A thrilling adventure to one of the world’s last wild frontiers. The island of New Guinea is one of the richest places on our planet for traditional cultures and is a treasure trove of tribal diversity. For many groups first contact with the western world was made within living memory. This unique trip explores the western half of the island, visiting two distinct cultures to understand a vanishing way of life.
Starting in the capital Jayapura, we take a series of small fights into ever more remote territory. From Kepi we begin our journey into the lands of the Korowai people. The Korowai live in a small clusters of treehouses, built high up from the forest floor to protect them from raiders. They follow a subsistence lifestyle based on hunting and gathering. Having trekked to their villages we spend a couple of days with them as they go about their daily lives in the swamps and jungles, immersing ourselves in a culture very alien to our own.
In the Baliem Valley live the Dani, a highland people who were first discovered in the 1930s by the outside world. With a culture centered on ancestor worship and the veneration of spirits, we will be lucky enough to meet a 250-year-old mummified warrior. We will see their traditional war dances and explore simple mountain villages that have barely changed in centuries-if not millennia.
Travelling in Papua is far from easy, with limited infrastructure and a comfort level that can sometimes be lacking. But it offers rewards that other destinations just don’t. Although the island is modernizing, it is still in many ways a window to our own past, to a world that has disappeared from most of the globe. Papua is an adventure like no other.
Jayapura
Arrive in Jayapura and transfer to your hotel. Overnight grand Alison Hotel or similar.
Merauke-kepi
Fly first to Merauke, then continue by small plane to Kepi, over swamp and forests. On arrival we stock up on supplies for the next few days. Overnight Swiss Bell hotel and hotel Vista or similar.
Korowai people
The first part of our adventure really begins now, as we venture into the lands of Korowai people. We travel by small boat along waterways to get deep into their territory, passing small settlements along the way. We spend our nights sleeping in Korowai communities amidst their tree houses, and learning about the daily lives and customs of one of the world’s last truly traditional groups.
Kepi-Merauke-Jayapura
We retrace our steps back to Merauke and Jayapura, where a touch of comfort awaits us after our days in the jungle. Overnight Hotel Vista, Swiss Bell Hotel and Grand Alison Hotel or similar.
Wamena
The next stage of our journey starts today as we fly to the highland town of Wamena, the gateway to the Baliem Valley. In the afternoon we explore the town including its markets and a coffee plantation, as well as some nearby villages. Overnight Baliem Pilamo Hotel or similar.
Baliem Valley
We spend three days exploring the tribes and villages of the Baliem Valley, a treasure house of traditional culture. In the villages of Suroba and Dugun in the Naoua Hills we first meet the Dani people, and in Jiwika we meet a 250-year old mummy-once a renowned warrior his body was mummified as a mark of respect. We see the traditional rituals and war dances of the Dani, as well as a typical pig feast, and trek through the area to see some of the more remote villages, returning each night to a comfortable hotel in Wamena.
