Papua, the Indonesian region of New Guinea is divided into a number of areas, each of which comes with their very own set of tourist attractions. These attractions include the sandy beaches on the island of Pulau Biak, cruises around the Danau Sentani (Lake Sentani) and scuba diving within the Cenderawasih Bay Marine National Park.
Further Papua tourist attractions include trekking through the Baliem Valley and enjoying the spectacular scenery and exploring the Indigenous flora and fauna at the Wasur National Park, close to Merauke. The Lorentz National Park also makes for a popular day out and this UNESCO World Heritage Site is located on the south-westerly side of Central Papua, where it is now the largest national park in Asia.
Central Papua
Nabire
A low-key destination often passes over in favour of more obvious tourist resorts and attractions. The town of Nabire is the capital of the Paniai districts and has some pleasant sandy beaches. From Nabire, boats can be chartered, connecting islands such as Pulau Moor, Pulau Nusi and Pulau Papaya.
Pulau Biak
A popular island and an integral part of the tourism scene in Central Papua and very much steeped in WWII history. Kota Biak is the main town on Pulau Biak and is well placed to explore the attractions of the Island. These include some superb scuba diving opportunities which comfortably compete with those offered in northern Sulawesi, as well as organized bird-watching tours and the acclaimed Cenderawasih Museum. On the other side of Kota Biak, further highlights include the rock formations around Samber and Urfu, the waterfalls of Wardo, the Cave of Gua Binsari, the Orchid and Bird Garden (Taman Burung and Anggrek) near the Mokmer, the sandy beach and WWII artefacts at Bosnik, Korem Beach and the North Biak Reserve. Close by, day trips to Padaido Islands and Pulau Supiori are worth considering.
Pulau Numfor
A very undeveloped and uncommercialised island located part way between Manokwari and Biak with a seemingly endless selection of snorkelling and swimming opportunities. Pulau Yapen is conveniently close to Pulau Arumbai, where you may well see some dolphins swimming close to the coast. Popular beaches here include the Pantai Ketaupi and Pantai Mariadei.
Timika
It is known for its strong relationship with nearby Tembagapura and its gold and copper mining industries. Although there is really little to see in this part of Papua, Timika is a handy entry point and its airport offers connections to Jakarta and Denpasar (Bali).
Eastern Papua
Asmat Region
It’s encompassing an enormous expanse of Mangroves, rivers and lush tropical jungles. The Asmat region remains quite untouched by the hand of man by the hand of man and does take a long time to explore properly as well as a fair amount of money. Agats is the main town within Asmat and is very rural in its appearance with the Museum Kebudayaan and Kemajuan (Museum of Culture and progress) being a particular highlight here.
Jayapura
It is the capital of Papua and largest city with a population of just over 200,000 people. Jayapura is typically Indonesian in character and enjoys a scenic setting, growing up around Teluk Yos Sudarso and surrounded by a series of hills. Most tourists find Sentani a more appealing place to stay although Jayapura does offer a few nearby attractions, namely the Base G Beach (Pantain Base G), several Buddhist temples and the bustling market at Hamadi, which is near to Hamadi Beach (Pantai Hamadi).
Merauke
It is a prosperous and friendly town and the most easterly location in Indonesia. Merauke is well placed for tourists wishing to explore the Asmat region and has a number of coastal related attractions including regular Sunday motorcycle races along the Lampu Satu Beach (Pantai Lampu Satu). There are also some rather inviting hot springs, which are just a few meters from the Hotel Asmat.
Sentani
It is a very tourist friendly, small town located slightly more than 35km/22 miles to the west of Jayapura. Sentani stands close to the lake shores of the vast Danau Sentani, with the top attraction here being the Papua Freedom and Rights Abuse Memorial Park, which is a cross between a cemetery and memorial.
Wasur National Park
Within easy reach of Merauke, the Wasur National Park offers a host of recreational activities and outdoor attractions. Various hiking trails are spread around the Wasur National Park, particularly close to Yanggandur, while you can also ride horses round Rawabiru or observe the rich Indonesian wildlife from Ukra’s observation tower. Travel permits are required to enter the park and are available at the information center in Merauke.
