Tour module 13 days adventurous Korowai and Baliemvalley

Today you arrive at Sentani airport, Jayapura. Your driver is waiting for you outside the airport and drives you to your hotel in Sentani or the Suwae resort in Depapre.

In the morning you leave with the approximately one hour Trigana flight to Dekai. Dekai is modernizing after the greater autonomy of the province of Papua and the Manimo tribe is now fairly civilized. While the guide is taking care of the final preparations you have the afternoon for yourselves. Overnight stay in a simple hotel.

Flight with Trigana Air 5 Daily departures in the morning from Jayapura: Max weight: 10 kg. Extra weight ca € 5 per kg to be paid on the spot NB: Trigana Air figures on the list of flight companies that are not allowed to fly in European airspace.

After breakfast, on the back of a motorcycle over a bad road you’ll be driven to the ‘port’ of Lopon. Here starts the trip of around 7 hours over the Brazza river. On our way we stop at some villages of the Citak Mitak tribes. They live along the river on fish and what the jungle behind their huts has to offer. Since there is more 'traffic' on the Brazza river these tribes have been westernising too and they often wear normal clothes. In the afternoon we arrive in Muara Siretz. We overnight in the village in tents.

The last boat trip takes four hours and then we reach the village Mabul. This is the first village of the Korowai that we visit. While the guide is announcing our visit to the chief of the tribe and arranges some porters we’ve got time to have a look around the village. The Korowai in Mabul work as farmers or hunters. Together with the porters we walk at a quiet pace in about three hours to the Korowai villages in the jungle. In every village we have to negotiate with the chief. If he accepts our presents we are allowed to enter the domain and you will sit amid the local people, as if you had travelled centuries back in time. Overnight stay in a tent (if you wish in a tent in a treehouse).

We spend two full days experiencing daily life with the Korowai. You can join them when they go hunting or for the sago harvest. The jungle is here warm and swampy. Sago is the primary food resource and is complemented with fish and meat, from the hunting. And of course fruit and vegetables from the jungle.

Another day among this primitive tribe. You’ll be invited to the sago harvest or catch fish. Of course you’ll also witness their traditional dances and music. The people here enjoy themselves as much as you do.

We say goodbye to the Korowai in the jungle and walk and sail back to Mabul

In reversed order we now sail a full day against the current. In the late afternoon we arrive in Lopon, where you get on the back of the motorcycle again and will be driven to Dekai.

From Dekai we fly with Trigana airlines to Wamena, a thirty minute flight. From Wamena we start our 3 day trip through the valley. We get in the car with our guide, porters and cook and drive to the village Sogokmo. Over hilly terrain we walk in an easy pace via the hills of Hesegem to Kilise. On the way we’ll meet local people at work and enjoy the beautiful setting of the valley. In Kilise we stay in a local accommodation. Instead of a more day trekking in the Baliem valley you can also choose for day trips starting from hotel Pilamo in the city Wamena.

Today our trekking gets a bit tougher, over sometimes slippery paths we bridge a difference in height of more than 1500 meter. We criss-cross the Baliem river sometimes over small authentic hanging bridges. On the way we’ve plenty of time to enjoy the nature and of course the local people still wearing traditional Kotekas (penis gourds) or grass skirts. The trekking takes ca 5 hours

After breakfast an easy about 3 hour trekking to the Kurima subdistrict. Here, the Dani women sell their local products along the path or the road. We arrive in Wamena, where the car is waiting and drives us to Jiwika, in the north of the valley. In Jiwika we visit the 250 year-old Mummy (most local people here are now quite used to tourists and won’t fail to try to sell you something!). Then we walk another good 15 minutes to the village Anemoigi where we will see the Dani war dance and the traditional Pig Festival. During this ceremony the custom is to share the meal with the Dani. After the ceremony we go back to Wamena. Overnight stay in the Pilamo hotel.

After breakfast we leave the hotel and take the Trigana flight from Wamena, back to Jayapura. After arrival, we make an excursion to the Mc Arthur monument and a trip over Lake Sentani. After lunch we visit the capital city Jayapura, former Hollandia and visit there a museum, the local market and the remains of the colonial era. Overnight stay in Jayapura city, Sentani or Depapre.

After breakfast your driver will bring you to the airport for your next destination.