Snorkeling Raja Ampat

Easy to Reach Snorkeling Site with Comfortable Accommodation

There are a lot of snorkeling sites in Raja Ampat. They are scattered across big and small islands of the archipelago.

Marine Life in southern coast of Waigeo island - Raja Ampat

Snorkeling Photo from Warduwer beach of Waigeo island

There are a lot of fish that make the coral reef of Waigeo island 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

Snorkeling and scuba diving in Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat is a great destination for marine tourism. It is an important destinations for visitors who want to enjoy snorkeling and scuba diving. I went snorkeling at in southern area of Waigeo yesterday.  I brought an underwater camera - Nikon W300 to take pictures of fish and other marine animals that I saw in the water.

The coral reef was in very good condition. There were a lot of fish including parrotfish, butterflyfish, rabbitfish, anemonefish, surgeonfish, damselfish, lionfish and even wobbegong. 

The visibility was also very nice. I tried several settings of the camera to see the ones that are suitable for snorkeling or freediving. The fish symbol or the underwater mode is not always the best setting. I swam slowly from the beach to the reef flat area. Most of the fish here was small. When I moved closer to buttress zone and drop off zones of the reef, I could see bigger fish.

Tropical Fish in the waters of Raja Ampat

There were around 3 species of anemonefish that I found. They were Pink Anemonefish, Spinecheek Anemonefish and Red and Black Anemonefish. To take pictures of them, I had to freedive and hold rock coral. While my left hand was holding the coral, my right hand was busy pressing the shutter buttons of the camera to capture beautiful marine life in front of me.

Pink Anemonefish

I spent around two and a half hours in the water in two snorkeling sessions. In the evening which is the sunset time, the surrounding atmosphere of the resort was very peaceful.

White Sandy Beach in Waigeo

Birds such as Willie Wagtail, Mimic Honeyeater, Torresian Crow, Hooded Butcherbird, Helmetted Friarbird, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo and several other birds were singing in trees or in the air. Raja Ampat is a nice destination for visitors who want to enjoy holiday in Indonesia. They can swim and do snorkeling or freediving as much as they like. They can also watch birds which are also colorful and beautiful.

Marine Life at the beach of Waigeo

If you are interested in taking a holiday at Raja Ampat, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp: +6281332245180.

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

Minahasa Highland is a highly recommended destination for nature lovers. Visitors could travel to Tomohon town to see various colourful flowers or go hiking to the top Mount Mahawu to see its crater and enjoy birdwatching along its slopes. 

Another interesting destination is Subdistrict Sonder. It 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. 

Marine Tour in Bunaken Islands

Visitors could combine the trip to Minahasa highland with marine tour to Bunaken islands where they could enjoy sightseeing, swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving to see various species of tropical fish and other marine creatures.

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.

Marine Tour in Bunaken

In addition to birdwatching, visitors can also enjoy marine tour in Bunaken to see its beautiful tropical islands, go swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving to see various kinds of marine creatures in the coral reef. The average duration of marine tour in Bunaken islands is 3 days to 1 week. 

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