, surgeonfish, grouper and a lot more.
Because Manokwari city is located inside Dore bay, the snorkeling activity can be done almost all year round.

Snorkeling Pictures from Manokwari

In my recent trip, I guided some British, German and Italian tourists to Mansinam and the north coast of Manokwari. We enjoyed swimming over the reef flat and drop off area. The visibility was very good especially in the mornings. I brought my point and shoot camera Fujifilm XQ2 that I had put inside its waterproof case. With that photographic device, I was able to take pictures of marine creatures that I saw during the snorkeling trips.
Manokwari is the capital of West Papua province in the Republic of Indonesia. It can easily be reached by plane from major cities in Indonesia. If you want to come here, you need to take an international flight from your country to Jakarta (the capital of the Republic of Indonesia). After that you one choose one of the airlines in this country that provide regular flights to Manokwari such as Garuda, Sriwijaya, Batik Air and Nam Air.
For avid snorkelers, I highly suggest that they bring their own device such as mask, snorkel, and fins. Bringing a good underwater camera is highly recommended. A small one like Olympus Tough TG-5, or Nikon W300 will give significantly enhance your snorkeling experience.
In addition to snorkeling, I also offer a trip to the forest where visitors can enjoy hiking, bird and wildlife watching.
If you are interested in visiting Manokwari and want me (Charles Roring) to be your guide, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or you could also send text message to my number: +6281332245180.

Snorkeling and Freediving in Drop-off Reef of Mansinam Island

I have just completed a snorkeling tour in Mansinam island for 2 tourists. They were two girls from United Kingdom and New Zealand. We enjoyed snorkeling and recreational freediving in the drop-off reef. We were accompanied by a student who studied Marine Biology. It was a great experience because we could see a lot of fish and hard corals. Reef flat was around 1 to 2 meters deep. The drop off area was from 2 to 25 meters deep. It was a site that was good for freediving.

New Zealander girl was freediving in Mansinam island

To take pictures I had to freedive to a depth of around 5 meters so that I could be closer to the fish. One of girls, Leyla, practiced her freediving skill too. She descended to a depth of 5 meters. When she was going down to deeper waters, I took some pictures of her. This snorkeling and freediving trip were special experience for them.

Marine Life in Mansinam island

Black-backed Butterflyfish

After exploring the coral reef, we did some hiking tour to Jesus statue located at the top of Mansinam island. We met some pilgrims who were walking up the slopes to see it too.
In the previous day, we went hiking to a hill forest in the north of Manokwari ciry. We saw a lot of millipede, spiders, butterflies, lizard and bats. I saw a terrestrial snake New Guinea Ground Boa - also called Viper Boa (Candoia aspera).

Rainforest Tour in Manokwari hill

Flying route to Manokwari city from Jakarta (the capital of Indonesia)

How to fly to Manokwari city
The adventure tour that I describe above is concentrated in Manokwari - the capital of Papua Barat province in the Republic of Indonesia. You could also take the tour here. What you need is flying to Manokwari city.

• First, fly from your state to Jakarta, the capital of the Republic of Indonesia.
• Second, take a domestic flight from Jakarta to Manokwari city. Airlines such as Garuda, Sriwijaya Air, Batik Air provide regular flights to Manokwari. 
• There are hotels such as Aston Niu, Swissbel, Oriestom Hotel that you could choose to stay.
• Tickets for your flights and rooms in the hotel can be ordered through traveloka.com
• I will be happy to meet you at the airport or at the hotel where you stay in Manokwari and then organize your trip both to the forest and to the coral reef areas.

If you are interested in visiting Manokwari to see its coral reef and rainforest, and want me to organise your tour, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by e-mail to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Mansinam Island

Mansinam Island

This is Mansinam island in Dorey bay of Manokwari. Every day, it is visited by Christian pilgrims who want to see the sites where German and Dutch missionaries lived between 1800s and early 1900s to preach Gospel for the first time to the indigenous Papuan people.
Approximately half of the island is still covered by green forest that is the habitat of birds, butterflies and reptiles. The coastal areas of Mansinam, especially its southern region, are good for swimming, snorkeling and other water sports activities. I have guided tourists to this tropical island numerous times. We went there to see its villagers, hiked to the top of Mansinam to see Jesus statue, and also went to the beach to see its coral reef.
In the book the Malay Archipelago, Alfred Russel Wallace wrote that he landed on this island and met three German missionaries, Ottow, his wife and Geissler who had been there since 5 February 1855. They were preaching Gospel. Wallace did his research on flora, fauna and natural history of Netherlands New Guinea at that time.

Mansinam island

Mansinam now is still attractive for tourists who love marine sports. I often guide tourists to enjoy snorkeling in the coral reef area for visitors who want to see such fish as grouper, boxfish, damselfish, striped surgeonfish, convict surgeonfish, yellow-tail blue devil, three-spots dascyllus, and butterflyfish.
Tourists are highly recommended to bring their own masks, snorkels and fins.

How to go to Mansinam island

• Fly from your country to Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia.
• After that fly from Jakarta to Manokwari - the capital of Papua Barat province. Domestic airlines such as Garuda, Sriwijaya Air, and Batik Air offer regular flights to this city.
• I can meet you at the airport or hotel where you stay and organize your tour to the island.

Other Snorkeling Spots

As a matter of fact, there are coral reef areas in Manokwari which tourists can visit to enjoy snorkeling. In the northern region, visitors can swim over the coral reef to see Red and Black anemonefish, wrasse, parrotfish and etc. 

Land Tour
In addition to visiting Mansinam island, I also offer hiking, and sightseeing tour to the forest for tourists who like to see birds, butterflies, reptiles, and suburban area of Manokwari. Birdwatching can also be arranged if tourists bring their own binoculars.

Booking
Please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or whatapp: +6281332245180, if you plan to visit Mansinam island or explore other places in West Papua.

Mansinam

Mansinam island

Mansinam is a small island close to Manokwari city of West Papua that is good for snorkeling and free diving. The island has got coral reef sites which tourists can swim over to see butterflyfish, damselfish, grouper, moorish idol, anemonefish, parrotfish, sea star, urchin, and even turtles. To enjoy snorkeling and freediving, visitors need to bring their own snorkeling mask, snorkel and fins. Don't forget to bring an underwater camera if you have such as GoPro action camera or Nikon W300
There are unique vegetation in the coastal area of Mansinam. There are kersen (also called Singapore cherry) trees, cattapa, pandanus and beach hibiscus. In addition to snorkeling and freediving, visitors can explore the island by hiking to its highest point where there is the statue of Jesus. German missionaries Carl Wilhelm Ottow, his wife Wilhelmine Auguste Ottow, and J.G. Geissler for the first time began introducing Christianity to the indigenous Papuan people on 5 February 1855. That's why Mansinam is called the island of civilization. Every year, on that date, thousands of people from all corners of the world gather on the island to celebrate the event. They also conduct cultural street parade on the streets of Manokwari city the next day.

Other Tourist Attractions in Manokwari

King Bird of Paradise (Cicinnurus regius)

Besides guiding tourists to Mansinam, I also guide tourists to Susnguakti forest of Arfak mountains for visitors who want to watch Lesser Birds of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise and Cuscus Possum. Usually, the duration is 3 days/ 2 nights. Hiking and birding are carried out in the mornings, and in the afternoons whereas night walks to find cuscus possum, Papua Dragon Tree Lizard are conducted between 20:30 and 23:00 local time. There is a base camp that is provided for tourists. Mattrasses, pillows, tents, cooking and eating utensils are available too. So, tourists do not need to carry those heavy things to enjoy hiking and wildlife watching in the Susnguakti forest.
As a tour guide, I organize tours to several different places in West Papua such as eastern region in Waigeo island of Raja Ampat, Klabolo forest of Sorong regency, Tambrauw mountains, and Susnguakti forest of Manokwari. The activities are multi-sports. They involve hiking, riverwalk, birding, swimming, snorkeling and freediving.
Booking
Please, contact me (Charles Roring) by whatsapp to: +81332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com to book your adventure tours in Manokwari or other parts of West Papua.

Short Hiking and Sightseeing Tour to Table Mountain

Damaged Road through the jungle of Table Mountains.

I used to guide a German lady to Table Mountain and Mansinam island of Manokwari on a 2-day hiking and sightseeing trip. On the first day, we visited the Table Mountain and saw a lot of green plants, and insects along the road to Japanese World War II Memorial Monument. We visited the forest early in the morning at around 08.00. There were a lot of plastic wastes everywhere inside the area of the monument. We were sad to see them and decided to collect some of them and put them on one place.

In morning time animals in the forest were quite active. Small butterflies were flying around to find nectar in wild flowers, birds were singing in high trees. Spiders were knitting their webs to create traps for tiny flying insects that they want to eat. Their names were Golden Orb Weaver Spiders. There were also small black ants that were moving on the ground climbing buttresses of trees to carry food that they collected from every corner of the forest to their nests in high trees.
After that we walked deeper into the forest and entered a big cave where frogs and fruit-bats lived in it. When we were inside the cave, rain began to fall. We had to wait inside it for about half an hour.

A Beef Cow near Ayambori village of Table Mountain

When it stopped, we went out of the cave and then out of the forest to main road again. We continued our trip walking to Ayambori village and then to Anggori village. While we were walking, we saw a beef cow feeding on green leaves. We walked slowly towards her. Suddenly she paused eating the grass and raised his head to see us. She tried to walk to us but failed. Fortunately, the blue rope that was tied around her neck stopped her. Actually, it was quite intimidating to see a big animal coming to us although it was a domesticated one.
There were New Guinea Tulip (Spathodea campanulata), Centrosema flower, and papaya tree whose trunk was full of papaya fruits.

Papaya was a very popular tropical fruit. Unriped papaya could be grated and cooked with coconut milk and salt as vegetables. Nearly riped papaya that was still hard could be used to make spicy pickles - locally called asinan or gohu. The main ingredients of the pickles would be lime juice, water, ginger, sliced shallots, salt, some sugar and some chillis. Because of its economic values, papaya was available in traditional market and big supermarket in Manokwari. Fortunately, the price of the fruit was still affordable to most of the city dwellers.

Spathodea Flower in Table Mountain of Manokwari

Under the Spathodea tree, we saw a lot of its flowers on the ground. Its color was orange, like a burning flame. I asked the German lady to pick up some of them. I took picture of the flowers. They looked beautiful and gave contrast bright color in almost all green surroundings. From my personal observation, the size of tropical rainforest in Table mountains was shrinking day by day. People who lived near the forest converted it into farmland, and housing areas.
When we reached the street junction in front of a shop in Anggori village, we saw a public transport minibus coming. We stopped it and got into the bus. Fifteen minutes later, we arrived at the Billy Jaya hotel again. It was a very good jungle adventure. We were very tired but we liked it very much. When everything was ok, I returned home.
Do you plan to take a vacation to West Papua?
Whether you like hiking, birdwatching, swimming and snorkeling or just sightseeing, if you want me as your guide to organize your trip, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by e-mail to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp: +6281332245180.
Also read:
One day tour in Mansinam island
Raja Ampat Adventure Tour

Cultural Parade during Fruit Season

Manokwari Cultural Parade

Manokwari is famous for its title as kota buah-buahan (meaning: city of fruits). Fruit season usually comes after dry season (in the middle of rainy season). That's what happened in February 2018. Usually, every 6 February, there is a Parade of Cultures in Manokwari attended by representative of tribes in Indonesia and inside Papua. This parade is carried out as the celebration of city dwellers to commemorate the works of European missionaries, Carl Wilhelm Ottow, Wilhelmine Auguste Ottow Letz (Mr. Ottow's wife) and Johann Gottlob Geissler in Mansinam island to preach Gospel to the indigenous people. The parade sent message to the public that people who live in Manokwari are united in their unique diversity.

Children wearing traditional costume were playing drums

The Manokwari Cultural Parade was conducted on the main streets of the city attended by thousands spectators and participants. It was a great event.  People bought rambutan and durian fruits from street vendors. They ate them and threw the peels everywhere. That's why the streets and pedestrian area looked very dirty with rambutan peels during the event.
One kilogram of rambutan could cost around 40,000 rupiahs per kilogram (approximately 3 US dollars/ kg.). In general, the price of durian is 20,000 to 40,000 rupiahs per fruit (approx. 1.5 to 3 US dollars per fruit).
Well, eating fruit is healthy but throwing fruit peels everywhere is not a healthy lifestyle.
Also read:
Raja Ampat islands tour
Raja Ampat Adventure Tour

Durian fruits in the pedestrian area of Manokwari

Birding Tour in Manokwari Highland and Lowland Forest

Magnificent Bird of Paradise

I have just completed a 1-week birding tour with Bruno, Michelle and Chantal. They were 3 birders who came from France. We visited higher montane forest of Arfak range for 3 days and 3 nights and lowland forest of Manokwari for 3 days/ 2 nights.
During the first leg of our tour in higher elevation forest of Arfak mountains, we watched several species of birds of paradise including Magnificent Birds of Paradise, Western Parotia. For me, I was so happy because I could see Magnificent Birds of Paradise again.
In the second leg of our birding trip, we enjoyed hiking, camping, swimming and birdwatching along a river in Manokwari.

Birding in Lowland Forest of Manokwari

There are tropical birds that we watched including Little Egret, Brahminy Kite, Grey Crow, Great-billed Heron, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Lowland Peltop, Pacific Baza and Palm Cockatoo. The tropical rainforest in lowland area of Manokwari is relatively a new birding destination. We haven't built guesthoses in the forest for visitors. So, we use tents if we want to stay for several days.
The birding tour in lowland forest of Manokwari was a more adventurous trip. We spent most of our time, walking along the bank of a river or wading through its knee-depth water to find such birds as Little Ringed Plover, Grey Wagtail and Variable Goshawk.
Our birding experience was greatly enhanced with a Swarovski HD spotting scope brought by one of the tour participants. It was a nice birding adventure and I hope to be back into the jungle again soon.

Birding and Wildlife Watching Tour in Lowland Rainforest of Manokwari

Blyth's Hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus)

Lowland Rainforest of Manokwari
There is a beautiful birding site in northwest area of Manokwari regency. The lowland tropical rainforest that covers the region is the natural habitat of a lot of species of birds including Willie Wagtail, Little-ringed Plover, Little Egret, Yellow-faced Myna, Golden Myna, Dollarbird, Eclectus Parrot, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Palm Cockatoo, Papuan Blyth's Hornbill, Moluccan King Parrot, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Great Cuckoo Dove, Beautiful Fruit Dove, Brahminy Kite, Rainbow Bee-eater and a lot more.
I have organized numerous birding and wildlife watching tours to this forest for visitors who come from Europe, Australia, North America and China.
Birding Along the River

Birding in Lowland Forest of Manokwari

The easiest way to enjoy birding in this lowland area is by walking along the banks of the river. The ground is mostly flat and suitable for women or birdwatchers who want an easy birding walk.
On the average, the birding tour lasts between 3 to 5 days.
The longer the number of days we stay in the jungle, the deeper will be our walk into the forest.
It is not only birds that visitors can see in the lowland forest of Manokwari but also other animals such as butterflies, beetles, cicada, freshwater fish. Fruitbats like to eat breadfruits whose trees grow along both sides of the river.
Birding Gear

Blyth's hornbill

Visitors are highly recommended to bring their own binoculars 10x42 or 12x50 mm and spotting scope 20-60x60. A field guide book such as "Birds of New Guinea" written by Thane K. Pratt and Bruce Beehler will needed to identify birds that we see in trees.  Taking pictures of birds are highly encouraged. A bridge camera Canon SX60 HS or Nikon Coolpix P900 is an affordable choice for taking pictures of birds in distant trees.
Camping

Campsite 1 Manokwari lowland forest

As a tourist guide, I provide camping gear, cooking and eating utensils for visitors who are interested in taking this birding tour. So, they don't need to carry these heavy things in their luggage. We may stay in only one campsite during the whole time of the tour but mostly we move our tents deeper into the jungle every day and return to main road in the last day of the tour. Local villagers will work as porters and cooks. Because, this tour is conducted in the jungle, the food that we eat will be the simple ones.

Snorkeling and Nature Walk in Mansinam Island of Manokwari

Mansinam island

Mansinam is a small island near Manokwari city. Everyday it is visited by Christian pilgrims who want to see historical sites of European missionaries who introduced Gospel for the first time to the indigenous Papuan people on 5 February 1855.
Mansinam island is surrounded by coral reef particularly in its southern coast. It is a good site for visitors who want to enjoy snorkeling to see such fish as parrotfish, moorish idol, butterflyfish, sea star, sea cucumber, damselfish, turtle, and a lot more.

Doreri Guesthouse in Mansinam island

Doreri Guesthouse
There is a guesthouse located in the south of the island. Its name is Doreri Guesthouse and it can accommodate up to 40 guests.
Rates
500,000 rupiahs per room per night for 2 people (breakfast)
700,000 rupiahs per room per night for 2 people (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Visitors need to bring their own snorkeling gear such as mask, snorkel, fins, and underwater camera.

Coral reef in Manokwari

Scuba Diving
In addition to snorkeling, upon special request, the staff of Doreri Guesthouse can arrange a diving trip for visitors who are interested in seeing shipwrecks and coral reef environment both in the island and other areas of Manokwari waters.

Nature Walk
Besides enjoying snorkeling and scuba diving in Manokwari, visitors can also do jogging, nature walk and birdwatching or butterfly watching around Mansinam island. Birds such as willie wagtail, pigeon, kingfisher, frigatebird and various other seabirds can be seen early in the morning.
Government has built a wide concrete track for visitors. The concrete path passes through tropical rainforest that still covers most of the island. The best time to enjoy nature walk is early in the morning when birds are still active. Butterflies usually come out of the forest to find nectar from wild flowers that grow on both sides of the concrete road.
I highly suggest that visitors who want to do nature walk be accompanied by the staff of Doreri Guesthouse.

Visitors who want to enjoy snorkeling and nature walk around the tropical island of Mansinam should stay at least 3 days/ 2 nights to see the coral reef, the forest environment, the villages, and the historical Christians sites of the island.

Booking
If you are interested in visiting and staying in Mansinam island, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com

Hiking and Birding in Lowland Forest of Manokwari

Lowland Forest of Manokwari

Lowland Forest of Manokwari
Birdwatching is an interesting activity. In Manokwari, there are several places that I usually visit to run birding tours. One of them is Menyumfoka river. Tropical rainforest that covers both sides of the river is the natural habitat of a lot of species of birds that live in lowland area. During my last riverwalk in the area, I saw Papuan hornbills (Rhyticeros plicatus), Sulphur Crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), Brahminy Kite, Pinon Imperial Pigeon (Ducula pinon), Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus), and Eclectus Parrot (Eclectus rotatus). Big trees such as ironwood tree, strangler ficus tree and kayu-perahu tree can be seen in the lowland forest.

Eclectus Parrots in Lowland Forest of Manokwari

Birding along the river
To watch birds, I use a pair of binoculars. I also have got a spotting scope and a tripod. I like birding along the bank of a river because I could see birds easily. Huge clearing area created by a river enables birdwatchers to spot birds in distant trees and in the sky.
Birding Camera
I use an old Fujifilm HS50EXR. It has got 42x optical zoom that is equivalent too 1,000 mm. It is a very good camera for birdwatching. Unfortunately, Fujifilm discontinued the development of such camera.
As a tourist guide, I offer hiking and birding tours to lowland forest and montane forest of Manokwari.

Butterfly in Lowland Forest of Manokwari

Other Animals
The Lowland Forest of Manokwari is also the habitat of deers, wallaby, wild pigs, snakes, and a lot of colorful butterflies and beetles.
I made some pictures of mantis and butterfly and I went hiking in the area yesterday.

Camping
The average duration of the hiking and birding tour in the lowland forest of Manokwari is 3 days/ 2 nights. I provide tents, and sleeping bags for tourists so that they don't need to bring camping gear from their country.

Booking a rainforest hiking and birding tour
For customized Please, send text message (by whatsapp is also ok) to my cell phone: +6281332245180. You could also contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com

Things to bring:

• Clothing such as t-shirts and shorts for tropical climate. You could also bring swimsuit if you want to swim in the fresh water river.
• Watershoes
• Flip-flop
• Torch/ flashlight
• Binoculars/ spotting scope + tripod
• A camera with telephoto lens 
• Anti-insect lotion
• If you like fishing, you could also bring your fishing rod.

Coral Reef in Manokwari

Snorkeling and Staying in Mansinam Island
Most of the visitors who come to Manokwari also want to enjoy swimming and snorkeling.  I recommend that they go and stay in Mansinam island which is only 15 minutes by water taxi.
Accommodation
There is a guesthouse in the island. Its name is Doreri Guesthouse. The beachfront of the guesthouse is covered by coral reef. Parrotfish, pink anemonefish, damselfish, moorish idol, butterflyfish, boxfish and a lot of other species of tropical fish can be seen in the area.

Doreri Guesthouse in Mansinam island

Bedroom in Doreri Guesthouse of Mansinam Island

Bring your own snorkeling gear such as mask, snorkel and fins if you want to see the coral reef environment of the island.
Rates:
500,000 rupiahs per room per night for 2 people (including breakfast)
700,000 rupiahs per room per nigt for 2 people (including breakfast, lunch and dinner).
Visitors who stay in the island can also enjoy hiking, butterfly watching around the island.
Booking:
Just send email to me (Charles Roring): peace4wp@gmail.com or whatsapp message to +6281332245180 and I will help in arranging your stay in Mansinam island.

Snorkeling Vacation in Manokwari

Manokwari is the capital of West Papua province of the Republic of Indonesia. It is a destination for visitors who want to enjoy snorkeling and hiking in the forest of northern Manokwari or Arfak mountains.  Visitors can spend 3 days/ 2 nights in the jungle and 3 days/ 2 nights or more at the beach.

Marine life in the sea of Manokwari

Snorkeling and hiking in Mansinam Island
Mansinam island is a good site for snorkeling. You could stay at Doreri Guesthouse for several days to enjoy the warm water of the sea and see a lot of species of fish. Bring your own snorkeling gear (mask, snorkel, fins). From my previous trips, I saw parrotfish, boxfish, damselfish, butterflyfish, moorish idol, anemonefish, and a lot of other species which I cannot identify.
In addition to snorkeling, visitors who stay in the island can do nature walk around the island along its concrete road. There are birds, wild flowers, butterflies and beetles which visitors can see during the land tour. There is also track to the highest point of the island. Local village is also an interesting site to visit. We can also organize multiple day snorkeling trips around Manokwari for you.

Jungle Tour
Visitors who come to Manokwari go to the forest of Northen Manokwari for watching birds. As a matter of fact, the lowland forest of Northern Manokwari is  an interesting site for swimming (in the river), bird and wildlife watching. Animals such as deer, wild pigs, cuscus possum and wallaby live in the jungle.  For birds, the lowland forest of North Manokwari is the natural habitat of pinon imperial pigeon, sulphur crested cockatoo, Blyth's hornbill, Western-crowned Pigeon, Palm Cockatoo and Beautiful Fruit Dove, Kingfisher and a lot more. There are also a lot of colorful butterflies.

Rainforest in Manokwari

As a tour guide, I have organized a lot of jungle trips for visitors who want to see wild animals. We stay in tents near a river in the jungle and do our nature exploration.

Photographic Device
Most tourists bring cameras. They like to take pictures of anything. Today, there are cameras that are cheap but can be used in many different environments from rainforest to coral reef. In the past, I used Nikon AW 120. The newest product from Nikon is the coolpix W300. Now, I use Brica B-Pro5 Alpha Edition. It is an action camera that is suitable for adventure tours.
How to get there?

• It is easy to reach Manokwari city. Just fly from your country to Jakarta (the capital of Indonesia)
• After that, fly to Manokwari. Airlines such as Garuda, Xpress Air, Sriwijaya and Nam Air have got regular daily flight to Manokwari.
• When you arrive in Manokwari, we can meet you at the airport and transfer you to the island or to the jungle.

Manokwari is located in the bird's head peninsular
of West Papua

Contact:
Please, contact me by email to me (Charles Roring) to: peace4wp@gmail.com for customized itinerary, cost and more info. You could also contact me by whatsapp: +6281332245180. If I haven't replied your message, perhaps, I still guide tourists in the jungle or at sea.
Also read:
Snorkeling with American tourists in Manokwari
Snorkeling in the coral reef of Manokwari

Snorkeling Tour in Mansinam island of Manokwari

Manokwari is a nice recommended destination for tourists who want to enjoy snorkeling in affordable price.

White sand beach in Mansinam island

As a tour guide I frequently organize snorkeling tours for visitors who want to see coral reef and marine fish in Manokwari. There are a lot of snorkeling sites that can be seen by tourists. One of them is Mansinam island. Coral reef extends from reef-flat to drop off in the southern coast of the island. The length of the coral reef is approximately 2 kilometers. It is a nice spot for snorkeling.

Doreri Guesthouse in Mansinam island

Accommodation
There is a guesthouse at the back of the island with 28 bedrooms. The guesthouse is only a stone's throw away from the beach. So, visitors will need less then 1 minute to walk to the beach.
Standard Rate:
Overnight stay 500,000 rupiahs per night for 2 people (with breakfast)
Extra-bed: 250,000 rupiahs/ person.

Marine Bio-diversity
The coral reef reef of Mansinam island is the natural habitat of a lot of species of fish including striped surgeonfish, convict surgeonfish, parrotfish, moorish idol, damselfish, boxfish, butterflyfish, pink anemonefish, pipefish, and grouper. There are also Christmas tree worm, sea-cucumber, blue seastar, sea urchin, and various kinds of sea-shells that can be found at the beach of Mansinam.
At the beach, visitors could see crabs running on the sand and birds such as kingfisher, frigatebird, and starlings flying in the sky or perching on the branch of a tree.
Coconut, baringtonia asiatica, catappa and beach hibiscus cover the island.

Coral reef and tropical fish of Mansinam

Other Ecotourism Activities
In addition to swimming, snorkeling and free diving, visitors who stay in Mansinam island can also enjoy hiking in the jungle of the island, butterfly watching, jogging, and village walk.
As a tourist guide, I can organize snorkeling trips from Mansinam island to other coral reef areas in Manokwari waters. I also offer hiking tour in the jungle for visitors who want to see the ecosystem of tropical rainforest. During the rainforest tour, visitors will be able to see birds, butterflies and swim in a river.

How to get there?
It is relatively easy to come here.
Fly from your country to Jakarta (the capital of Indonesia)
Fly from Jakarta to Manokwari city (the capital of Papua Barat province)
I will be happy to meet you at the airport and organoze your transfer to Mansinam island

Booking
Please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or send text message to my cell phone +6281332245180

Snorkeling with American Tourists in Manokwari

Mansinam island in Manokwari

Yesterday, I went snorkeling with two American tourists in North Coast and Dore bay of Manokwari. Before leaving for snorkeling sites, I went to the beach to see whether the sea was calm or not. Unfortunately, the wind was very strong. I had some discussion with a water-taxi driver who said that it would be too dangerous to go to parts of the islands in the bay that were directly exposed to the wind.
North Coast
So, I decided to change the destination of our snorkeling site to the north coast of Manokwari. After that I went to Swissbel hotel to meet Sachi and Riaz and explained the situation. They could understand my explanation and agreed to go snorkeling in the northern area of Manokwari whose waters were calm. We went there by three ojeks (motorcycle taxis) to the suburb of Manokwari were we enjoyed snorkeling for approximately one hour. After that we had lunch at the restaurant of Mansinam Beach Hotel.

Coral Reef and Fish in Manokwari

Visiting Mansinam
This time, the sea was calm and I felt that we could enjoy snorkeling inside the bay, i.e. in Mansinam island. Since the boat station was near the hotel, we went there on foot. There were some water taxis waiting for passengers at the station. It took around 10 minutes to reach Mansinam. Before going snorkeling, we visited the museum of the island which describes the situation of the indigenous people of Papua before the arrival of the missionary, during the missionary works and several decades after that. An old Papuan man who guided us in the museum was very enthusiastic in explaining every picture and articles in the museum. Most of the writings were written in Indonesian language. I must translate them into English so that Riaz and Sachi would be able to understand them. We spent around 30 minutes in the museum and after that continued our trip to the beach.

We enjoyed snorkeling for around one and a half hours. We saw moorish idol, damselfish, butterfly fish, surgeon fish, pink anemonefish, orange-finned anemonefish, black urchin, sea star, boxfish, sweepers, pipefish, sea snake, and a big needlefish. The coral reef was very good in the island but more plastic wastes were found the area. Sachi and Riaz said that Manokwari was a beautiful town. We have to be proud of it and keep our environment clean.
In addition to snorkeling, we also went hiking in the first day of the tour to Table mountain. We entered the forest at 17.00 and began walking through the forest to the Japanese World War II memorial monument. After that we continued walking through the forest again until we reached the campus of Papua university. I did not see any birds in the forest because our goal was only walk. But I could hear the sound of a helmetted friarbird shouting in distant trees. During the walk we discussed about the Pacific war where the Imperial Japanese troops were fighting against the Dutch and the American in Manokwari. We reached the main road at around 18.30 and returned to Swissbel hotel by public transportation.
The next morning we still had a plan to enjoy snorkeling in remote place of the bay outside of the city but the weather was bad. It was raining most of the day. We could not go. Sachi asked for full body massage instead of going to the sea. On the fourth day of their stay in Manokwari, they left this town for Jayapura by airplane. |It was a nice experience of hiking and snorkeling with them.

If you are interested in taking a snorkeling and rainforest birdwatching tour in Manokwari, please, contact me by email to: mpeace4wp@gmail.com

Snorkeling in Mansinam island of Manokwari city

Mansinam is a small island that is located near Manokwari city (the capital of Papua Barat province) in West Papua. It has been a famous destination among Christian pilgrims because it was the first place in New Guinea where Christianity was preached to the indigenous people. Every year on 5 February, thousands of people gather on the island to celebrate the event.
The tropical island of Mansinam is also surrounded by coral reef that hosts thousands of species of marine animals.
Early this month, I went snorkeling at the southern part of the island. I brought a Canon G1X with its housing to take pictures of the marine life. There were a lot of fish that I saw during my 2 hours snorkeling activity. Some of them were Striped Surgeon Fish, parrotfish, damselfish, convict surgeonfish, butterflyfish, Moorish Idol, Clark's anemone fish, several species of Christmas tree worms, and a lot more. There were blue sea stars and black urchins and sea cucumber too.
Here are some pictures that I made during the trip:

Cross Monument in Mansinam island

Marine Life in Mansinam Island

Underwater World of Mansinam Island

Clark's Anemonefish

Snorkeling Tour and Rainforest Tour
As a tour guide, I can organize a Snorkeling Tour and Rainforest Tour for anybody who is interested in taking a vacation in Manokwari. You can stay at the guesthouse in Mansinam island or at any hotels in Manokwari city.
I suggest that you come here in a group of at least 2 to 4 people. More is better because all of you can share the cost. I can organize such trip for a solo traveler too.

Where is Mansinam Island
Mansinam island is located in Dore bay near Manokwari city.  It is only a ten-minute ride by water taxi.

Manokwari - the capital of Papua Barat province

Mansinam island Dore bay of Manokwari regency

How to get there?

• It is easy to go to Mansinam island or Manokwari city (both are located very close to each other).
• Fly from your country to Jakarta city
• Take a domestic flight to Manokwari city. Garuda, Sriwijaya, Batik, Nam Air, and Wings Air (member of Lion Air group)
• We will meet you at the airport and organize your trip to see coral reef in Mansinam island and other parts in Dore bay and the tropical rainforest in Arfak mountains.

For further information, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180
Also read:
Raja Ampat guided snorkeling tour
Snorkeling Pictures from Raja Ampat
Snorkeling at the beach of Raja Ampat Paradise Resort

Snorkeling in the coral reef of Manokwari

Manokwari is the capital of West Papua province. The city is located in Dorey bay of New Guinea island. There are plenty of coral reef sites in Manokwari waters whereas in the south and along the northern coast of the city, tropical rainforest cover most of the landscape. Every year, visitors from around the world come to see the beauty of its marine environment and wildlife in tropical rainforest.

Coral Reef Environment in
Manokwari Waters

Snorkeling Tour
As a tourist guide, I can organize a snorkeling tour for you and your friend inside the Dore bay of Manokwari. We will see convict surgeonfish, striped surgeonfish, damselfish, anemonefish, parrotfish, moorish idol, butterflyfish, boxfish, urchin that live in the coral reed of Manokwari.
Don't forget to bring your snorkeling gear (mask, snorkel, and fins) if you want to see our marine environment. Your snorkeling experience will be enhanced if you also bring underwater camera which will can capture the images of those beautiful fishes and corals.

Rainforest Trekking and Camping
To further explore the beauty and bio-diversity of Papua's nature, I can bring you to the jungle where you will be able to see such birds as Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Blyth' hornbill, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, and even the Lesser Birds of Paradise.

Spanish tourists were trekking
in the jungle of
Arfak mountains - Manokwari

How to get there?
It is easy to reach Manokwari city,

• Fly from your country to Jakarta (the capital of Indonesia)
• After that, take a domestic flight (regularly served by Garuda, Sriwijaya, and Express Air) to Manokwari. I will be happy to meet you and organize your trip from this city.

Typical Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive in Manokwari
City Tour or Jungle Walk
Day 2
Snorkeling inside Dore bay Mansinam
A visit to Mansinam village and museum
Day 3
Snorkeling in Raimuti
Snorkeling in Anggresi
Day 4
Jungle walk in lowland forest of Dopi river or
Jungle walk in Warmarway forest of Arfak mountains
Day 5
Transfer to airport

Prices: 5 million rupiahs/ person
For customized itinerary, the cost of the tour will depend on how many days you want to spend in Manokwari and the number of participants.

Booking
Please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email: peace4wp@gmail.com if you are interested in taking this snorkeling tour and rainforest tour. I can prepare a customized itinerary and cost calculation.