Flowers in Raja Ampat

I am now guiding 2 tourists from Australia on a sightseeing trip in Waigeo island of Raja Ampat. We stayed at a beach resort a little outside of Waisai town. The beach resort is suitable for visitors who love swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving. Its front beach is covered by mangrove trees and its front waters are filled with beautiful coral reef. 

Tiger Orchid in Raja Ampat

There are tropical flowers that attract my attention. They grow in the surrounding yard of the resort. Tiger Orchid (Grammatophylum speciosum). It has got yellow petals with brown spots on them that make the flower look like the stripes of a tiger. 

Next to the Tiger Orchid, I saw another orchid whose petals are white. There are two green petals that are vertical. The flower has got white labellum with pink stripes. It is called Antelope Orchid (Dendrobium antennatum). In Indonesia, it is called Anggrek Kelinci (meaning: Rabbit Orchid).

Green Antelope Orchid

Dendrobium mirbelianum looks similar to Tiger Orchid. It lacks of the brown pattern on the petals. Its name is Dark-stemmed Antler Orchid. It is also called Mangrove Orchid. 

Dark-stemmed Antler Orchid

Watermelon Flower

Another species that attracts my attention is the small yellow flower plant on the ground. It is a creeping plant. When I ask Google what it is, it gives quick answer, i.e. Watermelon Flower (Citrulus lanatus). 

There are still a lot of other flowers that you could see in Waigeo island while you spend your holiday in Raja Ampat. You could combine this flower tour with swimming, snorkeling, birdwatching tour too. 

If you are interested in taking a flower tour in Raja Ampat and mainland West Papua, and want me to organize your trip, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180. 

Traveling Across the Sonder villages in Minahasa Highland

Sonder is a small subdistrict town of Minahasa regency in the Republic of Indonesia. It is surrounded by farmland, and forest.  It is a highly recommended destination fo visitors who are interested in nature, and culture. Most of local villagers work as farmers. They grow food crops such as rice, corn, sweet potatoes, red beans, carrots, peanuts, and etc.

Farmland and rice field in Subdistrict Sonder of Minahasa regency

Butterfly and flower garden in Tincep village

People in Tincep village grow beautiful flowers in front of their houses. The flowers are sold to Manado city and other towns in North Sulawesi.

There are two or three waterfalls near Tincep village. I recommend that tourists visit Tincep to see those beautiful flowers, rice fields and waterfalls, travelers can enjoy white water rafting in Timbukar village. Don't forget to wear life jacket when you get into the boat.

Manado city - the capital of North Sulawesi Province in Indonesia. It is the flight destination for tourists who want to explore Minahasa highland. 

Minahasan people are full of smile and laughs. They like singing folk songs, playing music as well as drinking saguer. For this drink, many tourists who travel to this region say that the refined one is strong enough to make you hang over the next day before continuing your trip. When saguer has been fermented and distilled, the end product is called Cap Tikus. Its alcohol content is probably higher than whiskey. 

So, don't drink too much if you plant to leave the village early in the morning. If you still have time, you can take a short trip to Leilem to see how the local craftsmen make furniture. 

If you are interested in visiting Minahasa land to see its villages and people as well as enjoy its beautiful landscape, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Also read: 

• Wildlife Trip in Tangkoko and Minahasa highland
• Birding in Sonder of Minahasa regency
• Birding and Butterflywatching in Sonder of Minahasa highland

Wildlife Trip in Tangkoko and Minahasa Highland of Indonesia

The nature reserve of Tangkoko and the protected forest of Mount Mahawu have become important destinations for visitors who are interested in wildlife. Various kinds of wild animals could be seen there. 

Scaly-breasted Kingfisher

Birdwatchers like to visit Tangkoko because they could observe colourful tropical birds such as Yellow-billed Malkoha, Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, Black-naped Oriole, Knobbed Hornbill, Minahasa Racquet-tail, Black-naped Fruit-dove, Lilac Kingfisher, Green-backed Kingfisher, Sulawesi Dwarf Kingfisher, Pale Blue Monarch, and etc. 

Yellow-billed Malkoha

Mammals could also be seen in Tangkoko's forest. They include Sulawesi Bear Cuscus, Celebes-crested Macaque, and Gursky's Spectral Tarsier.

The rainforest of Minahasa highland is an interesting site for birdwatching and butterflywatching. Visitors who take a tour to Mount Mahawu and Sonder's farm forest could watch such birds as Scaly-breasted Kingfisher, Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher, Warbling White-eye, Black-crowned White-eye, Superb Fruit-dove, Yellow-sided Flowerpecker, Gray-sided Flowerpecker, Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker, Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove, White-faced Cuckoo-dove, Sulawesi Myzomela, Pygmy Woodpecker, Sulawesi Drongo, Gray-cheeked Green Pigeon, and a lot more. 

Gursky's Spectral Tarsier

Butterflies are important attractions for anyone who are keen to see beautiful insects. Blanchards Wood Nymph, Blanchards Ghost, Lime Swallowtail, Manado Yellow Tiger, Gigon Swallowtail are some of the many butterflies which visitors could see during the wildlife tour in Minahasa highland. 

Manado Yellow Tiger Butterfly

For accommodation, visitors could stay in a lodge in Tangkoko and in a hotel of Tomohon town. 

Taking a good photographic device such as a camera with telephoto lens that is mounted on a tripod will greatly enhance the wildlife tour. For birdwatchers, a pair of binoculars and spotting scope will be useful to observe birds in distant trees. 

Birdwatching in Sonder Farm Forest of Minahasa highland

The duration of the tour is usually 7 days/ 6 nights. 

Flight Destination to Manado city

To take this tour, visitors need to fly to Manado city which is the capital of North Sulawesi Province in Indonesia. 

Manado city, the capital of North Sulawesi Province in Indonesia

• Visitors could fly from their country to Jakarta or Denpasar and then continue their trip by taking domestic flight to Manado city. Domestic airlines such as Garuda, Citilink, Lion Air, Batik Air, SuperAirjet provide regular daily flights between major cities in Indonesia and Manado city.
• There is direct flight between Manado city and Singapore provided by Scoot Air.
• There is direct flight between Manado city and Guangzhou of China. 

Flight route to Manado city

Accommodation

As a tourist guide, I could arrange an accommodation for participants in a lodge in Tangkoko and in a hotel in Tomohon town.

Choice of Accommodation

Booking

To book your trip, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180. 

Related Post:

• Wildlife Tour in Tangkoko and Minahasa Highland of Indonesia
• Birdwatching Tour in Minahasa Highland of North Sulawesi
• Birding in North Sulawesi

Birding Tour from Manado City

Tourists who plan to go to or have just returned from Bunaken islands and Lembeh Strait often look for tours that are related to nature. Birdwatching and sightseeing is one of them. The farmland and forest at the outskirts of Manado city are the habitat of various species of birds such as:

Birding Tour at the Outskirts of Manado city

Ivory-backed Woodswallow, Collared Kingfisher, Sooty-headed Bulbul, Gray-rumped Treeswift, Green Imperial Pigeon, Black-naped Fruit Dove, Zebra Dove, Barred Rail, Sahul Sunbird, and etc.

Black-naped Fruit Dove, Chestnut Munia, Black-faced Munia

This birdwatching tour starts at 06:00 and then stops at around 09:00. The site that we will visit is the farmland and forest area in north-east of Manado city near Sam Ratulangi Airport. 

We will meet tour participants at around 05:30 and then organize the tour by car. Participants need to bring binoculars. We will also bring a spotting scope that is mounted on a tripod to enhance the birding experience of the participants. Birds that could be watched include Sahul Sunbird, Chestnut Munia, Black-faced Munia, Black-naped Fruit Dove, Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, Slender-billed Crow, Green-backed Kingfisher and etc. 

Finch-billed Myna - an endemic species of Sulawesi island

At around 10:00, usually activity of birds has decreased significantly. We will bring back the participants to their hotels to have lunch and take a rest. We will continue the tour again at 15:00. This time the birding activity will be conducted in forest areas around Mount Tumpa. Birds that can be watched include Brahminy Kite, Black Kite, Finch-billed Myna, Sulawesi Hanging Parrot and etc. At 18:00, we will return to Manado city. End of Tour.

This birding tour in Manado city can be combined with nature and sightseeing tour in Minahasa highland. 

Sulawesi Hanging Parrot - another endemic species of Sulawesi island

Manado City

Manado city is the capital of the Province of North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Approximately, it has got a population of 452,000 people. It is the destination for visitors who want to spend their vacation in Bunaken, Siladen and Lembeh Strait doing swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving. 

Manado city is the capital of North Sulawesi Province, Indonesia.

Manado city is the main gate for tourists who want to travel Bunaken islands, Lembeh Strait.

Flights to Manado city

Every day, there are airplanes that fly to Sam Ratulangi International Airport of Manado city from major cities in Indonesia such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Denpassar, Makassar, and Sorong City. They are surved by such airlines as Garuda, Citylink, Lion Air, Batik Air, TransNusa and Super Air Jet. 

Flight routes from major cities in Indonesia to Manado city

Hotels

There are a lot of hotels, guesthouses and beach resorts in Manado city which tourists can choose to stay through a number of online booking apps.

If you are interested in taking this birdwatching tour from Manado city or other tours in Minahasa highland, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180. 

Nature Tour from Manado City

Manado city is the main entrance gate for visitors who want to visit Bunaken islands. It is also the capital of North Sulawesi Province in the Republic of Indonesia. A lot of tourists go to Bunaken to enjoy swimming, scuba diving, snorkeling. 

In addition to marine tours, Manado city is a great base for visitors who want to enjoy sightseeing tour to natural places. As a tour guide, I offer guided trips to various places at the outskirts of Manado city and to Minahasa highland. 

During the tour, participants will be able to see farmland, waterfalls, lake, volcano and its crater as well as the villages of local Minahasan people. Participants can also enjoy birdwatching, butterfly watching.

Birds in Minahasa Land

Binoculars and spotting scope will be needed during wildlife watching. Participants who have binoculars and cameras could bring them. A lot of species of birds could be watched during the tour. They include Zebra Dove, Sooty-headed Bulbul, Black-naped Fruit-dove, Ivory-backed Woodswallow, Slender-billed Crow, Green Imperial Pigeon, Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, and etc. 

Nature Tour, Sightseeing and Wildlife Watching

Hot spring lake and pond in Minahasa Highland

Most of the native people who live in Manado city and the surrounding towns and villages are called ethnic Minahasa. They work as farmers, house builders, carpenters, government employees, teachers and nurses. The villages in Minahasa are surrounded by farmland. The farmers grow corn, papaya, tomatoes, spring onion, rambutan, durian, mango, papaya, and etc. These agricultural produced are sold to Manado and even to cities and towns in eastern region of Indonesia.

Minahasa highland tour

Sometimes, participants can buy fruits such as rambutan and papaya that are picked from the farmland, or eat foods such as fried mujair fish or grilled pork that are produced by local farmers. 

Other tourist attractions that can be visited during the tour include the traditional market and the state museum of North Sulawesi Province.

Accommodation

There are a lot of hotels in Manado city which visitors can choose to stay during the tour. 

Coastal area of Manado city

Manado city with the background of Minahasa highland

How to get to Manado city

It is easy to visit Manado city. First, visitors need to fly from their country to Jakarta or Denpasar in Indonesia. After that they could continue their trip to Manado city by taking domestic flights that are served by Garuda, Citilink, Batik Air, Lion Air, SuperAir Jet and TransNusa. There is also direct flight between Manado city and Singapore. Visitors who are already inside Indonesia can fly from other major cities in Indonesia such as Surabaya, Bandung, Jogjakarta, Makassar, Balikpapan, Ambon and Sorong to Manado city. Every day, there are flights that connect Manado and other big cities in Indonesia.

Manado City Tour

If you are interested in taking this tour, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180. 

Also read:

• Wildlife Tour in Tangkoko and Minahasa Highland
• Birding Vacation in North Sulawesi
• Birdwatching Tour in Minahasa Highland
• Sahul Sunbird in Minahasa Highland
• Minahasa Beach and Great-billed Kingfisher
• Birds in Minahasa
• Birding in North Sulawesi
• Exploring the Natural Beauty of North Sulawesi
• Yellow-billed Malkoha
• Birding in Minahasa Peninsula
• Nature Tour in North Sulawesi