The mountainous forest around Poco Ndeki Mount is the perfect place for bird watching. It is only around 12km from Borong, the capital town of the Manggarai Timur district.
In the local Manggaraian dialect, ‘poco’ means mountain. Poco Ndeki, 950 meters above sea level, is covered by a pristine wilderness. You may need a machete to make your way up or down. The forest is also home to green vipers who camouflage themselves as dry branches. For safety reasons and more pleasant exploration, better for you to let a local guide join in on your adventure.
Towards the top of the mountain are remnants of traditional belief system in the form of ‘Batu Embu’ (two rocks that symbolize the female and male gender). These rocks are considered sacred by the local people. They believe that the rocks is home of ancestral spirits who guard the forest. From time to time, the local community holds ceremonies in this area, such as rituals to ask for rain. It will take you approximately four hours to reach this mystical site.
Early morning bird watching will (hopefully) bring you encounters with various bird species. Ranging from cockatoos, punglors (Zoothera interpres), and kingfisher to the gagak Flores (Corvus florensis) and sometimes even the lawelujang (Asian Paradise Flycatcher/Terpsiphone paradisi), the district’s iconic bird. At night, the forest reveals the endemic Flores Scops Owl (Otus alfredi), which offers you an experience of total contrast compared to the morning ambience.
For morning bird watching and forest exploration, you can either spend the night at the local seminary (Wisma Anjas) in Kisol. Of course, you can also arrange an early morning trip starting from Borong
resource: Flores Tourism
