Excursion to Rainforest of Sorong

Excursion to rainforest

A few days ago I organized an excursion tour to Sunbird Forest of Sorong city for 8 American visitors. They were on a trip to Raja Ampat for snorkeling and scuba diving. We left Swiss-belhotel at 05.30 for the forest by 2 cars. Our goal was to watch Yellow-faced Myna, Rainbow Bee-eater, and Oriental Dollarbird. Most of the participants had binoculars. I brought 2 binoculars and 1 spotting scope.
While we were hiking along the ridge of the forest, we were able to watch the above birds and some other species such as Black Sunbird, Olive-crowned Sunbird, Brahminy Kite, Blyth's Hornbill, and Sulphur-crested Cockatoo. The spotting scope greatly enhanced our birding experience.The weather was quite hot so, we had a long stop inside the forest near a river. There, the participants of the tour soaked their body inside a natural pool with a small waterfall continuously providing fresh water for pool.
I and two local people boil water for them to make coffee or tea. We had them with some traditional cakes, biscuits, as well as rambutan and banana fruits. After that we continued our trip to the main river where we watched Pinon Imperial Pigeon and Singing Starling.
Suddenly heavy rain started to fall. We decided to walk back to the main road again and return to the city.
For booking
Please, contact me (Charles Roring) by cell phone:+62 8133 2245 180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com

Snorkeling in Raja Ampat and Birding in Sorong

Marine Life in Raja Ampat islands

I often organize snorkeling and birding tour in Raja Ampat and Sorong forest. Visitors who come to West Papua like to enjoy swimming and snorkeling as well as hiking and birding in the forest. Raja Ampat is a must see destination for visitors who wants to see pristine coral reef, with various species of fish such as Butterflyfish, Anemonefish, Moorish Idol, Boxfish, Grouper, and etc. To enjoy snorkeling, visitors need to bring their own snorkel, masks, and fins. A good underwater camera will greatly enhance the swimming and snorkeling experience. Because coral reef is fragile, visitors must maintain their buoyancy to be always on the surface of the sea. Experienced swimmers often practice free diving to see fish and other marine creatures closer. However, for beginning snorkelers, I highly suggest that they use life-jackets that are usually available in every homestay.

Rainbow Bee-eater

I usually organize the tours into 3 days/ 2 nights hiking and camping in Sorong forest + 3 days hiking and snorkeling in Raja Ampat islands. For Sorong ridge forest, the target birds are Helmetted Friarbird, Olive-backed Sunbird, Coconut Lorikeet, Brahminy Kite, Rainbow Bee-eater and Yellow-faced Myna. For Raja Ampat forest, visitors can watch Red Bird of Paradise, Eclectus Parrot, Torresian Crow, Hooded Butcherbird, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Spangled Drongo, Beach Kingfisher, and Willie Wagtail. There are several devices that visitors need to bring in order to enjoy birding in Raja Ampat and Sorong. The ones that I highly recommend are binoculars, spotting scope, head torch, sport-shoes or hiking boots. A field guide book: Birds of New Guinea written by Thane K Pratt and Bruce Beehler will greatly enhance the birding knowledge and identification skill of birdwatchers.

In addition to birds, visitors who go hiking and birding in Raja Ampat and Sorong forests will also see various kinds of tropical vegetation such as large iron-wood tree, jackfruit, or even wild terrestrial orchid flowers.
To share the cost of traveling, I suggest that visitors come in a group of 2 to 4 people.

Getting to Sorong and Raja Ampat

To go to Sorong city and Raja Ampat, you need to fly from your country to Jakarta city - the capital of Indonesia. Depending on where you live, you can take such airlines as Air Asia, KLM, or Lufthansa.

When you arrive in Jakarta, you can take a domestic flight to Sorong city. Several Indonesian airlines provide regular flight service to Sorong. Some of them are Garuda, Batik, Sriwijaya, Nam Air and Lion.

I will meet you at the airport and organize your trip both to the ridge forest of Sorong and to Raja Ampat islands.

Booking

 If you are interested in taking the tours that I offer, please, contact me by whatsapp: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com
Also read:
Snorkeling Raja Ampat
What is Raja Ampat
Raja Ampat Snorkeling and Birding Tour

Birdwatching Tour near Sorong City

Rainforest near Sorong city

Sorong city is the main gate to Raja Ampat. Every year tens of thousands of visitors fly to Sorong city to enjoy their holiday in this tropical archipelago. Most of these tourists spend their holiday by snorkeling, scuba diving, and swimming. However, there are a lot of other tourists who are interested in exploring the biodiversity of rainforest or in birdwatching. As a tourist guide, I offer hiking and birdwatching tours to tropical rainforest of Sorong city. The tour can last for 1 or 2 days or even more. For one day tour, visitors can start hiking in the morning to see birds, butterflies, grasshopper, unique shrub plants and wild flowers of tropical rainforest ecosystem and then return to their hotel in the evening. For 2 to 3 days hiking and birdwatching, camping in the forest is what we offer to visitors.
Birdwatching

Olive-crowned Flowerpecker

Tourists who are interested in birdwatching can bring spotting scope and binoculars such as the Swarovski EL 8.5×42, a bridge camera with telephoto lens or a DSLR Camera with super telephoto lens will greatly enhance the birding experience. The best time to enjoy birdwatching is in the mornings and in the afternoons.
I went hiking and birdwatching yesterday to rainforest near Sorong city. During the tour, I was able to see Helmetted Friarbird, Olive-backed Sunbird, Olive-crowned Flowerpecker, Coconut Lorikeet, Glossy Swiftlet, and Yellow-faced Myna.
Rainforest Environment

Yellow-bellied Sunbird

Because of rapid development of Sorong city, more and more forest areas are being converted into human settlements, commercial building complex and farmlands. There are still rainforest at the outskirt of Sorong city which tourists can visit to see its tropical plants, birds, insects (butterflies, grasshopper, and beetles), and wild-flowers. This may not be an ideal ecosystem of a pristine rainforest but it is a good site for visitors who want to see beautiful nature of mainland West Papua.

Wear hiking shoes, t-shirts and long pants before taking this hiking tour. Make sure that you have got a least a bottle of water with some biscuits. Clean the lens of your binoculars, spotting scope and digital camera. For visitors who want to spend several days hiking in the forest, I can organize a camping tour with tents and other supporting equipment such as cooking and eating utensils.

Booking
Please, contact me (Charles Roring) by e-mail to: peace4wp@gmail.com or send text by whatsapp to: +6281332245180. You could also use, contact form on the right side of this blog.

Also read:
Raja Ampat birds
Raja Ampat Adventure Tour

Nature Tour to Rainforest of Sorong City

River and Forest near Sorong City

I went hiking in the rainforest near Sorong city yesterday. I left in the afternoon at 14.00 and walked up slopes of hills to savanna and hill forest to see its beautiful scenery, terrestrial orchid flowers, and tropical birds. It took around one and a half hour to reach a river located behind the savanna hills of Sorong. The rainforest that cover the land in both sides of the river is still in very good condition although there are activities from local people who open the land for planting food crops such as banana, cassava, jackfruit, and papaya.
Birdwatching

Olive-backed Sunbird

Because I brought my Fujifilm HS50EXR, I could take some bird photos. I saw Helmetted Friarbird (Philemon buceroides), Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis), Olive-crowned Floverpecker (Dicaeum pectorale), Glossy Swiftlet (Collocalia esculenta), Coconut Lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus), Black Lory (Chacopsitta atra), and some other birds that were flying very fast over the river making it impossible for me to identify them.
Nature Tour for Tourists

Terrestrial Orchid Flower in Savanna hills of Sorong city

As a matter of fact, this rainforest tour is very suitable for tourists who want to see nature and some wildlife of mainland West Papua before or after their trip to Raja Ampat. Most often, visitors have got one or two days of staying in Sorong city before flying back to their country. They could take this tour instead of only sleeping and waiting in their hotel. Sorong city is the main gate to Raja Ampat. There are daily regular flights that connect Sorong city to major cities in Indonesia such as Jakarta, Makassar and Manado. Airlines such as Batik Air, Sriwijaya, Garuda, and Lion fly to Sorong city.
Booking

Rainforest Tour in Sorong city

If you are interested in taking a rainforest tour near Sorong city, you can contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.
I can meet you at the airport or hotel where you stay and organize your trip to the tropical rainforest and savanna hills of Sorong city.

Things to bring or wear
You need to wear a pair of hiking shoes, long pants, t-shirt and hat. To watch birds, bring a good pair of binoculars such as the Swarovski EL 8.5×42 or the Canon Image Stabilizer 12×50 IS UD 4.5°. If you have got spotting scope, bring it with you.
Also read:

• Birdwatching in Sorong regency
• Birding and Snorkeling at Paradisea Beach of Raja Ampat
• Snorkeling and Hiking Tour in Raja Ampat
• Snorkeling and Watching Birds of Paradise in Raja Ampat

Birding Tour in Sorong Regency of West Papua

Rainbow Bee-eater

Sorong regency is a nice destination for birdwatching especially for birds that live in lowland forest such as Golden Myna, Helmetted Friarbird, Lesser Birds of Paradise, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Red-cheeked Parrot and King Bird of Paradise. As a tour guide, I could organize rainforest birding and wildlife watching tour for visitors who want to explore the biodiversity of the lowland forest of West Papua.

ITINERARY
Day 1

I will meet you in a hotel or airport of Sorong city. After that we will go by 4wd car to a nearby market to buy food and other supplies for the tour. When everything is ready, we will go directly to Klasow valley. It takes approximately 1 .5 hours ride to reach the valley. The trip to our guesthouse located in the middle of the jungle can be carried out on foot for another 1.5 hours. Along the way, we can hear the sound of Eclectus Parrot, Black Butcherbird, Hooded Butcherbird, Pinon Imperial Pigeon or even the Magnificent Riflebird, and a lot of other birds that make the forest of Klasow valley as their natural habitat.

When we arrive in the guesthouse, we can take a rest and enjoy birding from the verandah. After that, we can watch birds in clearing area of the surrounding forest to watch Dollarbird, Moustached Treeswift, Yellow Faced Myna and etc.

Lesser Birds of Paradise (Paradisea minor)

Day 2

We will wake up early in the morning at 04.30 to have tea or coffee and some bread or biscuits. After making preparation for a long forest walk, we shall leave our guesthouse for the the birding ground of the Lesser Birds of Paradise (Paradisaea minor). We will watch the bird until 09.00. When we walk back to the guesthouse, we will be able to watch Spangled Drongo, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, or Yellow-billed Kingfisher that are active in the morning.

Wild Northern Cassowary often comes out of the jungle to visit our guesthouse in search of fruits such as banana or papaya.

After lunch, we can continue our birding trip the eastern area of the forest to find such birds as Black Lory, Papuan Dwarf Kingfisher, Western Crowned Pigeon and Beautiful Fruit Dove.
At night, we could do night walk to watch wallaby or other birds that sleep in the lower branches of trees.
Day 3

Azure Kingfisher

This morning, we will enjoy easy birding to find King Bird of Paradise (Cicinnurus regius). Other birds such as Variable Goshawk, Large Fig Parrot, Rainbow Lorikeet are active in the nearby forest.

After lunch, we can explore the hill forest behind our guesthouse to watch such birds, butterflies, unique flower plants, lianas and big trees.

Day 4

We will slowly walk back to mainroad and return to Sorong city by a chartered 4WD car.

Cost: ... rupiahs
Cost includes: transportation by 4wd car between Sorong and Klasow valley food, payment to local guides, land owner, cook.

Cost does not include: accommodation in hotel and food in Sorong before and after the tour in Klasow valley, travel insurance and other personal expenses.

A Couple of Golden Myna

Booking: Please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp: +6281332245180
Please bring:

• Binoculars
• Field guide book Birds of New Guinea written by Thane K. Pratt and Bruce Beehler.
• Flashlight/ torch
• Watershoes and flipflop
• Clothing that is suitable for tropical climate
• Anti-insect/ mosquito lotion

Extended Tour
You could extend your tour in West Papua by taking snorkeling tour in Raja Ampat where you could swim over pristine coral reef to see colorful coral reef and beautiful fish as well as wonderful marine landscape.

Birding in Sorong Regency

Male Lesser Birds of Paradise

Sorong regency has got a nice birding site that is located in Klasow valley. The tropical rainforest that exists in the region is the natural habitat of a lot of species of birds such as Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Beautiful Fruit Dove, Great Cuckoo Dove, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Golden Myna, Large Fig Parrot, Red-cheeked Parrot, Moustached Treeswift, Helmetted Friarbird, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, King Bird of Paradise, Lesser Bird of Paradise, Magnificent Riflebird, Northern Cassowary and a lot more.
Visitors usually spend between 3 to 5 days in the jungle of Sorong regency to see these unique New Guinea birds that live in lowland forest of the island. Tourists who go to the valley can stay in a wooden house that was constructed by local people.
As a tourist guide, I organize birding tours for visitors who come from various countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Indonesia, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia and other countries from North America.

Birding Gear

Wompoo Fruit Dove

To go birding in Klasow valley, visitors need to bring binoculars and if possible, a good spotting scope with at least 20-60×60 magnification. Birds of New Guinea by Thane K. Pratt and Bruce Beehler is a highly recommended field guide book for tourists who want to watch birds in the valley and other places in this region.
Two Different Administrations
New Guinea as the largest tropical island in the world, administratively is devided into 2 territories. The first one is Papua New Guinea - which is an independent state and second one is West Papua - which as the territory of the Republic of Indonesia. There are two provinces in West Papua, i.e. Papua Province with Jayapura as its capital and Papua Barat with Manokwari as its capital. Sorong is part of Papua Barat province.

Nankeen Night Heron

How to reach Klasow valley in Sorong regency

• First, you need to fly from your country to Jakarta (the capital of Indonesia), 
• After that you could choose a domestic airline such as Sriwijaya Air, Garuda, Sriwijaya Air, Lion Air, Nam Air or Batik Air to fly to Sorong city
• I could meet you at Domine Eduard Osok (DEO) airport of Sorong city and organize your trip to Klasow valley.

Alternative flight route:

You could fly from your country to Singapore. After that you could use Silk Air to fly to Manado city in the North Sulawesi province of Indonesia and then continue your trip by Wings Air to Sorong city.

Itinerary

Day 1 Arriving in Sorong city, buying food supply from local market, transfer by 4wd car to Klasow valley in Sorong regency, birding and wildlife watching

Day 2 Birding and wildlife watching

Day 3 Birding and Wildlife watching

Day 4 Birding and Wildlife Watching, return to Sorong city

If you still want to continue your birding trip in other areas of West Papua, I could organize your birding tours to Raja Ampat and Manokwari or even to Numfor island

Booking

Please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by sending whatsapp text message to: +6281332245180

Sightseeing and Snorkeling Tour in Raja Ampat

I have just completed a 5-day snorkeling and sightseeing tour in Raja Ampat with four Czech tourists. During the tour, we enjoyed sightseeing in a lot of islands and snorkeling in some coral reef areas of the archipelago. We visited Yenbuba strait, West Mansuar, Sawondarek, Five Rocks (Batu Lima), Kabui bay, Pianemo (Fam islands), Cape Kri, Arborek and Manta Point.

It was a wonderful trip and we were able to see various species of reef fish and other marine animals, including giant trevally, grouper, parrotfish, wrasse, sweetlips, butterfly fish, damsel, scads, humphead wrasse, black tip reef shark, manta and a lot more.

Marine Life in Yenbuba
Strait of Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat is the most recommended destination for anybody who is interested in seeing the biodiversity of marine life. Bring your own snorkeling mask and fins if you want to enjoy snorkeling in Raja Ampat with me. Because, traveling in Raja Ampat is expensive, I suggest that you come in a group of at least 4 tourists.

ITINERARY
Here is a typical itinerary that I offer to my customers:
Day 1 
Leaving Sorong for Raja Ampat
We will stay at one of the homestays in the region
Snorkeling in Yenbuba strait
Day 2
Traveling to Kabui karst islets (snorkeling) and a visit to its passage.
Snorkeling in Batu Lima or Friwen
A visit to sand bank
Day 3
Traveling to Pianemo to see its beautiful scenery on top of one of its karst islets
Snorkeling in Arborek
Day 4
Snorkeling in West Mansuar
Snorkeling in Sawondarek
Day 5
Leaving Raja Ampat for Sorong

Please, consider the above itinerary as a reference only. It can be changed or customized during the trip depending on weather condition.

If you are a single traveler
If you are alone, you can still visit the archipelago. You decide your own itinerary. You may choose one of the many homestays there and explore the coral reef at its beach front by snorkeling. After that you can move to another homestay in different island. If you still need me as your snorkeling buddy, I will be happy to accompany you during your trip in Raja Ampat. We can do snorkeling or birdwatching in Raja Ampat and try to identify the species names of the animals that we see using the field guide books that I have.

The marine tour in Raja Ampat can be combined with jungle tour in Sorong regency or Tambrauw Mountains. For the land tour, visitors will have the chance to explore the tropical rainforest of New Guinea that is the natural habitat of various species of butterflies, birds, and a lot of tropical plants.

RAINFOREST TOUR IN SORONG

In addition to offering snorkeling tour in Raja Ampat, I also provide a separate Rainforest Tour in Klasow valley of Sorong regency. Tropical rainforest that cover the lowland area of  Klasow valley is the natural habitat of various species of animals such as

Birds: Rufous-bellied Kookabura, Blyth's hornbills, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Moustached Tree-Swift, Lesser Birds of Paradise (Paradisaea minor), Yellow Faced Myna, Spangled Drongo, Pinon Imperial Pigeon (Ducula pinon), Eclectus Parrot (Eclectus rotatus), Golden Myna (Mino anais), Black-capped Lory (Lorius lory), Cassowary bird, and a lot more.
Butterflies: New Guinea Clipper Butterfly (Parthenos tigrina), Birdwing butterfly (Ornitopthera priamus), Meadow Argus butterfly (Junonia villida), Blue Mountain Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio ulysses), The Great Eggfly Butterfly (Hypolimnas butterfly), Blue Tiger Butterfly (Tirumala limniace), and etc.
Marsupials: Wallaby (a kind of ground kangaroo), Bandicoot, and Cuscus possum
Mammals: Deer and Wild-pigs
Reptiles: Snakes, soa-soa lizards.
The above are some of the animals that I could identify from my previous tours. Actually there are more animals which I still cannot identify because I am lack of reference books about flora and fauna of West Papua.

Duration of the Rainforest Tour: On the average visitors spend between 3 to 5 days in the jungle of Klasow valley
Activities: Usually tourists go trekking in the jungle along the footpaths which are used by the indigenous people. They watch birds, insects, see tropical trees and shrubs and crawling plants as well as wild flowers and mushrooms. Because I have got a spotting scope, and a pair of binoculars, I can bring the device to enhance the birdwatching experience of visitors while walking in the jungle of Klasow valley.

Accommodation:
For 3 day tour, visitors will stay at a simple house made of wood, and thatched roof in the jungle village of Klasow forest. For longer tour, we will walk deeper into the jungle of Klaglass and stay in tents.

Cost: The cost depends on the duration of the tour and the number of participants. On the average a single traveler may spend 7 million rupiahs (approximately 465 Euros) for 3 days. But 2 visitors can spend approximately 9 million rupiahs (approx. 597 Euros) for 3 days in the jungle. The cost includes transportation by 4WD car to the valley, guides, food, accommodation and contribution to the jungle village of Klasow valley.
Contact: Please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com for more customized tour, prices and other information



Alternative Destination
Manokwari
If you are thinking of going to another region in West Papua then my suggestion for you is going to Manokwari.
You can enjoy trekking in the rainforest and watching wild animals as well as snorkeling over many of its coral reef.
Group Size Limit: 6 people
Price per person: (please, contact us by email)

Here is the itinerary
Day 1
Arrive at Rendani airport of Manokwari
Day 2
Trekking and wildlife watching in Arfak mountains or the lowland forest of the northern coast area.
Day 3
Trekking and wildlife watching
Day 4
Trekking and wildlife watching
At the end of the day, we will return to Manokwari city
Day 5
Snorkeling
Day 6
Snorkeling
Day 7
Transfer to Rendani Airport
End of Tour

If you plan to visit West Papua and need me to arrange your tour and be your guide, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or send whatsapp message to my number +6281332245180

Jungle Tour in Sorong of West Papua

I have been organizing tours for tourists to tropical rainforest of  Sorong regency since last year. The destination is Klasow valley located approximately two hours by 4WD car and 2 hours walk through tropical jungle to reach a village in the valley.

a Swiss tourist with the background of
tropical jungle of Klasow valley

Tourists
So far most of the guests who visited the valley were from western countries such as the United States, The Netherlands, France, Switzerland and Germany and etc. Some came as a single travelers while others came as couples or as groups of three up to six people. More visitors are coming as more information is uploaded into the internet about the Klasow valley and Tambrauw mountains.
The Rainforest
The plants that grow in Klasow valley are typical vegetation that is usually found in the lowland and coastal area of New Guinea. Big trees such as ficus, large conifer Agathis, and iron wood, and various species of palms live side by side with rattan and other vines or climbing plants.
There are also sago trees which the indigenous people process to make flour. Sago is the staple food of Moi tribe who live in the region.
Wildlife Watching
Tourists go to Malagufuk village of Klasow valley to see the rich bio-diversity of tropical rainforest that is the natural habitat of wallaby (a kind of small ground kangaroo, bandicoot, cassowary, wild pigs, sulphur crested cockatoo, goliath cockatoo, blyh's hornbill, goshawk, kingfisher, golden myna, dollar bird, pinon imperial pigeon and a lot of other birds. Colorful butterflies can also be seen in the area too. Birdwatching can usually be done from mornings until evening. Nocturnal bird such as Papuan Frogmouth can sometimes be heard calling from distant trees. At night, jungle walk can be carried out to see wallaby.

Where to stay
Most of the tourists who visited Klasow valley stayed in a small guesthouse built by the villagers of Malagufuk. It is made of wood and covered with palm roof. There is clean water installation and a simple toilet.

Cost: On the average the cost is 5 million rupiahs per person for 3 days/ 2 nights traveling. It includes transportation by 4WD car, local guide, food, and basic accommodation in the jungle village.

Booking:
Please, contact my email: peace4wp@gmail.com for detailed info about the tour.

Rainforest Tour organized from Sorong Town

Trekking in the forest of Sorong regency of West Papua

I often receive emails from visitors who want to go trekking in the rainforest near Sorong town. Usually they want to combine their diving trip in Raja Ampat with jungle tour in the mainland New Guinea particularly near Sorong city.
I can organize a land tour or jungle tour to several destinations in West Papua.

• For visitors who only have got 2 to 3 days in Sorong, the destination that I offer is Klasow valley. 
• If they have got more than 3 days, the rainforest that I will offer is Tambrauw mountains (lowland forest along Syuan river or pristine forest in Ases valley).

Klasow Valley

This valley is only 1 hour away from Sorong town and another hour on foot to reach the jungle village of Malagufuk. Visitors who book the tour to Klasow valley can start the tour early in the morning. Wild animals that live in the valley are wallaby, cassowary, deer, wild pigs, soa-soa, and various species of birds including lesser birds of paradise, blyth's hornbills, sulphur crested cockatoo, western crowned pigeon, golden myna, yellow faced myna and a lot more. Visitors are advised to bring D-SLR camera with telephoto lens or a bridge camera with super telephoto capability such as Nikon Coolpix P900. The rainforest of Klasow valley is flat. So, it is suitable for anybody who cannot go trekking in sloppy mountains.

Tambrauw Mountains

Camping site in the jungle of Tambrauw mountains

This is the destination for visitors who have got more than 3 days to spend in the jungle. Tambrauw mountains are covered by huge tropical rainforest from its coastal area up to the mountainous regions. For coastal region, the usual destination where I bring my guests to is Syuan river. It is suitable for camping and trekking. Tents will be built at the bank of the river. During the tour, visitors can enjoy swimming and birdwatching as well as learning the medicinal functions of herbal plants that grow in the jungle.
Another destination in Tambrauw mountains is Ases valley. To reach the valley, visitors need to go by a 4WD car for 6 hours. After that the trip will be continued on foot for 2 hours. Deers, wallaby, cassowary bird, tree kangaroo, and a lot of species of birds live in the valley.

Western Crowned Pigeon in
the jungle of Klasow valley

As a tourist guide I have arranged a lot of rainforest trips for visitors who want to explore the tropical jungle of West Papua for several days. That's why I have got tents, air mattresses, rechargeable lights, cooking, eating, and other logistical gear that are needed for the tour. I also have contacts with local villagers and 4WD car drivers that I need to organize a jungle tour or expedition.
So, if you are interested in taking a rainforest tour that is organized from Sorong town, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com

Trekking and Camping in the Rainforest of Tambrauw Mountains

Starting from this year, I offer tours to Tambrauw mountains. Most of the activities are trekking, camping, swimming, and exploring the forest to know more about its wild animals and herbs. Tambrauw regency has got a lot of coastal areas that covered by coral reef where visitors can enjoy snorkeling particulary from April to September.

Rainforest tour in Tambrauw mountains can be done for at least 4 days/ 3 nights or longer. As a tourist guide, I can arrange tours for you to the tropical jungle in coastal area or in mountainous region. 

Our Camp Site in the jungle of Tambrauw Mountains

During the tour you will walk through the jungle that is the natural habitat of blyth's hornbill, sulphur crested cockatoo, lesser birds of paradise, cuscus possum, wild pigs, and deer. You can swim in the crystal clear water of the river and enjoy sunbathing while reading your favorite novel.

To book your rainforest tour in Tambrauw mountains, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com for customized itinerary and price.

Hiking and Birdwatching in Sorong of West Papua

Visitors who travel to Raja Ampat will first have to fly to Sorong city. The city is located in mainland West Papua province of the Republic of Indonesia. I often receive questions from tourists whether there are other natural attractions around Sorong regency which they can see before or after visiting Raja Ampat islands.

Female Eclectus Parrot

The lowland forest in the suburb of Sorong regency is a new destination for tourists who want to explore the biodiversity of tropical rainforest. The forest is the natural habitat of birds, reptiles, insects, mammals and marsupials. I introduced it for the first time on the internet in November 2014.

a male Lesser Birds of Paradise (Paradisaea minor)

Birdwatching
Tropical birds of New Guinea that thrive in lowland rainforest can be seen in the valley. Shining flycatcher (Myagra alecto), Sulphur crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), Pinon Imperial Pigion (Ducula pinon), Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus), Western crowned pigeon (Goura cristata), Blyth's hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus), Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Moustached Tree Swift, and Lesser birds of paradise (Paradisaea minor) are some of the many birds of New Guinea that visitors can watch while walking through the forest.

Western-crowned Pigeon

Hiking through the rainforest of Klasow valley is easy because the land is flat. However, the footpath to the display tree of Lesser Birds of Paradise is steep and slippery. It is approximately one hour on foot from the village. Visitors have to walk for at least 1 hour to reach the lek of the birds that is located near Klasow river.
Visitors can watch the birds in the mornings and in the evenings. Male lesser birds of paradise compete against one another to win the heart of female birds.

Lesser Birds of Paradise

When the weather is good, the courtship dance performance usually lasts for 3 hours from 6 to 9 a.m.
After watching the paradise birds, visitors could walk back to the village and do birdwatching along the way. Binoculars, spotting scopes and laser pointer will be very useful during the morning walk.
Leg-cramps and muscle pain are not very common among tourists, but there were some cases where  tourists experienced them. Dehydration, salt depletion and fatigue of long day walking on the trails caused these severe leg cramps. When these signs happened, I immediately stopped the hiking tour and returned to our guesthouse. In the jungle guesthouse, I served instant noodle and gave it to my client who suffered it.  The soup of the noodle contains salt that would reduce the cramps. The noodle soup resupplies her body with new electrolytes. To ease the soreness or pain in the muscles and joints, I gave gentle massage using coconut oil. I applied the oil on my palms, warmed them up and then gave relaxing massage to the tensed musles.
Massage also increased the flow of blood that brings nutrients and oxygen to underlying tissues. It relieved muscle tension, and stiffness. Birding could be continued around the clearing area of the forest.

Birding in the Forest Edge

The clearing area around the jungle village is a good place for birding in the afternoon particularly between 16.00 to 18.00 local time. Birds such as friarbird, moustached tree swift, large fig parrot, red cheek parrot, and black lorry often fly and perch in the nearby trees. Children in the village with their sharper eyes can spot birds in distant trees faster than most of the visitors.

Rufous-bellied Kookaburra

What you need to bring:

• Water shoes or trekking shoes and long sleeve clothing that will protect you from insect bites when you sleep. You also need t-shirt that is suitable for tropical climate that is usually hot during the day
• Torch
• Rain poncho
• Insect repellent lotion. Apply it on your skin, and the clothes that cover your body, including areas over your neck, armpits, chest, crotch and ankle. This is very important to protect you from tiny insects that can go through your clothes and bite your skin. 
• Bring binoculars or digital camera with super telephoto lens if you want to take pictures of the animals that live in the jungle.
• Extra batteries for your camera.

Itinerary of Rainforest Tour:
Day 1
Transfer from Sorong city to lowland forest of Sorong by 4WD pick-up car. You will stay in a guesthouse (basic accommodation) in the jungle. Birding can be done directly along the forest edge. After dinner, I or local villager will accompany you to have a night walk in the jungle to find wallaby. Sometimes Papuan frogmouth or fruit bat can be seen too. We will use flash or torch. If you are too tired to do the night walk, we could do it in the second night.
Day 2
Early in the morning, after breakfast, you will leave your camp to walk deeper into the jungle to explore its biodiversity. Deer, wild pigs and wallaby live in the jungle of the valley. Our targets for this morning are Lesser Birds of Paradise and Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise. If we are lucky, we could see them. At night, after dinner, local guide can accompany you to find cuscus possum that usually comes out at night to find food or to mate.
Day 3
We will go trekking and birding in the hill forest. Usually, Hooded Butcherbird, Western-crowned Pigeon, Black-capped Lory, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, Frilled Monarch and King Bird of Paradise.
Day 4
This is your last birding day, the easiest way to explore the forest is to walk around the forest through old logging tracks that are located near the village. Birds such as Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Large Fig Parrot, Magnificent Riflebird, usually come to villagers' garden to find grains such as corn, peanuts and green beans. In the afternoon, 4WD pick up truck will transfer you back to Sorong city.

Unpaved road leading to Klasow valley

Costs:
This depends on the number of participants and duration of the tour. Traveling in a group of 3 or 4 people will make the price cheaper.

The Lowland forest is located in the west of Sorong city. Visitors need to rent a 4WD Pick-up truck to reach the valley. You could contact me if you want a more customized trips and different itinerary.

Booking

Please, send me (Charles Roring) an email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or text message to my cell phone 006281332245180. I will be happy to arrange your trip to Sorong forest or other parts of West Papua.

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Also read:
Birdwatching Tour in Sorong Lowland Forest
Birding in Sorong regency
Birding tour in Sorong regency of West Papua

Rainforest Tour in Sorong Regency of West Papua

Sorong regency is the entrance gate in West Papua province of Indonesia for visitors who want to go to Raja Ampat islands- the most popular destination in the world for scuba divers. Sorong city itself is located on the mainland New Guinea. Unfortunately, very little information about tourist attractions of this regency is available on the internet. Geographically, Sorong is surrounded by mountains and lowland areas.
Malagufuk village in Klasow Valley
There is a valley in the east of Sorong city called Klasow. Lowland tropical rainforest that covers the valley is the natural habitat of various species of tropical plants, insects, birds, and mammals of New Guinea. Some terrestrial wild orchids can be found in the jungle of the valley too. Its flat land is suitable for visitors who are interested in hiking, birdwatching and exploring the ecosystem of rainforest.

terresterial orchids

Jungle Walk in the lowland forest
Wake up early in the morning and start walking along the banks of the river or footpaths to see the wild animals that live in the lowland forest of Klasow valley.  Because animals  and plants depend on water we could see birds, butterflies and some reptiles while we walk. Night walk is also recommended if want to see nocturnal animals such as cuscus possum, bandicoot and kangaroo.

small stream in Klasow valley

Birdwatching
Bring a bridge camera with telephoto lens such as Nikon Coolpix P900 or a D-SLR Camera with at least 600 mm lens if you want to take pictures of birds. Sulphur crested cockatoo, Blyth's hornbill, Kingfishers and pigeons live in the forest of Klasow valley. Blyth's hornbill like to eat wild nutmeg fruits in the jungle whereas cockatoos can easily be recognized by their loud shrieking sounds in the middle of peaceful atmosphere of the forest.

Papuan hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus)

Where is Klasow valley?
Klasow valley is located in the east of Sorong city. There is a village in the valley. Its name is Malakutuk. Look at the following map.

How to get there?
It is easy to go to Klasow valley.

• Fly from your country to Jakarta and then 
• Take a domestic flight to Sorong city (Garuda Indonesia, Sriwijaya, Express Air and Lion Air have got regular flights to Sorong city every week)
• Before flying to Sorong, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by e-mail to peace4wp@gmail.com or by sending text message to my whatsapp: 006281332245180. 

Cost: It is expensive to travel alone. You could travel in a group of at least 2 to 4 people or more to share the cost. I could make a budget calculation if you contact me by email before you come.

Duration of the rainforest tour

You could choose to stay for 3 days/ 2 nights or more in the jungle of the valley to explore the wildlife of New Guinea. Because there is no hotels in the jungle, visitors will stay at simple wooden houses built by the local people. You plan to stay longer, make sure that you buy enough food from Sorong city.

Rainforest in Klasow Valley

What to bring

Wear water shoes or jungle boots
Buy a small bottle of insect repellent lotion and apply it all over your body.
Bring extra batteries for your camera
Buy enough food and drinking water if you plan to stay longer

Logging versus Sustainable Tourism

We promote rainforest tour to Klasow valley of Sorong regency to reduce and to stop selective logging operations and to empower the indigenous Papuan people to take up sustainable development and eco-tourism for improving their quality of life. Because the indigenous Papuan people who live in the valley are still new to and in the very early stages of developing their eco-tourism program, be more tolerant for their lack of experience and professionalism when serving you as their guests.

If you still need more information, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by e-mail to: peace4wp@gmail.com