Raja Ampat has got beautiful coral reef which we could explore while snorkeling over it. The snorkeling sites that I highly recommend are Yefkabu island, Tamako reef, Yefnabi island, Sand Bank, Mutus island, Lesser Mutus, Yef Tip, Yet Moi, Piaynemo Karst, and etc. They are located in the west of Waigeo island.
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| Jousuba Homestay in Raja Ampat |
The snorkeling sites that are closer to Waigeo island are the southern coast of Waigeo, Saporkren beach, Friwen wall, Urai island, Yenbuba Strait, Mioskon, and etc. A lot of fish could be seen in coral reef. There are striped-surgeonfish, diagonal sweetlips, butterflyfish, anemonefish, moorish idol and etc. We could also see christmas tree worm, sea cucumber, nudibranch, turtle and etc.
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| Coral reef in Raja Ampat |
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| Stonefish in Waigeo island |
Island Hopping
Islands that could be chosen as the sites for snorkeling include Kri, Mansuar, Gam, and Waigeo. The snorkeling tour to remote places could be conducted by speed boat. Traveling with 2 or 4 participants will allow every participant of the tour to share the cost.
Birding/ Wildlife Watching
The activity of watching wild animals in the rainforest of Raja Ampat is also interesting. Usually, Waigeo island is the most recommended destination. The main target of observation include Red Bird of Paradise, Wilson's Bird of Paradise, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Blyth's Hornbill, Beach Kingfisher, Sacred Kingfisher, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Red-cheeked Parrot, Papuan Eclectus, Great-billes Parrot and Violet-necked Lory.
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| Pinon Imperial Pigeon |
There are also Waigeo-spotted Cuscus, Fruit Bats and soa-soa which we could watch in the forest.
Binoculars such as the Swarovski, Leica or Nikon Monarch 10×42 mm will greatly enhance the birding experience of tour participants who bring them. Camera for bird or wildlife photography is usually the d-slr or mirrorless one with a 150-600 mm telephoto lens.
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| A beach in Kri island of Raja Ampat |
Equipment
There are some snorkeling device that tour participants need to bring such as snorkeling mask, fins. Some beach resorts provide them for free or for rent. To take underwater picture and videos, a digital camera will be needed. The famous one is Olympus TG-7 or Nikon W300.
If you are interested in taking a snorkeling tour that is combined with birding/ wildlife watching tour in Raja Ampat islands, and want me to organize your trip, please, contact us by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com.
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Birdwatching, Butterfly watching and Farm Tour in Sonder Town of Minahasa Highland
Sonder is a small subdistrict town in Minahasa Highland. It is a beautiful destination for visitors who love to see nature, farmland, do birdwatching and insect watching.
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| Sulawesi Scops Owl |
Birds in Subdistrict Sonder
A lot of species of birds could be watched there. Here are some of them:
- Sooty-headed Bulbul
- Sahul Sunbird
- Brown-throated Sunbird
- Black Sunbird
- Crimson Sunbird
- Sulawesi Hanging Parrot
- Sulawesi Brush Cuckoo
- Pygmy Hanging Parrot
- Gray-sided Flowerpecker
- Yellow-sided Flowerpecker
- Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker
- Sulawesi Hanging Parrot
- Sulawesi Pygmy Hanging Parrot
- Sulawesi Myzomela
- Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker
- Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove
- Sulawesi Crow
- Citrine Canary Flycatcher
- Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher
- Warbling White-eye (also called Japanese White-eye)
- Black-crowned White-eye
- Little Egret
- Cattle Egret
- Purple Heron
- White-breasted Woodswallow
- Collared Kingfisher
- Sulawesi Drongo
- Hair-crested Drongo
- Sulawesi Cuckoo Dove
- White-faced Cuckoo-dove
- Green Imperial Pigeon
- Gray-cheeked Green Pigeon
- Sulawesi-crested Myna
- Chestnut Munia
- Black-faced Munia
- Scaly-breasted Munia
- Sulawesi Scops Owl
- Pale Blue Monarch
- Sulawesi-crested Myna
- Yellow-billed Malkoha
- White-browed Crake
- Isabelline Bush-hen
- Buff-banded Rail
- Barred Rail
- and etc.
Birdwatching activity is usually carried out by walking through farm forest where local villagers grow fruiting trees such as clove, coconut, avocado, rambutan, jackfruit, durian, duku. There is tropical rainforest on the top of the hill in the south of Sonder. Birding along its edge will allow visitors to see Sulawesi Bush Warbler, Yellow-billed Malkoha, and other endemic species of birds of Sulawesi.
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| Pale Blue Monarch |
Birdwatching Equipment
Most birdwatchers bring a good pair of 10×42 mm or 10× 50 mm binoculars from such brands as Nikon Monarch, Leica, Swarovski, Olympus. As a birding guide, I usually bring my SVBONY 20-60×80 mm spotting scope. All participants could share the use of this scope when observing birds in tall or distant trees.
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| Sonder town and its surrounding farmland |
Accommodation
Visitors who are interested in taking a birding tour can stay in homestays of local villagers. The rooms are basic/ simple. For more comfortable accommodation, visitors could stay in the nearby Tomohon town.
How to get there?
It is easy to reach Sonder town. Visitors can combine the marine tour in Raja Ampat with the birding tour in Minahasa highland. They can fly from Sorong city to Manado city. There are daily flight services between these cities that are served by TransNusa and Lion Air.
For international travelers, they could fly from Singapore to Manado city by Scoot Air or from Guangzhou in China to Manado city by TransNusa or China Southern Airlines.
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| Flight routes to Manado city |
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| Car route to Sonder |
Booking
The duration of snorkeling tour in Raja Ampat can be as short as 4 days-3 nights to 1 week. The duration for birding in Sonder and other areas of Minahasa Peninsula can be 1 week. You could book this combined trip of snorkeling and birding in Raja Ampat and birwatching trip in Sonder of Minahasa highland by sending your message to our e-mail: peace4wp@gmail.com or whatsapp:+6281332245180.
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