Papua’s Highlights
native of papua islands
Papua’s mystique piques the imagination of explorer, naturalis, anthropologist, politician, and traveler in you. What about papua (formerly known as Irian Jaya) would not intrigue? The diversity in lifestyle and culture of indigenous people, who speak more than 250 language, is matched only by Papua’s biodiversity and geography. The terrain covering half of New Guinea, the planet’s second largest island, ranges from the misty peak of Puncak Jaya which features permanent snowfields and small glaciers to the steamy island group of Biak and Raja Ampat , just shy of the equator.
Endemic wildlife gracing this vast expanse of jungle, mountain, swamp, and sea include such weird and wonderful creatures as cassowaries, dugongs, showy cenderawasih (bird of paradise) , egg-laying echidnas and tree-dwelling monitor lizards.
Papua Native
Though much of the region is covered by impenetrable jungle, most inhabitants live in around coastal towns. Almost all visitors head to Baliem Valley, home to some of the most remarkable traditional cultures on earth, while others are drawn to the art of the asmat region, or the bird life and coral reefs of the northern coast and islands.
Papua Map
With is limited infrastructure, administrative sloth, political strife that continually keeps hot spots off limits for foreigners, and an equatorial clime that puts siesta time in effect between 1pm and 5 pm. Papua poses a few travel challenges. To those willing to accept , the rewards flow with generosity as life sustaining as Papua’s brown tributaries ribboning throught its thick, enicmatic jungle canopy.
