Kaimana Whale Sharks and Triton Bay

Our guide will pick you up from the airport, and you will drive via a coastal road towards town—only a 20 minutes’ drive. The road brings you pleasant views of Kaimana Bay. Typical of Kaimana are the mangrove trees and other tree kinds that can survive in salt water, and you will find them standing firm in the sea along Kaimana’s coastline. We walk over the colorful bridge leading us to the local market. In the afternoon, children love to fish, play, and jump off the bridge into the river. The traditional market in Kaimana is nicely located beside the river that flows into the ocean. Merchandisers sell products, from fresh fish caught in the morning to Sago (a staple food in Papua extracted from the Sago Palm), Betelnut, Casava, Fruits, Spices, Vegetable, etc. We continue to our hotel to check-in. A standard hotel that is centrally located directly at the sea (not suitable for swimming). It has standard facilities, and we stay in the ocean-view rooms with the best view when sunset sets in. Kaimana is known for its spectacular sunset. But before that, we will first continue our city tour. We will visit the old town of Kaimana, where we will find old Chinese-owned shops. We will make a photo stop at KOTA SENJA KAIMANA, where locals love to sport in the afternoon.

Hotel: Kaimana Beach II – AC Ocean View Room

An early departure to a local village near Sisir. This will take around 30/45 minutes. We will quickly drop our luggage at the local house where we will stay and board our local long boat. It is crucial to start this early because we want to be at the fishing platform the moment the fisherman lifts their nets. This is when the small fish fall from the nets, thinking they have freed themselves from the fishery but not knowing they are snacky breakfast for the whale sharks. With some luck, we will also be accompanied by tens of dolphins who feast here. Many birds are flying around trying to catch a meal, too.

Note: 

• This tour is weather-dependent, and wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed.
• Seeing the whale sharks also depends on the operation of a fishing platform, over which we have no control.

After we swim with the whale shark, we will visit a floating raft of a pearl farm and see how workers clean the clams—an exciting activity. We will continue to one of the other beautiful beaches in Kaimana and spend the day enjoying a packed lunch on the beach. In the afternoon, we will be back in the village. Our local hosts prepare dinner.

Local House in Local Village

The longboat will take us to the mangrove area, approximately 15 minutes by boat. Here, we will continue by foot to the jungle to the location of the Lesser Bird of Paradise. Depending on the water tide and where the longboat can park, it is approx. 10 – 30 minutes’ walk to the location, through the jungle. Bring mosquito repellent because mosquitos in the jungle are very active in the morning. Also, it is best to bring water shoes because you may need to venture through muddy terrains. The birds play high in the trees, so we recommend bringing your binoculars. Afterward, we continue to the Bubara River, where you can swim in an ice-cold river. Make sure to use water shoes because sharp shells may be at the bottom of the river. If you have enough time, you can also visit a lousy cave. Afterwards, we will continue with our longboat towards Mai Mai. Our longboat steers along kilometers-long rock paintings. We can identify some of this art as paintings of lizards, humans, fish, and other animals, but different symbols are more mysterious. It is not clear how old the rock paintings are in Kaimana. Indeed, they cannot be accessed quickly, so it is believed that the land was much higher when they were made because the art is approximately ten meters above sea level. We will continue to one of the other beautiful beaches in Kaimana and spend the day enjoying a packed lunch on the beach. In the afternoon, we will be back in the village. Our local hosts prepare dinner.

Note: If you cannot visit the Bird of Paradise in the morning due to tidal conditions, you can make another trip to the whale shark. This can be discussed with our guide.

We must say goodbye to our friendly hosts and continue with another longboat to Triton. The longboat will take us in approx. 2 hours to Triton Bay.

Triton Bay in West Papua is located in one of the most bio-diverse marine environments in the world. The views and beaches here are spectacular. We will visit Lobo village, where we can find the Fort Du Bus monument. Fort Du Bus was built on August 24, 1828, to prevent interference by British colonial. The fort was named after the governor general L.P.J. Burggraaf du Bus de Gisignies, who was in power then. There is not much to see of the remains of the fort itself. Still, the village itself holds a fascinating story of the Garuda bird (Indonesia’s emblem) believed to live in the characterized mountains in Lobo. Lobo means wolf in Portuguese, and it is assumed that the Portuguese tried to catch the Garuda Bird by feeding him wolves…. Fascinating! We will visit one of the beautiful beaches in Kaimana, where we can relax and swim the day away. A packed lunch is arranged.

In the afternoon, we will arrive at Aeva Resort. The resort is in a stunning location close to Karst Island, a group of karst rocks and islands protruding from the surfaces we pass through. Locals own Aeva, which is still being developed, so keep your expectations low. The rooms have good air conditioning and warm water, but service is slow—the locations and views are all worth it. During the day, the electricity is turned off. There is no/ limited phone reception. Meals in Aeva are included.

The longboat will take us through Karst Island to Siai Marawas in the morning, just 15 minutes away. From here, we will climb a wooden stair to enjoy the view of Triton Bay from approximately 250 meters above sea level. The length of the stairs is approx. 1.6 kilometers, and in bad condition, so be careful. Once we reach the viewpoint, we will be rewarded with breathtaking views of Triton Bay. Hornbills often fly over us. We will also visit a jellyfish lake, where you can swim with many jellyfish... We will return to the resort for lunch and enjoy the day here.

You have a free morning to spend at the resort. Go for a stroll or swim and enjoy the last hours in paradise. Discuss with your guide what time you need to head back to Kaimana, as this is weather-dependent, too. Upon arrival in Kaimana, you will be transferred back to your hotel. Lunch and dinner are on your arrangement.

A transfer to the airport is included. The airport is only a 25-minute drive from your hotel.