Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Begin of Tour Jayapura (Irian Jaya/West Papua) - Dekai - Patipi Dibawa (L/D)

(28.07.2023) In the morning, arrival in Jayapura. Our local agent will welcome you and assist with the check-in for the flight to Dekai, located at the upper reaches of Brazza River (about 35 flight minutes). After arrival, meeting with your guide, visit of local market and last shopping for the tour. After lunch at a local restaurant, drive to harbor (about 28km/ ca. 1 hour). At the harbor our motor longboat including crew awaits us. Today, we plan to go downstream for 2 hours until we reach the village of Patipi Dibawa. Here we raise our first tent camp right down by the river. This short stage gives us an impression of what awaits us during the next days: jungle landscapes in the essence! (any luggage which is not needed during the Korowai part, e.g. warm clothes for the highlands, can be packed seperately and send via airmail to Wamena - our local agent in Jayapura can take care of that)

Day 2: Patipi Dibawa - Mabul/Korowai (B/L/D)

(29.07.2023) In the morning we have an early breakfast before we continue to go downstream with our longboat. Down Brazza river, we are passing amazing prime forest landscapes. Hornbills, flying foxes and other birds often startle when our boat appears. Around noon we will reach the mouth of the mighty Siret River. After our lunchbreak, we go upstream Siret river to the Korowai settlement MABUL. Going upstream, the Siret river changes its face; the current gets stronger, sand banks appear, big tree trunks often block parts of the way, less and less local boats can be spotted. Depending on the water level, our today’s boat trip takes around 8 hours. Under best circumstances, we will reach Mabul in the afternoon. Mabul is a small settlement of Korowai people who were attracted by the Indonesian government to leave behind their nomadic lifestyle in the forest and to settle down. We will use this settlement as the starting point of our trekking into the Korowai corridor. After we set up our tents and kitchen, we will start recruiting our porters for the next days. With a little bit of luck, we can set up our tents inside an empty stilt house.

Day 3: Mabul/Korowai - Manopteropo (B/L/D)

(30.07.2023) After breakfast, we meet our escort team. Our entire luggage and our food for the next days will be carried by our porters. We leave Mabul in an Eastern direction. Only some 50 meters, and we are standing in thick forest, which we will not leave for the next days. Today, we approximately need 5 hours until we reach our first destination: a fantastic jungle settlement with several tree houses. The traditionally dressed Korowai give us a friendly welcome. Tent camp next to the tree houses.

Day 4: Manopteropo (B/L/D)

(31.07.2023) Today, we will follow several Korowai families into the sago forest. Here, we will experience a spectacle from another world. The forest nomads chop a huge sago palm with their stone axes, open the trunk, and start smashing the sago pulp. The gained sago pulp is further processed by women who wash it in primitive washing installments – build only from leaves, branches and Rotan. The pure sago is the staple food for all jungle dwellers. Camera enthusiasts will probably never forget this day! In the afternoon we are back at the tree houses, where our cook starts preparing our next real jungle dinner: maybe we will have papaya vegetables, sago larvae, and plantains! The kitchen will surprise us every day with new exotic viands.

Day 5: Manopteropo (B/L/D)

(01.08.2023) We will visit another settlement in the Korowai forest. Maybe today the Korowai will show us how to repair a tree house in extreme heights, or how to make and use bows and arrows – the most important weapons here. Or we will join the Korowai on a journey into the forest to seek food. They are true hunters and gatherers: in a few hours their nets are filled with spiders, larvae, locusts and other exotic animals. They even shoot flying foxes from the trees. And again, we can look forward to another exotic dinner!

Day 6: Manopteropo - Mabul/Korowai (B/L/D)

(02.08.2023) Today, we say goodbye to our friendly hosts. Back in Mabul we still have time to take a look at the local craftsmanship and perhaps, to bring some of these artifacts back home with us. For example a fantastic bone knife, is a perfect souvenir for every visitor, and the truest proof that somebody has really been to the stone ages!

Day 7: Mabul/Korowai - Wowi (B/L/D)

(03.08.2023) In the morning, we leave Mabul and follow the river downstream. After some 2 hours we again pass the mouth of Brazza River, but this time we continue along the Siret towards Asmat. Downstream, the strong current makes our journey much quicker. Shortly after we pass Brazza, we reach Binam/Suator, the first bigger settlement with a small kiosk. Here we need to fill up our petrol, and it is also time for lunch in a small warung or locally operated food stall. After lunch, we continue to Wowi, a typical Citak settlement, right across the mouth of the powerful Wildemann River. Wowi is also the home of our boatman. We will build our tents next to his house and will use his kitchen place for our dinner. A small tour through the settlement gives a very good insight into the lives of the people here.

Day 8: Mabul/Korowai - Yaosokor (B/L/D)

(04.08.2023) Today, we spend the whole day in our boat until we reach Kaimo, the first typical Asmat settlement. After lunch break in Kaimo we will continue further downstream until we reach the village of Yaosokor. Our tents and kitchen will be set up inside the huge traditional men\'s house (Jeu). Spending the night in this impressive house, with its traditional and iconic ancestor poles and fireplaces is a unique experience in and of itself.

Day 9: Yaosokor - Uwus (B/L/D)

(05.08.2023) We continue by boat until we reach Beriten, a smaller Asmat settlement with a mighty men\'s houses and a settlement known for its Asmat craftsmanship. After our arrival, the residents bring all of their art treasures to the men’s house, opening an ad hoc bazaar. Visitors often have a good chance to find interesting objects for low prices that cannot be found in the official stores in bigger towns. After lunch in Beriten we continue to Uwus (about 2 hours) where a big ceremony is planned for the afternoon. Afterwards, we will set up our tents in the big men\'s houses of the village.

Day 10: Uwus - Agats (B/L/D)

(06.08.2023) In the morning we go through a narrow river channel, right through the mangrove forest. This is a spectacular journey, as our boat goes past the thick jungle. Around 10am we will reach Agats, the "capital city" of Asmat. Here we will stay in Hotel Anggrek, a small, clean, and quiet hotel. As all the other buildings in Agats, also Hotel Anggrek is built on wooden stilts. In the afternoon we will visit the very interesting Asmat museum, which collected a large amount of unique Asmat artifacts. The collection gives a very good overview on the different Asmat cultures and styles of craftsmanship. Agats is a town without cars and during our short tour through the center; we will be surprised how many people are nonetheless living here.

Day 11: Agats - Baliem Valley/Wamena (B/L/D)

(07.08.2023) In the early morning we leave Agats Harbor for a quick boat ride to the airfield of Ewer. Here, our flight charter awaits us. The type of aircraft will most likely be a Cessna Caravan. Flight time to Wamena is approximately 60 minutes. The flight to the highlands is an adventure in itself. After a successful landing in Wamena there is a short stop at the local market and later on, a transfer to The Baliem Valley Resort. During the rest of the day there is no program, and there is lunch and dinner at the Resort.

Day 12: Baliem Valley/Wamena (B/L/D)

(08.08.2023) After breakfast, drive to festival ground in Wosilimo/Kurulu district. The opening ceremony will be held there. Return to the resort in the afternoon. Program Day 1 (09:00 - 16:00): 1. Performance tribal war 2. Competitive games between children from Puradan 3. Competitive games between children from Sikoko 4. Attraction of the day: Feast with traditional cooking 5. Performance of traditional dances 6. Competition in archery 7. Competition in javelin 8. Competition in manufacturing traditional craftsmanship 9. Competition in playing the traditional jaw harp

Day 13: Baliem Valley/Wamena (B/L/D)

(09.08.2023) After breakfast, drive to festival ground in Wosilimo/Kurulu district. Return to the resort in the afternoon. Program Day 2 (09:00 - 16:00): 1. Performance tribal war 2. Performance of traditional dances 3. Competition in manufacturing traditional craftsmanship 4. Competition pig race 5. Competition in javelin 6. Competition in archery 7. Attraction of the day: Feast with traditional cooking 8. Competition in playing the traditional jaw harp 9. Competitive games between children from Puradan 10. Competitive games between children from Sikoko

Day 14: Baliem Valley/Wamena - Jayapura (B/L/D)

(10.08.2023) In the morning flight to Jayapura. Transfer to hotel near airport. Later sightseeing tour including lunch at Lake Sentani.

Day 15: Jayapura - End of Tour Jayapura (Irian Jaya/West Papua) (B)

(11.08.2023) In the morning, transfer to Jayapura airport and flight to your next destination.