Visiting Maluku and Papua

Visit Saparua Island

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:29:00 +0000

Saparua is a small island east of Ambon. It takes two hours by ferry from Tulehu (Ambon) to Haria, the main harbour of Saparua. There are also speedboats going up and down, it takes less time but it is less comfortable.
Saparua is a coral island and has the shape of a butterfly. It is quiet and small, the main "town" Saparua is the center of the island. Outside Saparua town are the sago palm, nutmeg and clove plantations. The harvest of the cloves is from august till January. During the harvest the air is filled with the smell of the drying cloves. It is nice to see, all the mats full of cloves laying in the gardens and on the streets. In early days there were some bloody fights because the property of some trees was disputed. Since the goverment has transmigrated hundreds of families to Ceram, there is less tension.

On market days, Wednesday and Saturday, the sleepy town is full of life. It starts early in the morning and from all over the island and from the neighbor islands: Pulau Haruku and Nusa Laut, sellers and buyers are coming. It is also the only time that the mini-buses are going up and down to all the other villages on the island. Special is the variation in smoked fishes. Early in the afternoon the market is over and Saparua is as quiet and empty as always.

In Saparua-town is Benteng Duurstede (an old Dutch fort) a few years ago the restoration of this fort has started. Next to the fort is a museum, which shows the history of the rebellion of Thomas Matulessy alias Pattimura. The rebellion was a reaction on the return of the Dutch. After an incident in Porto and Haria in May 1817, the population under the leadership of Pattimura stormed the fort and killed all the people there, except the 6 years old son of the Dutch resident. The saving of this child gave Matulessy the name Pattimura which means "big of heart". In December 1817 after the Dutch has send a large number of soldiers from Java to break the resistance, Pattimura was executed. the saved boy named himself later on "Van den Berg from Saparua". His descendants still have the same family name.
Other places to visit on Saparua are Booi, a village in the southwest, you can only go there by foot because you enter the village by large stairs.

The village Ouw, 4 kilometers southeast of Saparua, is the center of pottery, they don't use a potters wheels but make everything by hand.

Kulor in the northeast is close to the only spot on the island where there still is a piece of tropical forest. Also around Saparua the coral reefs has been destroyed by fishing with explosives, but still there are some unspoiled spots to snorkel and to dive. Near Kulor, Booi and the uninhabited island Molana you can enjoy undamaged coral and various tropical fishes.

Source:malukutourism.com

Maluku Tourism: Diving in Ambon

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 04:23:00 +0000

Diving in the waters of Indonesia is surreal and as you slip into the depths, a whole new world encircles you, enthralls you and each dive is an experience never forgotten. The waters around the Maluku Islands is no exception and probably provides some of the best diving in the archipelago although some will dispute this.

The Maluku islands are a string of islands stretching between Sulawesi and Papua in the eastern part of the Indonesian archipelago. Ambon is a tiny island in the middle of this group of island and consists of two peninsula’s connected together in their eastern tip. Most of the diving and snorkelling in Ambon is done along the southern coast. Ambon has a multitude of dive locations. A cluster of tiny islands in the western tip of Ambon called Nusa Tiga is spectacular and in the bigger island of Seram located in the north is another. Other dive locations can be found in Saparua, Molana and Nusa Laut islands to the east of Ambon, about an hour and a half speedboat ride from Latuhalat. A day trip option is the site at Molana island.

Hukurila Cave and Lehari are both outstanding dive sites and in front of Ambon harbour there is a good diving in a wreck of a cargo ship from the Second World War. The ship is still more or less intact. You have to be aware of the tidal situation because at times the current can be quite strong. However in Nusa Tiga, Seram, Molana and Nusa Laut when the current is strong are the best sites for viewing bigger fish, the fish are also abundant.

Although some say the best time for diving in Ambon is around November to January, diving here is all year around. For muck diving, Laha I and Laha II in the southern part of Ambon’s northern peninsula are shallow dive locations with low visibility. Pulau Tiga is a small group of islands found on the Western Coast of Ambon and the number of fish that inhabit the slopes of these small islands is stunning.

A dive operator called Maluku Divers has opened in Latuhalat in the southern part of the island and this small outfit gives good service to divers. Accommodation is provided in the dive center or in the house next door. The rooms are basic but clean, with hot water and air conditioner.

Best Time to Visit :
It is possible to dive Ambon year around. The best months however are from September to May. During the months from May to August diving is the best on the northern side of the islands and also the quite bay of Ambon, but prior arrangement is necessary to ensure divers understand what to expect at this time of year.

Papua Tourism: More about Lake Sentani

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 04:02:00 +0000

Lake Sentani, near Jayapura at the northeastern extremity of Papua, lies at an elevation of 73 m in a fault-controlled depression mainly in Mesozoic mafic and ultramafic rocks of the Cyclops Ophiolite Belt. It is bounded by the Cyclops Mountains block to the north and the lower-standing terrain of the New Guinea fold thrust belt to the south. An irregularly shaped body with approximate maximum dimensions of 28 km (E-W) by 19 km (N-S) and a surface area of 10,400 ha, Lake Sentani is by far the largest of the Papua lakes. It is fed by a catchment area of about 600 km2 and has one outlet only, via the Jafuri and Tami rivers to the Pacific Ocean near the Papua New Guinea border.

The lake is divisible into three main sectors with maximum recorded depths of 7 to 52 meters. Average annual rainfall around the lake is about 2 meters and lake level fluctuates about 0.4 m with seasonal variation in inflow. The lake is widely believed to have evolved by the tectonic damming and uplift of an arm of the sea, but such a connection has not been demonstrated.

Because of its proximity to the provincial capital and the large population around it, Sentani is the best studied of Papua lakes. According to surveys in 1970-71, 1984 and 1987 the lake is thermally unstratified, with temperatures of 29-32 C in the top 10 m. Surface pH is 6.2-6.8 and, on the basis of turbidity, plankton levels are low at 1-2 mg/L except in the westernmost basin, where circulation is limited, turbidity is doubled and seasonal algal blooms, with resultant fish mortality, have been reported.

The most recent survey (Renyaan, 1993) recorded 33 species of fish, of which 12 are indigenous, 8 anadromous and 13 introduced. Surveys over a 1 year period have shown an increase in introduced species but the impact on the total fish population has not been documented. Sawfish (Pristis microdon) up to 3 m or more were well known in the lake until the Seventies and are a common motif in traditional Sentani art, but appear to have become extinct. Fish are extensively raised in ponds and cages around the perimeter of the lake and the introduction of species (particularly carp and tilapia) has been both accidental and intentional.

Preliminary bottom sediment samples from the eastern part of the lake have recently yielded sparse populations of arcellacean microfauna, dominated by Centropyxid types. In North America these species are found associated with brackish or polluted water conditions, raising the possibility that there is residual salinity in the deeper parts of the lake. Many of the Sentani people, who inhabit the islands, perimeter and environs of the lake, still have a traditional subsistence economy based on fishing and sago harvesting. This has been sustainable for centuries but local reports suggest that catch yields have diminished in recent years. Whether this is a result of overfishing (as a result of population growth and/or market pressure), pollution or introduction of foreign species is not established.

Many of the residents occupy dwellings built on posts over the lake, which thus serves as a depository for sewage, leading to locally high coliform counts but also to nutrient enrichment. Water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes), introduced since the early Seventies, has become a major plant pest and may be contributing to decline of some species. Much of the mountainous terrain between the north shore of the lake and the ocean falls within the Cyclops Strict Nature Reserve. The future management of the reserve and buffer zone, and the environmental quality of the lake, are strongly interdependent. Recently a major reforestation project of grassland on the slopes surrounding the lake has been initiated, with the support of forest companies operating in Papua.

A major sustainable development issue for the inhabitants of the lake and surroundings is the existing proposal to build a hydroelectric generating facility, by means of a dam on the Jafuri River to divert the lake drainage eastward through a canal to a power station and thence to an outlet at the sea in Yotefa Bay near Jayapura. Several feasibility and environmental impact studies have yet to totally define the cost/benefit consequences of this project.

Maluku Tourism: Natural beauty

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:55:00 +0000

Sea Park

Since ancient times, Maluku has been renown for its spectacular sea gardens. No wonder the beauty of Maluku's underwater life has drawn so many domestic and international visitors!

The seas fringing the Maluku Islands are exceedingly rich in biodiversity. Some of the dazzling fish and sea animals include parrot fish, butterfly fish, clown fish, trumpet fish, damsel fish, pipefish, scorpion fish, lizard fish, puffer fish, eels, octopus, sea horses, sea snakes and sea turtles. Just to name a few! All these creatures can be directly enjoyed trough snorkeling or SCUBA diving.

But without even getting wet, many reef creatures can be enjoyed from the surface of Maluku's clear, blue waters. These other wordly life forms include colorful sponges and soft corals, plate corals, brain corals, mushroom corals, red and black corals, crinoids, gorgonians, and giant clams and sea stars.

All in all, the beauty of Maluku's sea gardens, bathed in warm sunshine, make for a truly enchanting natural experience.

Some locations of the famous sea gardens in Maluku are among others in Ambon island, Banda islands, Nusalaut island, Seram island, Kai islands, Aru islands and Tanimbar islands.

Sea Shore

The Maluku seashore is no less stunning than its underwater life. Maluku boasts a wide diversity of coastal settings. White sand beaches, black sand beaches, beaches with interesting coral reefs and flanked by scenic cliffs, rocky shores and stretches of mangrove teeming with wildlife...it's all here. Maluku's thousands of beautiful shores are sure to beckon you back time and time again.

Coral reef

It feels uncompleted if the beauty of various fish species are not followed with the attractive coral reef like Black coral reef, Sponges, Plate coral, Coral flower in the form of bowl, will truly hypnotize whoever sees them.

According to a number of researches in Maluku water, it consists of more than 738 species of sea fish. There are several of species i.e. Pelagis (sea surface fish) and Domorsal (deep sea fish) has made Maluku water becomes a fascinating sea park. From the hundreds of species of fish there are among others known as, Ornate ghost, Pipefish, Anemone fish, Trumpet fish, Scorpion fish, Juvenile damsel fish, Lizard fish, Black spotted puffer, Porcupine fish, and Juvenile catfish. The enchantment of those several of fish are really made the panorama of the scenery of Sea Park in Maluku islands looks so splendid.

Charming Creatures

There are numbers seemingly charm creature under the water besides creatures those make the life under water panorama beautiful. They leave together with fish and the coral too, which a few of them are Moral eel, Seahorse, Banded sea snake, Jellyfish, Featherstar, Nudibranch, Garden eel, Anemone hermit crab, Spinnenkrabbe, Hinge-beak shrimp, Tropical posy. Each one of them appears with each unique unveiling.

National Park

Wisely, the Indonesian government has realized the need to preserve Maluku's natural wealth and beauty for all time. With this goal, various national parks and reserves have been set aside.

By far, the most famous of the Maluku protected areas is Manusela National Park, occupying 189,000 acres, or about one-tenth of Seram Island. Manusela is rich in a wide variety of ecosystems: seashore habitats, lowland rainforests, montane forests, pygmy forests, and even subalpine scrub topping Gunung Binaya. Mount Binaya, at 3,027 meters, is Maluku's highest peak.

Manusela National Park is enriched with unique flora and fauna due to its wide range of habitats and its intermediate position between the Oriental and Australian biogeographic realms.

The native people that dwells around the national park adds an interesting cultural attraction to the region.

We invite you to enjoy Manusela, but please remember while visiting this and all national parks: "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints".

Cave

No one can question the beauty of Maluku's hidden underground treasures. Akohi Cave in Tamilouw village, 40 km east from Masohi in south Seram, for instance, is decorated with stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, draperies - even gypsum needles and angel's hairs.

In north Seram, Lusiala Cave, high in the cliffs behind Saleman village, features awe-inspiring biological attractions. Each evening the sky darkens with a river of millions of bats. The bats circle and circle above the village, singing an eerie song, as they congregrate then wind off towards the sea, for then to the Seram mountains. Mind these creatures carefully--by local belief, Saleman's little bats or lusiala, are the grandchildren of the ancestors.

Of historical interest, some of Maluku's caves have been used as hideaways during World War II and other battles.

Casual cave trekkers find Maluku's underground world alluring. But more dedicated cave explorers are drawn further by the lure of the unknown. Much of Seram's karst terrain, including the 3,027-meter Gunung Binaya, remains little-explored. Recent discoveries in north Seram have revealed Api Lima Cave behind Masihulan village (over a kilometer long) and Hatu Saka Cave, behind Saleman village (nearly 400 meters deep). What else awaits discovery?

Volcano

The Maluku Islands are the products of an on-going collision between the Pacific, Australian and Indian tectonic plates. As such, this region is very geologically active and complex. Some of the results of Maluku's geological activity are volcanoes, including a few that remain active into present times.

Banda's Gunung Api, for instance (the name literally means "Fire Mountain") was active as recently as 1989. The perfect conical symmetry of this volcano makes it irresistible to climb. Those who's summit its 600 meters are treated to stunning panoramic views of surrounding islands.

Other tectonic activity in Maluku gives rise to hot springs, such as the vast springs found in Tehoru south Seram, Tulehu village on Ambon island and in Oma village, Haruku island. These springs are sometimes likened to a nice heated swimming pool.

About Maluku: Flora and fauna

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:53:00 +0000

G.E Rumphius

Born in 1627, in Wolfersheim, Germany, G. E. Rumphius was fascinated by botany at an early age. His military duty for the VOC (Dutch East India Company) brought him to Batavia (Jakarta) at the age of 25. One year later he arrived in Ambon, where he would settle for life. He conducted research in Hila village, lived next to fort Amsterdam, and composed, among other works, Ambonische Kruidboek, "The Flora of Amboina".

Rumphius was keen to discover new plant species and conducted extensive systematical research on their uses. Beside fauna and flora, Rumphius also wrote about the history of Maluku. In 1670, he was struck blind by glaucoma, but even this would not halt his seminal work in documenting Maluku biology.

Rumphius passed away on June 15, 1702. He is buried at his house yard.

A monument was erected on the corner of jalan Pattimura, Ambon island, to commemorate his great work.

Clove

Cloves (Eugenia aromatica), now common throughout the world's supermarkets, were once found only on select Maluku isles. The warm, sweet scent of these dried flower buds, and their power to preserve and revive stored meat in the days before refrigeration, inspired thousands of Chinese, Arabian and European sailors to undertake perilous voyages. Many of these voyages, including Magellan's first global circumnavigation, spawned additional important discoveries.

Cloves are important not only as food flavorings. To the present day, clove oil is distilled and used as medicine for toothaches and stomach ailments. Cloves are also blended with tobacco to create the distinctively sweet Indonesian kretek cigarettes.

What could be more refreshing on your stroll through the Maluku rainforest than to crush a handful a fresh clove leaves and take in their warm, zesty aroma?

Nutmeg

Like cloves, nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) is a spice of great worldwide demand native only to Maluku. Banda Island, with its rich, volcanic soils carpeted in nutmeg trees, was once a near-fabled destination for daring merchant sailors. Oddly, local harvesters first found little use for this crop, and were often quite puzzled by what all the fuss was about.

Surrounding the nutmeg "nut" or seed, the red, waxy aril, known as mace, is actually more potent and valuable than nutmeg itself.

The nutmeg tree, a sun-sensitive tree not unlike coffee, is often grown under the cover of kenari trees. The delicate nuts of kenari are now exported as another sustainably harvested forest crop from many parts of Maluku.

Orchid

Beautiful wild orchids are found throughout Maluku. The famous natural historian G.E. Rumphius (1627-1702), identified 170 orchid species in the Maluku Islands and surrounding areas.

Phalaenopsis amboinensis, a tiny yellow-green moon orchid with brown spots, is the most world-famous species, native to the Kawa valley, Seram island. Rumphius sent this species to Europe where it was then crossed with other species. Today many award-winning Phalaenopsis cultivars are descendants of this Ambon species.

Another prized Maluku orchid is Dendrobium phalaenopsis, known locally as bunga larat. D. phalaenopsis varies from clear white to grape purple, with nuances between these two colors.

In addition, Maluku also boasts Bulophilium orchids, Coloagyne, Vanda celebia, Dendrobium grananatum vandopsis (tiger orchid) and Phaius spp. (the common garden orchid).

Sago

As a main food of Maluku, the sago palm (Metroxylon sp) is grown in several locations in Maluku. Years ago, sago was so valuable due to storable within unlimited of time, as well as transportable to other places without worrying about being rotten. "Without Sago, Ambon shall stop functioning" that is what Shirley noted in the book of Ambon: Island of spices. Sago palm is harvested after 15 years. The sago palm is a multi purposes plant. Every part of its tree can be used for the needs of Maluku, such as tree trunk is for house wall or leaves of sago for house roof.

Birds

Maluku has variety of fauna; even numbers of them are special for this region and cannot be found in others. Especially knowing Maluku is included in Wallacea region, which is the region of the exchange character of flora & fauna in western part of Indonesia (Asia character) with Australian character in Eastern part. It has also various types of fowl, including type of birds, which exist in Maluku. Out of 402 limited spread bird species in Indonesia. 225 of them or 56% are limited spread birds, live in Wallacea region. And 213 of them can only be found in Wallacea region. In Wallacea region, Maluku is the richest region, which has 116, limited spread bird species with 90 species of them can only be found in Maluku. From this number of birds among others are: Black-capped lorry (lorious lorry), Greater bird of paradise (paradisaea apoda), King Cockatoo (probosciger-aterima), and Casuary (casuarius). One of the famous types of bird due to its beauty is bird of paradise. With its beauty has made the queen of Spain Marie Christine de Bourbone (circa 1830) to use Bird of paradise on her crown. Assuming that the decreasing numbers of this type of birds were caused by the habit of women to use this bird as a hair decoration during that age.

Papua Tourism: Merauke Interesting Place

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:48:00 +0000

MERAUKE

Merauke is called Deer Town, lies in the east part of Indonesia, bordered on Papua New Guinea. This regency is well known with its Asmat woodcarvings and Wasur National Park. The population in Merauke Regency nearly 276,122 people, spread in the 18 districts. A large number of the people are living in the interior. To reach the interior, is only by plane such as twin otter or Cessna.

TOURISM OBJECTS

Wasur National Park

It is located 13 km out of Merauke town on an area of 412,387 ha. This park has various kinds of flora and fauna which part of them never found elsewhere in the world. To reach it, all kinds of vehicles can be taken. No hills or mountains range are seen but variety of habitats, such as savannah, mangroves forest and the most interesting sight of stretching marsh ebb. Wasur National Park is suitable for various kinds of activities like bird watching, wild life and nature, adventure, culture and traditional hunting. One other thing strange but interesting is the sporadic designed house which is called termite mounds. It arises to the universe fascinatingly as if the earth flowered huge sponges. There are 74 kinds of bird from 390 species are never found elsewhere in the world. It is so comfortable whenever we watch them hopping and flying among trees and branches, looking for food with their gentle voices like 'aeolin harp', as if we were asked to stop and questioned: "where is the melody from". These are the voices of birds in their own characteristics, which are rare but very attractive. There are 3 ethnic groups inhabit this area. They are Marind, Ranum and Murori, each with their own language and culture. A great number of them live in 13 villages and earning their live by gardening and hunting.

Lampu Satu Beach

It is well known with its solid soft sand that stretches lenghthwise directly across the Pacific Ocean. This beach is very beautiful especially during the sunset. It is very suitable for bird watching, horse racing and motor cycle racing. The distance from Merauke town is 5 km and reachable by vehicles.

Source:www.indonesia-tourism.com

Papua Tourism: Biak Intersting Place

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:45:00 +0000

BIAK

Biak, a town built on the rocky soil of an island of the same name on the rim of Cenderawasih Bay, is Irian Jaya's gateway. A big Indonesian naval base, it has an infrastructure that is better than in most other places in the province. Japanese caves are found near Ambroben.

There are some good beaches on Biak island, the most popular of which are Bosnik on the east coast, good for swimming and skin-diving, and Korem on the north coast, where one can watch young men dive for pearls. Supiori Island, just north of Biak, has a recreation forest and villages where visitors are welcome.

BIAK NUMFOR

Among the nine regencies in Papua, Biak Numfor is the only one that consists of islands. Geographically, it is located between 134° 47- 136° east longitude and 0° 55-30° south langitude. It owns 3 big islands; Biak, Supiori, and Biak Numfor.

Population

102.492 people spreading in 8 districts, 7 sub districts, and 153 villages inhabit Biak Numfor regency.

Weather

The temperature is generally hot. Light rains fall 189-399 mm per month between 22-29 days, which occurs a lot during the months of Januari to June whereas the dry season in between July to October.

Flora

There are numerous types of flora in this tropical area with its mystical tropical rain forest. The forest also has a variety trees and other commercials important species plus the lush vegetation of mangrove swamps. People grant their life by taking sago from the sago palm forest.

Fauna

The fauna is almost similar to Australian fauna such as the group of fowl like pigeon, cockatoo, nuri (a kind of parrot) and the reptile group such : crocodile, snake, turtle and monitor lizard.

TOURISM OBJECTS

Japanese Cave

The native of Biak called this cave 'Abiyau Binzar'. Abiyau means cave and Binzar means grandmother. It is said that in the old times there was a grandmother living in this cave. During the second world war the Japanese army hid in this cave which simultaneously functioned as logistic centre. It is located in Sumberker Village, Biak Kota District; 15 minutes ride to get there from Biak town.

Parai Blue River

A cave with a river running inside contains fresh aquamarine water. Beautiful stalactite and stalagmite decorate the inside walls. It is in Parai Village Biak Kota District and takes about 15 minutes to reach it from Biak town.

Papua Tourism: Jayapura Interesting Place

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:39:00 +0000

JAYAPURA

Jayapura, founded on 7 March 1910 as Hollandia, had developed into a city with modern civil, educational, and medical services in 1962. Since Indonesian administration services have been replaced by Indonesian equivalents such as TNI (the army) replacing into Papua Battalion. The name of the city has been changed to Kotabaru, then to Sukarnopura and finally to its current official name. Among ethnic Papuans, it is also known as Port Numbai, the former name before the arrival of immigrants.

Jayapura is the largest city, boasting a small but active tourism industry; it is built on a slope overlooking the bay. Cenderawasih University (UNCEN) campus stays at Abepura that is the houses of University Museum. Both Tanjung Ria beach, near the market at Hamadi (site of the 22 April 1944 Allied invasion during World War II) and the site of General Doughlas MacArthur's World War II headquarters at Mount Ifar have monuments commemorating the events.

TOURISM OBJECTS

Sentani Lake

There is a settlement on the shore of this lake not far from Jayapura where one can observe local traditions as they are practiced in people daily lives. The short trip from Jayapura, pleasant as it is, offers a little foretaste of the province's magnificent sceneries.

The Skyline Hills

Tanjung Ria Beach, known as base G by the Allies during World War II, is a popular holiday resort with water sports facilities. From Skyline in the hills behind the city, one gets a beautiful view of Jayapura, Jotefa and Humboldt bays and Sentani lake area. Places in the vicinity of Jayapura such as Skyline and Sentani Lake can be reached by taking a minibus. Biak has air and sea links with Jayapura. Sorong, is also served by air from Jayapura. Other destinations are reached by car or boat, or by light aircraft.

Source:www.indonesia-tourism.com

Papua Tourism:Lorentz National Park

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:35:00 +0000

The Park lies within Irian Jaya Province, and the administrative Jayawijaya, Paniai, Merauke (Southern Division), Fak-fak, Mimika and Enarotali districts. It stretches for over 150km, from the central cordillera mountains in the north to Arafura Sea in the south. Access is by air from Jayapura to Wamena and Timika 04º00'-5º15'S, 137º14'-138º20'E.

The Dutch Colonial Government gave the first protection status in 1919 with the establishment of Lorentz Nature Monument. In 1956, the protected status was abolished due to conflicts with local people over unresolved land ownership. In 1978, it has established as a Strict Nature Reserve (Cagar Alam) by the Indonesian Government with an area of 2,150,000ha wdth. In March 1997 it was declared National park by the Ministry of Forestry, which includes the eastern extension (Mt. Trikora, Mt. Rumphius, Habbema Lake area), coastal and marine areas.

With the total area is 2,505,600ha, about 0.6% of Irian Jaya's total size, the Park can be divided into two very distinct zones: the swampy lowlands and the high mountain area of the central cordillera. The central cordillera itself can be subdivided in the eastern part and the western part on the basis of geology and vegetation types, the north/south line at approximately Kwiyawagi village being the dividing line.

The central mountain ranges are the southern portion of two colliding continental plates, which are causing the mountain range to rise. The lowering and rising of the sea level during the glacial and inter-glacial periods of the Pleistocene, along with continuous activity in the mobile belt which characterizes the contact zone of the two colliding lithospheres plates, has continued to promote the great biodiversity of the island of New Guinea in general, and in the Lorentz area in particular. Large tracts of the mountain range, and especially the area formed by the traditional lands of the Amungme (or Amung) are rich in mineral deposits - especially gold and copper.

The Carstenz or Jaya Peak section of the Jayawijaya Mountain Range still retains small ice caps. It is one of only three equatorial highlands (Sierra Nevada region in the Andes, and Mt. Kenya, Kilimanjaro, Ruwenzori in E.Africa) that is sufficiently high altitude to retain permanent ice, but note that Lorentz glaciers are receding rapidly. Some 3,300ha of snowfields REMAINED IN 1992. The main snowfields comprise five separate areas of ice on the outer margins of Mount Puncak Jaya. These include two small fields, which feed the Meren and Carstenz glaciers, and a small hanging glacier on the Carstenz Pyramid.

Puncak Jaya's summit consists of several peaks (Jayakesuma / Carstenz Pyramid 4,884m, Ngga Pulu 4,862m, Meren 4,808m) that developed from Tertiary rocks (Miocene). This high area was still covered by wide ice caps (13sq.km) in 1936. These ice caps melted down to an area of just 6.9 km in 1972 and further reduced to 3.3 sq.km by 1991. The remaining ice is now divided into three patches the North Wall Firn, the Meren and Carstenz glacier with only 3 sq.km of ice left. Based on climatic data, a deficit mass balance will continue as the future trend.

The lowland area is a wide swampy plain, covered with virgin forest and intersected by countless winding rivers and streams, mostly tidal. The largest of these rivers empty into the shallow Arafura Sea, which separates the island of New Guinea from Australia.

The Regional Physical Planning Program for Transmigration recognized 9 physiographic types and regions (beaches, tidal swamps, meander belts, peat swamps, alluvial valleys, alluvial fans, dissected terraces, mountains and alpine summits) with 13 major land systems.

Source:www.indonesia-tourism.com

Papua Tourism: Baliem Valley

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:31:00 +0000

Baliem Valley

The Valley remains one of the last places on the face of the Earth where people continue living in semi-Neolithic circumstances. Upon the spectacular approach by air, the tourists will notice the total isolation of the area. Sealed of the rest of the world by mighty mountain walls and without any roads leading from the coast to the inner region, the Valley keeps its own secrets.

Villages of no more than a few families are dispersed throughout this rough and mountainous region. Dani is a generic name of a series of tribes, until recently adhering to a Neolithic lifestyle. Only by the sixties of last century, they adopted the use of iron. Their dark complexions underline a Negroid origin, something that differentiates from the other Indonesian people. There are numerous tribes residing in the valley, having quite different languages and customs. The Yali, Kimial, Ok and Eipomek claim the eastern periphery of the magnificent valley. It is relatively easy to find their villages under the shelter of rainforest and highland.

Within the small town of Wamena, most Dani people clad in westerns style clothes. If we venture out however, chances are high we'll have an encounter with a fascinating Dani in full regalia Indeed, the Dani people much prefer to walk around naked save for a koteka or a tube-like yellow gourd, worn over the penis. The bodies of the male Dani gleam with pork fat, applied to fight of the cold. At an altitude of 1.600 m, temperature can be quite low, especially at night.

Jayawijaya Peak, a roaring mountain is permanently covered with snow, despite its location on the equator. We'll quite never forget meeting an awful-looking Dani, bearing the tusk of a wild pig at the tip of his nose. Despite their groovy looks, these are quite gentle people, shaking your hand politely and always having time for a small chat.

Likewise, women don't wear terribly much clothes. Just a skirt, entirely made of natural materials will do. It is the women's duty to carry out the heavy work on the fields. Observe the nuke, typical cloak-like bark string bags, carried half over the head. Heavily loaded with cabbage, sweet potatoes and sago, they resemble a blanket. A woman covered in river mud, is in grief. A less innocent way to show mourning, is finger amputation, a fate that only women will befall. Despite serious efforts of the government to halt this practice, they continue being reported occasionally.

The Baliem Valley remains one of the most fascinating places on the planet, where man may confront it its prehistoric past. But even in the remotest of area. Civilization is seeping through and will not be kept at bay. Maybe the time is right to visit the wild beauty of the Baliem Valley and its remarkable people.

Papua Tourism: Some Hotel Address

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:27:00 +0000

The Provincial capital of Jayapura is built on hills which slope down to the sea and is accessible by boat and place. It was here that General MacArthur assembled his fleet for the invasion of the Philippines during the Second World War.Regular flights to other major parts of the archipelago are available with Garuda and Merpati Nusantara Airlines.

Papua Provice (Irian Jaya) is a hot, humid island rising from the sea with some of the most impenetrable jungles in the world and yet also has snow caps covering 5,000meter - high mountain peaks, towering over glacier lakes.

JAYAPURA

Triton Hotel
Jend. A. Yani Street 52, Jayapura
Phone: (0967) 33218, 21218

Sentani Inn
Raya Sentani Street, Jayapura

Natour's Hohl Numbai
Trikora Dok. V Atas Street, Jayapura
Phone: (0967) 34185, 21394

Agung Hotel
Argapura 47, Jayapura
Phone: (0967) 33777

Asia Hotel
Perikanan 1 8, Jayapura
Phone: (0967) 22277

Irian Plaza Hotel
Setiapura Street 11, Jayapura
Phone: (0967) 34649, 2157

Matoa International Hotel
Jend. A. Yani Street 14, Jayapura
Phone: (0967) 31633, 2233

Sederhana Hotel
Halmahera Street 2, Jayapura
Phone: (0967) 21291, 22357

Wisma G.K.I
Sam Ratulangi Street 6, Jayapura
Phone: (0967) 33574

Dafonsoro Hotel
Percetakan Street 20-24, Jayapura
Phone: (0967) 31695

Jayapura Hotel
Olah Raga Street 4, Jayapura
Phone: (0967) 21216

WAMENA

The Honai Resort
Hom-Hom - Pikhe Street, Wamena
Phone: (0969) 31515,31516

Jayawijaya Hotelama
PO. Box. 57 Wamena

Sri lestari Hotel
Trikora Street, Wamena

Baliem Palace
Trikora Street, Wamena
Phone: (0969) 31043

Balian Cottages
Thamrin Street, Wamena

Wamena Hotel
Trikora Street, Wamena
Phone: (0969) 31292

Syarial Jaya
Gatot Subroto Street, Wamena

Nayak Hohl
Gatot Subroto Street, Wamena

BIAK

Irian Hotel
Prof. Moh. Yamin Street, Biak
Phone: (0961) 21139

Titawaka Hotel
Moh. Yamin Street, Biak

Mapia Hotel
A. Yani 23 Street, Biak
Phone: (0967) 21383

Papua Tourism: Some Restaurant Address

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:23:00 +0000

JAYAPURA

Pojok Purwokerto
Raya Sentani Street, Sentani Kota
Phone: (0967) 22956

Rasa Sayang
Jend. A. Yani Street 54, Jayapura
Phone: (0967) 21171

Virgo
Protokol Sentani Kota Street, Jayapura

Paradiso
Koti Street 58, Jayapura
Phone: (0967) 122793

Pertiwi
Soa-Siu Dok Street 11, Jayapura
Phone: (0967) 22956

Ramon
Pantai Kelapa Street 5, Argapura
Phone: 22639

Sari Rasa
Matahari Street 29, Jayapura

Sinar Purnama
Setiapura Street 11, Jayapura

Megaria (Indonesian)
Pembangunan Street 35, Jayapura

Memberamo (Indonesian)
Dr. Sam Ratulangi Street, Jayapura
Phone: (0967) 21564

Nirwana
Jend. A. Yani Street 40, Jayapura
Phone: (09671) 22316

Swadiri
Koti Street 70, Jayapura
Phone: (0967) 21187

99 Fast Food
Jend. A. Yani Street 22, Jayapura
Phone: (09671) 210055

Teram
Koti Street 66, Jayapura

Tropicana
Jend. A. Yani Street 12, Jayapura

Apuse (Indonesian)
Koti 64 Street, Jayapura

Artis (Indonesian)
Jend. A. Yani Street 12, Jayapura
Phone: (0967) 21093

Asia (Indonesian, Chinese)
Majapahit Street 4, Jayapura
Phone: (0967) 22064

Dafonsoro (Indonesian, Chinese)
Percetakan Street 2a24, Jayapura

Hawaii (Indonesian, Chinese)
Irian Street 2, Jayapura
Phone: (0967) 22706

Hidangan Maros (Indonesian)
Dr. Sam Ratulangi Street 4, Jayapura

Himalaya (Indonesian, Chinese)
Matahari Street, Jayapura

Flamboyant (Indonesian, European)
Percetakan Street 30, Jayapura

Gembira (Indonesian)
Percetakan Street 36, Jayapura
Phone: (0967) 22523

Jaya Grill (Indonesian, European)
Koti Street 5, Jayapura
Phone: (0967) 23436, 22783

Gudeg Yogya
Jl. Percetakan 20, Jayapura
Phone: (0967) 21870

Minahasa
Koti Street 70, Jayapura
Phone: (0967) 21187

Murni
Pembangunan Street 21, Jayapura

Snack Baruma
Sapur Rani Airport Sentani, Jayapura

WAMENA

The Honai Resort
jalan Hom-Hom - Pikhe
Telp (0969) 31515,31516
Fax (0967) 31513
Wamena 99511

Jayawijaya Hotelama
PO. Box. 57
Wamena
Phone: 11
Rooms: 17

Balian Cottages
Jl. Thamrin
PO. Box. 32 Wamena 99511
Phone:
Rooms: 8

Source:www.indonesia-tourism.com

Papua Tourism Map

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:18:00 +0000

Please click on the map for larger size

Papua Tourism: Some Artshop Address

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:16:00 +0000

JAYAPURA	WAMENA
Airport Sentani Sentani, Jayapura Kuncara Art Shop Bandara Frans Kaisiepo Iriani Art Shop Jl. Imam Bonjol Madinah Art Shop Jl. Perikanan, Jayapura Phone: (0967) 22908 Pasar Sentral Hamadi Jl. Pasar Sentral - Hamadi, Jayapura	The Honai Resort jalan Hom-Hom - Pikhe Telp (0969) 31515,31516 Fax (0967) 31513 Wamena 99511
MERAUKE
Sumber Alam Jl. Ermasle, Merauke Phone: (0967) 21 198	Ujung Jl. Raya Mandala, Merauke Phone: (0971) 21022

About Papua: The History & The Tribes

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:08:00 +0000

The History

In 1999 it was proposed to split the province into three government-controlled sectors, sparking Papuan protest. In January 2003 President Megawati Soekarnoputri signed an order dividing Papua into three provinces: Central Irian Jaya, Papua and West Irian Jaya. The formality of installing a local government for Jaraka in Irian Jaya Barat (West) took place in February 2003 and a governor was appointed in November; a government for Irian Jaya Tengah (central) was delayed from August 2003 due to violent local protests. The creation of this separate central province was blocked by Indonesian courts, which declared it to be unconstitutional and in contravention of the Papua's special autonomy agreement. The previous division into two provinces was allowed to stand as an established fact.

The Amungme

The Amungme are a Melanesian group of about 13,000 people living in the highlands of Indonesia Province, Papua. They practice shifting agriculture, supplementing their livelihood by hunting and gathering. The Amungme are very tied to their ancestral Land and consider the surrounding mountains to be sacred.

The Kombai

The Kombai are a Melanesian tribal people from the Indonesian province of West Papua. They live primarily in tree houses.

The Asmat

The Asmat are an ethnic group of New Guinea, and residing in Papua province of Indonesia. Possessing one of the most well-known and vibrant woodcarving traditions in Pacific, their art is sought by collectors worldwide. The Asmat inhabit a region on the island's southwestern coast, totaling about 19,000 square kilometers and consisting of mangrove, tidal swamp, freshwater swamp, and lowland rainforest. The land of Asmat is located both within and adjacent to Lorentz National Park and World Heritage Site, the largest protected area in the Asia-Pacific region. The total Asmat population is estimated about 70,000. The term "Asmat" is used to refer both to the people and the region they inhabit.

Even today, the Asmat are relatively isolated and their most important cultural traditions are still strong, though their interaction with the outside world has been increasing over the last decades. Many Asmat have received higher education in other parts of Indonesia and some in Europe. The Asmat seek to find ways to incorporate new technology and beneficial services such as health, communications, and education, while preserving their cultural traditions. The biodiversity of their area has been under some pressure from outside logging and fishing, although this has faced significant and not unsuccessful resistance. In 2000, the Asmat formed Lembaga Musyawarah Adat Asmat (LMAA), a civil society organization that represents and articulates their interests and aspirations. LMAA has been working with Indo-Pacific Conservation Alliance since 1999, and has established separate traditional sub-councils, or Forum Adat Rumpun (FAR) to implement joint activities. In 2004, Asmat region became a separate governmental administrative unit or Regency, and elected Mr. Yufen Biakai, as former director of the AMCP and current Chairman of LMAA, as its 'Bupati' (head of local government).

The Bauzi

The Bauzi tribe consists of a group of 1500 people living in the north-central part of Indonesia province, Papua. The Bauzi area consists of much of the lower Mamberamo area in northern Papua. While the Bauzi people were historically a fierce animistic people group, they are now 65% Christian. For the most part, tribal warfare is no longer a large part of Bauzi culture and all Bauzi people speak the same language. In recent years, linguists have been studying the language and translating various literature, including the Bible, into the Bauzi language.

The Dani

The Dani people, also spelled 'Ndani', and sometimes conflated with the Lani group to the west, are a people from the central highlands of Papua. Linguists identify at least four sub-groupings of Dani: The Lower-Grand Valley Dani (20,000 speakers), Mid-Grand Valley Dani (50,000 speakers), Upper-Grand Valley Dani (20,000 speakers), and the Western Dani (180,000 speakers). They are one of the most populous tribes in the highlands, and are found spread out through the highlands. The Dani are one of the most well known ethnic groups in Papua, due to the relatively numerous tourists who visit the Baliem Valley area where they predominate.

The pig features very strongly in their local culture, being the most important tool used in bartering, especially in dowries. Likewise pig feasts are extremely important to celebrate events communally, the success of a feast, and that of a village chief or organizer, is often gauged by the number of pigs slaughtered. The Dani have an unusual method of cooking pig, and other staple crops such as sweet potato, banana, and cassava. They heat some stones in a fire till they are extremely hot, they 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 described above, 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 of broiling, the pile is opened and food is removed from the pile and eaten.

The Dani language does not differentiate between any colors, except for the achromatic black and white. This trait makes it an interesting field of research for language psychologists, e.g. Eleanor Rosch, eager to know whether there is a link between way of thought and language.

Changes in the Dani way of life over the past century are tied to the encroachment of modernity and globalization, despite the tourists' brochures describing trekking in the highlands with people from the 'stone age'. Observers have noted that pro-independence and anti-Indonesian sentiment tends to run higher in highland areas than for other areas of Papua. There are cases of abuses where Dani and other Papuans have been shot and/or imprisoned trying to raise the flag of West Papua, the Morning Star.

Source:www.indonesia-tourism.com

About Papua

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:03:00 +0000

Papua is one of Indonesia province comprising a majority part of the western half of New Guinea Island and nearby. The province originally covered the entire western half of New Guinea, but in 2003, the western portion of the province, on the Bird's Head Peninsula, was declared in Jakarta as separate province named West Irian Jaya. The legality of this separation has been disputed, as it appears to conflict with the conditions of the Special Autonomy status awarded to Papua in the year 2000. The status of West Irian Jaya province is not yet resolved as of early 2006.

Papua is the official Indonesian and internationally recognized name for the province. During the colonial era the region was known as Dutch New Guinea. The province was known as West Irian or Irian Barat from 1969 to 1973, and then renamed Irian Jaya ("Victorious Irian") by Soeharto. This was the official name until Papua was adopted in 2002. Today, natives of this province prefer to call themselves Papuans rather than Irianese. This may be due to etymology (variously identified as a real etymology or a folk etymology) the name of Irian, which stems from the acronym Ikut Republik Indonesia, Anti Nederland (join/follow with the Republic of Indonesia, rejecting The Netherlands). The name West Papua is used among Papuan separatists and usually refers to the whole of the Indonesian portion of New Guinea.

The capital of Papua province is Jayapura. Most of the population depends on subsistence farming, especially the cultivation of rice and maize. The main industries include copper (with the largest concentration of copper in the world at Tembagapura), palm oil, copra, maize, groundnuts, pepper, tuna, gold, oil, coal, and phosphates. It is mostly a mountainous and forested region, with the Maoke Mountain range rising to 5,029-m/16,499 ft at Jaya Peak. The population comprises Melanesians (original settlers of Western New Guinea), Papuans, Negritos, and Europeans. Indigenous animism prevails. The province declared independence from Indonesia, as West Papua, in June 2000. However, the president of Indonesia stated that the declaration was unrepresentative of true feeling in the province.

Geographically

A central East-West mountain range dominates the geography of New Guinea, over 1600 km in total length. The western section is around 600 km long and 100 km across. Steep mountains 3000 to 4000 m and up to 5000 m high along the range ensure a steady supply of rain from the tropical atmosphere. The tree line is around 4000 m elevation and the tallest peaks are snowbound year round.

Both North and West of the central ranges the land remains mountainous mostly 1000 to 2000 m high covered by thick rain forest and a warm humid year round climate. The third major habitat feature is the southeast lowlands with extensive wetlands stretching for hundreds of kilometers.

Mamberamo River sometimes referred to the "Amazon of Papua" is the province's largest river, which winds through the northern part of the province. The result is a large area of lakes and rivers known as the Lakes Plains region. The famous Baliem Valley, home of the Dani people is a tableland 1600 m above sea level in the midst of the central mountain range; Jaya Peak, sometimes known by its former Dutch name Carstensz Pyramid, is a mist covered limestone mountain peak 5030 m above sea leve.

Wide Area

The wide area of Papua is 420,000 sq km/162,000 sq mi.

Population

Papua population based on 2000 est. is 2,220,900. It has some 240 different tribal peoples, each with its own language and culture. Indigenous Papuans in West Papua and Papua New Guinea speak some 15% of the world's known languages. West Papua together with the rest of the island of New Guinea, are the lungs of the Asia-Pacific, containing the last great surviving virgin rainforest after the Amazon.

Demographics

The population of Papua province and the neighboring West Irian Jaya, both of which are still under a united administration, totaled 2,646,489 in 2005. Since the early 1990s, Papua has had the highest population growth rate of all Indonesian provinces at over 3% annually. This is partly a result of high birth rates, but also from immigration from other regions in Indonesia.

According to the 2000 census, 78% of the Papuan population identified themselves as Christian with 54% being Protestant and 24% being Catholic. 21% of the population was Muslim and less than 1% were Buddhist or Hindu. There is also substantial practice of animism by Papuans, which is not recorded by the Indonesian government in line with the policy of Pancasila.

Ecology

A vital tropical rainforest with the tallest tropical trees and vast biodiversity, Papua's known forest fauna includes marsupials (including possums, wallabies, tree-kangaroos, cuscuses), other mammals (including the endangered Long-beaked Echidna), many bird species (including birds of paradise, cassowaries, parrots, cockatoos), the world's longest lizards (Papua monitor) and the world's largest butterflies. The island has an estimated 16,000 species of plant, 124 genera of which are endemic.

The extensive waterways and wetlands of Papua are also home to salt and freshwater crocodile, tree monitor, flying foxes, osprey, bats and other animals; while the equatorial glacier fields remain largely unexplored.

In February 2006, a team of scientists exploring the Foja Mountains, Sarmi, discovered numerous new species of birds, butterflies, amphibians, and plants, including a species of rhododendron, which may have the largest bloom of the genus. Ecological threats include logging-induced deforestation, forest conversion for plantation agriculture (especially oil palm), small holder agricultural conversion, the introduction and potential spread of non-native alien species such as the Crab-eating Macaque, which preys on and competes with indigenous species, the illegal species trade, and water pollution from oil and mining operations.

Regions

Indonesia structures regions contains of regencies and sub districts within those. Though names and areas of control of these regional structures can vary over time in accord with changing political and other requirements, in 2005 Papua province consisted of 19 regencies. The regencies are: Timika, Yapen - Waropen, Biak - Numfor, Nabire, Puncak Jaya, Paniai, Jayawijaya, Merauke, Sarmi, Keerom, Waropen, Tolikara, Yahukimo, Bintang Mountain, Boven Digoel, Mappi, Asmat, Supiori, and Jayapura. In addition to these, Jayapura city also has the status of regency.

Government

Papua province has governed by a directly elected governor (currently Barnabas Suebu) and a regional legislature, DPRP (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Papua). A unique government organization that only exists in Papua is the MRP (Majelis Rakyat Papua / Papuan People's Council) that was formed by the Indonesian Government in 2005 as a coalition of Papuan tribal chiefs, tasked with arbitration and speaking on behalf of Papuan tribal customs.

Source:www.indonesia-tourism.com

West Papua Tourism: Some Restaurant & Artshop Address

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 06:57:00 +0000

Some Restaurant Address are:

SORONG

MANOKWARI

Batanta
Barito Street 2, Sorong
Phone: (0951) 21347, 21569

Citra
Pemuda Street 11, Sorong
Phone: (0951) 21246

Defier
Pemuda Street (Klademak 1), Sorong
Phone: (0951) 21 57a2 1585

Pilihan
Jend. A. Yani Street 85-87, Sorong
Phone: (0951) 21951

Manokwari Hotel
Merdeka Street 49, Manokwari
Phone: (0962) 2140

Mutiara Hotel
Jl. Yos Sudarso, Manokwari
Phone: 10962) 21777

Arfak Hotel
Brawijaya Street 8, Manokwari
Phone: (0962) 2129

Some Artshop Address are:

SORONG

Batanta
Barito Street 2, Sorong
Phone: (0951) 21347, 21569

Citra
Pemuda Street 11, Sorong
Phone: (0951) 21246

Defier
Pemuda Street (Klademak 1), Sorong
Phone: (0951) 21572

Pilihan
Jend. A. Yani Street 85-87, Sorong
Phone: (0951) 21951

West Papua Tourism: Some Hotel Address

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 06:54:00 +0000

SORONG

MANOKWARI

Bantara Beach Hotel
Barito Street 2, Sorong
Phone: (0951) 21347

Cenderawasih Hotel
Sam Ratulangi Street 54, Sorong
Phone: (0951) 21740, 21966

Citra Hotel
Jend Sudirman Street 11, Sorong
Phone: (0951) 21246

Memberamo Hotel
Dr. Sam Ratulangi_Street, Sorong
Phone: (0951) 21564

Pilihan Hotel
Jend. A. Yani Street 85-87, Sorong
Phone: (0951) 21336, 21951

Asri Hotel
Jend Basuki Rachmad Street Km 9,5/200, Sorong
Phone: (0951) 322733

Batanta Beach Hotel
Barito Street 1, Sorong
Phone: (0951) 23374

Citra Hotel & Restaurant
Jend Sudirman Street 11, Sorong
Phone: (0951) 21246

Cleopatra Hotel
Kom L Yos Sudarso Street 98, Sorong
Phone: (0951) 22870

Grand Pasific Hotel
Raja Ampat Street, Sorong
Phone: (0951) 22631

Intercity Hotel
Jend Basuki Rachmad Street Km 8/106, Sorong
Phone: (0951) 323385

Irian Beach Hotel
Kom L Yos Sudarso Street, Sorong
Phone: (0951) 22713

Mamberamo Hotel
Jend Basuki Rachm Street

Manokwari Hotel
Merdeka Street 49, Manokwari
Phone: (0962) 2140

Mutiara Hotel
Jl. Yos Sudarso, Manokwari
Phone: 10962) 21777

Arfak Hotel
Brawijaya Street 8, Manokwari
Phone: (0962) 2129

Billy Hotel
Merdeka Street, Manokwari
Phone: (0962) 215787

Fajar Hotel
Trikora Wosi Street, Manokwari
Phone: (0962) 215942

Maluku Hotel
Jend Sudirman Street, Manokwari
Phone: (0962) 212769

Manunggal Jaya Hotel
Lingkar Rendani Street, Manokwari
Phone: (0962) 214252

Metro Hotel
Biak Street, Manokwari
Phone: (0962) 215975

Papua Forest Hotel
Drs Esau Sesa Street, Manokwari
Phone: (0962) 214252

Soribo Hotel
Trikora Tmn Ria Street, Manokwari
Phone: (0962) 211749

West Papua Tourism:The Asmat Drums & Kasuarina Cape

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 06:49:00 +0000

The Asmat Drums

Asmat drums are made in exactly the same way that the mythological figure Fumer-ipits is said to have made the drum that brought the Asmat people to life. The drums are carved from a single piece of wood and the handle is decorated with head hunting symbols and covered with the skin of a monitor lizard, attached with an adhesive made from blood and lime. Indeed, the mythological Fumer-ipits was thus not only the first wood carver but also the first drummer.

The hourglass shaped drums take a long time to make and require constant attention as the drum may split during the drying process. Each drum is carved from a solid log being specially selected for its soft centre, which can be easily removed with a hard palm wood stick. A lot of water is needed for this task which is usually performed by the banks of a river preferably at high tide so that the wood chips wash away. Once the centre hole is made, the hourglass shape is obtained by placing hot embers on the wood to burn it slowly. The charred canter is then scraped out afterwards; the exterior is shaped out leaving the curved handles.

Holding the drum close to a fire and allowing the skin to shrink to the correct tension tune a drum. Because of the high humidity, a drum skin loses tension rapidly and needs to be retunaed every twenty to thirty minutes. The picture of the drum is determined by its length and diameter. Each drum can produce only a single tone and so usually a number of drums and drummers are used.

Kasuarina Cape

Named of the big casuarinas trees, which grow in that area. Casuarinas Cape is just two kilometers from Sorong town on the Bird's Head peninsula of northern Irian Jaya. Good for swimming and recreation.

West Papua Tourism:The Asmat Shields

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 06:47:00 +0000

Traditionally, shields were carved prior to a headhunting reprisal raid, which was organized to avenge the death of the ancestor for whom the shield was named. A shield always represents an ancestor. It is named after him and the ancestor's spirit is believed to be present in the shield and make the owner fierce, powerful and invincible. Shields are considered so powerful that it may control the owner. Shields also provide spiritual help to the owner in hunting regular prey for food.

A shield is carved out of the lightweight flattened (or plank) buttress root of a mangrove tree-- the root is planed to half an inch thick, except for a protrusion left on one side for a handle. The front of the shield is carved in high relief. They include symbols of wild boar tusks or bones, flying foxes, the tails of tree kangaroos, whirlpools. Some symbols are believed to be so powerful that just by seeing these symbols, the enemy will flee in terror or be immobilized in fear. But such powerful symbols require strict rituals of appeasement. A special feast, the yamas pokumbu is held to call upon the ancestor's spirit to enter the war shields.

The spirit in the shield must be properly treated or it might cause disease, or doom hunting efforts and rot the sago palms. During festivals, shields are decorated with tassels of sago leaves and placed near each other so the spirits may interact. Shields are placed near doorways to protect the home from evil spirits and human intruders.

Shields from different areas have different features: some have a phallic protrusion at the top; others have a symbolic head at the top, yet others add facial features of the ancestor at the top.

Source:www.indonesia-tourism.com

West Papua Tourism: About The Asmat People

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 06:45:00 +0000

Asmat people who live along the remote southeast coast around Agats are famed for their artistic "primitive" woodcarving. Modern civilization did not reach this area until recently. Agats has an interesting museum filled with woodcarvings and other objects. The area however is still largely untamed wilderness. Asmat crash received a boost in late 1960s under a United Nations supported project to encourage local craftsmen to keep alive their art.

The Asmat homeland comprises the rugged and isolated southern coast of Irian Jaya. It is an area of approximately 10,000 square miles and comprises mainly swamps and mangroves.

Ancestor figures were traditionally made only for the festival honoring Fumer-ipits. They wear a unique costume. Tourists demand, however, is as resulted to change to this custom. Previously, after the festival, the figure is discarded into the forests near a sago tree because it was believed that as the wood of the carving is deteriorated, the power of the ancestor was transferred to the sago palm. Other ancestor carvings are designed as elements in larger carvings, such as canoe prows, paddles or ancestor poles.

The Asmat believe that all things have a spirit whether humans, animals, plants and even special locations such as a whirlpool or the bottom of a river. They also believe that the world is divided between that which can be seen and that which is unseen which is the realm of the spirits. It is considered important to maintain a proper balance between the seen and the unseen. In this respect, birth and death balanced the population between the seen and unseen realms and one cannot take place without the other. This would manifest itself in disease, hunger, death and misfortune that will be caused by the unsettled spirits.

West Papua Tourism:Raja Ampat Island

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 04:56:00 +0000

The Raja Ampat Island in Irian is group spreads out over a huge area and consists of over 610 islands. The four largest islands are Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati and Misool. The area's reefs are covered in a diverse selection of both hard and soft corals. Most of the areas reefs are pristine, with mile after mile of perfect hard corals, drift after drift of soft corals of many species and colors ranging from brilliant red, to shocking yellow pretty pink and exotic purple. Most reef dives are very colorful. The tourist would be able to experience the best dives sites within those islands, which include Cape Kri, Mellisa's Garden, Sardines Reef, The Passage, Nudibranch Rock, Wai Island Night Dive.

Raja Ampat is the western island of Papua Island. The name of Raja Ampat based on the legend. This area had begun with 6 eggs that found by King Waikew in Waigeo Island. But from the 6 eggs, just 5 eggs had crack. The last was become an egg stone till now on.

From the fifth eggs that had cracked, the 4 eggs was become men who become King of four big islands that is Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati and Misool. While the one egg became a woman, had wash away and stranded in Biak Island. That woman was born a child named Gura Besi that known as the historical man of Raja Ampat, because of his heroic story.

The regency that formed based on the constitution number 26 in 2002, is the development of Sorong regency on 12 April 2003. This area has 46.000 km2. But, 85% of this area is archipelago area. There are 610 islands in this area. But most of them have no social life. This regency has 10 districts and 85 villages with about 48.707 men.

Geographically, this area has strategic location. Its boundaries is:

North side: Pacific Ocean

West Side: North Maluku

South side: Maluku Sea

East Side: Sorong Regency

For the fauna sector, Raja Ampat has rarely fauna, such as; red birds of paradise (Paradise Rubra), Wilson birds of paradise (Cicinnurs Republica), Maleo Waigeo (Spilocuscus Papuensis), and rainbow fishes. Hence, for the flora, Raja Ampat has many kinds of Orchids, Waigeo palm, ironwoods or black woods, 'keruing', 'ulin' woods, etc.

Because of its various nature profit, Raja Ampat will declared by Maritime Ministry Freddy Numberi as ancient regency, based on its location that not only rich of fishes, but also its sea herb and the pearl.

Source:www.indonesia-tourism.com

West Papua Tourism Map

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Please click on the map for larger size

About West Papua: The History

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 04:33:00 +0000

Traders, however, visited the flatter coastal regions of Irian Jaya, as early as the 7th century from Sriwijaya. European traders began arriving in the early 16th century, looking for spices and have left historical footprints in the area with names such as Bougainville, Cape D'Urville and the Torres Straits, named after Luis Baez de Torres, a Spanish navigator from the early 17th. It was the Dutch who made the most lasting impact on the island, who in 1828, formally made Irian a Dutch Territory which was not released until 1962.

Irian Jaya became part of the Dutch East Indies in 1828 as Western New Guinea, and later became known as Irian Barat. It was retained by the Netherlands after Indonesian independence in 1949 but, after an internationally unrecognized declaration of independence was issued in 1961, it was placed under United Nations (UN) administration in 1962. It was transferred to Indonesia in 1963. As agreed with the UN, a referendum on Irian Barat's future was held in 1969 and it decided to remain part of Indonesia, becoming the province of Irian Jaya. Since then, opposition to Indonesian rule and the fight for independence has been led by the Organization Papua Merdeka (OPM; Free Papua Movement), led by Theys Eluay; the Papuan Taskforce, a pro-independence civil guard; and the Papua Presidium, which favors achieving independence through negotiation with the Indonesian government.

West Irian Jaya covers the Bird's Head Peninsula (Jazirah Doberai) and surrounding islands. West Irian Jaya was created from the western Papua province portion in February 2003. The split remains controversial. Supporters, including those in the central government in Jakarta and immigrants to Papua from elsewhere in Indonesia, argue that the creation of new province will help ensure the efficient management of resources and fair distribution of services. The split is widely opposed in Papua itself, where it is viewed as a violation of special autonomy laws governing Papua, and as an effort to quell the Papuan separatist movement.

In November 2004, an Indonesian court agreed that the split violated Papua's autonomy laws. However, the court ruled that because the new province had already been created, it should remain separate from Papua. The ruling also prohibited the creation of another proposed province, Central Irian Jaya, because the split was not yet completed.

Source:www.indonesia-tourism.com

About West Papua (West Irian Jaya)

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 03:29:00 +0000

WEST IRIAN JAYA

Irian Jaya is a tropical island with primeval rain forests, powerful rivers, beautiful beaches, lakes, and mountains. The highest mountain is Mount Jayawijaya, with snowcaps covering its 5,000-meter-high peaks. The area is also rich in natural resources, including fish, timber, and precious metals. These, however ever, have become a source of conflict between the central government and local peoples.

West Irian Jaya is a hot, humid island rising from the sea with some of the most impenetrable jungles in the world and yet also has snowcaps covering 5,000meter - High Mountain peaks, towering over glacier lakes. West Irian Jaya is Indonesia's largest and easternmost province and covers the western half of the world's second largest island. It is a land of exceptional natural grandeur, with beautiful scenic beaches, immense stretches of marshlands, cool grassy meadows and powerful rivers carving gorges and tunnels through dark and dense primeval forests. The most heavily populated and cultivated parts of the island are the Paniai Lakes district and the Baliem Valley to the east.

The people of the island can be divided into more than 250 subgroup, which are closely related to the islands along the southern rim of the Pacific and include among others, the Marindanim, Yah'ray, Asmat, Mandobo, Dani and Afyat. Those in the central highlands still maintain their customs and traditions and because of the terrain have virtually been untouched by outside influences. Communications hove always been difficult here and different tribes have lived, for the most part, in isolation even of each other, resulting in an incredibly diverse mixture of cultures.

POPULATION

The province has a population of approximately 800,000, making it one of the least populous of all Indonesian provinces. The capital of Irian Jaya Barat is Manokwari. The most populated and cultivated parts of the island are Paniai Lake district and Baliem Valley to the east. The population comprises migrants from Java and indigenous people from diverse tribes, such as Dani of Baliem Valley in the central highlands, Asmat of the southern coastal region, and Ekari of Wissel Lakes region. The official language is Indonesian, but the indigenous people, reflecting the isolation and small numbers of the tribes, speak at least 250 languages.

GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION

The province contains one city, Sorong, and 8 regencies:

Manokwari
Fak Fak
Sorong Selatan with its capital is Teminabuan
Raja Ampat with its capital is Waisai
Kaimana
Bintuni Bay with its capital is Bintuni
Wondama Bay with its capital is Rasiei
Sorong Regency
Sorong city