Adventure Birding 'n Outdoors in New Guinea's Wild West
Not surprisingly, it took the first natural history collectors to penetrate into the Arfak Mountains a good while to recover from their ascertainment that the unreal so-called 'roofed maypole' bowers of the Vogelkop Bowerbird Amblyornis inornatus indeed were no playing houses made by the indigenous children. Copyright © Like Wijaya
Outdoors expedition │ 9 days/8 nights
We begin our West Papuan outdoors adventure with two relaxed introductory excursions outside the town of Sorong, situated on the northwestern tip of New Guinea's Bird's Head or Vogelkop Peninsula. Next morning we set off on a three days' exploration of the natural wonders of Waigeo Island in the fabled Raja Ampat archipelago off Sorong.
We then shift our attention to the Arfak Mountains near the town of Manokwari, on the opposite eastern side of the Bird's Head, where we shall be based for three nights in search of an exquisite selection of New Guinea's montane wildlife here.
This is the very best the Bird's Head has to offer in a relaxed and worry free, seamless travel experience!
Possible year-round, but most certainly best from June to November.
Please inquire for details on our upcoming departures.
Reasonable physical fitness and good agility are required for this tour which plies some challenging terrain.
Day 1 Sorong and Sorong lowlands.
Day 2 Sorong and Waigeo Island.
Day 3 Waigeo Island.
Day 4 Waigeo Island and Sorong.
Day 5 Sorong, Manokwari and Arfak montane forests.
Day 6-7 Arfak montane forests.
Day 8 Arfak montane forests and Manokwari.
Day 9 Manokwari.
Day 1 │ Sorong and Sorong lowlands
Morning arrival at Sorong's DEO Airport on overnight domestic flight from Jakarta or alternative gateway. We will be there to
welcome you at the airport, and we shall soon set out together by chartered vehicle to visit a nearby area of mangroves.
After an early lunch in town, we shall then drive out by chartered vehicle for 30 minutes along a road winding into the
surrounding foothills. Here we shall enjoy a relaxed walk through selectively logged rainforest where we may be rewarded with
sightings of dazzling forest kingfishers among others.
The final hour of light or so shall see us gathered at an open vantage point to witness evening flights of pigeons, hornbills and
parrots.
Dinner and overnight in our partnering Sorong hotel.
Day 2 │ Sorong and Waigeo Island
After breakfast in our Sorong hotel, we shall set out on the two hours' ride by scheduled public fast boat across Dampier Strait
to Waigeo. We shall then continue overland by chartered 4WD-vehicle to our partnering resort located on the beach-front on
Waigeo's southwestern shores.
We shall enjoy lunch at the resort and drive out by chartered 4WD-vehicle again along a track winding into the surrounding
forested hills, where we shall start our exploration of Waigeo proper. Majestic hornbills and colorful parrots may fly overhead
as we acquaint ourselves with some of the more conspicuous forest birds.
The final hours of light we shall devote to a popular display tree of the fabled Red Bird-of-paradise, taking ample time to
observe the up to eight plumed males that normally gather here, interacting with soliciting females.
Finally, a nocturnal foray on the way back down toward the coast could bring us up close with a weird-looking frogmouth or
cuddly marsupials like the Striped Possum or the endemic and endangered Waigeo Cuscus.
Dinner and overnight in resort.
Day 3 │ Waigeo Island
Following a nocturnal breakfast, we shall proceed by chartered 4WD-vehicle to an area where a number of display courts of the
Wilson's Bird-of-paradise are located in close proximity to one another in a so-called exploded lek configuration. Here we stand
an excellent chance of witnessing the full array of display postures and high-intensity male-female interactions in this nearly
mythical species at close range from well-appointed hides.
We shall then continue our exploration of the wider vicinity. Incubation mounds of the Dusky Megapode are scattered everywhere
throughout the flattish parts of the forest here, and it should not take all too long before we feast our eyes on a couple of
Western Crowned Pigeons as they lift off with clapping wing beats from the forest floor to alight in nearby emergent trees.
After lunch back at the resort, we could enjoy a spot of snorkeling on the fringing reef, a leisurely walk along the beach exposed
at low tide, or a visit to the local, typically Papuan, village.
Dinner and overnight in resort.
Day 4 │ Waigeo Island and Sorong
After breakfast there shall be a final opportunity to spend rewarding time with either the Wilson's or Red Bird-of-paradise.
Alternatively, we could make a walk in the wider vicinity.
Following lunch back at the resort, we shall then drive out by chartered 4WD-vehicle to catch the public fast boat back to
Sorong.
Dinner and overnight in Sorong hotel.
Day 5 │ Sorong, Manokwari and Arfak montane forests
We shall enjoy breakfast in our Sorong hotel and transfer to Sorong's DEO Airport for the first morning flight to Manokwari. We
shall soon set out on the two hours' drive by chartered 4WD-vehicle to our partnering community-owned guest house located at c.
1,600 m elevation in the Mount Indon area of the Arfak Mountains.
A stroll through the lovely flowered garden surrounding the guest house may yield three species of large and colorful birdwing
butterfly, a family that evolved chemical defence against predators as well as the largest species of butterfly in the world, and
for which the Arfak Mountains are believed to be the center of origin and radiation.
After a packed lunch at the guest house, there will be ample time to get up close and personal with the highly entertaining
Vogelkop Bowerbird from one of the well-appointed hides set-up in front of its iconic so-called roofed maypole bowers in the
area.
Finally, a nocturnal foray after dinner could bring us face to face with a weird-looking Feline Owlet-nightjar or cuddly
marsupials like D'Albertis and Arfak Ringtail.
Overnight in community-owned guest house.
My heartfelt thanks to everyone at PE for making it all not only possible but pleasant, and to my companions for making it downright priceless. — Charles Harper, Japan
Day 6 │ Arfak montane forests
Following breakfast we shall hike all day along a loop ascending to a high point at c. 2,000 m elevation where there is a largish
natural clearing on a broad ridgetop with a peculiar 'subalpine' flora featuring rhododendrons and pitcher plants. Most of the
trail follows gently-sloping ridgetop forest but we shall also be traversing some challenging and steep terrain.
As we gradually reach higher ground, the forest changes into a distinctive, stunted Kruppelholz-formation with gnarled
trunks and branches heavily draped in epiphytic moss and ferns; an eerie environment often shrouded in clouds, where occasionally
past-flittering elfs would not look unbecoming at all. This is the realm of the Black Sicklebill, the adult male of which sports a
pair of incredibly long ornamental central tail feathers. In former days, the coastal Biak people treasured these plumes above
those of all other birds-of-paradise for use in their ceremonies and rituals hence black sicklebill skins were a valuable trade
item of highland-oriented Hattam, Meyah and Sougb ethnic groups who effectively controlled the species' montane forest habitat in
the area. Probably as a result of the high historical hunting pressure, the sicklebills remain wary of humans today, but with some
perseverance and a little luck, we should still be able to track down this impressive bird.
We shall have lunch in the ridgetop clearing where magnificent views of the summit of Mount Indon are to be enjoyed in good
weather. On our way down again, we shall be passing several artsy-craftsy bowers of the Vogelkop Bowerbird, and we shall certainly
also go and marvel at an incubation mound of the Wattled Brushturkey, the only member of the megapode family that is truly adapted
to the montane environment.
Dinner and overnight in community-owned guest house.
Day 7 │ Arfak montane forests
After a hearty nocturnal breakfast, we shall hike pre-dawn to an area of secondary forest where a number of display courts of the
Magnificent Bird-of-paradise are located in close proximity to one another in a so-called exploded lek configuration. Here we
stand an excellent chance of witnessing the amazing array of display postures and high-intensity male-female interactions in this
glorious species at close range from well-appointed hides.
Following lunch back at the guest house, we shall monitor nearby display courts of the area's only other terrestrially displaying
bird-of-paradise, the Western Parotia, again from well-appointed hides. The wacko ballet performance of the court-tending male
of this species simply needs to be witnessed to be believed and invariably ranks as the highlight of a trip to the Arfaks.
Dinner and overnight in community-owned guest house.
Day 8 │ Arfak montane forests and Manokwari
Following breakfast, there shall be a final opportunity for an observation session at either the Vogelkop Bowerbird, Western
Parotia or Magnificent Bird-of-paradise, or we could go for a walk in the wider vicinity.
After lunch back at the guest house, we shall then proceed to a popular display tree of the stunning Lesser Bird-of-paradise,
taking ample time to observe the up to six plumed males that normally gather here, exploding with their cocked-up elongated
yellowish flank plumes amidst all shades of green to woe soliciting females.
We shall drive back to Manokwari in the evening for dinner and a good night's rest in our Manokwari hotel.
Day 9 │ Manokwari
We shall enjoy breakfast in our Manokwari hotel and transfer you to Manokwari's Rendani Airport to check you in for the first
morning flight to Jakarta or alternative destination.
❯Read on about the birdlife of the Vogelkop lowlands.
❯Read on about the birdlife of Waigeo Island.
❯Read on about the birdlife of the Arfak Mountains.
❯Read on about our filming expedition for Vogelkop Bowerbird in the Arfak Mountains with the BBC Natural History Unit.
❯Browse our terms and conditions.
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