Birding in Tounelet Forest of Sonder Town of Minahasa Highland

Sonder, a small town in Minahasa regency, has got several birding sites that are good for birding visitors to see. The first one is Tounelet Forest located at the slope of the town. Birdwatching activity can be done along the roadside, footpath or from the frontyard and sideyard of Charles Roring's homestay. The birds that could be watched in this forest include Black-crowned White-eye (Zosterops atrifrons), Grey-sided Flowerpecker (Dicaeum celebicum) which is endemic to Sulawesi and its satellite islands, Sahul Sunbird (Cinnyris frenatus), Sooty-headed Bulbul (Pycnonotus aurigaster), Sulawesi Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia albicapilla), Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis), Grey-sided Flowerpecker (Dicaeum celebicum), Yellow-sided Flowerpecker (Dicaeum aureolimbatum), Pale Blue Monarch (Hypothymis puella), Black Sunbird (Leptocoma aspasia), Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Slender-billed Crow, Chestnut Munia (Lonchura atricapilla), Scaly-breasted Munia (Lonchura punctulata), Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker (Yungipicus temminckii), Sulawesi Hanging Parrot (Loriculus stigmatus), and etc. 

Some birds in North Sulawesi

As usual, the recommended times to enjoy birding at this slope forest are in the mornings (from 05:30 to around 10:30) and in the afternoons from (15:00 to 18:30). 

Villagers who live in Sonder work as farmers. They grow maize, rice, vegetables, tomatoes and spring onions. There are also farmers who run poultry farming, fish farming and pig farming.

Sonder Town as seen from Tounelet Slope

Sonder town is surrounded by waters, rice fields, farmlands, and hill forest. They are worth exploring. At the rice field areas of Talikuran village and further to Tincep village, we could see Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Pied Stilt, Gray Wagtail, Collared Kingfisher, White-breasted Woodswallow and White-browed Crake. Behind the terraces of rice fields, birdwatchers could explore the farmlands and forest in the hills which are the habitat of Yellow-billed Malkoha, Hair-crested Drongo, Black-faced Munia, Crimson Sunbird, White-faced Cuckoo Dove, Sulawesi Drongo, Mountain/ Warbling White Eye, Gray-rumped Treeswift, and a lot more. 

Some birds from Tounelet forest in Sonder town

Some birds from the farmland and hill forest of
Sonder town in Minahasa regency

Birding in Sonder is relatively very easy for everybody. Visitors do not need to walk through densed forest or thick bushes. There are agricultural roads that can be used by visitors. More interesting birds could be watched there. For accommodation, there are homestays in Sonder and Rambunan village. For hotels, visitors could go to the towns of Tomohon and Tondano.

Birds in Sonder town

How to get there?

It is relatively easy to visit Sonder town or Minahasa regency as a whole. The main gate is Manado city. There are regular daily flights between Manado and major cities in Indonesia such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar, Makassar, Balikpapan and Sorong city. These flight routes are served by domestic airlines such as Citilink, Lion Air, Batik Air, Garuda Indonesia, TransNusa, AirAsia Indonesia. There is also direct flight from Singapore to Manado served by Scoot Air. 

Flight route to Manado city

Land route from Manado city to Sonder town (approx. 1 hour 30 minutes by car)

Arriving in Manado city, visitors could continue their trip to Sonder by car for approximately 1 hour 30 minutes depending on the density of road traffic.

Booking

If you are interested in taking a holiday in the highland of Minahasa of Sulawesi and want me to organize your tour, please, contact me by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com.

Also read:

• Birding in Tounelet Forest of Sonder Town
• Birds in Minahasa
• Birding in North Sulawesi
• Sightseeing and Birdwatching Tour in the Ricefield of Sonder

NATURE TOUR IN NORTH SULAWESI

As a tourist guide, I offer tours to North Sulawesi for visitors who are interested in seeing nature, watching birds, butterflies, and other animals in the forest. The duration of the tour can be as short as 7 to 9 days covering most of the important forest areas from Kotamobagu to Minahasa and then to Bitung.

The tour that I offer is not only for birding and wildlife watching but also for seeing beautiful natural places of Minahasa such as Lake Tondano and Lake Linow, terraces of rice fields, and farmlands in the towns of Tomohon and Sonder that surround traditional villages of North Celebes.

Farmland in the highland of Minahasa

From my previous trips I and my clients saw Maleo, White-necked Myna, Purple-winged Roller, Citrine Cannary Flycatcher, Gross-beaked Starling, Sooty-headed Bulbul, Sulawesi Serpent Eagle, Knobbed Hornbill, Sulawesi Scops Owl, Speckled Boobok, Green-backed Kingfisher, Large-billed Kingfisher, Lilac Cheeked Kingfisher, Slender-billed Cuckoo Dove, Hair-crested Drongo, Black-naped Oriole, Sunda Teal, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Grey-sided Flowerpecker, Sahul Sunbird, Barred Rail, Grey-cheeked Green Pigeon, Finch-billed Myna, Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, Sulawesi Scops Owl, and etc.

Purple-winged Roller

In addition to birds, while walking in the forest, we saw Crested-Macaque Monkeys, Gliding Lizard, snake, and Sulawesi bear Cuscus.

Sulawesi has got a lot of endemic animals. This tropical island is located in the transition zone between the continents of Asia and Australia.

Besides birding and wildlife watching, I also did trips to traditional eating houses of the region. I did them to taste traditional cakes, and spicy cuisine of Minahasa.

Visitors who plan to take this tour with me have to bring their own binoculars and if possible, camera with telephoto lens such as Nikon or Canon D-Slr with 400 or even 600 mm lenses. Sigma and Tamron manufacture 150-600 mm lenses that are suitable for bird and wildlife photography. Those who do not want to carry heavy photographic devices can bring Nikon P900 or Nikon P1000 that is very powerful in shooting birds and wild animals in distant trees.

Lake Tondano in Minahasa regency of Noryh Sulawesi

To share the cost, visitors can travel in a group of 4 to 8 people. For more information on itinerary and cost, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Lake Tondano in Minahasa Highland

In my last tour around Minahasa, I visited Lake Tondano. There was a road that connected Tomohon and Tondano. However, we did not go through that one. We went there through Leilem village. It was a big lake in North Sulawesi. I went there by car and had a tour around the lake. The scenery of the lake was very beautiful. Villages and Tondano town surrounded the edge of the lake. There were restaurants too. I had lunch in the town near the campus of State University of Manado. The temperature in Tondano was quite cool especially at nights.

Lake Tondano in the highland of Minahasa

When traveling in the area, I saw a tall tower. I heard that it was the replica of Moraya fortress which was the battle ground between Dutch colonial troops and the Minahasan people in early 1800s. It was a sad story because during the war, a lot of people were killed including women and children.

During that time Tondano and other Minahasan villages were important rice and spice producers in the region. So, it was not surprising to see how Western Colonial powers of that era such as the Spaniards and the Dutch used their military and economic might to conquer the region.
Until now, farmlands around Lake Tondano still produce rice but farmers have run other businesses too such as running eating houses, and shops.
If you are interested in traveling around the province of North Sulawesi of Indonesia to see its beautiful scenery, birds, butterflies, and flowers and then friendly Minahasan people, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Also read:

• Walking Tour around the Farmland of Sonder town in Minahasa highland
• Nature Tour in North Sulawesi

BIRDS IN MINAHASA

I like to travel around the lowland and highland of Minahasa. I visit Tomohon, Tondano, Sonder, Kawangkoan, and Langowan, the outskirts of Manado city, Tangkoko Nature Reserve to explore their surrounding rainforests. I sometimes guide visitors to this region. During my exploratory birding trips in this part of North Sulawesi Province of Indonesia, I see a lot of species of birds. Some of them are listed below:

Yellow-billed Malkoha, Knobbed Hornbill, Papuan Dwarf Kingfisher, Black-faced Munia, Red-backed Thrush

• Warbling White-eye (Zosterops japonicus) - This bird could be found in Mount Mahawu near Tomohon or in higher montane forest of District Sonder of Minahasa regency. 

Warbling White-eye (Zosterops japonicus) in District Sonder of Minahasa regency

• Black-crowned White-eye (Zosterops atrifrons)
• Sulawesi Drongo
• Hair-crested Drongo (White-eyed)
• Scaly-breasted Kingfisher
• Collared Kingfisher
• Sulawesi Lilac Kingfisher
• Green-backed Kingfisher
• Ruddy Kingfisher
• Sulawesi Dwarf Kingfisher
• Crimson Sunbird (Aethopyga siparaja) - I saw this bird at the edge of higher montane forest is in the east of District town of Sonder. The bird was sitting on a top branch of a tree when I was walking and looking at the branches of the surrounding trees to photograph birds. 

Crimson Sunbird in Sonder of Minahasa highland

• Olive-backed Sunbird
• Brown-throated Sunbird
• Black Sunbird
• Knobbed Hornbill
• Sulawesi Hornbill
• Grey-sided Flowerpecker
• Yellow-sided Flowerpecker
• Sooty-headed Bulbul
• Slender-billed Crow
• Chestnut Munia
• Scaly-breasted Munia
• Black-faced Munia
• Grey-cheeked Green Pigeon
• Green Imperial Pigeon

Green Imperial Pigeon

• Black-naped Fruit Dove
• White-faced Cuckoo Dove
• Sulawesi Cuckoo Dove
• Brush Cuckoo
• Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis omissus) - This small bird is an endemic species of Sulawesi island. I saw it early in the morning in higher elevation forest of District Sonder. It was sitting on a twig of a shrub plant. 
• Zebra Dove (Geopelia striata). In Indonesia, this bird is called Burung Perkutut. It can easily adapt to live in small villages and towns that are surrounded by agricultural lands that provides food for the bird population. 

Zebra Dove (Geopelia striata) at the outskirts of District Sonder in Minahasa regency of Indonesia

• Speckled Boobook
• Sulawesi Scops Owl
• Little Egret
• Cattle Egret
• Barred Rail
• White-browed Crake
• Cinnamon Bittern
• Purple Heron
• Sulawesi Hanging Parrot
• Purple-winged Roller

Purple-winged Roller

• Ashy Woodpecker
• Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker
• White-browed Crake
• White-breasted Woodswallow
• and a lot more.

Birds in Minahasa Regency

To watch birds, I bring my SVBONY 10×50 binoculars, spotting scope, and to take pictures, I bring my old Fujifilm HS50EXR which I bought from an online electronic store in Indonesia.

I often have the opportunity to speak with local farmers who make palm sugar, plant vegetables, and with ones who own fish, and pig farms. 

Minahasa highland is an interesting destination for visitors who want to see agricultural areas, historical and cultural attractions of local people.

For birding tour that I offer in North Sulawesi, I can include some additional trips to the volcanic crater of Mount Mahawu or to Lake Tondano. I can organize scenic and cultural trips to places where local farmers in North Sulawesi traditionally make palm sugar, farm tools, and earthenware.

Visitors who are interested in taking the tour could come as a solo traveler or as a group of 2, 4 and up to 8 participants to share the cost of traveling. For further info about the trip, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Also read: 

• Scaly-breasted Kingfisher
• Birds of Sulawesi
• Wildlife Watching and Photography Trip in Minahasa
• Birding in North Sulawesi
• Birding in Tounelet Forest of Sonder

BENDI, A TRADITIONAL TRANSPORT VEHICLE IN MINAHASA HIGHLAND

The use of bendi as a traditional transport vehicle in North Sulawesi province of Indonesia is declining. More people now drive cars and motorcycles. However, we could still see people go by bendis in certain towns in Minahasa highland such as Kawangkoan and Langowan. Before the invention of internal combustion engine and car, people travelled everywhere by riding horse, donkey, camel and even elephant. Although they do not emit toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, and chlorine, these "transport vehicles" are not interesting in a fast moving world anymore. In some third world countries, people still use horse or donkey drawn cart as transport vehicle. In Europe and the United States, horse-drawn cart are used for tourists travelling around a city or town. They do not function as the main transport vehicles.

Bendi is a horse pulled vehicle in North Sulawesi - Photo: Charles Roring

We have seen that the soaring fossil fuel price triggers the rapid development of alternative fuel such as bio-diesel and bio-ethanol. Such development needs technology to implement. Most villagers in third world countries do not have the technological capacity to develop bio-fuel. They cannot afford to buy cars or trucks either. So, the easiest way to get a transport vehicle is by utilising their livestock as car or taxi.

A road in Minahasa Highland

If we travel to Minahasa highland in North Sulawesi, we can still see some bendi carts roaming around the towns. Bendi is a horse drawn wagon. Thousands of bendi could be found in Minahasa region between 1980s and 1990s. When most of the town dwellers could not afford to buy motorcycles or cars. Unfortunately, their number has been decreasing over the years as the public transport vehicles such as bus and taxi that consumed low cost fuel offered cheaper fare. Electric bikes and motorcycles in more affordable prices continue to enter the market. The above picture shows how a bendi is used as commercial taxi in Sonder village of Minahasa region, the province of North Sulawesi.

Now, when the soaring price of fossil fuel has become everyday reality, the number of bendi is expected to continue to operate. Bendi will be a preferable choice of transport for tourism purposes. Horses do not consume gasoline or diesel fuel because it only needs grazing as its source of energy.

To attract people to ride this traditional vehicle, bendi owners decorate their cart with glittering ornaments and colorful paintings. The only annoying problem people face when riding bendi is its speed which is far lower than taxi or bus. This was written by Charles Roring.

Guiding Service

If you are interested in taking a holiday tour in Minahasa highland and want me to organize your tour and guide you, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp: +6281332245180. 

Also read:

• Clay Stove in Minahasa
• Lake Tondano

CLAY STOVE IN MINAHASA HIGHLAND

Nowadays, the use of clay stove with firewood as its fuel in Minahasa highland is declining. Gas and electric stoves are the more popular choice for cooking because they are cleaner and do not emit thick smoke.

Claystove in Minahasa highland

However, this may change if the price of Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) and electricity become expensive again. LPG is fossile fuel. People may return to clay stove if they cannot afford to buy LPG. A homemaker needs three to five pieces of wood to cook rice, vegetables, and to fry fish for lunch. This is considered far cheaper than buying kerosene. Unfortunately, the smoke released by  wood stove will be harmful to users' health if they don't install proper chimney or exhaust pipes. 

Homemakers in Minahasa and other towns in Indonesia are asked by the government to replace their kerosene stoves with LPG stoves. Actually the price of a 3-kilogram LPG tank is quite cheap but the cost of transportation to remote villages makes it expensive. Farmers who live near agricultural land and forest where firedwood is in abundance, continue to use wood as household fuel.

When firewood is not available, it can be substitute by coconut shells. Coconut shells are the side products of copra. Copra is the dried flesh of coconut which contains high percentage of edible oil. The soaring fossil fuel price has also triggered bio-diesel development using coconut oil as the raw material. So, coconut oil will not only be used as cooking oil but also as diesel oil. In the past, most of the the overstock of coconut shell was not used for biomass fuel. They are considered as waste. Villagers were reluctant to sell the shells to a factory because the cost of transport is high. Now, they use these shells as cooking fuel.

Sonder - a small town in the highland of Minahasa

The design of clay stove is very simple. It is moulded from clay in a hollow box shape. One, where pieces of wood are inserted is rectangular whereas the other where the flame heat the cooking pan is circular. There are two clay stove producers in Sonder village, Minahasa. More clay stove producers are expected to grow in other villages of Minahasa regency. A clay stove is sold for Rp. 80,000 rupiahs (approx. 5 US dollars)

Wet clay stoves, coming out of the mock-up are dried under the sun. Sometimes, a producer of clay stoves covers his products with plastic sheet when the sun ray is too hot in order to avoid cracks in them. The clay stoves are also covered when it rains as seen in the picture.

More clay stoves used by the villagers will be better for the local economy. The money spent by every household to buy wood, coconut shells, and clay stove, will only circulate within the villages instead of flying out to oil exporter countries. When more money circulates in the villages, the economic activities of the people will accelerate in spite of the oil crisis.

In most remote villages in Minahasa of Indonesia, the use of clay stoves is still common. Every household has at least two in their kitchen whereas in towns and cities across the Indonesian archipelago, most households use kerosene stoves. Below is the photograph of Kompor Hock, the most popular kerosene stove in this country. As you can see, they are made of aluminum with fuel tank installed at the bottom of the stoves. Clay stoves are not popular in big cities due to the size and lack of wood as fuel for cooking. In addition, housewives in the city prefer to have spotless kitchen with electrical or gas stoves installed in them.

How to get to Minahasa highland

Visitors who are interested in exploring the natural beauty of Minahasa highland need to fly to Manado city which is the main gate to Minahasa. 

• Route 1: Fly from your country to Singapore. After that they can continue their trip to Manado city by flying with Scoot Air.
• Route 2: Visitors can fly to Jakarta which is the capital of Indonesia. After that the flight to Manado city can easily be done using one of the domestic airlines such as Garuda, Lion Air, Batik Air and Citilink.
• Route 3: Fly from Sorong city to Manado city.
• Route 4: Fly from Denpasar Bali to Manado city.

When you arrive in Manado city, I could meet you at the airport and organize your tour to Minahasa highland. 

Flying to Manado City

Hotels

There are a lot of hotels in Manado city, and Minahasa regency which you could choose to stay. Ask uncle Google for more info.

Guiding Service

If you are interested in traveling to Minahasa of North Sulawesi and want me (Charles Roring) to organize your trip and guide you, please, contact me by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com

by Charles Roring

Also read:

• Hiking Tour and Birdwatching in Minahasa