Adventure Trip to The National Park of Cendrawasih Bay

The National Park of Cendrawasih Bay

Most of the National Park of Cendrawasih Bay is located inside Wondama regency. It is a great destination for visitors who are interested in swimming, snorkeling, and sightseeing. There are a lot of places and islands in the bay which visitors can see. Some of them are described below:

a traditional market in Wasior town

Wasior - This little town should be your first destination if you plan to travel around the islands in the national park. The capital of Wondama regency is Rasiei. It is an integral part of Wasior. The first place which tourists can visit in Wasior town is Batu Inspirasi (The Rock of Inspiration). It is located in Aitumieri Hill and can be reached by hiking up the steep slopes of the hill for around one hour. Sitting on this rock, visitors can see the beautiful Wondama bay with its blue sea and green forest.  Butterflies, and birds can be seen in this forest. It was the place where Izaac Samuel Kijne liked to visit when he was writing hymnal songs. They have now been compiled in a book called Mazmur & Nyanyian Rohani. The hymnal book is still used by GKI church of Papua Land and other churches in Indonesia.

Batu Inspirasi (the Rock of Inspiration)

At the foothill, there are some buildings which were built by Dutch missionaries in early 1900s as the first teachers' training school for the indigenous Papuan people. 

There are a number of beaches and coral reef areas in Wasior. The nearest one is Ketapang Lima Beach. This is the place where visitors can enjoy snorkeling and swimming. A lot of tropical fish can be seen here. They include various kinds of butterflyfish, surgeonfish, rabbitfish, anemonefish, snapper, trevally, grouper, parrotfish, wrasse, cardinalfish, goby and lionfish. Snorkeling can also be done in coral reef areas of Rowor beach. 

Visitors who like fishing can go to Sewandaimuni harbor near Rasiei area. They can also go to Wandamui beach which is located in the suburb of Wasior town. Wandamui hill is the place where town dwellers like to visit to see the beautiful scenery of Wondama bay and make selfie pictures. There is a waterfall with a big pool at the corner of the beach where visitors can enjoy swimming. 

Waterfall in the forest of Dusner village

On the other side of Wondama Bay, there is a waterfall located in the territory of Dusner village. It is the place where visitors go to soak their bodies in the cool water of the waterfall and breath the fresh air from the forest while enjoying the sounds of birds in the surrounding trees. 

A Hut in the Jungle of Naikere - Teluk Wondama regency

For visitors who like to see wildlife, Naikere is the recommended place to go. Huge tropical rainforest covers this area. There are a lot of species of birds such as Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise, Magnificent Riflebird, Red Myzomela, Lowland Peltop, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Blyth's Hornbill, Western-crowned Pigeon, Palm Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, Lowland Peltop, Golden Myna, Yellow-faced Myna, Black-capped Lory, and a lot more. Cuscus possum, deer, wild pigs, wallaby can be found there too.

The Marine Tour

There are a lot of islands in Cendrawasih Bay that are worth visiting. Auri, Purup, Mioswar, Rumberpon, Yoop, and Roon are groups of islands that can be visited by tourists. The starting point should be Wasior town. Local guides will prepare speedboat to bring visitors to interesting sites where coral reefs are in pristine condition with abundant marine life. Food materials, fuel and other logistical needs can be bought in Wasior town.  Tourists should bring their own snorkeling devices (masks, snorkels and swim fins). 

Coral reef in National Park of Cendrawasih Bay

Local guides will go to Yende, Menarbu or Niap to inform local villagers about the tour in Roon island before continuing the snorkeling trips to Rariyau island or Matas island. 

For traveling around Purup, visitors will be brought to Yomakan village to inform local people there about the trip. Homestay can also be prepared for visitors if they want to stay in the village. 

Hot stream in Roswar island of Cendrawasih Bay

There is hot stream that flows to the sea in Roswar island of Cendrawasih Bay. Visitors can visit the place too. Since the stream is very hot, it will be dangerous for visitors to swim directly in the stream. 

How to get there?

Traveling to the National Park of Cendrawasih Bay is easy. Visitors can take international flights from their country to Jakarta or Denpasar Bali. After that, they need to take a domestic flight to Manokwari city which is the capital of Papua Barat province. Sriwijaya Air, Lion Air, Batik Air have got regular flights between Manokwari and major cities in Indonesia. So, daily flight to Manokwari is available. There are hotels, restaurants and shops in Manokwari city for visitors who want to take a rest for at least one day in the city. 

Wasior town

The trip to Wasior town can be carried out by passenger boat from Anggrem harbor of Manokwari or by a small passenger aircraft - Cessna Caravan 208 at Rendani airport of Manokwari. Tickets can be bought at the harbor and at the airport in affordable prices. Here is the flight route to Wondama regency.

Flight route to Wasior town in Wondama regency

If you need more info about traveling to Wondama regency, please, contact me by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to peace4wp@gmail.com.

This is written by Charles Roring