There are a lot of tropical islands inside Cendrawasih Bay. Most of them are surrounded by beautiful coral reefs that are teeming with abundant marine flora and fauna. They become important attraction for visitors who like swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving.
Around 500 hard corals can be seen in Cendrawasih Bay. They are the natural habitat of a lot of reef fish including Burgess's butterflyfish, Cendrawasih Bay Walking Shark (Hemiscyllium galei), Walton's flasher wrasse (Paracheilinus walton), Papuan Convict Goby (Priolepsis sp.), and etc.
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| Coral Reef in Cendrawasih Bay |
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| Rowor beach in the suburb of Wasior town of Wondama regency |
Most foreign visitors travel around the islands of the bay by liveaboard diving boats. It is a comfortable but quite an expensive trip. Now the visits to Cendrawasih bay can be organized in a group of 4 to 6 participants in more affordable cost.
Local guides use speedboat to carry tour participants around the Cendrawasih bay in an island hopping tour style. Visitors can enjoy swimming and snorkeling in remote islands. At night they will go to a village and stay in homestays. It is also interesting for visitors to see local people in their daily life.
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To enjoy snorkeling in Cendrawasih Bay, visitors need to go to Manokwari city. It is the capital of West Papua province of Indonesia.
Foreign visitors can take international flights from their country to Jakarta, Surabaya, or Denpasar city of Indonesia. They can also fly to Singapore and then continue their trip to Manado city by Scoot Tigerair.
Flights from Jakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar, and Manado as well as other major cities in Indonesia to Manokwari city are available every day and are served by Batik Air, Sriwijaya Air, and Lion Air.
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| Rendani Airport of Manokwari with Arfak mountains at the background |
Arriving in Manokwari city, visitors can stay for 1 night in one of the hotels in the city. The next day, they can go to Wasior town by a small passenger plane Cessna Caravan 208B in Rendani airport or by passenger vessels: KM. Margareth or KM. Express Bahari 9E at Anggrem harbor of Manokwari.
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| Flight route to Wasior town in Wondama regency |
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| A traditional market in Wasior town |
Wasior is a small town. It is an economic, and transportational hub for visitors who want to explore islands in Cendrawasih Bay. Visitors can buy food, mineral water and other logistical material in Wasior town. There are small hotels, gueshouses, shops, and restaurants in Wasior town.
Visitor attractions that can be seen around Wasior town include Aitumieri hill, Siewandamuni harbor, Sobey Sandbank (locally called Pasir Timbul), Wandamui hill, Wandamui beach and waterfall, Dusner waterfall, and Rowi river.
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| Wasior town in Teluk Wondama regency |
However, visitors need to bring snorkeling equipment from their own country. Buy snorkeling gear in Indonesia may not fit on the face of a snorkeler.
In addition to swimming and snorkeling, visitors can also do other activities such as fishing, birdwatching or visiting the villages in the bay.
If you are interested in taking a snorkeling tour in Cendrawasih Bay and want local guides to organize your trip and guide you, please, contact me by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.
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