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Beautiful Beaches in Manokwari
Manokwari is a coastal town in the northern part of Papua island. It has
a lot of natural places where people go to enjoy their weekend. The most
popular one is Pasir Putih Beach. It is at the south east of the town
and not far from the city center. If you want to go there, you can take
ojek. You only need to pay around Rp. 10,000 to this motorcycle taxi.
Tourists who want to swim in a quite but beautiful white sandy beach can go to another one that is located at the back of the Mansinam island. The beach is called Manggewa. It is also the most favorite place for scuba divers who stays there for several days exploring a Japanese shipwreck that is located around one hundred meters from the Manggewa.
The above two beaches that I just mentioned are located inside the Dorey bay where the waves are small and the waters are relatively calm all year round. If you are a more adventurous person, you might be interested in going to beaches that are facing the open sea overlooking the Pacific ocean. My recommendation for you will be the Amban, the Masni, the Yonsoribo and the Sidey beaches. They are connected one to another in one long coastline. In Yonsoribo, and Sidey area, turtles land during certain months to lay their eggs.
In January 2010, three Russian tourists Mikhail and Inga Trokhimenko; and Dmitry went to Yonsoribo beach. They stayed there for two days. As nature lovers, they really enjoyed the outdoor environment of the area, the hospitality of the Papuan people as well as the beauty of the tropical rainforest and its animals.
Going and staying in the northern coastal region of Manokwari need good preparation. Tourists are advised to bring tents, flash lights, and cameras. Swimming is not recommended particularly during the eastern monsoon (November to March) where the waves are relatively high and dangerous. But this is the perfect time for surfers to practice their skills dancing with their surfing board on the wave crests.
The villagers that you meet sometimes sell some fresh fruits, fish or meat that you can buy in an affordable price. They will be very happy if you talk to or play with them and take some photos although sign language is the only way of communicating with the local indigenous Papuan that cannot speak English. If you speak Bahasa Indonesia, then you will be able to communicate with them easily. Most of the Papuan in the remote region like that speak basic level of Bahasa Indonesia.
Besides swimming and surfing, and camping, another interesting activity is bird watching. Because Yonsoribo is far from the city, birds and other endemic animals of Papua can still be found in the forest not far from the beach. Be careful when you walk inside the forest at night as you might encounter white snake, a venomous and deadly reptile in Papua island.
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