The hidden gem inside the heavenly island of Papua, you can call Mansinam island as one of them. Mansinam is a very important site with a huge historical aspect for the local religion and Indonesia in general. It was largely unheard of, but Mansinam is one of the islands near the Manokwari in West Papua always worth exploring. How good is it?
The Historical Point
Mansinam is a small island with around 411-hectare of land to explore. While it does have a huge number of natural beauty, the historical aspect of Mansinam is also pretty outstanding. Before Indonesian independence and when Papua was largely under the communist government, Mansinam was the gate of the new civilization phase.
It was stated that two evangelists from Germany, Johann G. Geisler, and Carl W. arrived on Mansinam island around February 1855. The two foreigners brought along the new civilization to the local community through religion, education, tools, and literature. Both evangelists teach locals how to use modern tools, a touch of gospel, writing, and reading.
Christianity brought by the two evangelists, eventually introduced better and modern civilization for the locals. Though the historic moment happened about 160 years ago, traces of religious sites are found in the area. Thus, Mansinam has become one of the popular vacation destinations for Christians in the Doreh Cape, West Papua province.
The Location And How To Reach It
Located at Doreh Cape close to the Manokwari city, tourists can reach the island within 30 minutes from the center of town. To go straight to the island, you will need to cross over via the Kwawi beach using a traditional or longboat. You might also find some other options, such as a speed boat to cut some trip time. For your information, the boat can take around 10-15 minutes.
Water taxis and some of the transportation to the island is pretty affordable. You can rent a boat starting from Rp 150,000 or more. With the rent and easy access, be sure to get prepared for the trip. Mansinam is a malaria-endemic area, so you need to get some medicine and precautions by eating Sambiloto or Kina before reaching the area.
Sites To Visit
As one of the religious tourist destinations, you can say the place is pretty essential for Papua tourism. Aside from its long and thick historical aspect, Monsinam offers some interesting places to visit. West Papua Statue of Jesus Christ, old church, the monument, and the beach are what you should not miss on this island.
1. The Statue Of Jesus Christ
Inaugurated by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during Agustus 2014, the Statue of Jesus Christ is probably one of the best locations to visit. The inauguration opened the State of Jesus Christ statue with a height of 14.5 meters and decorated with Papuan ornament underneath the concrete pillar. That statue was one of the new additions you can find on the island.
Although it has the same idea as the Rio de Janeiro Jesus Christ statue, it has a slightly different model. Both have the same white-robed Jesus with stretched hands. The Mansinam version has huge 15-meter base support that makes it look taller and higher. Due to being located on the top of a hill, the statue stands as one of the Instagenic sites.
2. Old Church
For the tourist that wants to trace the religious trace of West Papua on the island, the old church is the best site to visit. The old church has never been renovated and still has the original design from the old gospel history on the island. Local and thousands of people from Papua or Indonesia will gather on Feb 15 every year on this site to honor Geisler and Ottow.
Some other sites around the church indicate a long history on the island. An old well made by the two Evangelists’ students is located at the back of the church and is still in use today. An old cemetery near the church also traces the history of Mansinam as a place where many sick and shipwrecked sailors are buried.
3. Ottow And Geisler Monument
For a better religious tourist visit, check the Ottow and Geisler monument on the island. The monument was built on the 100 by 500-meter plot of land with a diorama of Ottow and Geilser sailing to West Papua. There is also a diorama in front of the monument that states glory to god in the highest words. Some other statues were also found around the garden area.
Being one of the many hidden gems of tourism, Mansinam has a long history of being the local gospel origin. That makes Mansinam island one of the religious sites for tourism. Mansinam offers a great length of attractions, such as the well-known Statue of Jesus Christ, monuments, the old church, and beaches to explore on the island.
