PAPUA & BIRDS OF PARADISE - Wild Earth Travel
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PAPUA & BIRDS OF PARADISE
This special itinerary honours Alfred Russel Wallace, the
prominent scientist who was one of the first who dared to raise
concerns over the environmental impact of human activity some
150 years ago. In the company of our guest experts - Dr. Tony
Whitten or Alexander Reeuwijk, we will revisit some of the areas
that Wallace found so fascinating, and we will hopefully
experience the magic of seeing the bird of paradise in its full
glory within its natural habitat. Wallace’s observations of the
marked zoological differences across a narrow strait in the
archipelago led to his proposing the faunal boundary line, now
known as the Wallace Line, which separates the eco zones of
Asia and Australia. West of the line are found organisms related
to Asiatic species, while to the east, a mixture of species of ITINERARY
Asian and Australian origin is present. While he was exploring
the archipelago, Wallace refined his thoughts about evolution Day 1 - Sorong, Embarkation
and had his famous insight on natural selection. In 1858 he Your flight will arrive in the West Papuan port town of Sorong, the gateway to
sent an article outlining his theory to Darwin; it was published, Raja Ampat. From the airport we will transfer you to the harbour where the
Ombak Putih will be waiting at anchor. Once settled into your cabin, your
along with a description of Darwin’s own theory, in the same cruise director will familiarise you with the vessel’s facilities and safety
year. This adventure takes you to many of the exact locations procedures. Ready to start our adventure, we will weigh anchor, leave the
harbour behind, and enter the marine protected area of Raja Ampat, home to
that Wallace describes in his landmark publication and of
unique birdlife and the most biodiverse coral reefs in the world. We will cruise
course we have several copies of Wallace’ s book (which was towards the island of Waigeo, stopping for a refreshing swim along the way
reprinted by PERIPLUS in 2000) in the ship’s library. Note: The before watching the sun set on our first day at sea.
price of this cruise does not include any domestic airfares to Day 2 - Sapokren
and from our start and end points. If you are booking flights by
While it is still dark, our tenders will ferry those of us who are feeling fit and
yourself, please do not book any flights before checking with us adventurous to the village of Sapokren, where a local guide will take us on a
first. challenging trek into the forest in the hope of seeing the Wilson’s bird of
paradise. The male is red and black with a yellow mantle on his neck, light
green mouth, rich blue feet and two violet tail feathers. The featherless crown
is turquoise, ornamented with double black crosses. If we are lucky, we may
be able to observe the male dancing from a distance of just five metres.
Before the dance, he will clear the ground from any leaves or other obstacles
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that may disrupt his performance. On our way back to the boat, accompanied kayaks, watch for birds perched on the rocks, or just sit back and take in the
by the sounds of the jungle coming to life, we will be sure to spot a number of glorious scenery. After a full day of island hopping, the Ombak Putih will begin
bird species along the way. We will spend the remainder of the day resting her overnight journey.
from the morning’s activities and enjoying the waters and reefs of Raja Ampat.
Day 6 - Pisang Islands & Sipitnanam
Day 3 - Pulau Arborek
This morning we will explore the Pisang Islands. These tiny gems isolated in
Today will present another opportunity for keen birdwatchers, as we rise early the vast waters of the Ceram Sea offer us a chance to relax and enjoy the
and walk into the forest on a pre-dawn quest to spot the remarkable red bird sparkling white-sand beaches, clear waters, and vibrant reefs before making
of paradise, one of the species that Wallace was most anxious to collect. With our way to the shores of West Papua. Here we will follow the shoreline until we
a little luck and the help of our knowledgeable guides, we might catch sight of reach the village of Sipitnanam. After visiting the village and meeting the
this rare bird’s elaborate courtship display as dawn breaks over the forest residents, who spend their days fishing the nearby waters and tending their
canopy. After returning to the ship, we will turn our attention from the sky to nutmeg plantations, we will continue south along the coastline through the
the sea as the Ombak Putih makes her way through the Dampier strait, home night.
of some of Raja Ampat’s premier reefs. If the currents are in our favour, we
might see some of the area’s larger specimens of marine life, which are Day 7 - Kitikiti waterfall, Cape Papisol & the Karawawi region
attracted to the strait’s nutrient-rich waters. We will end the day by mooring off
Pulau Arborek in front Arborek Village. Here, we can easily circumnavigate the Today we will wake up to the beautiful sight of Kitikiti waterfall. Here, in the
tiny island by foot and gain a sense of the Asai culture, which is still kept alive wilderness, a roaring river cascades down the jungle-clad mountains and
by the villagers living in this isolated place. crashes into the sea below. We can swim under the waterfall and explore the
extraordinary reefs nearby before rounding Cape Papisol to the Karawawi
region, where we will stop to refresh ourselves before journeying on to Triton
Day 4 - Tomolol
Bay.
A swim through Tomolol’s mysterious dome-topped cave is undoubtedly one
of Raja Ampat’s most memorable activities. After an early breakfast, our Day 8 - Triton Bay
tenders will take us into the heart of the bay to see this partially submerged
cave where it is possible to swim, snorkel or simply float while gazing up at Triton Bay is a place of unsurpassed natural splendour, where time and tides
the cavernous grotto adorned with astonishing stalactites. The more have sliced the limestone landscape into tall cliffs and numerous islands
adventurous can swim or paddle through the dark waters to the other mouth separated by lagoons and narrow channels. We will spend our time swimming
of the cave. After returning to the ship, we will use our tenders to explore more from secluded beaches, snorkelling the vibrant turquoise waters and kayaking
of this impressive maze of karst islands, both above and below the surface, amongst the rocky outcrops. We can also enjoy watching the birdlife from the
complete with mysterious skull cairns in sea-cave cemeteries, and prehistoric comfort of our tenders as we explore this extraordinary maze of karst islands,
‘petroglyph’ cave paintings, estimated to be anything from 3,000 to 5,000 before visiting the village of Lobo, which is a friendly place at the foot of a
years old and depicting various human figures and huge human palms, fish, 1000-metre-high cliff.
flowers and plants, tools and vessels. We will then spend a quiet night at
anchor. Day 9 - Triton Bay & Namatote Passage
We will make the most of our last morning in Triton Bay by cruising through
Day 5 - Misool the undisturbed coves, caves, and lagoons before heading north through the
This morning we will wake to see the sun rise over the picturesque chain of Namatote Passage. Namatote’s cliffs are also well known as a gallery of
islands that makes up the Misool archipelago. The topography is typical of prehistoric art, boasting an impressive collection of cave paintings, glyphs and
‘karst dissolution,’ featuring a great number of tiny islets whose bases have pictorial signs left by ancient nomads high upon the rock walls. We will spend
been eroded over time by the relentless motion of the tides. We will spend the our final evening on the ship resting at anchor and enjoying a farewell dinner
day maximising everything that this fascinating area has to offer by marvelling with our captain and crew.
at both the marine wonderland under the water and the magnificent
landscape above the surface. We can test out our paddling skills in the sea Day 10 - Kaimana, Disembarkation
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In the morning, we will find ourselves at anchor in the harbour of Kaimana.
After a final, hearty breakfast, we will say goodbye to the Ombak Putih and her
crew. Our tenders will take you ashore for your transfer to the airport for your
onward travel.
Please Note:
Every effort will be made to carry out our cruise itinerary as planned; however,
our itineraries are subject to change at the captain’s discretion. When touring
at sea, weather, currents, and even harbour masters don’t always co-operate
with our planned itinerary, which sometimes make our planned schedules
challenging or even impossible to carry out. For that reason, our written
itineraries must be approached with reasonable flexibility. We reserve the right
to make alterations due to circumstances beyond our control and/or other
factors, in the best interests of all. It’s all part of the adventure.
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YOUR SHIP: OMBAK PUTIH
YOUR SHIP: Ombak Putih
VESSEL TYPE: Yacht
LENGTH: 42 metres
PASSENGER CAPACITY: 24
BUILT/REFURBISHED: 1997 / Refurbished 2015
The Ombak Putih is a traditional Indonesian schooner custom
built from Iron wood by Buginese ship builders. The Ombak
Putih is 42 metres long and provides accommodation for up to
24 guests in 12 comfortable cabins. With approximately 400
square meters of public space divided over 2 main decks, the
conditioning
Ombak Putih offers both open and covered space in
Towels and beach towels that are regularly changed
abundance, allowing for privacy and serene relaxing. All cabins
Valuables and travel documents can be stored in the ship's safe
are located below deck and offer private bathroom, portholes,
Dining in spacious air conditioned lounge
individually controlled air conditioning, and ample storage
Teak wooden furniture in lounge, cabins and on deck
space including safety deposit box. Led by Captain Feri, 14
Spacious sun and semi-covered decks
dedicated crew members coming from all regions of the
Free tea, coffee and mineral water
archipelago make your stay with us a memorable experience.
Excellent food and snacks (vegetarian food on request)
Spacious twin shared cabin with twin bunk beds or double bed
A selction of wines, cold beer and other alcoholic drinksare
Each cabin has a private bathroom with toilet and hot shower
offered for sale
Washbasin and soap toiletries in your cabin
Fresh water on-deck shower
Cabins have individually controlled air
Outdoor sleeping facilities
Professional cruise director
Unlimited use of our snorkeling equipment and 2 sea canoes
Television, DVD and music center in lounge
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info@wildearth-travel.com | wildearth-travel.com
INSIDE YOUR SHIP
Stateroom
0800 945 3327 (within New Zealand) | +64 (0) 3 365 1355 | 1800 107 715 (within Australia)
info@wildearth-travel.com | wildearth-travel.comPRICING
09-Nov-2019 to 18-Nov-2019
Stateroom 5950 USD pp
0800 945 3327 (within New Zealand) | +64 (0) 3 365 1355 | 1800 107 715 (within Australia)
info@wildearth-travel.com | wildearth-travel.comYou can also read
