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Following a Korowai into the forest, Korowai tribe of Papua, Indonesia
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JUNGLE TREK TO THE KOROWAI & STAY IN THE BALIEM VALLEY

GROUP TOUR

INFORMATIONS

YOU WILL LOVE:

  • Meeting the Korowai & the Dani tribes

  • Going on a real jungle adventure

  • Living an immersive adventure in a small group

  • Climbing up a treehouse

  • Discovering the Baliem Valley

  • Sleep in the best accommodation in Papua: The Baliem Valley Resort

Day 1: Jayapura Airport - Jayapura

Arrival in Jayapura

Your arrive in Jayapura and you meet our Manager Mr. Siprianus. Your driver brings you to your hotel where you meet the rest of the group. You are welcomed by Marc and later have lunch together. Rest of the day at leisure. Later dinner together.

10 minutes of drive. Guide included. Accommodation: Hotel Horex. Meals: full board. 

Boarding plane at Wamena airport to fly to Dekai in Korowai territory, Papua

The plane flying to Dekai

A Korowai treehouse, in a Korowai forest, Papua trekking expeditions in Indonesia

What awaits us

Day 2: Jayapura - Papiti Dibawa

On your way to the Korowai in Papua

We are transferred to Jayapura airport for our onward flight to Dekai, starting point of our trekking tour in the Korowai area. Once in Dekai, you meet your trekking guide Marc. Marc was born in Germany and he has been travelling to Papua since his childhood. He is one of the most experienced guides for trekking tours in Papua. We first visit the local market and do the last groceries shopping for the trek. We enjoy lunch in a local restaurant before driving to the harbour where our boat crew is waiting for us in the motor longboat that will bring us to the Korowai. We descend the Brazza river for 2 hours, boating through a virgin jungle, to reach the village of Papiti Dibawa where we install our camp for the first night. Night in tents.

 

5 h flight to Jayapura, 30 min flight to Dekai. 1 h drive. 2 h boat. With guide and cook. Accommodation: in tent. Meals: full board.

Day 3: Papiti Dibawa - Mabul

A long day of boat

Today is a long boat journey to reach the village of Mabul where a few Korowai people settled down, thus leaving their nomadic way of life. Mabul is the port of entrance for trekking in the Korowai region. So after breakfast, we jump into our boat and go down the Brazza river again. Morning light is nice and it is the best time to see the exotic birds, especially hornbills, living in the forest nearby. After our lunch picnic, we continue on the Siret river. Finally in Mabul, we set up our camp and start recruiting our porters for the trek to the Korowai starting tomorrow.

 

6-8 h by boat. With guide and cook. Accommodation: in tent. Meals: full board.

Korowai jungle trekking, Papua Indonesia

Challenging path over a trunk

River crossing during Korowai trekking expedition in Papua Indonesia

River crossing during the trek

Day 4: Mabul – Korowai tribe

First day with the Korowai

After breakfast, we start our trek to the Korowai with a team of local porters and cook. After only a few steps, we jump into a wild thick forest, our playground for the next 5 days. We walk for approximately 5 hours in this stunning landscape before reaching Manopteroppo, a Korowai settlement where we spend the night. The Korowai people welcome us in a very authentic and friendly way. We enjoy this first insight of the Korowai lifestyle and of their kindness. We are invited to visit a tree house, 30 meters up there. Tents are dressed next to the traditional tree house.

 

4-5 h trek. With guide, porters and cook. Accommodation: in tent. Meals: full board.

Day 5: Korowai tribe

Immersion in the Korowai lifestyle

Today we immerse ourselves in the everyday life of the Korowai. Among all the daily activities, the most interesting one is the sago ritual. We are invited to join the Korowai in the sago forest, where the men chop a big sago palm tree with simple stone axes. Then the sago pulp is collected from the sliced trunk to be smashed. Then comes the women’s job who wash the pulp and process it in order to cook it later. During this stunning spectacle, we throw back to ancient times. Back to the village in the afternoon, we enjoy a local dinner nicely cooked by our cook. We are also very welcome to try sago and larvas, staple foods of the Korowai!

 

1-2 h walk. With guide, porters and cook. Accommodation: in tent. Meals: full board.

A Korowai making sago in a Korowai forest, Papua trekking expedition, Indonesia

A Korowai lady making sago

A Korowai family returning home, Papua life, Indonesia

Following the Korowai into the forest

Day 6 to 9: Korowai tribe

Trekking deeper in the Korowai tropical forest

Today we leave our first Korowai settlement to start a 4 days immersive trekking experience down to the Avium river area. This region is the heart of many Korowai settlements. For 4 days, we get deeper in the forest. Each day, we are warmly welcomed by the traditionally dressed Korowai tribes and we install our camp within the huts settlement. Who knows what is expecting us during those crazy days? Maybe we have the chance to join the men hunting in the forest and filling their nets of exotic products, such as spiders, larvas or even flying foxes shot with bows and arrows. Maybe we are teached how to build and use those weapons that are very often used by the Korowai to seek food in the forest. Or maybe we watch them building or repairing their 30 meters high tree houses while singing. Those 4 remote days are a stunning experience that you will never forget.


4-6 h of daily trekking. With guide, porters and cook. Accommodation: in tent. Meals: full board.  

Day 10: Korowai - Yanirumah

Heading back to the world

Today is our last day of trekking into the Korowai area. We leave our last Korowai settlement and we walk to the village of Yanirumah, a former missionary outpost with an airfield. Today Yanirumah is usually the last trekking stop before flying out of the Korowai district. We set up our camp for the very last time nearby the river and we appreciate a bath before our last jungle dinner.

 

4-6 h of trek. With guide, porters and cook. Accommodation: in tent. Meals: full board.

A Korowai tribe standing in front of his treehouse, Papua, Indonesia

A Korowai in front of his tree house

Korowai motherhood, Papua lifestyle, Indonesia

The traditional Noken net is used for carrying everything

Day 11: Yanirumah - Baliem Valley

Flying to the Baliem Valley, home of the Dani and Lani tribes

This morning, we say goodbye to our trekking team of porters and cook. While they start walking back to Mabul, we walk to the small airfield of Yanirumah where our charter plane is awaiting us. We fly over the untouched Papuan jungle before landing at Wamena in the Baliem Valley. On the way to The Baliem Valley Resort, we stop by the local market of Wamena. We taste the local fruits and the most adventurous can also try to chew the betelnut, a numbing drug daily used by the Papuans. Check-in at the Resort in the afternoon. Enjoy a coffee on a panoramic view terrace over the Baliem Valley. Dinner at the Resort.

 

45 min charter flight. 45 min drive. With guide. Accommodation: The Baliem Valley Resort. Meals: full board.

Day 12: Baliem Valley

Easy hiking in the Baliem Valley and first encounter with the Dani people

Today our driver takes us to the southern Baliem Valley for a beautiful and easy hike along the Baliem River. First we cross a suspension bridge over the mighty river and then we hike through fields of sweet potatoes, corn, sugar cane and maybe we cross the path with friendly pigs. We pass Dani huts and reach the beautiful village Seinma for lunch. After a nice picnic break, we cross another suspension bridge and walk slowly along the river back to the driver. In the late afternoon we return to the Resort.

 

2 h drive. 4 h walk. With guide. Accommodation: The Baliem Valley Resort. Meals: full board.

Scenery of the southern Baliem Valley, Papua, Indonesia

The Baliem valley trekking landscapes

Dani warrior with full decoration for a Dani ceremony, Papua, Indonesia

Portrait of a Dani warrior

Day 13: Baliem Valley

Traditional pig festival, an unforgettable experience

Today is a very special day that will remain unforgettable. We are invited to participate in a pig feast at a Dani tribe. We are welcomed by Dani tribesmen, traditionally dressed and decorated. A pig festival is a very special event for the Dani and Lani tribes, organized to celebrate important occasions. Our hosts begin the feast with dancing and singing. Then the pig is slaughtered, traditionally with bow and arrow. We see how the cooking pit is prepared with hot stones and field grass. The meat is tasty cooked with sweet potatoes and food ferns. Finally we all enjoy the food from the cooking pit. It is a really impressive experience, by far the most interesting experience of a trip to Papua. Back to the Resort in the afternoon and we enjoy our last evening in the Baliem Valley.

 

The pig festival takes place in changing villages. Precise information on travel times is therefore not provided. 

Maximum 1 h walk. With guide. Accommodation: The Baliem Valley Resort. Meals: full board.

Day 14: Baliem Valley – Jayapura

Back to Jayapura

You leave The Baliem Valley Resort in the morning and your driver takes you to Wamena Airport for your short flight to Jayapura. Upon your arrival, Siprianus is here to greet you. After checking in at your hotel, we drive to nearby Lake Sentani for a boat tour. On an area of 104 square kilometers there are about 20 islands which are home to villages with wooden houses on stilts. We visit two islands known for their traditional paintings on pressed tree bark. Lunch at the lake and return to the hotel.

 

30 min flight. 2 h drive. With guide. Accommodation: Horex hotel. Meals: full board.

Dani women during a Dani pig festival, Baliem Valley trip, Papua in Indonesia

Dani women covering the cooking pit with fern and grass

Welcome ceremony during a Dani pig festival, Papua trip to the Baliem Valley, Indonesia

Dani Pig festival

Day 15: Jayapura - Jayapura Airport

Last day in Papua, back to Bali

You enjoy your breakfast at the hotel before you are driven to Jayapura airport in accordance with the departure time of your onward flight. End of the tour.

 

10 min drive. Meals: breakfast.

Price and conditions
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Small group tour with max 10 travelers

Next departure dates:

TBC

Price per guest, based on a shared double room:

3 990€

Single supplement: + 350€

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PRICE & CONDITIONS

PRICE INCLUDES

  • Flight Jayapura – Dekai and Wamena - Jayapura

  • Charter flight Yanirumah - Wamena

  • Exclusive guiding by Marc (English and German speaking)

  • 9 nights in tent in Korowai territory

  • 3 nights in The Baliem Valley Resort

  • 2 nights in Horex Hotel, Sentani

  • Tours as per itinerary

  • Motor boats including crew

  • Porters and cook during the trek

  • Tents and cooking equipment during the trek

  • All transfers

  • All entrance fees

  • Meals: full board

  • Special travel permit (surat jalan)
     

PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE

  • International flights

  • Additional drinks and personal expenses

  • Costs for excess luggage

  • Sleeping bags and sleeping mattresses for the expedition

  • Tips

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SEE YOUR TRIP IN PICTURES
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