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Papua
Explorer Tours & Expeditions 2010
KURUWAI
& ASMAT /
PAPUA
Individual tour
12 days - from Wamena / to Timika
Tour possible at any time of the year,
booking on request - Minimum 2 persons
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Price of tour per person:
€ 2.900,-- 1/2 double bed room/-tent
(Prices are subject to change - depending on the fuel surcharges!)
Minimum: 2 persons
Level of difficulty ***
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Planned itinerary:
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1. day:
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In the morning transfer to airport. Flight by regular airline to Yahokimo (Dekai), located at the upper reaches of Brazza River (about 35 minutes). After arrival visit of local market and last shopping for the tour. After lunch at a local restaurant, drive to harbour (about 28km/ ca. 1 hour). There our motor log boat incl. crew awaits us. Today we plan to go downstream for 2 hours until we reach the villace 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!
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2. day:
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We have early breakfast, so that we can start right in time. 10 interesting and exciting hours of drive are to be expected: amazing virgin forests all way down the Brazza up to the river mouth of the mighty Siret, where we take a lunch break at an elementary settlement. Then we go on upstream, passing wild romantic open fluvial topography. The river Siret is getting wilder and wilder with pebble banks and rapids. Mighty trees are spread all over the water and at some spots mighty dams of driftwood block nearly the whole course of the river. To get through this smoothly requires enough daylight and a well experienced coxswain. Around 6 o’clock local time, at the short fall of dusk, we must have reached our stage goal in MABUL. Many young Kuruwai families are living here, hoping for a better supply with most necessary basic goods and food down by the river. Several families already own small motor log boats with which they sometimes get to shops further downstream. For the night we stay inside an empty pile dwelling, where we can use the fireplace and raise our tents sheltered. In the evening our guide negotiates with the locals to arrange the porters for the next days.
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3. day:
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After breakfast we meet our crew. Our complete luggage and food for the following days will be partitioned to the porters. Then we leave Mabul in an eastward direction. After 50 meters only, we will find ourselves inside the deep rainforest, which we will not leave during the upcoming days. It will take about 5 hours to reach today’s destination: a terrific clearing in the primeval forest with 6 tree houses. The traditionally dressed Kuruwai are excited about our visit and will not leave our side anymore. Tent camp beside the tree houses. If anyone likes, he also can raise his tent inside one of the tree houses: 6 meters high or 25 meters high – whatever you desire!!
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4. day:
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Today we accompany the Kuruwai families into the nearby Sago woods. There we experience a spectacle from another world. With stone axes the forest nomads fell a huge Sago palm tree and smash the pith totally. Afterwards the women wash it in primitive washing bays to gain the pure Sago, the basic food of all jungle people. Photographers and movie makers will never forget this day! In the afternoon back at the tree houses, and in the evening our cook performs a real jungle dinner: maybe we have papaya veggies, fried farn spears with insect nymphs, Sago pancakes and plantains! Every day the kitchen surprises us with different exotic treats.
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The daily life
of the Kuruwai in pictures
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5. day:
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We stay for a second day with the friendly and adorable forest nomads. Maybe they show us today how they repair a sky-high tree house or how to make and use bow and arrow – the most important weapon. Or we accompany these primitive people at foraging and experience how they live up to their name of hunters and gatherers: in a few hours, their nets are filled with all kinds of grasshoppers, huge cockroaches, spiders, insect nymphs and other animals. And again this crop of animals leads us to expect a culinary dinner at its best in our camp!
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6. day:
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Today it’s time to say goodbye to our friendly hosts. Back in Mabul there is time to survey the offered art objects of the villagers. One or another object, for example an ingenious
bone knife, is like a piece of another world and for many visitors a body of
evidence of their visit in the stone age!
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7. day:
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In the morning we start downstream by our motor log boat. After about 2 hours we pass the confluence of the Brazza river. Shortly after we reach Binam/Suator, the first bigger settlement at the upper reaches of the Siret river. Here we must restock fuel, and it is time for a lunch break at a local Warung. Continuing our journey to Wowi, a typical Citak village, located directly opposite to where the mighty Wildemann river flows into the
Siret. This is the home of our coxswain. We raise our tents near his house or maybe inside his house right down by the river. There we can use the fireplace. An excursion of the stretched village gives us an impression of the way of life of these people.
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8. day:
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Whole day boat tour further downstream to KAIMO, the first typical Asmat settlement. We raise our tents inside the traditional men house (Jeu). This night inside of this imposing building with its meters high ancestor sculptures is a unique experience.
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9. day:
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Continuation to WARSE, a big Asmat settlement with three mighty men houses. On the way, amongst others, we stop in Amboreb, a famous settlement of artists. After our arrival the residents bring all of their art treasures to the men house, opening a briskly bazar. There often is a chance to find fancy, low priced objects, which cannot be found at any official store. After lunch, we continue to WARSE (about 2 hours). In WARSE overnight in our tents, placed in the middle house of the three men houses. The visit of the other men houses is absolutely worthwhile, where we can marvel at impressive Asmat art.
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Masters of wood craft
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10. day:
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In the morning drive on a narrow river channel through the offshore mangrove wood. During this fascinating drive we can admire the lucious brightness of tropical vegetation at close range. Early in the morning, around 10 o’clock we will arrive in Agats, the “capital” of the Asmat. We will stay at hotel Anggrek, a small, clean and quiet hotel, like all other houses in Agats built on meters high wooden stilts. In the afternoon visit of the absolutely worth seeing ASMAT MUSEUM. During our following walk around Agats, we will be amazed how many people live in this town, where until today not a single car can be found!!!
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11. day:
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In the morning boat transfer (about 30 minutes) to the airfield in Ewer and flight to Timika (about 1 hour flight time). In Ewer we will say goodbye to our boat crew, who shortly after drives back to Wowi. After arrival in Timika transfer to our hotel Komoro Tame, where we spend a relaxing afternoon with a cool drink at the pool. Dinner at the hotel.
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12. day:
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In the morning around 09.00h local time transfer to the airport. Around 11.20h nonstop flight to Denpasar/Bali by Garuda Indonesia. Here in Timika we say goodbye to our crew from Wamena. They take a plane back to Wamena via Jayapura.
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Price inclusions:
- Crew from Wamena (english speaking guide+cook)
- Flight tickets for the whole group (Wamena–Dekai + Ewer–Timika)
- Flight tickets for crew (Timika-Jayapura-Wamena)
- Motor log boat incl. crew
- Fullboard
- Tour as itinerary
- Travel permit (surat jalan)
- Equipment (tents, rest mats, cook equipment + dishes etc.)
- Transfers
- 1x overnight at Hotel Anggrek, Agats
- 1x overnight at Hotel Komoro Tame, Timika
Important:
Passport has to be valid minimum 6 months at entry. Please check with your embassy about the visa procedure. At entry to Papua, each participant must bring 2 pass photos for the surat jalan (travel permit for Papua).
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