Wamena, Baliem Valley Tour

Baliem Valley Tour Package organized for those interest with off the beaten path from West Papua or Irian Jaya.

High up in the mountains of central Papua at an altitude of 1,600 meters above sea level, hemmed in by steep green mountain walls, lies the stunningly beautiful Baliem Valley, home of the Dani tribe.

The legendary Baliem Valley is the most popular and most accessible destination in Papua’s interior. The Dani people who live here were still dependent on tools of stone, bone and wood when a natural-history expedition led by American Richard Archbold chanced upon the valley in 1938. The Dani have since adopted various modern ways and new beliefs, but the valley and surrounding highlands remain one of the world’s last fascinatingly traditional areas.

The main valley is about 60km long and 16km wide and bounded by high mountains on all sides. The only sizeable town, Wamena, sits at its centre at an altitude of 1650m. The powerful Kali Baliem (Baliem River), running through the valley, escapes through a narrow gorge at the southern end. Amid this spectacular scenery, the majority of Dani still live close to nature, tending their vegetable plots and pigs around villages composed of circular thatched huts called honai. Roads are few, and the raging mountain rivers are crossed on hanging footbridges that may be held together only by natural twine.

Only recently emerged from the Stone Age, the Dani are known as the “gentle warriors”. With their simple tools of stone and bone, they nonetheless, managed to sculpt green fields that hug the hills, where they grow root crops, and raise pigs. They have also built outposts and lookout towers to defend their valley from hostile tribes.

Because of the fertile soil and their agricultural skills, the Dani together with the sub-tribes of the Yali and the Lani, are, therefore, the most populous in Papua, living scattered in small communities near their gardens among the steep mountain slopes. Today, they also cultivate bananas, taro and yams, ginger, tobacco and cucumbers.

The men’s and women’s huts (locally called the honai) have thick thatched roofs, which keep the huts cool during the day and warm during the cold nights.

The highlight from this region is when you had a change to attend the Baliem Valley Festival, also known as the pasola festival, when all the diverse tribes from the highlands of Wamena and the Baliem Valley such as the Dani, Lani, and the Yali congregate to celebrate their annual festival. Baliem Valley Festival 2020 will be in August, high in the Jayawijaya mountains on the Indonesian side of the island of New Guinea. The festival includes mock tribal warfare held to maintain the agility and preparedness of the tribes to defend their villages.

BALIEM VALLEY TOURS PACKAGE SAMPLE

DAY 01 : JAYAPURA ARRIVAL CONNECT TO WAMENA (L,D)
Upon arrival at Jayapura airport , meet and greeting service by your guide and check in on the flight to Wamena around 11.00h, right in the heart of the Baliem Valley. Flying past vertical mountain cliffs and mist clad valleys, you will understand why the place remained isolated for so many centuries ! After passing local customs – there are alcohol restrictions in the Baliem Valley. We will explore the area and get first impressions of another world. Napua Hills with its panoramic view of the valley, Wesaput village and its traditional hanging bridge, some Dani villages and a traditional market. Afternoon check-in at your hotel, your base for further valley explorations. Dinner and overnight at BALIEM PILAMO HOTEL

DAY 02 : WAMENA – SOGOKMO – KURIMA – WAMENA (B,L,D)
Today we drive in 35 minutes to Sogokmo village at southern part of Baliem valley, and start to have a day trek for about 4-5 hours through Dani sweet potatoes gardens and enjoy the gorgeous scenery surrounding, you get to Kurima the sub-district. Along the trail you will meet local people with friendly smile in their traditional clothes, After picnic lunch heading back to Sogokmo where the cars pick you up to Wamena for dinner and overnight stay at BALIEM PILAMO HOTEL

DAY 03 : WAMENA – JIWIKA (Pig Feast and Dance) – WAMENA (B,L,D)
After breakfast, drive 30 minutes to Jiwika in the Northern part of Baliem valley to see the 250 years old Mummy. Then walk 10 minutes to village of Anemoigi where you can view the Dani Mock battle and Pig feast. You will see how the Dani make fire traditionally, kill a pig with bow and arrow and cook them into the hot-burned stone with vegetables and sweet potatoes in the steaming pit on the ground. Lunch box will be provided or we can have grill pig and local food for our lunch. After lunch visit the Mili Mountain to see how the Dani women make a salt in the traditional way. Afternoon drive back to BALIEM PILAMO HOTEL for dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 04 : WAMENA – JAYAPURA – MAKASSAR (B,L,D)
After breakfast, transfer to airport for your flight back to Jayapura. Arrival at airport of Jayapura You may have half day sightseeing tour including Mac Arthur 2nd World War monument, Sentani lake by long boat to visit Assey and Ayapo villages to see how the Sentani tribe make the bark painting. Lunch have at Yougwa restaurant near the Sentani lake, after lunch driving back to Sentani airport for your MERPATI flight which departure at 3.00 O’clock at afternoon.

~~~ End of Services ~~~

DAY 01 : JAYAPURA ARRIVAL CONNECT TO WAMENA (L,D)
Upon arrival at Jayapura airport , meet and greeting service by your guide and check in on the flight to Wamena around 11.00h, right in the heart of the Baliem Valley. Flying past vertical mountain cliffs and mist clad valleys, you will understand why the place remained isolated for so many centuries ! After passing local customs – there are alcohol restrictions in the Baliem Valley. We will explore the area and get first impressions of another world. Napua Hills with its panoramic view of the valley, Wesaput village and its traditional hanging bridge, some Dani villages and a traditional market. Afternoon check-in at your hotel, your base for further valley explorations. Dinner and overnight at BALIEM PILAMO HOTEL

DAY 02 : WAMENA – SOGOKMO – KURIMA – WAMENA (B,L,D)
Today we drive in 35 minutes to Sogokmo village at southern part of Baliem valley, and start to have a day trek for about 4-5 hours through Dani sweet potatoes gardens and enjoy the gorgeous scenery surrounding, you get to Kurima the sub-district. Along the trail you will meet local people with friendly smile in their traditional clothes, After picnic lunch heading back to Sogokmo where the cars pick you up to Wamena for dinner and overnight stay at BALIEM PILAMO HOTEL

DAY 03 : WAMENA – JIWIKA (Pig Feast and Dance) – WAMENA (B,L,D)
After breakfast, drive 30 minutes to Jiwika in the Northern part of Baliem valley to see the 250 years old Mummy. Then walk 10 minutes to village of Anemoigi where you can view the Dani Mock battle and Pig feast. You will see how the Dani make fire traditionally, kill a pig with bow and arrow and cook them into the hot-burned stone with vegetables and sweet potatoes in the steaming pit on the ground. Lunch box will be provided or we can have grill pig and local food for our lunch. After lunch visit the Mili Mountain to see how the Dani women make a salt in the traditional way. Afternoon drive back to BALIEM PILAMO HOTEL for dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 04 : WAMENA – JAYAPURA (B,L,D)
After breakfast, transfer to airport for your flight back to Jayapura. Arrival at airport of Jayapura You may have a full day sightseeing tour including Mac Arthur 2nd World War monument, Sentani lake by long boat to visit Assey and Ayapo villages how the Sentani tribe make the bark painting. Lunch have at Yougwa restaurant near the lake. After lunch, see the Anthropology museum (open from Monday to Saturday at 09.00-14.00), then Hamadi market & Jayapura city. Afternoon check in at SWISS BELHOTEL in Jayapura for overnight and dinner.

DAY 05 : JAYAPURA – NEXT DESTINATION (B)
After breakfast, transfer in time to Sentani airport of Jayapura for flying to next destination. End of our service

~~~ End of Services ~~~