NEW GUINEA + RAJA AMPAT

Dates: August 3 to 15, 2024

Duration: 13 days / 12 nights

Number of participants: 6 – 12

Cost per person:
- 3 150 USD subject to 11 — 12 participants, or
- 3 450 USD subject to 9 — 10 participants, or
- 3 750 USD subject to 7 -8 participants.

10% early booking discount (in case you book before March 3, 2024)

Everything is included (also 3 domestic flights), except for:
- international flight to Jayapura and back from Sorong,
- international medical insurance,
- Indonesian visa (if required),
- meals not specified in the program.

Estimated cost of all flights – from Moscow to Jayapura and from Sorong to Moscow: 1300 — 1700 USD. Usually bought on your own, we consult you.

Single supplement in hotels: USD 700 (provided in hotels and bungalows only, and not provided in local houses).

TRAVEL PROGRAM: TOUR TO PAPUA AND RAJA AMPAT

TRAVEL PROGRAM: TOUR TO PAPUA AND RAJA AMPAT


Day 1. August 3, 2024. Jayapura – Wamena

Arrival in Jayapura, the capital and biggest city of Indonesian New Guinea.
Transit flight to Wamena, to the heart of Baliem valley and nowadays capital of newly created Highland Papua Province. Transfer to the hotel. Having rest after long way.

Flights recommended:
— any flight arriving in Jayapura no later than at 9:00 am on August 3.

Meals included: no
Accommodation: hotel Pilamo in Wamena or similar


Day 2. August 4, 2024. Wamena – Kurima – Kilise. Trekking to Dani villages

After breakfast by car we head to Kurima District, proceed up to Kurima. From here we start our trekking to Kilise village. The path here goes constantly up and down, sometimes slippery, sometimes crossing river by old hanging bridges. Make sure that you have appropriate trekking boots! The trekking poles would also be of help.
On the way we pass several traditional villages of Dani tribe, where we can see beautiful landscapes with traditional houses of the Dani on the slopes. This trek takes around 4 to 5 hours.
The Dani are one of the most populous tribes in the highlands, and probably the most well-known ethnic group in Papua. Dani are known for a number of unique traditions, such as cutting the fingers to their women with the stone ax in case of death of a relative in the tribe. Some of these traditions are going into the past, but still there are some old continuers.
Arrive in Kilise village, we can walk around this traditional village. Stay for overnight in the local house (very basic conditions) in Dani village.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: local house


Day 3. August 5, 2024. Kilise — Trekking to Wesangama village

We hike in between Dani and Lanni traditional villages among stunning landscapes,
Crossing hanging bridges over Baliem River, and dedicate our time to deep dive into their culture and their day-to-day life. We start from Kilise and proceed to Wesangama village, passing some traditional villages of the Dani and Lani tribes. Our journey from Kilise to Wesangama takes around 3 to 5 hours.
The Dani live in villages with round houses, where houses for women and men separate in sexes. Traditionally the men are only dressed with a penis sheath (koteka). The women only wear a skirt made of reed. However, nowadays T-shirts and trousers or skirts and blouses have become more common and only some elders still wear koteka.
In Wesangama we meet Lanni people who are famous for their huge kotekas. Nobody can say for sure what is the meaning of koteka for Papuans. First scientists jumped to decision to conclude that it means the penis extension and symbolizes the fertility and man's health. In fact it is gonna be the cloths in order to hide the penis, otherwise men feel themselves nude.
Overnight in local houses (very basic conditions) in Dani/Lanni village.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: local house


Day 4. August 6, 2024. Wesangama — trekking between villages — Wamena

We continue our trekking in the mountainous area populated by Lanni tribes, where we interact with locals.
To the south from here, in the valley of Baliem river, Dani people live, and to the west, in Yalimo area, Yali tribe. These three tribes comprises the greater majority of the area and appear elaborative agriculturalists. They use sweet potato and taro as their staple foods, which are grown practicing shifting cultivation.
We hike back to the cars (it will take some 2-3 hours) and by car leave for Wamena.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch
Accommodation: hotel Pilamo in Wamena or similar


Day 5. August 7, 2024 (Wednesday). Baliem Valley Festival

Full day we take part in famous Baliem Valley festival in Jayawijaya close to Wamena.
The Baliem Valley is about 80 km in length by 20 km in width and lies in the highlands of Western part of New Guinea island at an altitude of about 1600 – 1700 meters above sea level along Baliem river. The population of the region is over 200 000 and mainly occupied by the Dani Papuan people.
Baliem Valley was opened for outer world only in 1938, when its inhabitants knew nothing about wheel and metal melting!
As far as the outside world was concerned, the discovery of the Baliem Valley and the unexpected presence of its large agricultural population was made. Since then then the valley has gradually been opened up to a limited amount of tourism. Tribes still live here traditionally and each has its own unique authentic culture.
As Wamena is located in the middle of the Western part of Indonesian New Guinea, is hosts the great and colorful Baliem Valley festival where lots of different tribes from all around the island are coming. The most famous are Dani, Yali and Lanni whose men have similar tradition of wearing so called kotekas (penis sheaths), but each tribe has its own peculiarities, which are extremely interesting for ethnographers and photographers.
The highlight of the festival is the mock tribal warfare held to maintain the agility and preparedness of the tribes to defend their villages. To prepare for these mock battles, an arena of 400 m by 250 m was organized that will be fill with 500 to 1000 warriors and dancers! All participants from the tribes will be in full dress, which basically means without clothes, in our understanding.
The tribal war simulation will be held during 2 days featuring about 26 groups of 30-50 warriors. These mock battles are accompanied by the Papuan traditional music of Pikon – a musical instrument made of bark which produces the sound when one blows it.

Meals included: breakfast
Accommodation: hotel Pilamo in Wamena or similar


Day 6. August 8, 2024. Baliem Festival and Dani Pig ceremony

After early breakfast in the hotel, we do short morning visit of the Baliem valley festival.
Then drive by car to Kurulu, the traditional village of the Dani people (or another Dani village). Spent half day in Kurulu exploring everyday life of Dani people and witness the famous Pig ceremony with Dani tribe in Kurulu village, formerly headed by legendary chief Yali Mabel.
For centuries, the Dani people have celebrated significant events with a "pig killing ceremony", of Pork Fest. As the Dani have become converted to Christianity, these events are more commonly associated with Christmas and Easter, although smaller ceremonies are held on average about once per month in most villages. For festivities, such as weddings, pigs are slaughtered in a great number. The richer is the person, the more pigs are slaughtered. In the Dani culture pigs, along with women, are considered the measure of wealth and determines the social status of the person who possesses it. Thus, basically women and pigs are considered 2 main things for Dani warriors. Even the word Wamena derives from "wame" (pig). The significance of the pig in Papuan culture is really high.
Pig feasts (or Pig ceremonies) are extremely important to celebrate events communally. The success of a feast, and that of a village "big man" (man of influence) or organizer, is also gauged by the number of pigs slaughtered.
The Dani use an earth oven method of cooking pig and their staple crops such as sweet potato, banana, and cassava. They heat some stones in a fire until they are extremely hot, then wrap cuts of meat and pieces of sweet potato or banana inside banana leaves. The food package is then lowered into a pit which has been lined with some of the hot stones, the remaining hot stones are then placed on top, and the pit is covered in grass and a cover to keep steam in. After a couple of hours the pit is opened and the food removed and eaten. Pigs are too valuable to be served regularly, and are reserved for special occasions only.
Overnight in Wamena.

Meals included: breakfast
Accommodation: hotel Pilamo in Wamena or similar


Day 7. August 9, 2024. Wamena – Sentani — Sorong — Raja Ampat archipelago

After early breakfast in the hotel, transfer to Wamena airport to catch morning flight to Jayapura. Upon arrival transit flight to Sorong at 11:00 am (flight schedule may be changed).
Arrival to Sorong airport after 2 p.m. Car transfer to the harbor and by private speed boat we take our journey to Raja Ampat archipelago.
Arrival to Waisai – the capital city Raja Ampat islands, where we can take long boat and proceed until Kri island where we check-in in the bungalows on the sea shore.
Raja Ampat is an archipelago comprising over 1 500 small islands, cays, and shoals surrounding the four main islands. The name of Raja Ampat means "Four Kings" and comes from local mythology that tells of a woman who finds seven eggs. Four of the seven hatch and become kings who occupy four of Raja Ampat biggest islands whilst the other three become a ghost, a woman, and a stone.

Meals included: breakfast, dinner
Accommodation: simple bungalows on the beach on Kri Island


Days 8 – 11. August 10 – 13, 2024. Raja Ampat islands

These 4 days we stay in Raja Ampat marine sanctuary, on the amazing beaches with stunning views around.
We change 2 locations. First we settle on the edge of Kri island in the rustic and charming bungalows built right in the sea with the amazing sunset view! Then by boat we move to the western part of archipelago, to the area of Piaynemo island famous for its karstic islands popping up from the turquoise sea water. Here we occupy the whole (very small) island called Rufas, with private lagoon inside. You can take a swim and make a circle around the island in half an hour!
Although here, as opposed to Kri island, there is no scuba diving center, the snorkeling is royal! Turtles and sharks visit our own lagoon and we can spend all days snorkeling close to the island or in the other places around.
We will also see the other islands by boat. There are a lot to see and photograph here, hike onto the Piaynemo islands' tops and get acquainted with local life. The main occupation for people around this area is fishing since the area is dominated by the sea. They live in a small colony of tribes that spreads around the area. Raja Ampat people are more like Ambonese than Papuan people and now some of them are Muslim and some of them are Christian.
The Raja Ampat archipelago is the part of Coral Triangle (Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Solomon islands and Timor) which contains the richest marine biodiversity on Earth! Many sources place Raja Ampat as one of their top-10 most popular places for diving whilst it retains the number one ranking for underwater biodiversity. 1508 fish species, 537 coral species (75% of all species that exist in the world), and 699 mollusk species, the variety of marine life is staggering.
While snorkeling or scuba diving we have a chance to see turtles, giant mantas and sharks. Fish are so curious to touch you!

Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: simple bungalows on the beach on Kri island and Rufas island


Day 12. August 14, 2024. Raja Ampat — Sorong

After breakfast we leave our lovely island and transfer by speed boat to Waisai where we take a ferry to Sorong.
Arrival to Sorong harbor and transfer by car to the hotel. We can take a walk around to see Sorong. Overnight in the hotel 4*.

Meals included: breakfast
Accommodation: Swiss-Belhotel Sorong 4* or similar


Days 13. August 15, 2024. Sorong — Return flight

After breakfast in the hotel we make a transfer to Sorong airport for the flight to Jakarta and further international flight home.

Flights recommended:
— any flight departing from Sorong any time on August 15.

Meals included: breakfast
Accommodation: no