Papua Bird Photography

Overview

Upcoming Bird Photography Trips in West Papua in 2025 and 2026
 

West Papua is the Indonesian part of the mysterious enormous island that’s home to the most beautiful and weird creatures on earth. In the vast unspoiled forests live the incredible Birds-of-Paradise, on the wish list of every birder and nature lover. But also an enormous amount of endemic kingfishers, bowerbirds, fruit-doves, frogmouths, parrots, and honey-eaters are awaiting you. The infrastructure and security have improved a lot, so visiting the area is no longer an exhausting and risky expedition (although not an easy ride either). Visiting West Papua is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and on the wish list of every serious bird Photographer.

Itinerary

Itinerary for Papua Bird of Paradise Photo Trip by Mohamad Naliko ( Monal ) / Papua Birding Tours

Day 1
Jakarta – Jayapura Airport - Nimbokrang
The tours begin with your morning arrival at Jayapura Airport, and then you will be transferred by car directly to Nimbokrang for a one-hour and thirty-minute drive. When arriving in Nimbokrang, check in at the guesthouse and have lunch. We will start at 3 PM and try to find our main target this afternoon, The Common Paradise Kingfisher, or Papuan Pitta, We need to walk around 10 minutes from the main road to the hide. We stay there until late afternoon. Return to the guesthouse. Overnight stay in Nimbokrang.

Day 2 Nimbokrang
Start the day earlier at 04.30 for breakfast and then we step up to the Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise hide. From the car parking area, we walk 35 minutes to hide through muddy trails. We stay there until 07.30 and move to the King Bird of Paradise Lek afterward. From Twelve-wired to King Bird of Paradise, we will walk for around 25 minutes. The road has ups and downs, with many muddy trails. We stay there until lunchtime and return to the guesthouse. The afternoon schedule will try the hide for Eastern Hooded Pitta or Papuan Pitta.

Day 3 Nimbokrang - Sentani
On the last morning in Nimbokrang, we start at 04.30 am for breakfast at the Papuan Pitta or Common Paradise Kingfisher spot. We stay until Lunchtime, go back for lunch at 11 AM, and at 12 o'clock depart to Sentani for an overnight stay—dinner at the hotel.

Day 4 Sentani Airport – Manokwari Airport – Arfak/Maibri

After breakfast drive to Sentani airport, upon Arrival at Manokwari Airport, directly drive to Arfak Mountain using 4WD. We drive around 2 hours to reach the Maibri Birding Ecolodge in Arfak. Before lunch, we can visit the feeding station. Walk down from the main road to the hide for around 30 minutes. There are some species of Bird of Paradise in that spot, including female Magnificent Bird of Paradise, female and male Black-billed Sicklebill, female Lesser Bird of Paradise, female Vogelkop Superb Bird of Paradise, and sometimes Greenback Robin also shows up. After that, at 11.30, we will go back to the guesthouse to have lunch. After lunch, at 01.30 pm, we can go to the hide of Magnificent Bird of Paradise until 05.00 pm, and we will go back to the guesthouse to have dinner.

Please Note: The flight Lion Air sometimes changes the time of departure, changes the date of the departure, or even Lion Air cancels the flight without prior notice

Day 5 Maibri Birding Ecolodge, Arfak Mountains
Breakfast starts at 05.00 am in the morning and then at 05.30, we go to the Western Parotia hide. The range between the main road and the hide is around 20 to 30 minutes walk. At 11.00 am go back to the guesthouse to have lunch. At 01.30 pm we continue to the hide of the magnificent Bird of Paradise. We need at least 20 minutes walk from the main road. At 05.00 pm return to the Maibri Birding Ecolodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 6 Maibri Birding Ecolodge, Arfak Mountains
Just like yesterday, breakfast at 05.00 am and 05.30 walk to the hide. Superb Bird of Paradise is our destination this morning. We walked down and up for around 30 minutes. Stay there till 11.00 am and back to the guesthouse for lunch. The afternoon schedule will be following.
Day 7 Maibri Birding Ecolodge, Arfak Mountains
After breakfast, Masked Bowerbird will be our focus today until lunchtime. In the afternoon you will choose which hide you will visit again for the last time.

Remark: Arfak bird lists Western Parotia, Magnificent Bird of Paradise, Superb Bird of Paradise (need to wait such a long time in the hide because we never know when the birds landing on the spot), Black-billed Sicklebill, Masked Bowerbird (we have to be lucky because this bird is very hard to find the bower), Vogelkop Bowerbird, and if we are lucky, we might photograph Feline-Owlet Nightjar, Mountain Nightjar, Green-backed Robin.

Day 8 Maibri Birding Ecolodge, Arfak Mountains - Manokwari
Today will be our last time to wake up at 05.00 am in Arfak mountain. Magnificent Bird of Paradise is our last destination to stay until 11.00 go back to the guesthouse for lunch and prepare to return to Manokwari for an overnight in the hotel before a flight to Sorong.

Day 9 Manokwari – Sorong - Waigeo
Our flight from Manokwari to Sorong starts at 11.00 am or 12.00 pm and needs at least 55 to 60 minutes to arrive in Sorong. Lunch will be held at the Swiss Bel Hotel and after that, we start our sail at 2 PM for 2 hours by express boat to Waigeo/Waisai island. Upon arrival on Waigeo Island, you will directly transfer to the resort and stay there for 3 nights. From the harbor to the resort, it takes around 30 minutes to drive or 15 minutes by car. In the afternoon we can go birding around the village.

Please Note: The flight Batik Air sometimes changes the time of departure, changes the date of the departure, or even Lion Air cancels the flight without prior notice

Day 10 Wilson’s Bird of Paradise in Waigeo
The island of Waigeo holds several species that are absent from the mainland, and these will form our focus here. Our primary target is to find the quite astounding Wilson’s Bird-of-paradise, a bird frequently cited as one of the most beautiful in the world. Using specially constructed hides, we will be able to photograph the birds as they visit their display grounds, completely oblivious to our admiring eyes. With good fortune, we will see the male in full action – calling and displaying vigorously to any females who enter his display arena. The bird is active from 5.45 to 8 AM, and then we will continue to search for other bird’s endemics along the roadside. Lunch will be at the resort. Late afternoon, we will do the roadside.

Day 11 Red Bird of Paradise in Waigeo
Breakfast at 4.30 AM and departure at 5 AM, drive about 30 minutes, and We need 15 minutes to walk to the hide. The bird is active from 6 to 7.30 AM
Remarks: In Waigeo, besides Wilson’s BoP and Red BoP, if we are lucky, we might photograph Beach Kingfisher, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Rufoud-bellied Kookaburra, Hook-billed Kingfisher, Palm Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrots, Suphure-created Cockatoo, Raja Ampat Pitohui, Golden Monarch, Frilled Monarch, Blyths Hornbill, Papuan Frogmouth, Marble Frogmouth and Papuan Boobook.

Day 12 Waigeo – Sorong
We still have the morning to search for other endemic birds along the roadside, lunch at the resort, and, at 1 PM, we must be at the Harbour for a public express boat back to Sorong, overnight at the Swiss Bel Hotel.            

Day 13 Sorong - Jakarta
Breakfast at the hotel then at 6 AM transfer to the airport for your next destination. End of the trip

The price per person is US$ (..) for the 13-day trip based on twins sharing a room, one room for two people. A Single Supplement of US$ (..) applies only to Jayapura, Manokwari, and Sorong hotels. Please note that in Maibri Birding Ecolodge Arfak and Nimbokrang Lodge, we have to share a room (twin-share room), which means both places have limited rooms.