Isio Hills Bird Watching in Nimbokrang District, Jayapura Regency, Papua, is known as one of the best locations for observing birds of paradise.
This site is managed in collaboration with the local community under the coordination of Alex Waisimon.
The journey to the location is approximately 100 kilometers from Sentani.
For a fee of around Rp1 million, visitors can stay overnight, eat, and participate in bird-watching activities.
Upon arrival at the camp, tourists are greeted by a lush forest atmosphere with large trees and simple huts for guests.
The main activities begin at 4:00 a.m., when visitors are led into the forest with a guide.
The morning is considered the best time to observe bird activity in their natural habitat.
At several observation points, tourists have the opportunity to see various types of birds of paradise, including the wire-tailed bird of paradise and the king bird of paradise.
In addition, many other bird species can also be found in the area.
Alex Waisimon is known for his deep knowledge of the forest, ranging from bird calls and animal behavior to the surrounding natural conditions.
He has leveraged this expertise to develop birdwatching tourism as an alternative economic source for the local community.
In the past, this area suffered from logging and wildlife poaching.
However, since ecotourism has taken hold, these activities have been phased out, and the forest is gradually recovering.
Masyarakat kini semakin menyadari bahwa menjaga alam dapat memberikan manfaat ekonomi berkelanjutan.
Alex berharap semakin banyak masyarakat adat di Papua memanfaatkan hutan secara lestari melalui ekowisata.