Sawinggrai Village, a Home to the Beautiful Cenderawasih

Sawinggrai village is located in the Meos Mansar district, Raja Ampat, West Papua province. It is among the most recognized village besides Arborek in the same district. This village has 36 families and it is prominent for the Cenderawasih, the Bird of Paradise, the icon of Papua raised in this village. The Red Bird of Paradise is the special icon of the village of Sawinggrai.

There are four species of Cenderawasih reared in this village, namely the Red Bird of Paradise, the Wilson’s Bird of Paradise, the Lesser Bird of Paradise, and the Greater Bird of Paradise. Some of the birds are able to perform movements that resemble a unique dance.

No restaurants and food stalls are available here, but you can find shops selling food supplies in Waisai or Sorong. If you wish to find more variety of food other than seafood on the menu, it is best to go to Sorong.

If you wish to see the birds dancing (usually in the morning or afternoon), avoid coming between December and February because the birds lay eggs during this period.

Get There

Sawinggrai Village is located in the Meos Mansar district, Raja Ampat. To reach this location, it is easier to start your journey from Sorong. There are several flights you can take from Jakarta or Makassar to Sorong.

For sea transportation, ships transiting in Port Sorong are the Dorolonda, Labobar, Gunung Dempo, Sinabung, and the Tatamailau. From Sorong, take a motorboat from the Sorong Fishery Port to Waisai, capital city of the Raja Ampat district. From Waisai, you can continue your journey by longboat to Sawinggrai.

To reach the Cenderawasih observation site, you must climb up Manjai Hill behind the village for about 30 minutes. While to reach the cultured fish-feeding site, you need to walk only about 100 meters to the pier.