Things to Do in Sorong, Indonesia: Walking Guide

Sorong is a city in Southwest Papua and an important maritime gateway to the Kepala Burung region. For visitors, its districts, port, airport, religious landmarks, schools and public institutions offer a way to experience the city beyond its role as a departure point. Neywo has a free audio guide for Sorong with 20 narrated places, available in 11 languages.

What to See in Sorong

Domine Eduard Osok International Airport

Also known as Sorong Airport, Domine Eduard Osok International Airport serves the city and is one of the airports on the Bird’s Head Peninsula of Southwest Papua. The landscape around the airport changes noticeably: the land is relatively flat towards the southwest, while hills rise to the northeast. The sea lies closest in the southwestern direction, and much of the surrounding area is covered by forest.

North Sorong

North Sorong, or Sorong Utara in Indonesian, is one of Sorong City’s districts. It was formed from East Sorong District through Regional Regulation Number 40 of 2013, a division that created four districts. Visiting North Sorong gives a broader sense of Sorong as an urban area made up of distinct administrative communities, rather than a city centred on a single landmark.

Malaimsimsa

Malaimsimsa is another district within Sorong City. It was established as a separate district through the same 2013 regional regulation, having been formed from Sorong Utara District. The district is divided into four urban villages and offers a glimpse into the local administrative structure of Sorong.

Klaurung

Klaurung was formed from the former East Sorong District under Regional Regulation Number 40 of 2013. Today, it is divided into four urban villages. Like the city’s other districts, it provides a perspective on the neighbourhoods and administrative areas that make up Sorong.

Maladum Mes

Maladum Mes was established through the division of Sorong Barat District. It is divided into four urban villages and is one of the districts within Sorong City in Southwest Papua. Including areas such as Maladum Mes in a city exploration reveals the wider urban landscape beyond Sorong’s best-known transport links.

East Sorong

East Sorong, locally known as Sorong Timur, is one of the city’s administrative districts. It was formed through Regional Regulation Number 40 of 2013, which divided the former East Sorong district into four districts. It is part of the city’s broader network of districts and urban villages.

Port of Sorong

The Port of Sorong is a major maritime gateway in Sorong, Papua Barat Daya. It connects the Kepala Burung region with other parts of Indonesia and has two distinct areas of activity: a passenger terminal for travellers and a container terminal for cargo. The port is therefore both a practical transport hub and an important part of the city’s connection with the wider Indonesian archipelago.

Papua Christian University

Papua Christian University, also known as Universitas Kristen Papua or UKIP, is a private higher education institution in Sorong. It is managed by the Neria Papua Christian Education Foundation. The university’s first rector was Professor Dr. Sasmoko, followed by Dr. Dian Erianti Mega Renouw from 2015 to 2019 and Dr. Sofian Andi, who began serving in 2019.

R. Oetojo Navy Hospital

On Jend. Ahmad Yani Street in Klademak, R. Oetojo Navy Hospital is a military hospital operated by the Indonesian Navy that also serves the wider public. It operates under Main Naval Base XIV Sorong, which supports the Eastern Region of the Indonesian Navy’s Fleet Command III.

In 2025, the hospital was upgraded from a Type C, or Level III, hospital to a Type B, or Level II, hospital. It has received national standardization from Indonesia’s Hospital Accreditation Commission and achieved its first successful accreditation result in 2018. Its motto, Dharma Husada Rumeksa, expresses a commitment to service through treating and caring for patients.

SMA Averos

SMA Averos, also known as SMA Sains Averos, is a private high school with a focus on science education. Founded in 2004, it first operated as a tutoring and course centre before becoming a formal school. In 2007, it was officially established as SMA Sains Averos under the Averos Science Education Foundation.

Students complete three years of secondary education, from Grade Ten through Grade Twelve, with a specialization in the natural sciences. The school gained national attention in 2022 when it achieved the highest ranking among schools across the island of Papua in computer-based university entrance examination results. It was ranked 570th among all schools in Indonesia and was one of only two schools from Papua in the national top one thousand that year.

Sapta Ratna Pagoda

Sapta Ratna Pagoda is a Chinese pagoda and place of worship in Sorong. Built in the late 1990s and lightly restored during the 2010s, it has seven wooden stories arranged in a traditional pagoda design with multiple eaves. Its tall form reflects traditions associated with the stupa.

The pagoda welcomes around seven thousand local and foreign visitors each month. It can be reached by public transport or taxi and remains an active religious site within the city.

Sorong’s Schools and Districts

Other places encountered around Sorong include SMP Negeri 7 Sorong, a junior high school, and SMA Negeri 1 Sorong, one of the city’s public high schools. SMA Negeri 1 Sorong is considered the oldest high school in Papua. When it was established, the region was known as Irian Barat and the school was called SMA Negeri 413.

The district of Sorong itself is divided into four urban villages, known locally as kelurahan. Sorong Kota is another district within the city and covers 78.04 square kilometres. Its population was recorded as 22,589 people in 2019, and the district was formed from Sorong Timur through the 2013 regional regulation.

Explore Sorong with Neywo

There are no scheduled group departures or fixed pace to follow. Neywo’s free Sorong audio guide includes 20 narrated places, with each story playing as you reach the place. Explore independently, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. Narration is available in 11 languages.

Download Neywo to discover Sorong while you walk and hear the story of each place at the moment you arrive. After Sorong, continue exploring Indonesia and discover other destinations such as Manado or Labuan Bajo.