PAPUA

Dates: October 9 to 19, 2023

Duration: 11 days / 10 nights

Number of participants: 6 – 10


THE EXPEDITION IS COMPLETE


TRAVEL PROGRAM: TOUR TO


Day 0. October 8, 2023. Moscow/other destination – Jakarta – Jayapura
Flight from Moscow (other city) to Jakarta via Dubai or Abu Dhabi (or another city). Connection to the direct flight Jakarta – Jayapura.
* Departure from Moscow can be on October 8.
** Recommended flight:
- ID-6186 from Jakarta to Jayapura with Batik Air, departure at 0:05 am on October 9, arrival in Jayapura at 8:15 am,
- or flight JT-798 from Jakarta to Jayapura with Lion Air, departure at 21:40 on October 8, arrival in Jayapura at 6:05 am on October 9,
- or any other flight with arrival in Jayapura no later than at 10:00 am on October 9.
Accommodation: no
Meals included: no


Day 1. October 9, 2023. Jayapura – Nabire
Early in the morning arrival by international flight in Sentani, meeting with the guide and catch up for the short meeting while breakfast/lunch in the airport of Sentani or in local cafe. Time to buy local cash and take rest. At 13:10 with Wing Air departure to Nabire located in Papua province. Arrival in Nabire in the afternoon, transfer to the hotel. Check in at the Mahavira hotel or Getz hotel.
While the crew goes to the police station to report and to the local market for some last shopping, we can walk around Nabire to get first acquaintance with Papuans and local life, and also have dinner in local cafe.
Meals included: no
Accommodation included: Mahavira hotel or Getz hotel


Day 2. October 10, 2023. Nabire – Wapoga River bank
After having breakfast in our hotel, we take a boat and drive along the ocean shore and then proceed upstream the Wapoga River to the one of the last modern village. Lunch on the way. We reach the village in the jungle. Overnight in the tent on a river bank.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation included: tent


Day 3. October 11, 2023. Jungle / Traditional nomads' camp of Bauzi tribe deep in the jungle
By long boat we continue going upstream Wapoga River. You can enjoy the beauty of the wild (flora and fauna). We change our local guides and the boat along the way. Stop at the riverbank and our guides go straight into the forest to look for traces of the Bauzi tribe.
The Bauzi number hardly more than 1,5 thousand of people, and only a couple of hundreds still live traditionally, in full isolation from the outer world. Once they get a trail of the tribe they return to our camp to give the news. Overnight in a tent on a river bank.
* Depending on the remoteness of the Bauzi nomads' camp and success of our Bauzi guides, we can get traditional nomads' camp of Bauzi tribe deep in the jungle already on this day or on the next day.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation included: tent


Days 4, 5, 6. October 12-14, 2023. Traditional nomads' camp of Bauzi tribe deep in the jungle
Together with our guides, we set off on foot into the jungle to seek for the Bauzi camp, where we stay for these days. Bauzi is a nomadic tribe who does not live long in one place and, instead, often migrate in order to have enough resources for survival. They are mostly dependent on sago palm, as well as other jungle tribes of New Guinea. Starch that they extract from the trunks of Sago palm trees is considered the staple food of Bauzi and makes up much more than half of their diet.
Bauzi are skilled hunters. They use bows and arrows, as well as spears for hunting and fishing. They hunt such big prey as wild pig, and cassowary, as well as Cus Cus, rats and other marsupials, lizards and various birds. As an exotic food and biggest delicacy, Bauzi forage eggs of Megapode bird from the underground or Capricorn beetle larvae from the rotten trunks of fallen sago palm trees.
Bauzi live in small groups of 15 – 20 people. They practice animistic beliefs. Bauzi tribe speak their own language, one of nearly 1 thousand languages of New Gunea, 1/5 of all languages on the planet. Bauzi language belongs to the East Geelvink Bay language group and is not at all understood by the neighboring tribes. Bauzi use a whistled speech, that is, besides normal speech, they also whistle to emulate speech and facilitate communication. For the most part, tribal warfare is no longer a large part of Bauzi culture and all Bauzi people speak the same language, however before many dialects existed.
We will stay in the camp with Bauzi and each day join their day to day activities, such as hunting, fishing, sago palm cutting, foraging, having a meal and talking around the fire to get known more about their way of life and culture, and also share our lifestyle with Bauzi.
We stay overnight in our tents next to the Bauzi camp or, if they allow us, in their dwellings.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation included: tent or local hut


Day 7. October 15, 2023. Traditional nomads' camp of Bauzi tribe deep in the jungle – Nabire
After some final activities and farewell, we leave the forest and head to the riverbank. We get the boat and go down to the mouth of the Wapoga river. Then a few hours by boat along the ocean coast and we go straight to Nabire. The whole way by boat takes some 6-7 hours. Dinner at your choice and overnight in the hotel.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch
Accommodation included: Mahavira hotel or Getz hotel


Days 8, 9. October 16-17, 2023. Nabire – Ocean beach
After breakfast in our hotel, we set off by boat to the ocean. Few hours along the ocean coast and we get the pasture of whale sharks.
The whale shark is a slow-moving, filter-feeding shark, so it is not dangerous for the human and easy to observe in the wild. It is largest known fish species and largest living non-mammalian vertebrate, that sometimes exceed 15 meters in length.
We stay on the ocean beach, snorkel around the small islands and observe whale sharks. Once we have enough of whale sharks, we can also do fishing. Equipment for snorkeling is provided by the guest house where we stay. Equipment for fishing (if you wish) can bought in Nabire in advance or brought with you. Overnight in the small inn on the ocean beach.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation included: Sawo guest house on the sea shore


Day 10. October 18, 2023. Ocean beach – Nabire
Breakfast and morning at leisure on the ocean beach. In the afternoon we take a boat and get back to Nabire. Overnight at the hotel.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch
Accommodation included: Mahavira hotel or Getz hotel


Day 11. October 19, 2023. Nabire – Sentani – Return flight
Early in the morning we fly to Sentani. Departure from Nabire at 6:30 am and arrival in Sentani at 8:30 am (or departure from Nabire at 9:30 am and arrival in Sentani at 11:10 am). Catch our international flight back home from Sentani airport.
* Recommended flight:
- ID-6183 to Jakarta with Batik Air, departure at 17:05 pm on October 19, arrival in Jakarta at 21:50 pm on October 19,
- or any other flight with departure from Sentani no earlier than at 17:00 at October 19.

Meals included: breakfast
Accommodation included: no


* The participant of the expedition to the Bauzi people should be motivated, respect the culture of the Bauzi, be aware of the purpose of the trip and possible adjustments to plans depending on weather conditions, be in a good shape (physical conditions) and the ability to adapt in an strange environment and culture.

** The itinerary can be changed in the course of expedition by team leader for the sake of the interests of the expedition team and due to safety reasons