With a dazzling list of birds, including 12 species of parrots, Seram is one of the top birding destinations in Asia.
WHERE IS IT?
Seram is in Indonesia between Sulawesi and West Papua.
Seram
HOW DO YOU GET THERE?
Seram is served by Ambon (AMQ) Pattimura Airport. The only possibility to get there with miles is on Garuda which is due to join the SkyTeam later in 2013. Garuda connects in Makassar (UPG) to other destinations in Indonesia or overseas. Most other airlines also use Makassar as a staging point to get to Ambon such as Lion Air, and Sriwijaya. Other useful flights especially to birders are Wings Abadi (Lion Air partner) to Sorong and Manokwai and the Batavia and Lion Air flights to Jakarta and Surabaya from where you can connect to Bali.
Buying tickets on Garuda and even more so the smaller airlines can be tricky as they are finicky about which credit cards from which country they accept. Garuda usually takes Australian and some Asian countries credit cards but not USA credit cards. Batavia takes Paypal. Sriwijaya and Lion advertise Visa and Mastercard but not everyone will be able to buy a ticket online. Garuda can be booked on Expedia but at a premium. I’ve read good things about a couple of Indonesian travel agencies which can book domestic tickets though have not used them myself. Try Ticket Indonesia, which also has a nice booking engine or Travelindo.
Once in Ambon, you need to take a ferry across to Seram. The cheapest and most popular option is the car-ferry from Liang on Ambon to Kairatu on Seram, which is also used by the direct buses connecting the two islands. Those in a hurry to get to Masohi can opt for speedboats, or even a daily hydrofoil from Tulehu.
WHERE TO STAY IN SERAM
There’s a nice introduction to Seram and Manusela on this forum. Seram has some small losmen (guesthouses) in Sawai that you don’t need to book, just show up. I would suggest first contacting Indonesian Parrot Project and asking them to recommend a guide and place to stay. This is a taste of what to expect.
Birdquest has organized tours to Seram if you prefer to travel with a group. If you are more independent, this trip report gives you a good idea of what to expect even though it is a few years old.
WHAT BIRDS CAN YOU SEE?
The complete birdlist is here, but just take a look at the parrots! Of course Moluccan Cockatoos are top of the list, but there are also beautiful non-parrots such as Lazuli Kingfishers to see as well and if you are lucky, you may see a shy Seram Bandicoot running off into the bush.
You will need a good bird guide and I recommend you read this birding page by the local group Burung Nusantara as they have several recommended guides if you can’t get one from Indonesian Parrot Project.
Heading north on the cross-island road brings you eventually to the turn-off to Sawai (2-3 hours from Masohi), or you can continue a couple of hours more to Wahai. In Sawai there is a nice guesthouse, Penginapan Lisar Bahari, owned by Pak Ali. He can also arrange a longboat to visit the offshore islands nearby. The road from the turn-off to Sawai can be a bit of a mess, so another option you could explore is to stay at the Parrot Rehabilitation Centre nearer the turn-off. Accommodation here would be very basic, and may not be possible at all depending on what is going on at the time. From Sawai you can access the forest all the way to the high pass by car or ojek (motorbike taxi), and the 5-6km from the turn off to Sawai village is easy enough on foot. Continuing along the road as far as Wahai brings you to more accommodation options, but takes you further from the montane birding action of the passes.
To help with logistic arrangements, cars, guides, finding accommodation and dealing with the national park, the best bet is hook up with one of the Ambon-based agents that know Seram very well (such as Pak Ceisar, Vino and gang, see listings below). These guys are also pretty passionate about nature conservation and have been involved with the Parrot Rehabilitation Project for many years. Alternatively you can make your way to the National Park offices in Wahai by public transport (occasional buses from Masohi), and fix things up that way, or even just make your own way to Sawai and let Pak Ali take care of arrangements. Whatever option to go for you will probably find yourself hooked up with the same local guides anyway, as there are not so many people living in this part of Seram and they all seem to know each other! At time of writing the National Park is pretty relaxed about formalities, so none of the heavy-handed pressure for useless guides or obscure payments yet!
To get to Boano there are four daily ferries from Liang (in Ambon) to Kairatu (in Seram), the latest leaving at around 18:00. From Kairatu it is easy to get an public minibus (angkot) to Piru (1½ hours, Rp. 25,000) or to charter a car/minibus (maybe Rp. 200,000). From Piru it is then best to head to the closet town to Boano; the village of Masika (a further 45 minutes by motorbike taxi/ojek; Rp. 50,000). Masika does not have any accommodation though it is possible to stay with the boatman, Hamza (+6281945089177). Hamza is easy to contact him beforehand (though he only speaks Indonesian) and can arrange a charter to Pulau Boano (45 minutes, Rp. 400,000). He can also pick you up from Boano easily for the same cost and knows exactly where to take birders now.
You should ideally head to the main village on Boano first, to report your presence. Head for the village head’s house at the top of the village (the one with the bright yellow steps!). An option for a local guide is a guy named Pak Ade (+6287847079134). He speaks some English and can be contacted in advance to meet you in Boano Town (‘Boano Utara’). In this way he could help with the required formalities. Expect to pay Pak Ade around Rp 2-300,000 per day. Having reported to the village head, and equipped yourself with a guide, your next move is to get across the island to the village of Huhua. Options are to walk or get a boat (as mentioned above). In Huhua you can arrange accommodation at the house of Pak Ibrahim (one of the few locals in Huhua that speaks Indonesian – yes, we mean Indonesia – not English!!). Sleeping here will be pretty basic, so bring a sleeping bag liner or even a hammock.
Seram is not the easiest place to get to for birding but it’s well worth the effort!