IRIAN JAYA GENERAL INFORMATIONt !

West Papua Province (before called IRIAN JAYA) somewhere in the southern pacific. There have not probably many people known the Papua very well except for those who like adventures. This Province comprises the western half of the huge island of New Guinea situated just northern tip of Australia . The eastern half of the island is another country of Papua New Guinea .

Located in the most eastern part of Indonesia, Irian Jaya is the country's most spectacular region for tourism where whole great swaths of earth can still be accurately as totally wild; thousand of kilometers of jungle with unknown and unclassified flora and fauna, ice capped mountains, swamps, isolated and primitive cultures; all are waiting to be explored

The population of this province is about 2 million. About 10 percent of the population live in the cool central highlands of Baliem Valley .

Almost half of this province - was once base of the American and Allied Force during the Pacific War led by General Douglas Mc Arthur - is hilly or mountainous and about ten major peaks reach over 4,000 meters. The tallest is Carstensz Pyramid (4,884 meter above sea level/16,023 feet from which flows a glacier.

THE PEOPLE AND WAY OF LIFE

The indigenous people of this province are Melanesians with black skins and curly hair. They generally have a root crop subsistence agriculture based on sweet potatoes and taros.

The people of Papua obtain their starch from the sago palm which gives and extremely generous yield for remarkably little effort. Feral and domesticated pigs on the island is originally came from Southeast Asia was an event which has had vast cultural and ritual significance for its people. Pigs are often treated as members of the family and are sometimes suckled by women.

While many other people of the world were still hunters and gatherers, Papua people had begun to garden. After fairly recently, many of them lived with a simple Stone Age Culture wearing little clothing and decorating their bodies with paintings, shells, pig tusks, feathers and skins. There is a plethora of language in the province, perhaps some 250 in all, each representing a tribal group which mixes little with the others. Some of the more remote groups still have virtually no contact with the outside world.

THE FLORA AND FAUNA
Papua island may have the richest wildlife and concentration of plant life in all of Indonesia , or perhaps the world. No other islands in the archipelago can match its various kind of Birds of Paradise, Parrot families, pigeons and Flightless Cassowary.

This province is also home of 150 species of lizards, 30,000 species of beetles, 200 frogs and 800 spiders. A high percentage of the island's 100 snake species are poisonous, including all 17 species of sea snakes.

Korowai Tree Tribes of Irian Jaya

The Korowai tribe are direct neighbours of the Asmat and live north of the Dairam Kabiur. Their habitat is limited by two large rivers and the mountains in the north. Their swampy area is approximately 600 km² bid. In this difficult area are living up to 2500 Korowai together in small family groups. The Korowai are hunters and collectors. They nourish themselves mainly with Sago which they won from Sago palms. They refer their main protein food from the larvae of the Capricorn beetle. The huntable animals represent their further base of live. There are wild pigs; Casuar bird; birds; snakes; and small insects. Vegetable food is also very important for them. Especially palm leaves, fern, breadfruit and the red pandanae fruit.

The Korowai live together in small family groups in tree houses. These tree houses can reach heights up to 50 meters, what however only in exceptional cases the case is. The Korowai build such kind of tree houses only if there is a dispute with the neighbours, or if they live in an hostile area. Their normal tree houses are around 6 to 25 Meters high. A Korowai family with up to eight persons live in such kind of houses. But there is a strictly separatism between men and women. Their material culture is exclusively limited to indispensable things of daily live as well as decoration articles for the body.

Particularly to call the still common stone axe, bone knifes as well as the grave stick to remove the hard skin from a Sago Tree and the wooden Sago hammer. For the decoration of the body we have to name the bones from the wings of a flying fox. The Korowai women place this in the nose. Also the necklace from dog´s tooth are really important for them. The mother give these necklaces to the daughter and this is still in use. The men use necklaces from pig´s tooth. The women use only a small skirt made from tree skin and Sago fibres. The men use only a leaf around the penis. Some groups have just the half of a nut around the penis. Around the chest you can see also some rotanings. Without their net the women never move out of the tree house. The men never move out without bow and arrows.

FACT OF BALIEM VALLEY

In the central mountain of Irian Jaya , lies a grand valley with 72 km long and 16 - 31 km wide, inhabited by Neolithic warrior and farmer, the Dani Tribes and other sub tribes of Yali and Lani with their complex and primitive cultures, which looks more like "stone age" cultures. Welcome to the beautiful Baliem Valley .

We will take you to experience an exciting adventure by exploring the Baliem Valley and the unique, primitive traditions and way of live of the tribes who live in the valley.

Baliem valley it self is located in Wamena regency in Irian Jaya, Papua which is well known as the home of the Dani tribes.To reach this area, you have to fly from Jakarta or Bali to Jayapura (the capital province of Irian Jaya / Papua), and then fly from Jayapura to Wamena. We can fly from Jakarta to Jayapura and then from Jayapura to Wamena in the same day.

This valley has been the most visited part of the island, especially in recent years. The Dani Tribes speak related Papuan, or non - Austronesian language and live in the high central range of Papua Island , the most eastern province of Indonesia .

Until the last decades the Dani tribes were some of the most isolated populations by swamps and mountains. They grew root crops, raised pig and used polished stone axes and adzes. They didn't make pottery (which means "sign of the modernity"), but otherwise their technology was very much like that of the Neolithic of the Old and New Worlds.

There may be 250,000 Dani living in the central mountains, many live scattered among the steep mountain slopes. The Valley has one of the highest densities of population in Papua Province . The Dani Tribes build their huts in a compound nicely express both environmental adaptation and Dani's character. The men's and women's huts have thick thatched roofs which keep rain, yet retain the heat from the earth, along with just enough smoke to discourage the mosquito.

The temperatures of the highland are ranged from 26 degrees Celsius at the day time and 12 degrees at night.

The highlights of sightseeing are Dani Market in WAMENA Town , WAUMA Village and, which can be easily reach on foot or by car from Wamena. Farther out are AIKIMA, with its 250 years old mummy, SUROBA, JIWIKA and neighboring villages.

With 2 hours climbing, you can see the salt spring where the Dani women make salt in primitive way fashion for centuries. Outer adventures are southward to KURIMA area, where the Dani and Yali Tribes' way of life mixed into a unique combination.

Baliem Valley Festival

The baliem festival it self will be held on every august or september. The main pont of interest of the festival will be the massive tribal attraction involving the all natives group living on the surrounding area of the giant valley. All tribes group will deliver their envoy to attend the faestival while bringing all tribes attributes, kotekas, art and craft. The baliem festival is a right chance to observe the rich cutlure of the hinterland. Baliem valley area is mainly occupied by three main big clan, namely Dani, Yali and Lani.

Each tribe group will come over with their own identity. Here you will see clear difference among them refer to their dressing. The Dani man only use small koteka (penis gourd / penis cover), the Lani tribes use bigger Koteka, their body is much bigger than the average Dani tribe, while the Yali has long slender Koteka with rattan belt corved waist lenght.

By attending the masive baliem festival, you will have a great chance to know and learn the culture of each attending tribes without having to make the visit to their compunds deep in the hinterland of West Papua .

Beside to present during the days of the festival, we will also held a trekking trip in Jiwika village in the suburban of Wamena to see the old smoked mummy and salt pool where you will enjoy and see how to make salt in their traditional way. As you will entering the site, you will return to the stone age era. Grass dressed woman, dressless man, just having a long slender penis cup, man with arrows and bows, and with the body ornaments.