West Papua 2025
General
Papua in Indonesia is the ultimate destination for nature, adventure, and special culture. With our local agent who has penetrated deep into the otherwise sometimes difficult-to-access local community, we can safely and relatively comfortably enjoy all the beauty that Papua has to offer. The many species of courting birds of paradise are the highlight, but certainly not the only ones.
Destinations
– Waigeo: an island with rainforest and a beautiful coast, stay in a beach-side resort, with courting Red bird-of-paradise and Wilson’s bird-of-paradise as unique highlights with good photo opportunities, but snorkeling among the coral in the bay is also a wonderful option.
– Malagufuk: lowland forest with great biodiversity and many endemic colorful fruit pigeons, the bizarre Palm Cockatoo and many kingfishers, parrots (lories), and of course birds of paradise.
– Arfak: highland rainforest, generally regarded as the best birding spot in Papua, with courtship sites of Magnificent Bird-of-paradise, Vogelkop Lophorina, Magnificent Riflebird, Lesser bird-of-paradise, Black-billed Sicklebill, and Western Pariota and the incredible bowers of the Vogelkop Bowerbird and Masked Bowerbird.
– Nimbokrang: lowland rainforest, with beautiful birds of paradise such as King Bird-of-Paradise, Lesser Bird-of-paradise, Pale-billed Sicklebill and Twelve-wired bird-of-paradise. But also Kookaburras, Parrots, and all the opulence of the tropical forest.
Price
6085$ per person, full board, Twin share room, all Land transports, Domestic flights. international flights are not included.
Unique
– Birds of paradise, birds of paradise and birds of paradise (courtship, in the best places, as in the best documentaries),
– Many other endemic birds from spectacular families: parrots, bowerbirds, kingfishers, fruit pigeons, and frogmouths,
– Huge wealth of butterflies, dragonflies, and plants and largely endemic,
– Mostly accommodations set up by a local agent and run by the locals, made for discovering the best places.
Flavor
This trip has the Naturalist flavor, mixed with some serious birding. Generally we will have an eye for all creatures, but for the Birds-of-Paradise on their leks we will go the extra mile when necessary.
Characteristics
– an adventurous journey that you will never forget,
– accommodations in the middle of nature with often very special birds just in the garden,
– contribution to the local community and protection of unique nature,
– where tourists often encounter an unruly or even hostile population in Papua, we are really welcome because of the sincere contact of the local agent.
Be aware
– It’s in English,
– In the rainforest, it is sometimes difficult to watch birds (but we look at everything, so there is always something to see),
– For courting birds of paradise you are usually in a hide (but we make sure we don’t have to spend too long there),
– It will occasionally be slogging in the mud and the accommodations are generally fine but basic, in short: not for the faint of heart!
Itinerary June 2025
Day | Activity | Accomodation | Remarks |
9-6-2025 | Flight Amsterdam – Jakarta | Airplane | Europe – Jakarta 10.25 – 10.15, stopover Singapore |
10-6-2025 | Jakarta airport, long wait | Possibility to take airport hotel for a rest (not included) | |
11-6-2025 | Flight Jakarta – Sorong, ferry to Waigeo | Coriana Resort | Flight Jakarta – Sorong 00.10 – 06.15 Garuda |
12-6-2025 | Waigeo | Coriana Resort | |
13-6-2025 | Waigeo | Coriana Resort | |
14-6-2025 | Waigeo – Sorong – Klabili | Klabili | |
15-6-2025 | Klabili | Klabili | |
16-6-2025 | Klabili – Sorong | Swiss BelHotel Sorong | |
17-6-2025 | Sorong – Manokwari – Arfak | Maibri Birding Ecolodge | Flight Sorong – Manokwari 07.20 – 08.20 Batik Air |
18-6-2025 | Arfak | Maibri Birding Ecolodge | |
19-6-2025 | Arfak | Maibri Birding Ecolodge | |
20-6-2025 | Arfak | Maibri Birding Ecolodge | |
21-6-2025 | Arfak – Manokwari | Aston Hotel Manokwari | |
22-6-2025 | Manokwari – Jayapura – Nimbokrang | Nimbo Lodge | Flight Manokwari – Jayapura 08.50 – 10.20 Lion Air |
23-6-2025 | Nimbokrang | Nimbo Lodge | |
24-6-2025 | Nimbokrang – Sentani Jayapura | Grand Allison | |
25-6-2025 | Jayapura – Jakarta – Amsterdam | Airplane | Jayapura – Jakarta 7.50 -11.00 and Jakarta -Europe 19.00 – 06.45, stopover Singapore |