Snorkeling Raja Ampat

Easy to Reach Snorkeling Site with Comfortable Accommodation

There is a very nice snorkeling site in Waigeo island. Its name is Warduwer beach. It is around 20 minutes ride from the fast ferry harbor of Waisai. The beach is the location of Raja Ampat Flow (RAFLOW) Resort. There are 15 bungalows and 5 standard rooms that are being prepared as accommodation for visitors to sleep comfortably while enjoying their holiday swimming, sunbathing and snorkeling over pristine coral reef environment.

Marine Life at Warduwer Beach of Raja Ampat

Snorkeling Photo from Warduwer beach of Waigeo island

There are a lot of fish that make the house reef of RAFLOW Resort as their natural habitat. Some of them include parrotfish, butterflyfish, surgeonfish, hawkfish, anemonefish and a lot more.

Snorkeling in Raja Ampat

Marine Life in Raja Ampat

There are a lot of fish that we could see in the shores of Raja Ampat. Some of them include butterflyfishes, surgeonfishes, Damselfishes (pink anemonefish, clark's anemonefish, clown anemonefish), snappers, emperors, jacks, barracuda, sharks, dolphins, slender schoolers, groupers, hawkfishes, sweetlips, parrotfish, wrasses, cardinalfish, gobies, and etc. There are also sea stars, sea cucumbers,turtles, christmas tree worm, nudibranch, and a lot of other marine animals that we could see in the water.
Because coral reef is a very fragile environment, visitors are advised to avoid standing on it. To take a rest on the water, visitors can ask for lifejackets. Or visitors can swim to shallow water and stand on the sand.

Transportation and accommodation

Adventure Tour in Raja Ampat

We may go to Raja Ampat by ferry boat but we will tour around its islands by motorized boats that belong to local people. There are guesthouses in certain islands that are frequently visited by tourists. But if we go to remote areas in northeast Waigeo, or South West Raja Ampat, such guesthouses do not exist. We will stay in homestays of the villagers or in tents in uninhabited islands. Tents and other camping equipment such as cooking and eating utensils will be provided by us. So, tourists do not need to carry heavy bags along the way from their country to Raja Ampat.

Taking Pictures

Tourists who want to take this snorkeling adventure tour is highly recommended to bring underwater camera, or any digital camera that is housed in waterproof casing. Make sure that the watertightness of the case has been tested before bringing the camera into the water. I use an action camera Brica B-Pro5 Alpha Edition. It is not the best but at least it is useful for me when I want to take pictures for my trip reports that I usually write in this blog.
For rainforest tour, the camera that is needed to take pictures of birds, butterflies or other animals in high trees is the one that has got telephoto lens or super zoom capability such as the Canon SX60 HS, Nikon Coolpix P900.

Rainforest Bird and Wildlife Tour in Raja Ampat

The snorkeling tour to tropical islands of Raja Ampat will include some hiking and birding trips in the rainforest. We will do hiking and birding in the forest to find Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, Palm Cockatoo, Red Bird of Paradise, and a lot of other coastal and woodland birds.

What to bring
Here are some items that visitors need to bring for adventure tours in Raja Ampat:

• Snorkeling gear: mask, snorkel, fins. 
• Underwater camera for taking pictures of fish and coral reef
• Sunblock lotion
• Anti-insect lotion
• Personal medicines
• Biscuits, sweets and other snacks and mineral water
• Towel
• Watershoes
• Binoculars for rainforest birding and wildlife tour.

Flights
To reach Raja Ampat, first, you need to fly to Jakarta (the capital of Indonesia). After that, you could take a domestic flight to Sorong city. Garuda, Sriwijaya, Batik Air and Nam Air, as well as Lion Air provide regular flights between Jakarta and Sorong.

Booking

To share the cost, I highly suggest that visitors take this tour in a group of 3 to 4 people or more. However, I can also organize private tour for single traveler or a couple. To book your snorkeling, birding and wildlife watching tour with me (Charles Roring), please, your e-mail to: peace4wp@gmail.com or whatsapp: +6281332245180

Related posts:

Where is Raja Ampat?
Snorkeling in Raja Ampat islands
7 Snorkeling Spots in Raja Ampat
Raja Ampat Snorkeling Adventure

Birding in Sorong and Raja Ampat of Indonesia

Kingfisher

I offer birding tours for visitors who are interested in watching tropical birds both in the forests of Raja Ampat and Sorong. The duration of the tour can be customized into a few days up to more than one week.

Birds that can be watched during the tour include Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Olive-backed Sunbird, Rainbow Bee-eater, Olive-crowned Flowerpecker, Amboyna Cuckoo-Dove, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Beautiful Fruit-Dove, Pink-spotted Fruit-Dove, Western Black-capped Lory, Rainbow Lorikeet, Eclectus Parrot, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Red-cheeked Parrot and Palm Cockatoo, Large Fig Parrot, Black Parrot, Dollarbird, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Magnificent Riflebird, King Bird of Paradise, Glossy-mantled Manucode, Lesser Birds of Paradise, Red Bird of Paradise, Wilson's Bird of Paradise, Hooded Butcherbird, Spangled Drongo, Beach Kingfisher, Torresian Crow, Hook-billed Kingfisher, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Crested-Tern, Papuan Hornbill, Willie Wagtail, etc.

Things to prepare:

• Binoculars such as Swarovski EL 8.5× 42 or any binoculars that are good enough to produce clear images og birds in distant trees.
• Camera with telephoto lens. A bridge camera such such Canon SX60HS, and Nikon P900 are very powerful photographic device for taking picture of birds. If you have got spotting scope, you could bring it too.
• Watershoes or hiking boots, t-shirts and pants that are suitable for hiking and watching birds in the forest.

How to get to Sorong?

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

• For international flights, you can fly from your country to Jakarta - the capital of Indonesia. 
• For domestic flights, you can continue your trip by flying to Sorong city. Daily regular flights are provided by such airlines as Garuda, Sriwijaya, Batik, Nam, and Lion Air.

Booking

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

Raja Ampat Birding and Snorkeling Tours

Moluccan Starling in Raja Ampat

As a tourist guide, I offer hiking and birding tour in Raja Ampat islands of West Papua. The tours may involve staying at villager's houses or camping in the forest to find such target birds as Red Bird of Paradise, Wilson's Bird of Paradise, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Papuan Hornbill, Yellow-faced Myna, and Olive-backed Sunbird, Palm Cockatoo, and Sulphur Crested Cockatoo.

Marine Life in Raja Ampat

The birding tour in the forest and coastal areas of Raja Ampat will be combined with snorkeling tours where participants can enjoy the beauty of coral reef and its wealth of marine creatures. Fish such as moorish idol, butterflyfish, diagonal sweetlips, anemonefish and striped-surgeonfish can be seen at depths between 1.5 meters to 5 meters.

To share the cost of the tour, participants should at least be around 4 to 6 people. A good pair of binoculars, spotting scope and camera with telephoto lens capability will enhance the birding experience of the visitors. For snorkeling in Raja Ampat, visitors will need to bring their own masks, and fins.

Booking

If you and your friends are interested in taking this Raja Ampat birding and snorkeling tours,  please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp: +6281332245180.

Where is Raja Ampat

Location of Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat is a group of large and small islands in the western most region of West Papua province of Indonesia. There are more than 1,500 big and small islands as well as karst islets in the archipelago. Four big islands consist of Waigeo, Misool, Salawati and Batanta. Raja Ampat is considered as the center of marine biodiversity in the world because its waters and coral reef environment have got the highest number of fish species. The archipelago has got groups of karst islets that exhibit magnificent view of marine landscape. Some of them include Wayag, Piaynemo (Fam islands), Kofiau, Kabui bay and Fish Lagoon. Every year tens of thousands of visitors go to Raja Ampat to enjoy swimming, sunbathing, snorkeling, free diving, scuba diving and sightseeing. In addition to marine tours, Raja Ampat islands attract significant number of birders who travel to the regency to watch the endemic Wilson's Bird of Paradise (Diphyllodes respublica) and Red Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea rubra).

How to go to Raja Ampat?

Raja Ampat islands

Visitors who want to go to Raja Ampat need to fly to one of the major cities in Indonesia such as Jakarta, Denpasar, Makassar and Manado.
There is direct flight service by Garuda that connects Jakarta and Sorong city (the main gate to Raja Ampat). Regular flights between these cities are also offered by Sriwijaya, Batik, Nam, and Lion via Makassar city.
Tourists who land in Denpasar Bali can continue their trip to Raja Ampat by flying to Makassar and then to Sorong. Asian tourists can fly to Singapore and then fly to Manado by Silk Air. Regular direct flights to Sorong city are available from Manado by Garuda, Lion Air and Nam Air.
PELNI Ships
Besides going by airplanes, visitors can also go by ships to Sorong city. PELNI passenger ships connects Sorong and major coastal cities in West Papua as well as in Maluku, Sulawesi and Java islands.

Snorkeling freediving and birding Tours
I offer snorkeling and free diving tours for visitors who are interested in exploring the islands of Raja Ampat. The usual duration is 3 to 5 days. The tours will be combined with hiking and birdwatching tours to find such birds as palm cockatoo, pinon imperial pigeon, pink-spotted fruit dove, sulphur crested cockatoo, eclectus parrot and rufous-bellied kookburra. Please, bring your own snorkeling mask and fins as well as binoculars if you want to take the tour.
Booking
If you are interested in traveling to Raja Ampat and need a guide, I can be your guide and organize your tours from airport or hotel in Sorong city to Raja Ampat islands. Please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp: +6281332245180.

Also read: Snorkeling Raja Ampat

Snorkeling in Raja Ampat Islands

Uninhabited island of Raja Ampat

Snorkeling in Uninhabited Islands
I often organize snorkeling tours to Raja Ampat islands. Visitors prefer  remote beaches and uninhabited islands to famous sites around Dampier strait. Here is the picture of Isanak beach which is one of the snorkeling spots that is rich of marine life. It takes approximately two hours ride by motorized boat to reach the island. Visitors can enjoy swimming, sunbathing, snorkeling and freediving as well as exploring the plants and animals in little forest of the uninhabited island. During the tour, I will bring tents, drinking water and food materials so that visitors will be able to spend one or two nights in the island before going further to a nearby village or continue hopping to another uninhabited island of Raja Ampat.

Jungle Tours for watching Birds of Paradise

Diagonal sweetlips in Raja Ampat waters

I can organize tour into the forest of Waigeo island for visitors to enjoy birdwatching. Early in the mornings, male Red Bird of Paradise dance in trees to seduce their female birds. If the female birds are impressed with the courtship dance of the male birds of paradise, they will mate. It is a good way to start a day. Birds of paradise have got more than one sex partners.
To enjoy watching the paradise birds, visitors need to bring their own binoculars, telephoto camera or spotting scope. We can spend one more night in the forest.

Village Tour and Birding Tours 

There is a village that is not far from the lek of birds of paradise. After watching the birds, we can go to the village to take a shower, meet local people and have lunch. We could also do village tour to see and meet local people in their daily activities. Another night in the village will enable us to explore the forest at the back of the village. We can easily explore the forest because there is road. Birds that become our target are Papuan Hornbill, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Palm Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, Olive-backed Sunbird, Lowland Peltop, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, and etc.

Island Hopping

We will continue our snorkeling Tour to another uninhabited island of Raja Ampat. Here, in addition to snorkeling, we can enjoy fishing. Local villagers can catch some fish aand we can grill these fresh fish for our lunch.  Reef fish such as Grouper, Damsel Fish, Anemonefish, and Striped Surgeonfish can be seen at the depths between 1 to 3 or even 5 meters. Sometimes hawksbill turtles and black-tip shark could be seen in the waters too. We can make a visit to a sand strip in the middle of the sea to take pictures of the blue ocean and its marine environment.

Fish Lagoon
More exploration of pristine nature of Raja Ampat will bring us to Fish Lagoon where will will enjoy the beauty of the islands that form the lagoon. A short hike to the top of the island will present us the magnificent view of the lagoon. One more night in the nearby village is a good way for us to interact with local villagers.

Getting to Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat is a regency in the western most region of West Papua province, Indonesia. As of today flights to this archipelago can be carried out to Sorong city. Here is how to get there:

• Fly from your country to Jakarta (the capital of Indonesia)
• After that take a domestic flight to Domine Eduard Osok (DEO) airport of Sorong city. There is direct flight served by Garuda - the Indonesian national flag carrier. Batik, Sriwijaya, Nam, and Lion Air
• I will meet you at the airport or the hotel where you stay and organize your adventure tours to Raja Ampat

Getting to Raja Ampat can also be done from cities in Indonesia when you are already inside this country. For instance, if you are in Manado city, you can fly to Sorong city. If you are in Manokwari coty, you can take PELNI passenger shop to Sorong city. You could also fly to Sorong from Rendani airport of Manokwari.
Booking
I offer this tour to anybody who is interested in exploring the natural beauty of Raja Ampat islands. It is important to have several participants (3 to 5 or 6 people) to share the cost. Please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp: +6281332245180.

Visiting Fish Lagoon in Raja Ampat
Snorkeling and Watching Birds of Paradise in Raja Ampat
Snorkeling and Hiking in Raja Ampat
Tour to Uninhabited Islands of Raja Ampat

What is Raja Ampat

What is Raja Ampat?

White sandy beach in Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat is a regency in West Papua province of the Republic of Indonesia. Its capital is Waisai town. The phrase Raja Ampat means Four Kings (Raja = King and Ampat = Four). Four big islands in this regency are Waigeo, Misool, Batanta and Salawati. There are also hundreds of small islands surrounded by white sandy beaches, coral reef areas.  They become natural habitat of thousands of species of marine creatures. Some of them include pink anemonefish, diagonal sweetlips, moorish idol, striped surgeonfish, lionfish, and even the black-tip shark, manta and hawksbill turtle.
The Richest Marine Biodiversity in the World
According to Wikipedia, Raja Ampat has got around 1,500 islands, 1,508 fish species, 537 coral species, and 699 mollusc species. This wealth of biodiversity attracts the attention of marine biologists, nature lovers, and tourists in general.
Marine Tours (swimming, snorkeling and freediving)

Marine Life in Raja Ampat

There are a lot of snorkeling sites in uninhabited beaches or islands. Visitors can enjoy swimming, snorkeling, and bird/ wildlife watching for several days. Visitors need to bring their own snorkeling mask, snorkel and fins. A waterproof underwater camera is also needed to take pictures of the fish and the coral reef. As a tourist guide I often guide visitors to coral reef sites that are located in remote and uninhabited islands. For birdwatching, a good pair of binoculars and spotting scope will be needed for that purpose.
7 Snorkeling Spots in Raja Ampat
Sightseeing

The most famous sites are Wayag, and Pianemo. However, places such as Fish Lagoon and Kabui bay are worth seeing.

Birding
Tropical rainforest that covers most of the islands in Raja Ampat is home to a lot of species of birds such as Lesser Birds of Paradise (Paradisaea minor), King Bird of Paradise (Cicinnurus regius) in Misool island as well as Wilson's Bird of Paradise (Diphyllodes respublica) and Red Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea rubra) in Waigeo island. Other birds such as Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Papuan Hornbill, Eclectus Parrot, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Hooked-bill Kingfisher, Beach Kingfisher, Brahminy Kite, and Eastern Osprey can be watched in the archipelago too.
Where is Raja Ampat
Raja Ampat islands are located in the western most region of West Papua province in the Republic of Indonesia. Raja Ampat borders Halmahera and Obi islands (belong to North Maluku province) in the west and borders with Seram island (belongs to Maluku province) in the south. As an easy reference, Raja Ampat islands are located in the territory of the Republic of Indonesia.

Location of Raja Ampat islands

How to get to Raja Ampat
Most visitors fly from their country to Jakarta city first. After that they can take direct flight served by Garuda to Sorong city. There are other airlines such as Sriwijaya, Nam, Batik, Lion that provide regular flights to Sorong. From this city, visitors can cross to Waisai town of Raja Ampat by fast ferry and then to numerous islands in the regency.
Where to stay? There are dive resorts, homestays, and liveaboards in Raja Ampat which visitors can choose to stay. There are some lodges in Waisai town - the capital of Raja Ampat but most tourists prefer to stay in remote islands so that they could have direct access to pristine coral reef and white sandy beaches of the archipelago. To find a more affordable accommodation in the islands, please, type: stayrajaampat in your search engines.

Booking
If you are interested in taking a swimming, snorkeling, birdwatching/ wildlife watching tour in Raja Ampat, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by e-mail to: peace4wp@gmail.com or for fast reply, contact me by whatsapp: +6281332245180.

Also read: Snorkeling Raja Ampat

Snorkeling Tour in Manokwari

Marine Life in Manokwari

Here are some pictures of marine life in Manokwari which I made when I went snorkeling. I frequently guide tourists in Manokwari to see both marine environment and tropical rainforest. There are several sites in Manokwari that can be visited by tourists who are interested in snorkeling and freediving. Visitors need to bring their own snorkeling device such as mask, snorkel, fins, and waterproof/ underwater camera.
The snorkeling tours can be done for two to three days covering several coral reef areas in Manokwari from north to south.
After the snorkeling tour, the trip can be extended to the forest where visitors can enjoy hiking, bird and wildlife watching.
Typical Itinerary

Day 1
Snorkeling in north east of Manokwari
Snorkeling at one of the islands of the bay
Day 2
Snorkeling in the south of Manokwari
Day 3
Hiking and birdwatching
Night walk in lower montane forest of Arfak range
Day 4
Watching Paradise Birds
Return to Manokwari

In addition to organizing tours in Manokwari, I could also run snorkeling and hiking/ birding tours in other parts of West Papua such as to Sorong, Raja Ampat, and Tambrauw regency.
Booking
Please, use the contact form on the right side of this blog or send your message to my e-mail: peace4wp@gmail.com or text to my whatsapp: +6281332245180.
Related article
Snorkeling sites in Raja Ampat
Snorkeling in Mansinam island

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