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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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Whole day drive to Patipi Dibawa. First we go as swift as an arrow downstream the Siret river. It took us 5 hours for the jouney here, takes only 2 hours on our way back! Late in the afternoon tent camp in the familiar small village at the upper reaches of the Brazza river.
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8. day:
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Today we start very early towards the harbor of Dekai. After about 2 hours
drive we reach our destination and say goodbye to our boat crew. We continue
directly to the airfield of Dekai. Around noon flight back to Wamena and
transfer to
THE
BALIEM VALLEY RESORT. Surely we will enjoy a warm
shower tonight – but the impressions of our excursion into the stone age
will remain unforgettable.
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Price inclusions:
- Crew for the tour (english speaking guide+cook)
- Flight tickets for the whole group (WMX-Dekai-WMX)
- Motor log boat incl. crew for the whole group
- Fullboard
- Tour as itinerary
- Travel permit (surat jalan)
- Equipment (tents, rest mats, cook equipment + dishes etc.)
- Transfers
- 1x overnight at THE BALIEM VALLEY RESORT (dinner+ABF)
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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