Sorong – Gateway To Raja Ampat

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Tara

Sorong is actually more than just a gateway city, there are good birding spots in the lowland forests outside the city. They will be covered in a separate blog post. It’s worth spending a couple extra days here to check them out. I’ve already covered how to get here in the Raja Ampat post, so let’s have a look at where to stay and what to do here. Google seems to have upgraded the zoom level of Sorong since the last time I looked. The A in the green bubble is the Royal Mamberamo Hotel, the red X I made is the JE Meridien Hotel and the red arrow shows the road out of town that leads to the lowland forest birding areas of Hutan Lindung and beyond to Makbon.

WHERE TO STAY

At the time I was looking and booking, I couldn’t find a good map of Sorong that shows where the hotels are and where the road to Makbon is so I just had to go off Trip Advisor reviews to choose a hotel. I chose Royal Mamberamo Hotel because it got mostly good reviews and I didn’t know exactly where any of the hotels were located except that I knew JE Meridien was across the street from the airport.

Royal Mamberamo Hotel, Sorong

Nice canoe carving in breakfast room at Royal Mamberamo Hotel

We took the cheapest room for 425,000 rupiah ($42) which had a very strong AC but no window. That was OK as we didn’t plan to spend much time in the room. It was very basic but had English programs on tv which was good as there is nothing to do in the evening. The breakfast buffet was pretty good and offered Western and Indonesian items. The location is out of the city centre with a few shops withing walking distance, even a hair salon which I visited when my husband wanted to nap. They can organize a car and driver at 70,000 ($7) rupiahs per hour who will take you where you want to go and stop wherever you want. I’d call this a decent hotel but bad location for birders.

I did get a look at some other hotels. The Cendrawasih Hotel is cheaper and across the street down a block from Royal Mamberamo. They had a taxidermied Greater BOP and some nice artwork on the walls.

Cendrawasih Hotel and Restaurant

Taxidermied Greater BOPS at Cendrawasih Hotel and Restaurant

Artwork Cendrawasih Hotel and Restaurant

While we were driving to the birding spot, we passed the Hotel Mariat Sorong which was more centrally located near a shopping centre and looked OK. As I mentioned, the JE Meridien (yeah I know – Mariat, Meridien but sorry, you won’t get MR or SPG points here) is across the street from the airport. We ended up going in here to ask dierections at the small tourist office when our driver got lost. It looked good enough and was on the road going out of town so a more convenient location for birders. If we were to go back to Sorong, we would stay here. The Luxio Hotel was further down the road towards Hutan Lindung but there was nothing else in the area so it wouldn’t be my first choice because I usually choose by location but it did get some good reviews.

EATING AND SHOPPING

Most people eat in their hotels for the convenience but we did have the driver stop at the KFC on the way back to the hotel for some take-away. If you are going to Batanta by charter boat, there are a couple supermarkets, one near the KFC and one near the Mariat Hotel where you can stock up if your tour leader doesn’t do it for you. There are a couple of good craft shops. One is uphill from Royal Mamberamo (ask the receptionist to point it out) behind the BUMA building. The other is in the airport before you go past security which has similar items to the BUMA shop and also T-shirts and beautiful sarongs with BOPs on them. They have some nice New Guinea masks, statues, handbags and other crafts. Please DO NOT buy anything like the hats (photos below) with the dead Birds of Paradise on them. They killed these poor birds just to make these hats to sell to tourists and we don’t want to encourgage this. But don’t boycott the shop altogether as the other things are sourced from different craftsmen who shouldn’t suffer along with the guilty. It’s best to let the shop see that tourists will buy crafts that do not harm wildlife but won’t touch anything where birds are killed so hopefully they will stop stocking these items.

Gift shop behind BUMA uphill from Royal Mamberamo Hotel

***DO NOT BUY THESE*** Whole bird – Lesser BOP on hat

SIGHTSEEING AROUND SORONG

Not really much to see, several attractive mosques and some monuments. There’s a pretty good view from on top of the hill near BUMA.

Outside BUMA uphill from Royal Mamberamo Hotel

Shanties on hill above Royal Mamberamo Hotel

Not sure what they are selling but I liked the bird pics

Sorong Mosque

Entrance to Sorong Airport

Welcome Members Of The World Parrot Trust!

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Tara

I’d like to give a warm welcome to members of the World Parrot Trust who may be discovering this blog for the first time due to my article in Flock Talk – The Golden Conures at the End of the Rainbow.

I will be starting a series on how to organize a trip like this for yourselves in the next few days as soon as I finish my series on West Papua. I also have series about how to go birding in Thattekad, Kerala; the Cook Islands, Tasmania and Tambopata in Peru. I have set up the blog with brief descriptions of parrots and other birds that will link to the articles on how to get there and see them in the wild. Here is a post on how to start planning your own trip. You can also learn which frequent flier programs have the best deals for eco-tourists.

You have probably seen a lot of other parrot conservation blogs hosted by World Parrot Trust. In my blog, I focus on the travel side of things. I will show you how to get to these amazing places on a budget using frequent flyer miles for next-to-nothing and hotel points in gateway cities to keep costs down so you can spend your money in the local communities. That’s what eco-tourism is all about, showing the locals that their wild birds belong in the wild, they have other alternatives to trapping them and they can make a good living serving eco-tourists!

If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below.

I’m Taking The Pledge – To Fledge!

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Tara

The Global Birding Initiative is a grassroots movement to get new people interested in birding. Not just the exotic travel like I do but everyday birds in your backyard or anywhere! So here’s the official pledge:

As a birder, I have savored the sights of nature’s most spectacular works of art. I have felt the pride of discovering a rare bird in my area. At times, my spirit has been soothed by the songs of our winged wonders. I wish EVERYONE could experience these joys.

By building public appreciation for local birds, communities can realize the intrinsic, aesthetic, and ecological value of birdlife and nature in general. This life-fulfilling appreciation also serves as the requisite foundation for bird conservation action.

With this in mind, I make the following ‘Pledge to Fledge’ . . .

I pledge to actively share my enthusiasm for birds with non-birders by taking them into the field to show them birds and foster their own appreciation for birds whenever possible. I will strive to be friendly, patient, helpful, and welcoming when approached by ‘non-birders’ or asked about birds by acquaintances. I believe that individual birders, as part of an international grassroots movement, can effect positive and profound change for our shared birds and their future.”

I have the perfect tool to get started with this blog. I’ve been sharing my worldwide trips, currently the one to West Papua. But even in my own backyard, I have a wealth of wild native Aussie birds. Sulpher Crested Cockatoos and Short-billed Corellas fly over my house every day. Rainbow Lorikeets come to feed on my grevilleas, bottlebrushes and umbrella trees. Sometimes Pale-headed Rosellas come to the banana trees.

There are some great tips in their “How to Fledge” online document.

Fledging a new birder

I am going to do the first one I circled tomorrow in a local park. I already do the other 3 I circled. I don’t have a conventional office job so I can’t do the uncircled ones in person though I do them here on this blog, hope that counts!

Is anyone here in Brisbane? I’d love to meet you in one of our local parks for birding! SInce most of you are probably NOT in Brisbane, do you need any advice on how to get started? Have you seen an interesting bird in your neighborhood you would like to share (any species)? Please post in the comments!

Stunning Birds In Waigeo, Easy Birding

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Tara

Actually the first day of birding wasn’t THAT easy. We had hired a normal car to get up the hill from which we would have a short hike to the hides for Wilson’s Bird of Paradise and the Red Bird of Paradise. We got about halfway up, then the road became so bad (potholed) that only a high-clearance 4WD was going to get up the hill. It was hot and a tough slug up but at least we weren’t walking in mud! The next day, we used a 4WD truck and had a very pleasant and much easier day of birding. There are lots of birds to see in Raja Ampat. There’s a full birdlist on Avibase. Since I was targeting parrots and the 2 BOPs, I will copy the parrot list here and highlight in red the ones we actually saw during our 2 day stay on Waigeo.

Psittacidae
Orange-fronted Hanging Parrot	Loriculus aurantiifrons
Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot	Micropsitta keiensis
Palm Cockatoo	Probosciger aterrimus
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo	Cacatua galerita
Black Lory	Chalcopsitta atra
Violet-necked Lory	Eos squamata	Endemic (country/region)
Rainbow Lorikeet	Trichoglossus haematodus
Black-capped Lory	Lorius lory
Red-flanked Lorikeet	Charmosyna placentis
Red-cheeked Parrot	Geoffroyus geoffroyi
Great-billed Parrot	Tanygnathus megalorynchos
Eclectus Parrot	Eclectus roratus
Moluccan King Parrot	Alisterus amboinensis	Endemic (country/region)
Double-eyed Fig Parrot	Cyclopsitta diophthalma
Large Fig Parrot	Psittaculirostris desmarestii

Benny leads the way

Hasna from HamuEco Lodge had organized Benny to be our guide as he knows the locations of the Wilson’s Bird of Paradise and Red Bird of Paradise (BOPs) and had even built hides in their display grounds. He charged us 150,000 rupiahs per person per day and he can be reached on his mobile phone 0852 54881306 or though Hasna at HamuEco via their Facebook page. Once you get up the hill, it’s a short walk to the grounds where you see the BOPs. It’s not too steep but can be muddy after rain. There are plenty of fallen logs to sit on if you need a rest. Once you are in the hide, you need to be very quiet so you don’t scare the birds away.

Walking through unspoiled rainforest to the Wilson BOP display grounds

The hide Benny made to conceal us from the Wilson’s BOP, unfortunately he wasn’t fooled!

The Red BOP hide was larger and featured wooden log benches

Benny and friend in the Red BOP hide

Of course there are several parrot species in Waigeo too and they can easily be seen flying overhead on the same hill you walk up for the BOPs. I also saw Palm Cockatoos flying over the trees while relaxing in my overwater bungalow at HamuEco. Once again, I didn’t get very good shots other than the Eclectus Parrot who was perching. The other parrots were what I call “Video Game Birds” – meaning they fly quickly overhead or off in the distance. My challenge is to try to get the little red dot in my viewfinder on the flying bird and hold it long enough to get a shot, all the while trying to hold 3 kgs worth of camera and 400mm lens! I never was any good at video games, LOL! Don’t consider these as professional photos, they are far from it. What they are good for is showing you how far you will be from the birds and what sort of gear you will need to bring in an attempt to get photos. I didn’t bring a tripod as it’s pretty much useless for flying birds and hiking through the rainforest. I didn’t have much choice about the back-lighting so sorry about all the silhouettes!

A flock of Blyth’s Hornbill fly overhead at dawn

Sulphur Crested (Triton subspecies) Cockatoos

Female Eclectus Parrot

This Palm Cockatoo was too fast for me

And there goes another Palm Cockatoo!

Peregrine Falcon

Perching Female Eclectus Parrot (yes, that was at full 400mm zoom!)

Pair of Eclectus Parrots

Female Eclectus Parrot in flight

Find the hidden Rainbow Lorikeet (he has his wing up)

That tiny speck about a third down in the middle is a butterfly!

Too dark to see what kind of lorikeets these are

Rainbow Lorikeets

Lorikeet in silhouette

Rainbow Lorikeet eating

Rainbow Lorikeets mating

An ethereal looking Triton SC Cockatoo

Male Eclectus in flight

Female Eclectus perching pretty, not sure about the bird flying overhead

Not sure what these birds are

OTHER ISLANDS IN RAJA AMPAT

As I mentioned in my other post, if you are with a tour group, you will probably go to Batanta and Salawati with a chartered boat. The birdlist for Batanta is pretty much the same as Waigeo (see above). The birdlist for Salawati has more in common with that of the Sorong Lowlands which I will cover in a separate post.

Red Bird Of Paradise – Dancing In The Trees

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Tara

Red Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea rubra), Waigeo

An Indonesian endemic, the Red Bird-of-paradise (Paradisaea rubra, also Cendrawasih Merah) is distributed to lowland rainforests of Waigeo and Batanta islands of Raja Ampat, West Papua. This species shares its home with another bird-of-paradise, the Wilson’s Bird-of-paradise. They are easier to see because they dance in the trees in the same place and don’t seem to mind spectators sitting in the hide below.

Red Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea rubra), Waigeo- dancing in the trees

Yeah, you better be watching me!

OK where did the lady BOPs go?

Large, up to 33 cm long, brown and yellow with a dark brown iris, grey legs and yellow bill. The male has an emerald green face, a pair of elongated black corkscrew-shaped tail wires, dark green feather pompoms above each eye and a train of glossy crimson red plumes with whitish tips at either side of the breast. The male measures up to 72 cm long, including the ornamental red plumes that require at least six years to fully attain. The female is similar but smaller in size, with a dark brown face and has no ornamental red plumes. The diet consists mainly of fruits, berries and arthropods.

Red Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea rubra), Waigeo – dancing in the trees

Red Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea rubra), Waigeo – fancy moves

Red Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea rubra), Waigeo – trying to impress the ladies

For a stunning professional shot by a Nat Geo photographer, read the fascinating story of the lengths they go through to get these shots! There’s also a video showing a Nat Geo crew filming other Birds of Paradise which shows more of their technique. Climbing trees is probably out of scope for the typical eco-tourist!

This is my “real life” pitiful attempt to get them dancing on video.

And this one appears to have been filmed on Batanta (Waigeo doesn’t have that sign overhead) by someone staying at a dive resort on Kri Island. The resorts are quite nice, but not cheap! Bonus footage of a Paradise Kingfisher!

Tiny And Spectacular – Wilson’s Bird Of Paradise

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Tara

Wilson’s Bird-of-paradise, Cicinnurus respublica

This gorgeous little Bird of Paradise is only found on 2 islands, Waigeo and Batanta in Raja Ampat where they share the habitat of the Red Bird of Paradise. Of these, Waigeo is the easiest place for independant travelers to reach on public transport but most organized birding tours will go to Batanta. The Wilson’s Bird-of-paradise, Cicinnurus respublica, is a small, up to 21 cm long, passerine bird of the Paradisaeidae family. The male is a red and black bird-of-paradise, with a yellow mantle on its neck, light green mouth, rich blue feet and two curved violet tail feathers. The head is naked blue, with black double cross pattern on it. The female is a brownish bird with bare blue crown. In the field, the blue bare skin on the crown of the bird’s head is so vivid that it is clearly visible by night; the deep scarlet back and velvet green breast are lush, the curlicue tail gleaming bright silver.

They are not easy to photograph, these little guys are fast! We were all in the hide, trying to be inconspicuous and get photos as the bird darted in and out of his bower. I couldn’t get a clear shot, he was just too tiny to focus on and he was too fast. This was the best I could do. You can barely see his head, that blue dot about 1/3 down in the center of the photo. He wasn’t fooled by the hide in the least. At one point, he zoomed right over my head, less than a foot away and off into the bush as if to say, “LOL, I know you’re there!”

Wilson’s Bird-of-paradise, Cicinnurus respublica

Nothing like seeing and hearing the bird in action. Not my video, this is a professional one from YouTube. Why can’t I ever get footage this clear?

David Attenborough finds the rare exotic Wilson’s bird of paradise

My guide, Benny tried that same thing with the leaves but we couldn’t lure him into coming down. To be fair, I simply wasn’t able to hold as still as I should have as I was sitting on a very uncomfortable rock! This was the best I could do, couldn’t quite focus on the bird. At least you can hear him at the end!

And finally, here he is – up close and personal with Lab of Ornithology

Avoiding Mosquitoes And The Diseases They Transmit

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Tara

Don’t be their next meal!

Mosquitoes are not only annoying, they can be dangerous to your health! When we got back from Indonesia, my husband got really sick and had to be hospitialized with malaria for 5 days. I was even more surprised to find out he also had dengue fever on top! Thankfully he is fine now, the malaria was cured with proper treatment and the dengue went away in due course. Oddly enough, I managed to get off practically scot-free with only a cold and a cough that lingered a few weeks and went away eventually. Yesterday, another blogger, Stacy of Very Good Points reported getting dengue after a trip to Thailand. For those who can see Australian TV, there was a segment on Today Tonight yesterday about mosquito-borne diseases in Australia. In many cases, the victims tend to mistake these mosquito-borne diseases for the flu and only find out it’s something worse when they get tested by the doctor/hospital. Dengue is also present in northern Queensland.

AVOIDING MOSQUITOES

The best thing to do is to avoid being bitten. Here are some suggestions on how to do that.

Cover up with long, loose fitting clothing of sufficient thickness to prevent mosquitoes biting through the fabric. (This is what my husband did wrong, he insisted on wearing shorts and a singlet because West Papua is hot. I covered up.)
Avoid exposure outdoors when mosquitoes are most active. (This one is hard to do if you are a birder as you pretty much have to be outdoors at dusk and dawn.)
Use an insect repellent containing DEET or Picaridin (the most effective repellents contain 5-20% di-ethyl-N-toluamide or DEET) on exposed skin. Apply in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Avoid using on babies and toddlers.
Use flyscreens and mosquito nets in accommodation where there are no flyscreens, especially for babies. (This is particularly important when camping out, as repellents are only effective for around four hours.)

EXTRA PRECAUTIONS TO PREVENT MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASES

Dengue – there are no vaccinations or pills you can take to prevent this. The best thing to do is avoid being bitten. For more information, see the CDC page on Dengue.

Malaria – Malaria in humans is caused by 1 of 4 protozoan species of the genus Plasmodium: Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, or P. malariae. My husband had the P.vivax one. For more information, see the CDC page on Malaria.

There are several different pills you can take, and also follow the advice to avoid being bitten. You will need different pills for different geographical regions depending on which strains of malaria are present so check on the CDC page to see which ones you will need.

Drug	Reasons that might make you consider using this drug	Reasons that might make you avoid using this drug
Atovaquone/Proguanil (Malarone)	Good for last-minute travelers because the drug is started 1-2 days before traveling to an area where malaria transmission occurs Some people prefer to take a daily medicine Good choice for shorter trips because you only have to take the medicine for 7 days after traveling rather than 4 weeks Very well tolerated medicine – side effects uncommon Pediatric tablets are available and may be more convenient	Cannot be used by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding a child less than 5 kg Cannot be taken by people with severe renal impairment Tends to be more expensive than some of the other options (especially for trips of long duration) Some people (including children) would rather not take a medicine every day
Chloroquine	Some people would rather take medicine weekly Good choice for long trips because it is taken only weekly Some people are already taking hydroxychloroquine chronically for rheumatologic conditions. In those instances, they may not have to take an additional medicine Can be used in all trimesters of pregnancy	Cannot be used in areas with chloroquine or mefloquine resistance May exacerbate psoriasis Some people would rather not take a weekly medication For trips of short duration, some people would rather not take medication for 4 weeks after travel Not a good choice for last-minute travelers because drug needs to be started 1-2 weeks prior to travel
Doxycycline	Some people prefer to take a daily medicine Good for last-minute travelers because the drug is started 1-2 days before traveling to an area where malaria transmission occurs Tends to be the least expensive antimalarial Some people are already taking doxycycline chronically for prevention of acne. In those instances, they do not have to take an additional medicine Doxycycline also can prevent some additional infections (e.g., Rickettsiae and leptospirosis) and so it may be preferred by people planning to do lots of hiking, camping, and wading and swimming in fresh water	Cannot be used by pregnant women and children <8 years old Some people would rather not take a medicine every day For trips of short duration, some people would rather not take medication for 4 weeks after travel Women prone to getting vaginal yeast infections when taking antibiotics may prefer taking a different medicine Persons planning on considerable sun exposure may want to avoid the increased risk of sun sensitivity Some people are concerned about the potential of getting an upset stomach from doxycycline
Mefloquine (Lariam)	Some people would rather take medicine weekly Good choice for long trips because it is taken only weekly Can be used during pregnancy	Cannot be used in areas with mefloquine resistance Cannot be used in patients with certain psychiatric conditions Cannot be used in patients with a seizure disorder Not recommended for persons with cardiac conduction abnormalities Not a good choice for last-minute travelers because drug needs to be started at least 2 weeks prior to travel Some people would rather not take a weekly medication For trips of short duration, some people would rather not take medication for 4 weeks after travel
Primaquine	It is the most effective medicine for preventing P. vivax and so it is a good choice for travel to places with > 90% P. vivax Good choice for shorter trips because you only have to take the medicine for 7 days after traveling rather than 4 weeks Good for last-minute travelers because the drug is started 1-2 days before traveling to an area where malaria transmission occurs Some people prefer to take a daily medicine	Cannot be used in patients with glucose-6-phosphatase dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency Cannot be used in patients who have not been tested for G6PD deficiency There are costs and delays associated with getting a G6PD test done; however, it only has to be done once. Once a normal G6PD level is verified and documented, the test does not have to be repeated the next time primaquine is considered Cannot be used by pregnant women Cannot be used by women who are breastfeeding unless the infant has also been tested for G6PD deficiency Some people (including children) would rather not take a medicine every day Some people are concerned about the potential of getting an upset stomach from primaquine

Waigeo And The World’s Cheapest Overwater Bungalows

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Tara

If you are coming to this blog from the miles and points community, no doubt you will have read some other blogs about the beautiful over-water bungalows in Bora Bora and the Maldives. They average about $500 a night, cost between $200-500 to get to the island the resort is on and meals are not included. One blogger did try to find some bargains but even those started at $280. Yes, you can get to some of them on miles and hotel points but with the recent devaluations even that can be expensive. I have a new addition to the 16 cheapest overwater bungalows in the world!

What if I told you there was a small but attractive eco-resort with overwater bungalows at high tide in one of the world’s top diving locations, not to mention many exotic birds? All this for the princely sum of $70 per couple including 3 meals a day!

Introducing the HamuEco Resort! As I said yesterday, it is easy and cheap to get from Sorong to Waigeo and if you contact the English speaking manager Hasna via Facebook, she will send a taxi to pick you up at the dock and bring you to the resort for around $20.

HamuEco Resort

Entering our OWB

The trees behind my husband Ina are where you see Palm Cockatoos

Beds have mosquito nets

What I loved most about this place was the fact that I could lie on the bed, look out the door to the right and see Palm Cockatoos flying over the trees and to the left was the deck facing the sunset!

I saw several Palm Cockatoos and one Eclectus.

Bathrooms are shared and located ashore down the pier so you will need a flashlight at night. They have a generator which they shut off at night but they are flexible if you need to charge your batteries.

Bathrooms are to the right of the building on shore

The main course will be catch-of-the-day but for people who don’t eat fish, they can do eggs and veggies, not sure what else as that was all I asked for.

Dinner

You can see fish when you sit on the deck!

Hammock on the deck

Watching fish from the deck

High tide

Low tide

Hasna can book you on scuba diving, snorkeling trips and also arrange an excellent bird guide named Benny. I will put the birding info in the next post so stay tuned!

Stormy sunset

View from the room

Raja Ampat – A Treasure For Birders As Well As Divers

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Tara

Out of all the places in West Papua I have been blogging about, Raja Ampat is the one most likely to be familiar to most tourists. It is one of the world’s greatest scuba diving destinations and there are many blogs and websites to help you organize a dive trip on either a live-aboard boat or based in a resort. Some of the resorts also offer bird watching so I will mention that where appropriate.

Location of Sorong and Raja Ampat

GETTING THERE

As of this writing, you can fly into the airport of Sorong (SOQ) with Sriwijaya (Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta, Manokwari, Surabaya, Makassar); Express Air (Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta, Jayapura, Manokwari, Surabaya, Makassar, Yogyakarta); Merpati (Jayapura, Manokwari); and Wings Abadi/Lion Air (Ambon). None of these airlines currently offer online booking and payment with a non-Indonesian credit card except possibly Merpati. In my article about Sriwijaya, I describe how to use an Indonesian travel agent to book the tickets. The good news is that Garuda will be starting service to Manokwari and Sorong in July 2013 so in the future you will be able to book these flights online. Garuda is due to join SkyTeam later this year so you will be able to use miles to redeem tickets all the way from your home airport to Sorong!

Arriving in Sorong

RAJA AMPAT DIVING TAGS AND CONSERVATION FEES

If you visit any of the scuba diving sites, you will see this mentioned. I didn’t know about it before we left as I had been visiting mostly birding sites and only heard about it from another tourist on the ferry to Waigeo. They were planning on diving and also hiring a boat to go to some more remote islands. We weren’t planning on even snorkeling so didn’t look into this before we left. No one asked for “tags” on the ferry so I tend to think that if you will only be on the main island of Waigeo and not diving you don’t need the tags. There is a bit of a grey area if you are hiring a charter boat to go to Batanta and Salawati. Some of the diving websites that I looked at just now mention that the tags are inspected on the boats. If you think you need to buy the tags, when you arrive in Sorong, walk across the street to the JE Meridien Hotel and buy them there.

Raja Ampat Lodges Site

Stay Raja Ampat Site

FERRY TO WAIGEO

The main reason I chose Waigeo as our birding destination is because you can get there on a public ferry rather than having to charter a boat. Most birding tour groups charter a boat and go to Batanta and Salawati. The birdlife is pretty much the same on Waigeo and Batanta, Salawati does have some different species.

It will cost around 50,000 rupiah to get to the ferry terminal but you will have to bargain for this price and probably go outside the airport to the main street and head to the left. Taxi drivers don’t speak English so have someone write “ferry to Waisai” on a piece of paper. Once there, you buy your tickets and any supplies you want to bring to the island-water, cold drinks, snacks. You don’t have to buy too much as Waigeo is the main population centre of Raja Ampat and there are shops and small restaurants on the island. There will also be people coming around on the ferry to sell snacks.

A ferry leaves Sorong daily to Waisai around 2pm but it’s best to be on board around 1pm. Seats are assigned and cost 120,000 rupiah ($12). The ferry back to Sorong from Waisai also leaves at 2pm and costs the same. It’s a pleasant 2.5-3 hour trip.

Ticket booth for ferry to Waigeo

Food stalls, buy snacks and drinks

Walk down the pier, ferry is on the left.

Vendors selling snacks to passengers

Arrival at Waisai

View of ferry at Waisai dock

Food stalls with “Ojek” taxis waiting in front

GETTING TO OTHER ISLANDS SUCH AS BATANTA AND SALAWATI

There are no public ferries to these islands so you will need to charter a boat complete with captain, first mate and bring enough food supplies to feed them, yourselves and a couple of guides once you get there. You will need to get to Dom Island and ask around for a charter boat. Papua Bird Club may be able to help with this. Expect to pay around $100-150 per day. You will need to hire the boat for the duration of your stay but it will be available to use for side trips to Salawati or snorkeling excursions.

Coming next: Waigeo, top birds and the world’s cheapest overwater bungalows!

New Design Coming Soon

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Tara

I’ve been meaning to do a custom Word Press theme but just haven’t had time (or money to pay someone to do it). I still need to figure out the WP theme side but I have the new banner on the MTTW Facebook page. Now would be a good time to “like” us if you haven’t already.

I’ve been busy swapping an old laptop for a new one and transferring everything over which is taking forever so I will start the Raja Ampat series tomorrow.

MTTW T-shirts will be available soon!

MTTW T-Shirt coming soon!

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