I offer hiking tour for visitors who want to see the beautiful landscape of Minahasa especially its forest, agricultural land, clove plantation, vegetable garden, rice and corn fields. We will be able to see farmers working in their farmlands. We can also watch birds and butterflies during the walking tours.
Activities:
- Short hiking or walking trip each day combined with car trips
- Sighseeing, birdwatching and butterfly watching
Visitors who take this tour will walk for around 3 to 5 kilometers each day. Sightseeing, birdwatching and butterfly watching is part of the tour. Binoculars and spotting scope will be provided.
ITINERARY
Day 1. Manado - Sonder - Walking Down the Slope of Tounelet to Ricefields in Talikuran village
We will meet you at the airport of Manado city and then organize your trip by car to Tomohon or Sonder town in the highland of Minahasa. Check into a homestay. You could take a rest for around 2 hours. After that we will start the tour. You will start your walk from Tounelet village in Sonder. There is Siloam hospital which is the oldest hospital in the region. We will walk down the slope of Tounelet while watching some birds in its small forest. There are birds such as:
- Chestnut Munia
- Scaly-breasted Munia
- Sahul Sunbird
- Sooty-headed Bulbul
- Cattle Egret
- Little Egret
- Sulawesi Hanging Parrot
- Collared Kingfisher
- Slender-billed Crow
- Grey-cheeked Green Pigeon
- Barn Swallow
- Gray-sided Flowerpecker
- Yellow-sided Flowerpecker
- White-nest Swiftlet and etc.
- Black-crowned White-eye
We will continue walking down the slope of Sonder town passing through houses of the villagers and then walking to the ricefield area. We could see people selling their agricultural produce or drying rice or corn or other commodities. We will enjoy the beautiful scenery of the farmland seeing terraces of ricefields. Birds that we could watch in the area include:
- White-breasted Woodswallow
- White-browed Crake
- Barred Rail
- Collared Kingfisher
- Eastern Yellow Wagtail
- Cattle Egret
- Little Egret
- Purple Heron
Back to homestay and rest.
Day 2. Hiking through Lalek Forest and Farmland
We will wake up early in the morning to make preparation. We will have early morning breakfast. We will walk into the farmland and forest of Lalek area at the outskirt of Sonder town. Tall trees are the habitat of birds such as:
- Sulawesi Cuckoo Dove
- Black-naped Oriole
- White-eyed Drongo
- Pale Blue Monarch.
Butterflies that could be seen in the shrub plants include Sulawesi Clipper, Common Birdwing, Manado Yellow Tiger Butterfly, Blanchard's Wood Nymph and etc. We will walk along the mountain ridge and then down to the ricefield of Talikuran village. After that, we will walk back to the homestay again for rest.
Day 3. Hiking Tour from Sonder to Rambunan Village
We will have early morning breakfast and then start hiking tour again in the morning by walking to Rambunan village. Along the road, we will be able to see villagers working in their chicken farm, or clean their vegetable garden. Rambunan is famous for its palm sugar products. Tour participants can buy them. Back to homestay for lunch and rest. and rest. Birds and butterflies could be watched along the way.
In the afternoon, we could go by car to Love Hill in Kanonang village do some hiking and birdwatching. Back to the homestay, we could take a rest.
Day 4 Hiking Tour in Mount Lengkoan
As usual, early morning breakfast will be arranged. The forest and farmland of Mount Lengkoan is the habitat of various species of birds such as:
- White-faced Cuckoo Dove
- Sulawesi Cuckoo Dove
- Mountain White-eye
- Crimson Sunbird
- Black-faced Munia
- Collared Kingfisher
- Scaly-breasted Kingfisher
- Yellow-sided Flowerpecker
- Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker
- and etc.
We will walk along the roadside to watch birds using binoculars and spotting scope. Tour participants could take pictures if they bring cameras. Back to homestay for lunch, and take a rest.
In the afternoon at around 15:00, we will visit Tincep's waterfall and then do some birdwatching walk behind the village along the edge of its farmland.
Day 5 Hiking, Sighseeing, Birdwatching in Mount Mahawu
We will wake up very early in the morning and then leave by car to Mount Mahawu. The site is beautiful for seeing the surrounding landscape of Minahasa highland. After that, we can do birdwatching to see such birds as:
- Sulawesi Cuckoo Dove
- White-faced Cuckoo Dove
- Red-eared Fruit Dove
- White-bellied Imperial Pigeon
- Superb Fruit Dove
- Mountain White-eye
- Sulawesi Myzomela
- Scaly-breasted Kingfisher
- Yellow-billed Malkoha
- Black-billed Koel
- Isabelline Bush-hen
- Maroon-chinned Fruit Dove and etc.
We will go down to Tomohon town to visit its traditional market. We will return to homestay. Lunch. And then check out of the homestay
We will go to Manado city by car and then check into hotel.
Booking
For more info, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.
