East Papua / Irian Jaya
The Capital
City of East Papua Province
is “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services have been replaced by Indonesian equivalents such as TNI (the army)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.
The capital and the biggest city of this
eastern most Indonesian province. It is a neat and pleasant city, built on the
slope of a hill overlooking the bay. General Douglas Mac Arthur’s World War II
headquarters still stands here, as well as some Japanese and Indonesian once. The Museum Jayapura is located inside the Cendrawasih
University.Tanjung Ria Beach, known as base G by the Allies during World War
II, is a popular holiday resort with facilities for water sports. From skyline,
in the hills behind the city, one gets a beautiful view of Jayapura. The short
trip for Jayapura, pleasant as it is, offers but a little foretaste of the
province’s magnificient scenery. Jotefa and Humboldt bays and also the Lake
Sentani Area.
Wide Area; The
wide area of Papua is 420,000 sq km/162,000 sq mi.
Traditional Costumes
Papua
have very specific costume and make-up rather different among others. Asmat
men put on head cover namely Kasuomer made of plaited leaves and roots with
accessories feather of Cendrawasih or Kasuari bird.They using a necklace made
of seeds, teeth, animal's bone, or shells.The women put similiar necklaces, and
head accessories.The accessories to be used containing symbolic meanings as an
user identity.Traditional costume of Papua experience an advance without
leaving its specific character.
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.
Biak
Climate
The Indonesian climate of Papua is quite
tropical in character, with high temperatures, plenty of strong sunshine and
periods of heavy rain and wet weather. Throughout the year, the temperatures of
Papua rarely move far from 29°C / 84°F or 30°C / 86°F.Generally speaking, the
climate of Papua is at its most pleasant and favourable between April and
September, which is often described as the 'dry season'. However, if you are
planning a holiday during the dry season, it may well still rain at times, and
it can in fact rain at anytime in Indonesia, anywhere. Kota Biak, on the island
of Pulau Biak, is an especially damp part of the region. Papua Weather and Climate: Seasonal Variations / When to
Go - Papua, Indonesia, ID. The north and south
coastlines of quite different and feature their very own climate zones. In
northern Papua, the weather can be quite windy and rainy between the months of
November and March, while on the southerly shore, it can be a little wet
between April and October, even though this is actually considered to be the
dry season in the south-easterly regency of Merauke.
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 &
Fauna
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.
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.
Knickknack
from Yenbuba
Many divers said that the best souvenir ever is the
stories of your experiences that you will take home to tell. But to keep your
friends or family consoled, try to bring these items: Asmat sculptures,
Traditional cloths, Hat, Necklaces, Noken (Traditional bag), Bracelet,
Traditional music instruments, Suling (traditional flute), Tambur (traditional
drum). These you can find also in gift shops in many cities in Papua. This will
save you the hassle of bringing too many things from Raja Ampat.
Discover Paradise
Diving Paradise, As the richest area, Raja Ampat’s total number of
confirmed corals to 537 species and 699 mollusks species. Some area boast
enormous schools of fish and regular sighting of sharks, such as wobbegongs. In
Mansuar, it’s highly likely you’ll encounter large groups of manta rays and
turtles. From the boats and often close to shore, you may get the chance to
done your snorkeling gear for some unforgettable interaction with resident pods
of dolphins or even some passing whales.
Underwater
Raja Ampat is all about diversity. It is not only
diversity of species, but also of dive spots. There are some areas where soft
corals and sea fans direct which can find in Yenbuba and its nearest islands,
others with amazing hard corals, black sand, and white sand. Then there
are fish, lots of them, in more figures and sizes than anywhere as well in the
world.
Diving Paradise
The Wakatobi area is at the center of the
global coral triangle, making diving in South East Sulawesi a unique
experience. Colorful reefs explode with life in one of the most biodiversity
regions of the Indo ‐Pacific,
and the world. The area harbors more species than any other tropical region
because its bio‐diversity was not affected by the last ice age. Of the
850 coral species known to man, more than 750 can be found in the Wakatobi. The
Wakatobi Marine National Park is the second largest in Indonesia encompassing
12.5 thousand square kilometers of protected Marine Park, and it is home to the
largest atoll in the world. Long white sandy beaches are the norm and you will
find many of the surrounding reefs unspoiled and in their natural state, giving
you the opportunity to dive on pristine sites where you will rarely see other
divers. As a result the diving here is both spectacular and relaxing.
Snorkeling is also a great way to enjoy the reef for non ‐divers and divers alike. Some of the commonly found
species in the Wakatobi and surrounding Buton include; a variety of
nudi ‐branches, colorful soft corals, big sponges, barracudas,
sea horses, pygmy sea horses, ghost pipe fish, napoleon fish, tuna, crocodile
fish, frog fish, batfish, scorpion fish, black tipped and white tipped reef
sharks, manta rays, eagle rays, turtles, and sometimes even whale sharks and
hammerhead.
Dive Spots
As a World’s Class Diving Centre, Wakatobi spoils you with its
uniqueness and easy things even it is your first diving experience. As a
beginner, you can start diving in a house reef in one of the resorts where you
can dive only 20 meters (60 feet) from the dive center. The island offers
divers an incredible marine life diversity, both color and natural splendor,
and several dive sites easy to access. One of the most popular sites is
Wakatobi Marine Park with its superb diving sanctuary. A great diving holiday
and at the same time, marine conservation and community development will remain
as an inspiration key to love more to the nature by protecting from all the
damages. Wakatobi own at least 100 Diamond class Dive spot, Spread away in
90,000 ha of its coral reef . The details are:
Wangi-Wangi Island: 18 Dive Spot, Kaledupa Island: 25 Dive Spots, Tomia
Island: 48 Dive Spots, Binongko Island: 9 Dive Spots.
Biak
A town built on the rocky soil of an island
of the same name on the rim of Cendrawasih Bay, is Irian Jaya’s gateway. A big
Indonesian naval base, it has a public infrastructure that is better than in
most other places in the province.Japanese caves, are found near Ambroden. This
is the place where American troops are said to have cremated alive hundreds of
Japanese soldiers by pouring gasoline into the mouths of the caves during World
War II.There are some good beaches on Biak island, the most popular of which
are Bosnik on the east coast, which is good for swimming and skin diving, and
Korem on the north coast, where one could watch young men and boys dive for
pearls in the sea. Supiori Island, just north of Biak, has a recreation forest
and villages where visitors are welcome.
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 longitude.
It owns 3 big islands; Biak, Supiori, and Biak Numfor. The population here 102.492 people spreading in
8 districts, 7 sub districts, and 153 villages inhabit Biak Numfor regency.
The
Mummy
We take the tour at the same time and adventure in
Indonesia which the really unique, many challenge which tend, pleasing and
getting an impression. To be added again with natural resources like "
Mummy" residing in Glorious Irian/Papua, which supported by very nature of
naturalistic. The Mummy, called dead body conserved by an object of tour
research and all adventurer, and often visited by various visitor from various
state in the world. The Mummy come from a very strong warrior dyeing in action
intertribal is hinterland, later; then its dead body in conserving by
traditional and kept in a maisonette as warrior symbol. We can take the tour
and adventure on this place, laid at in "Countryside of Aikima",
District Of Kluru, Glorious Irian. Tour and Adventure to this place can go
through journey around 20 minute of Town of Wamena, Glorious Irian/Papua. Good,
Join And Visit Us.
Untouched
Balliem Valley – Rich Culture Beautiful Papua Indonesia
Baliem Valley and the Dani tribe waited a long time to be discovered.
Papuan highland belongs to one the most recently explored New Guinea areas. The
tall mountains in west Papua (Irian Jaya) were generally considered as
uninhabited. No sooner than 1398 did the pilot Richard Archbold notice that
there was something special about the deep, and large valley situated among the
four-thousand meter tall mountains. In the valley there were clearly
recognizable fields, similar to those he knew from Europe. The Baliem valley
and Dani tribe were discovered by pure luck.
To reach the Baliem Valley, one has to fly to Jayapura, the capital city
of West Papua province. From Jayapura then fly to Wamena town, the capital city
of Baliem Valley. This flight takes 45 minutes passing over the tropical
jungles and the land of West Papua. Wamena town has been developing some
tourist facilities and become one of the center of economy and new culture for
West Papua after Jayapura. Visiting the area of West Papua need government
permit which can be arranged before arrival by sending your passport photocopy
to the local tour agent in Indonesia. The nature of tour on the island of West
Papua are all in an adventurous activities with ready physical condition to
stay in an open nature or simple huts belong to the local people, and fit to
walk dozens of kilo meters if wish to see the inner part of the villages.
Visiting both Dani People or Yali people must be communicated far in advance in
a detail manner, so traveler will understand the situation of the location that
will be visited, at least there is an idea of what will be the condition in the
field. This is very important to prepare travelers to the natural condition of
the island and country.
The Baliem Valley was once dubbed Shangri La and it is easy to see why.
The Valley is incredibly lush and fertile and is surrounded on all sides by
towering peaks of 2,500 to 3,000 meters. The fertility is such that the valley
has been farmed for 9,000 years but it was only discovered by westerners in
1938! There are three mains tribes inhabiting the Baliem Valley: The Dani in
the base, the Lani to the west and the Yali in the south-east. Each tribe has a
distinct culture. One sure and interesting way to distinguish between the
tribes is from the Koteka, or penis gourd, sported by the male members. The men
of each tribe tend to the growing of the gourds with the three tribes each
cultivating a different style. The Dani use a long, thin Koteka, the Lani sport
a medium sized, wide cannon-like gourd, and the Yali wear the longest of all.
The inevitable pig-feast on arrival is your rite of passage into their
unique culture for an engrossing a four or five hour intense experience. You
will find yourself in a simple, traditional compound surrounded by fully
greased and painted Dani tribes-people wearing their ceremonial best.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. If you are planning to
visit the Baliem Valley of Papua, then the days between March and August are
considerably drier than other months. Of note, coastal resorts tend to be
hotter and more humid than towns around the highlands area.
The Lani
Like the Dani, the Lani are expert farmers utilizing a highly effective
and efficient irrigation system to produce abundant crops of Sweet Potatoes
(Ubi), Tobacco, Beans, Taro, Spinach, Sugar Cane and Bananas. Much of the Lani
lands lie in a beautiful oasis interspersed with checkerboard patterned sweet
potato gardens. The Lani are more stockily built than the medium-bodied Dani
and their lands are more densely populated. They tend to congregate in largish
villages rather than the small compounds which dominate Dani territory.
The weather in the Valley is predominantly sunny and trekking along the
river amidst the terraced farmlands and wondrous forests is a trekker’s
paradise. Trails are usually clear and maintained as local people travel them
and this makes the trekking pretty comfortable.
The Yali
The Yali tribe lives high up along the valley ridges in the Jayawijaya
Mountains. The land here is rugged and thinly populated. The tribes-people live
in wooden huts with roofs made of tree-bark and they are grouped into small
compounds. A vegetable garden and dense rainforest will surround each compound.
Trekking in the Yali area is more strenuous than in the lower reaches of the
Valley but it is perfect for the fit trekker who wants to experience truly
virgin rainforest and the unique people who live amidst it.In summary, The
Baliem Valley will provide a never to be forgotten experience. The inhabitants
of the valley are essentially peace-loving agrarians who welcome visitors
wholeheartedly.
Lorentz
National Park
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
width. 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.
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.
Accomodation
The Island provides you in full comfort and
distinct resort class although the site is in the most remote resort area. The
villas and bungalows were built in a large space, tastefully decorated with the
hospitality you would expect in the fine resort like Wakatobi Dive Resort, a
Swiss‐founded that has an international standard with some
facilities in Tomia Island. The Architecture is built in consideration with the
preservation of the traditional building style, respect to the ecotourism
principles with the main building and bungalows crafted by local artisans and
all using manual tools. Apart of their land ‐based
resort, the world ‐renowned Pelagian Yacht now operates and takes the
visitors in a local luxurious transportation.
This Pelagian Yacht is fully integrated into
Wakatobi’s award ‐winning marine conservation and community development
program. It has an exclusive access to the diving sites within the extended
Wakatobi region. Let’s try a trip to Wakatobi in a live‐a‐board adventure on the Pelagian at the same holiday! Hoga
Island with its white sandy beach and beautiful panorama offers you a place
that can accommodate up to hundreds guests. There is also a moderate home stay
for you to spend the time at Wanci in Wangi‐Wangi
Island, the capital city of the regency that keeps put in order providing all
the facilities to the visitors needs. There is no denying that Wakatobi is an
excellent tourism destination with no less than 750 coral reef species from a
total of 850 species in the world, comparing with the Caribbean owes only 50
species and other 300 species in the Red Sea.
Sumber Investigasi:
F. I. Fatrick &
www.guidingtoindonesia.blogspot.com
