Exploring the beauty of natural resources can be one of the biggest dreams for people. Fortunately, Indonesia does have a lot of spots with that kind of charm, such as the West Papua province. Tourists can reach the area to explore more of the province. And one of the tourist gateways is Sorong, if you want to go through this city, be sure to jot down some of these lists.
Things To Know Before Traveling Through Sorong
1. Learn The Climate
The first thing tourists need to consider is the Papua climate. No matter where you want to start, Papua is located in a tropical climate. It means the location mainly has wet and dry patterns. The island position is also out of the monsoon cycles, which makes the climate pattern irregular. In many cases, the rain time can get over 200 centimeters a year.
The driest month should be around May and October, which does not guarantee any rain. The place also tends to have heavy rain and windy from November to March, and the peak of the wet season is around April to October. That is why tourists need to properly prepare for unexpected forecasts.
Meanwhile, the climate of the Papua is pretty comfortable, especially for the highlands which range from 26ᵒC to 15ᵒC. If you are trying to reach Baliem Valley, consider the hot and dry climate. Since it is located on the highland of West Papua, it is relatively colder than the low land. For the best travel, you can consider June as the coolest or December as the hottest month.
2. Pack Up The Travel Document
Going through Sorong helps tourists prepare for travel documents. Surat Jalan or travel permit is one of them, which tourists can obtain from police stations or branches. Sorong is a big city, so it does have a proper preparation office. The permit is pretty vital, especially for foreigners that visit the province.
While not all places demand the permit, tourists better have it than sorry. Again, it is better to refer to the local policies and inquire about the needed document before visiting the place. In Sorong or other bigger cities, Biak or Jayapura, the permit process mostly takes hours. Tourists can also work with trusted agencies to help with all preparation.
3. Accommodation Options
Since Sorong is one of the biggest cities in the province, it has a range of accommodation options. Other west Papua spots also have accommodations, but this city does have several starred hotels. Sorong is also known as the multi-ethnic region in the province. Thus, the local culinary, customs, and accommodations have become very diverse to accept tourists.
Sorong will be a good starting point before visiting the other sites of Papua. Especially considering how the livelihood in the more secluded and internal areas can turn 180 degrees. In other words, the other location likely offers significantly different services, hospitality, accessibility, and availability.
Other than food and accommodation, Sorong also tends to come with a range of tour packages. Tourists can pick according to their needs, but one of the most popular ones is the diving package tour. It includes dining services, a diving organizer, and a range of international activities. But, there are also chances to explore Sorong as a gateway to the heavenly Papua.
4. Things To Visit In Sorong
Sorong might just be the travel gateway, but the city does have some charms. Tourists can explore the city as one of the beautiful buzzing cities in West Papua. Some of the tourist spots are Batanta island and Tugu Afak. Batanta Island is one of the places where tourists can reach by motorboat from the city. The island is a house of endemic bird habitats.
It is also the home of the magnificent Bird of Paradise or Cenderawasih. For a longer boat trip that takes up to six hours, Waigeo island also offers a closer look at the endemic bird sanctuary. There is also Tugu Arfak, the Japanese memorial during world war II, on top of the scenic hill overlooking Sorong.
5. How To Reach Sorong
As one of the biggest towns in the province, Sorong has a good connection to the rest of Indonesia. Tourists can reach the town through sea transportation or flight. In this case, the air connection comes with over 40 domestic flights per week. It includes many cities in Indonesia such as Jakarta, Bali, and Makassar. Not only that, but it also connected with west Papua inter-island passenger and cargo traffic.
Sorong is one of the buzzing cities you can find in the region. It is also known as the gateway to reach Raja Ampat, which is one of the richest biodiversity spots in the province. Visiting Sorong can be a great introduction to how beautiful the region is. It is also a great starting point to start the journey to many other regions or regencies around the province.
