Anyone been to Klasow valley?

On my upcoming trip to Raja Ampat and Indonesian Papua, I want to see and photograph as much wildlife as possible. I read that only 2 hours from Sorong, Klasow valley offers chances to see northern cassowary and several kinds of birds of paradise.

Has anyone here been there and can comment? How was it? What did you see?

This tour mentions a jungle village, does anyhere know where exactly it is, or how it's called?

Is it possible to go there alone, e.g. with a rented moto?

Are there any English speaking guides in that village?

What other places around Sorong give realistic chances to see free living cassowary and birds of paradise?

Greetings Wus. l have recently come back from Klasow valley. It was the most awesome wildlife photography trip l ever did. But l only went for 3 days. Totally immersed in the jungle every day with 3 or 4 local guides just walking through kilometers of dense, moss and fern covered ground. Many insects, spiders, beetles and bugs. A couple of frogs and a snake. Many unusual and stunning fungi if you're interested. Not many birds to see as they're all way up high. But did see and photograph a bird of Paradise. The place where l stayed was in a clearing surrounded by jungle. A wooden simple building with a mattress on the floor. And a couple of other locals living near by. It was in the clearing that a wild Northern Cassowary came out of the jungle and up close to me. Then off to the neighbors house, for food . Amazing experience. Some great pics and video's of him. No electricity or internet but the neighbor has a generator to charge batteries. A real Papuan experience. Wear long pants and good boots. If not, you get covered in red itchy insect bites all over. One guide spoke good English but the others mainly Indonesian. Lovely friendly people and the meals were really good. Either Chicken or fish with rice and vegies. Very tasty and lots of it. I organised this trip for myself 6 months ago through Caraka Travel Indo. l was picked up from Hotel in Sorong 9am driven about 2 hrs to drop off point. Then me and a porter guy walked into the jungle for a couple of kms to the accommodation. After the 3 days we walked back to the pick up point and dropped off to my next hotel. That cost me about AUD 800. l Hope you get to go, but don't just go there and turn up unannounced. It's way simpler to have a trip organised. Hope this is of some help Wus. I'm going back next July.

a wild Northern Cassowary came out of the jungle and up close to me. Then off to the neighbors house, for food .

Ehemmm?
I guess that should be "wild" rather than wild.
Free-ranging captive casowries, raised from captured young chicks, are common in Papua.
Wild ones don't come up to people or go to houses looking for food.

@wus I haven't been to that valley, but based on the previous reply, you might be much better off hopping on a flight to Manokwari and visiting the Arfak Mts.
You should be able to see several species of birds of paradise there, and it should cost much less. Just a thought.
I personally doubt that there is a realistically good chance of seeing truly wild cassowries anywhere in Papua - though if "free-living" includes captive raised free-roaming ones, I was attacked by one such bird even in Bantimurung, Sulawesi. Otherwise, only seen wild cassowries (southern and dwarf) twice in years of Papua travel. They are not often seen even with the best guides in the most famous birding locations Iike Mokwam or Nimbokrang. Birds of paradise on the other hand tend to be relatively easy to see with guides who know their display grounds or feeding trees.
Mammals, other than fruit bats, are usually hard to see in Papua, through some Raja Ampat accommodation options have habituated cuscuses.

Thanks to all!

@ screenmachine:
- Do you know the exact location (GPS coordinates) of that clearing in the jungle?
- You wrote one guide spoke good English, was he from that village in the jungle clearing, or from Sorong? Do you have his phone number?
- Can I see some of your pics, or the video that you mention, somewhere on the net?

@ Laszlo:
- Manokwari and Arfak mountains cheaper even considering the extra flight that I will need to get there?
- Can you recommend a (cheaper/~ish) guide for the Arfak mountains?
- When Mokwam and Nimbokrang are famous birding sites, shouldn't I rather go there, instead of the Arfak mountains?
- how serious was the attack from the cassowary in Sulawesi?

@ all:
In the meantime I also read about Tambrauw. Google maps show a rather huge area around the most northern part of the birdshead peninsula for this name, half way between Sorong and Manokwari. Has anybody been there birding, and can comment?

The distribution map for southern cassowary shown in Wikipedia includes some areas in Seram. Is there maybe a place there where one has a realistic chance to see one?

And can maleos be seen anywhere in Ambon, Seram, Raja Ampat or Papua? Where?

Sorong-Manokwari flights cost a pittance compared to the $800 charged for the Klasow tour.
Mokwam is in the Arfaks, Nimbokrang near Jayapura.
But as you seem more interested in that clearing, go for it!

Tambraw is a regency, named after the Tamarau Mts there. I have been there, but not for birding. As per my visit, there are no guides etc in the interior of the region but I think an old WWF location on the coast, known as Rumah Batu or sg like that, also falls under Tambraw and should be good for lowland species.

I am interested in any place that offers good chances to see special wildlife, don't prefer anyone over the other. Of course places that are easy to get to and less expensive to explore are preferred, but I am willing to spend some money on a knowledgeable guide, as long as it doesn't get too expensive.

Has anyone here been to the WWF office in Sorong and can comment? Was it worth the visit?

Hi Wus. l don't know the co-ordinates of the place l stayed. Sorry. l have no contact details of the guide either. But l did put a video up on youtube of the Cassowary. Just type in Northern cassowary West papua. From Ian Wallace.

Hey

Maybe this can help you . Check out tis website. <snip> They organise birding trips around sorong and up to klasow vally. I hade some birding trips with them .it was good and cheap to. They took me to some birding hotspots around sorong and klasow and to the mangroves with peedboats around sorong. Had in total 45 species. Most of them commen birds Of west papua And some les commen and the lesser bird B.O.P Compare to other places for birding I have done. They are not that expensive. maybe they can help you

Greetings

Hello Sven (?), did you also go snorkelling in the mangroves?

If you wanne go snorkeling between crocodiles you can.but i strongly advise you not to. ;)

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