Indonesia and World Tourism News

Visit to Irian Jaya as half the largest island in the world after Greenland

June 2nd, 2006

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION
Irian Jaya occupies the western half of New Guinea, the largest island in the world after Greenland. It is also physically the largest province of Indonesia, taking up 21.9% of the total land area of the country, stretching from 0′19′ to 10′45′ south latitude and from 130′45′ to 141′48′ east longitude. It has a land area of 410,600 sq. km. (160,134 square miles) and measures 1,200 km (744 miles) from east to west, (Jayapura to Sorong) and 736 kms (456 miles) from north to south (Jayapura to Merauke). In addition to its landmass, a number of islands along the coastline belong to Irian Jaya: Biak, Numfor, Yapen, Mapia and Meosum Islands to the north; Salawati, Batanta, Gag, Waigeo, and Yefnian Islands to the west; and Kalepon, Komoron, Adi, Dolok, and Panjang to the south. On the cast, Irian Jaya borders on Papua New Guinea.

ECONOMIC GROWTH DURING THE FIFTH FIVE-YEAR PLAN

To make the investment possible, Irian Jaya’s administration will provide all the help possible to local as well as incoming companies, and it will respond quickly to applications for investment. Provided that applicants meet all the requirements, processing will be a one-stop service completed in the shortest time possible. The provincial government will also provide all necessary infrastructure, help prepare the local community for the arrival of a new enterprise, and mediate for land use with local tribes.

Although rural areas have lagged behind urban development, there has been progress here as well as evidenced by the fact that income from mining and agricultural exports has decreased in relation to other products. Though export was still dominated by copper, the volume of secondary export commodities have increased to 58.2%, with palm oil emerging as a significant new export item. Other growing or new industries include lumber, plywood and wood chip, fish processing, and sago.

One of the reasons for Irian Jaya’s slow development is the rugged terrain which makes communication via ground transportation very difficult if not impossible.

Until now, many communities could only be reached by air or river routes. However, as part of an intensive road building program, more than 27 districts (Kecamatan) had been freed from isolation through new roads. Another new development in the province is the giant new tourism facility under construction in Biak, and the building of an Economic Processing Zone (EPZ) is being considered in Biak.

THE PAST

Before the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century, not much was known about Irian Jaya and its people. It is surmised that they are related to the Australian aborigines whom they physically resemble.

Due to the island’s rugged geography, the inhabitants became separated and developed a tribal culture, each tribe having its own language. Experts have divided these 250 languages into four families called phylum, which share less than 5% of their vocabulary. The most popular phylum is that of Trans-New Guinea, which includes about 67% of the languages.

Local traders came to Irian Jaya as early as the seventh century, and the first Europeans known to have arrived were the Portuguese. In 1511, the Portuguese sailor Francisco Serrano came looking for spices, and in 1521, Magellan briefly dropped anchor in Tidore during his voyage around the world. The British arrived with James Cook in 1770 and built a fort at Manokwari but were asked to leave by the local ruler in 1795. The Dutch also joined the race to explore the riches of Irian Jaya and became the winners. Under the banner of the Dutch East India Company, they managed to drive out other Europeans and in 1848 officially annexed Western New Guinea. They established their first capital at Manokwari and had men garrisoned on the west coast at Fak-Fak and on the south coast at Merauke. They founded Hollandia (now called Jayapura) in 1910. This political move clearly established Dutch rule over the Germans, who then controlled the eastern half of New Guinea.

The highlands of Irian Jaya were not explored until 1933 when missionaries from various Christian denominations went into the area.

The Dutch kept control of West Irian, as it was then called, until 1942, when Japanese troops landed in Humboldt Bay and occupied all of Irian Jaya. U.S. forces under General MacArthur landed at Jayapura in April 1944 and drove out the Japanese in what was at that time the largest military operation in the Pacific. Jayapura became the base of Allied forces, and the town grew into a city of 250,000, including 140,000 Australian and American troops.

The battle that finally drove the Japanese off Irian Jaya was a pair of landings by the Allies at Sansapur and Mar, some 150 kms. (93 miles) west of Manokwari, in July 1944.

After World War II, the Dutch returned to Indonesia but were driven out by the War of Independence. However, West Irian was not included in the new republic. With the help of the United Nations, it was brought under Indonesian administration in 1963 but it was not until the 1969 plebiscite called the Act of Free Choice that West Irian finally became a province of Indonesia. At that time, its name was changed to Irian Jaya.

THE PRESENT - MODERN IRIAN JAYA

Long neglected, except for the northern coastal area where gold has been produced at Sorong since the 1930s and copper has been mined at Tembagapura since the 1960s, Irian Jaya is coming into its own today. Jayapura, with a population of 225,000, is the bustling administrative capital of the province. It has modern telecommunication, banks, hotels, restaurants, and shopping.

In line with the new government policy of improving Irian Jaya’s economy, surveys have been conducted to ascertain the province’s potential and plans are being made to develop all its natural resources: forestry, agriculture, plantations, animal husbandry, fishing, mining, and tourism, as well as human resources. The government will continue to facilitate the growth of small-and-large-scale industries so that raw materials call be turned into products for local and export consumption.

NATURAL RESOURCES
TOPOGRAPHY

Irian Jaya’s topography consists of tidal lowlands in the coastal areas and mountainous regions covered by endless carpets of solid rain forests, spectacular grasslands, and wild sugarcane-covered valleys. Meandering rivers wind through this verdant countryside in oxbow patterns, emptying into azure seas ringed by coral-lagooned coastlines. In the central part of the province, a cloud-piercing rugged mountain range extends 650 km (406 miles) and divides the province into north and south. The most spectacular of these mountains are the Kaimana Mountains near Fal-Fak, the Arfak Mountains near Manokwari, the Cyclops Mountains of Jayapura, and the Jayawijaya range in the district of the same name.

Despite their proximity to the equator, three of the highest peaks of the Jayawijaya range, Jayawijaya at 5,030 m (15,090 ft), Trikora at 5,160 m (15,480 ft), and Yamin at 5,100 m (15,300 ft) are eternally covered with snow. (The onlyother two places in the world with a tropical climate and snowcapped mountains are Mt.Kilimanjaro in Africa and the Andes in South America.). Also in the heart of the Jayawijaya range lies the spectacular Baliem Valley. It is actually a high plateau, 20 km (12.40 miles) wide and 60 km (37.20 miles) long, and at 1,550 m (4,650 ft) above sea level, it has a wonderful cool climate. Large rivers and their tributaries flow through the province toward the northern and southern seas. The Digul River emerges from the interior of the Merauke district and drains into the Arafura Sea along with the Bian, Kumbe, Abais, and Maro Rivers. The Warenai and Wagona Rivers, as well as the Memberamo River, which traverses the districts of Jayawijaya, Paniai, and Jayapura, end up in the Pacific Ocean.

These rivers play an essential role in the life of the communities through which they flow. They furnish water for daily living, fish for food, and routes for contact with the outside world.

CULTIVABLE LAND

Of Irian Jaya’s total land area of 414,800 sq. km., it is estimated that 128,700 sq. km. is suitable for large-scale agricultural development.

MINERALS AND OIL
Irian Jaya is rich in natural gas and oil. Additionally, it has the largest copper deposits in the world and other mining products such as gold, silver, platinum, iron, coal, nickel, lead, mercury, talc, marble, kaolin, and many others.

FORESTS

Approximately 90% of Irian Jaya, 40 million hectares, is covered by dense forests that range from lowland tropical rain forest to dry ever green forests and even medium-and-high-altitude alpine growth. There are more than 1,000 species of trees in Irian Jaya, and of these about 150 varieties are commercially viable.

FISH AND MARINE LIFE

With an estimated 2,000 nautical-mile coastline and numerous rivers and lakes, Irian Jaya has many fish and other sea-life products to offer. The province contains Indonesia’s largest reserve of mangrove forests, the natural environment for the spawning of shrimp. In addition to its vast resources of fish and marine life for food consumption, its rich coral and tropical sea life is a marine tourist attraction.

FLORA AND FAUNA

The flora and fauna of Irian Jaya are unique. The wildlife is strange and diverse and much of it cannot be found anywhere else in Indonesia.

Some of the animals are similar to those in Australia such as the wallaby (Macropus), the pocket squirrel, (Petaurus), and the cuscus (Phalanger).

There are about 650 species of birds in Irian Jaya of which 454 are indigenous. Among these are the spectacular bird of paradise (Paradise spoda), the exotic blue mambruk (Gonravictorial), and the flightless cassowary (Casuarius), which is related to an Australian specie.

Irian Jaya has the richest concentration of plant life in Indonesia, and many plants are medicinal. There are more than 2,500 species of orchids alone, including the giant Rafflesia arnoldii (Amoiphophallus).

Some of the flora and fauna can be seen at wildlife preserves in several provinces of Irian Jaya.

CLIMATE

Irian Jaya lies just south of the equator but due to its mountainous terrain, its climate is more varied than other parts of Indonesia. The coastal areas of the north and west are tropical and humid. With each 100 meters (900 ft) of elevation from sea level, the temperature drops 0.6 degrees celsius to a comfortable coolness in the higher regions.

TOURISM IN IRIAN JAYA

Iriali Jaya is a land of limitless wonders waiting to be explored by adventurous tourists and the far-sighted investors. Here, snow-clad peaks pierce the sky in awesome grandeur challenging the hardy mountaineer. Sparkling blue seas invite divers and a seemingly endless variety of birds and wildlife entice nature lovers. In addition, visitors can witness Stone Age tribes practicing ancient ceremonies and still following their ancestral way of life.

As with all new frontiers, there are obstacles to overcome but you can choose the degree of adventure: travel by either Garuda or Melpati Airlines, or fly into the interior with expert missionary bush plots. You can sail in luxury yachts or line native catamarans, stay in hotels with western amenities or sample the more characteristic local losmens. The choice is yours.

Irian Jaya is a new frontier in tourism as well and it will surely become one of the great income-producing sectors in the near future. The investor should keep in mind that the tourist sites profiled here present opportunities for expansion and development.

Although a travel permit called surat jalan is required troughout Irian Jaya, it is readily obtainable at local police headquarters. There are tourist facilities in the interior and guides can be hired to take you to the various places of interest. Travelers can pre-arrange their trip through their travel agent at home, or contact local travel agents who can arrange trips of any length and type to all of Irian Jaya’s destinations.

BIAK
THE GATEWAY TO IRIAN JAYA

The island of Biak, at the very top of the Bird’s Head Peninsula of Irian Jaya, is the international entry point for visitors from the U.S. Although Biak is currently considered by most travelers as a stop-over on flights to Bali and Jakarta, there are plans to make this island and its offshore islets an international resort.

Ground has been broken on Marauw Beach on the 325-hectare land just 15 minutes from Frans Kaisepo International Airport for an international class tourist resort. The plan includes six 4- and 5- star hotels, an 18-hole golf course and country club, and facilities for parasailing, windsurfing, diving, snorkeling and water skiing. There will be a marina, a seaside park, and a 2.7-hectare hilltop park, 100 to 200 units of condominiums and villas, and service facilities set among attractively landscaped open spaces. A shopping center called Amenity Plaza will cater to a variety of needs, serving the local residents as well as tourists. The Marauw Beach development highlights upcoming and existing activities in Cenderawasih Bay, which is considered a world-class diving area.

For some years now, modern cruise and diving ships have been stopping at Biak, opening up a vast undersea empire to those who whish to explore it. A ship, called Tropical Princess, has been operating in these waters since 1990. It can accommodate 20 persons for its usual 10-day cruise during which passengers can scuba dive around Biak, the Auri Islands of the Manokwri Regency, the Aggrameos Islands of the Paiai Regency, and the Raja Ampat Islands of the Sorong Regency.

Local companies also offer deep sea diving. Sentosa Tosiga Tours and Travel, which has a new dive center and shop in Biak, covers all of the Padaido Island group, South Supiori Island, and the north shore of Yapen Island. The company also works, with a Pinisi diving ship that takes people around Cendera-Nasih Bay, the Mapia Islands, and as far as Sorong.

For divers and even snokelers, there is a wonderland of exotic fish and magnificent coral gardens ringed by sandy white beaches. Wherever divers chose to go, theirs will be truly a voyage of wonder.

Apart from its natural beauty, Biak is also rich in history. It was one of the principal battle sites of World War II, and today, the Japanese caves that can be reached by a short taxi ride from town and are a prime tourist attraction. There is also a Japanese monument and a museum near the caves with World War II relics and artillery pieces displayed.

The approach to the cave is itself an adventure. As one descends a steep concrete stairway to the vine-draped entrance, small bats dart out of the cave’s mouth. Then suddenly, one is in a huge cathedral-like chamber with stalactites dripping from the ceiling. Eerie blue daylight from an adjoining opening to the sky pierces the gloom, adding an air of mystery.

Other nearby attractions are an orchid garden. Here, one can see 2,200 orchids of 63 native varieties and a well-stocked aviary of nearly 200 birds of 33 species, including birds of paradise, white cockatoos, cassowaries, and other indigenous fowl.

Along the way, native villages line the coast, their picturesque stilt-supported houses rising out of the water, and local fishermen cast their nets or set a light to the sea in catamaran canoes.

Except for some hotel dances, there is not much nightlife in Biak, but the local people are friendly and obliging. Arrangements can be made to view ancient ceremonies, and there are dance and musical groups that can be hired to perform. The majority of the population of Biak Island, however, consists of farmers and fishermen, who have adapted to modern ways, unlike the Dani and Asmat tribes of the interior, who have kept up their customs and traditions.

In the town of Biak, there are a number of surprisingly good restaurants featuring freshly caught seafood. There are a several new hotels in town, and taxis roam the streets looking for fares. Three hospitals are available in case of emergencies, and modern stores and pharmacies are conveniently located in the center of town. There is an open-air market that sells fruits and vegetables early in the morning, and there are shops selling souvenirs and jewelry crafted from 23-kt. gold, which are sold by weight, with very little added for workmanship.

Biak’s offshore islands are worth a visit if one has the time. The principal of these outlying destinations are Numfor and Yapen Islands. Yapen can be reached by air, but Numfor is only accessible by boat. En route in native boats, which are readily hired, one can view lobsters, blue-spotted rays, and other inhabitants of the coral formations.

JAYAPURA
A SURPRISING FRONTIER CITY

Jayapura, the capital city of Irian Jaya is a surprise. A modern city encircling an Azure Bay, it is the gateway to the vast interior. Jayapura is not only the political capital where the government offices are located but the financial and economic center of the province as well. With a population of over 100,000 comprising locals and transmigrants from other parts of Indonesia, it has a cosmopolitan air. Jayapura boasts modern hotels, shopping marts, and first-class restaurants. It has a new telecommunication center, a modern hospital with emergency care facilities, a bustling seaport, and a crowded taxi-bus station. A slow-moving tropical city during the day, when only essential business is transacted, Jayapura bursts with energy at night.

As the red sun sinks behind the encircling hills and cool blue shadows creep over city, the night activity begins. Then, the lights of the pasar malam, or night markets, glow and the Jayapurans throng the avenues to eat, shop and look for diversion. Outdoor stalls with grilled fish and fragrant local dishes tempt the passerby. Sidewalk markets untold, displaying their wares under flickering lamps. Artisans and craftsmen ply their trade from booths that line the avenues. Crowds gather around street vendors shrilly offering their wares, and people window-shop as they pass modern store-window displays.

For most tourists, the city is only a stop-over on the way to the interior. Right next to the Matoa International Hotel is the police station, where one can obtain the necessary suratjalan, and the building office for Garuda and Merpati Airlines.

Jayapura, or more precisely Sentani where the airport is located, is the headquarter for the Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF) and its Roman Catholic equivalent, the American Missionary Alliance. Although the primary aim of these organizations is to support missionary efforts in the interior, one can book flights on their planes to destinations not served by the commercial airlines.

It is also possible to sail from the port of Jayapura and arrange for cargo to be shipped. The Pelni Lines have a modern German-built passengership that plies the waters between Jayapura, Jakarta and the cities in between. Although coastal steamers of the Yofeta Lines can also take passengers to ports in Irian, these services are slower. Typically, foreigners and tourists with limited time use planes.

For those who have the time or have to wait out an airline schedule, there are some worthwhile sights near the city. A tour of Teluk Yos Sudarso (Jayapura Harbor) is rewarding. Motor-powered catamarans can be rented by the hour for the trip to nearby island, with its church, and to Kosong Island, with its mosque. A bit further is Lake Sentani, where one can rent a boat at the Yougwa Restaurant, which is ran by Chris Sentani, for a visit to some of the islands in this huge freshwater lake.

Another interesting excursion is to Hamadi Beach, where the Allies landed in WW II. Here, you can still see rusting relics of tanks and amphibious carriers stuck in the sand. Nearby are picturesque stilt-perched villages and quiet beaches. Farther along, the same road climbs up to the hilltop shrine marking the site of General Douglas Mac Arthur’s headquarters. Here you will be rewarded with a spectacular view of Lake Sentani and its many islands.

The museum of the University of Cenderawasih, on the road to the airport, has a worthwhile collection of Asmat art, and the nearby Museum Nageri offers exhibits of ethnic Irianese culture.

Any of the hotels can give directions and taxis are available for local tours. Even if you have only a day, a tour of the Jayapura area is interesting. If you only have a few hours, a quick drive up the road leading to the TV tower will give you a spectacular overview of the magnificent bay and the open sea beyond.

On the practical side, although you can exchange foreign currency into rupiahs anywhere in the provincial capitals, Jayapura is the easiest place for such transaction. The Bank Exim on Jl. Ahmad Yani opens daily from 8:00 a.m. to 12 p.m., and also exchanges traveler’s checks, which may not be as readily converted in the interior.

WAMENA
WHERE MOST TOURISTS GO

Wamena, in the central highlands of the Baliem Valley, is the Mecca of Irian tourism. Most visitors arrive from Jayapura on a Merpati Airlines flight that has a frequent schedule. For tourists, this is a most agreeable and accessible part of the interior. The scenery is spectacular with mountains towering over a lush 1,600 m (5,000 ft) high plateau, and the local Dani and related tribes are the most colorful of the indigenous peoples. The Baliem Valley and its people were discovered in 1938 when American pilot Richard Archbold made an overnight in a seaplane. He landed on Lake Habbema, one of the many lakes at an altitude of over 10,000 feet. At the time, Archbold was on an expedition for the American Museum of Natural History. The publication of his discovery in National Geographic magazine led to an influx of tourism from all over the world.

The Dani peoples are both farmers and warriors. Although the colorful ritual and tribal wars are now outlawed, the men still wear the traditional penis sheath, or holim, and for festivals and dances put boar tusks into their nose and decorate themselves with paint, feathers, and animal skin head dresses. For a fee, pig killing festivals can be seen on request. Tour guides can make such arrangements.

A new tourist attraction that may come to rival the famous sing-sings of Papua New Guinea is the annual gathering of the tribes that takes place during Indonesian Independence week in August. At this festival, thousands of Danis gather for dances, feasts and mock ritual warfare. Visitors are welcomed by the hospitable Danis.

The city of Wamena is the headquarters for Dani activities. From here, guides can arrange excursions to Dani villages. Wamena is also the site of a large local market to which the villagers come in native attire. The nearby village of Jiwika is quickly accessible for those with limited time. Along the roadway, one can see Danis walking between their fields and the town. It is also possible to visit a brine pool where the locals steep banana, put in the salt water before carrying the bundles back to the village. Other touristic curios are mummified chiefs that have been preserved by tanning over a smoking fire.

The Baliem Valley, the Switzerland of Irian Jaya, despite from the hot, humid lowlands of the coast, is the most popular destination for visitors and offers many opportunities for touristic development.

MERAUKE
A SHORT HOP FROM AUSTRALIA

Merauke is like an extension of Australia. Although hot, the air here is drier than the rest of the coastal towns. The town itself is orderly, with wide streets and an open Western look. The surrounding countryside is desert-like, with clumps of eucalyptus trees and fields of tall waving grass. The beach too has a sacred look with vast stretches of open sand expanding to the shallow Arafura Sea.

Merauke is the gateway to Wasur National Park. In fact, the main entrance to the park is a scant 12 kiometers from town. Here, there is a wide variety of Australian type fauna and flora not seen in other Indonesian national parks. This area on the Papua border is also the easternmost part of Indonesia.

The landscape of the park is unique, consisting of flat open grasslands interspersed with groves of pale-barked Melalcuca trees. Huge termite mounds, some over two meters high, dot the open vistas. Groups of wallabies gather to graze on the vegetation and can readily be observed hopping or staring fixedly at intruders before backing-off to a safe distance. In addition, there are some 80 species of mammals and reptiles and around 400 species of birds. All can be observed during the dry season from July to November when the weather permits hiking, jeep journeys and horseback rides. Between October and March, one can also observe a variety of birds that migrate here from northern Australia. One can even drive out of Merauke for the day by taxi, and observe some of the birds and animals. Stays of one or more nights are also possible but one must carry along all necessities since there are no facilities at the park. There are local villages along the way where one can request water or food from the villagers but in the outlying areas where the animals gather, one has to be totally self-reliant.

Wasur National Park is managed by the International Worldwide Fund for Nature, and information about the park can be obtained at the WWF office in town.

Because of distance (one has to fly from Jayapura), this area is seldom visited by tourists. Traffic may increase on completion of the Trans-Irian Highway, which will provide an overland route. Despite their present handicaps, Merauke and the Wasur National Park hold future promise for the adventurous tourist interested in observing unusual wildlife in its natural habitat.

A VISIT WITH THE ASMATS

Visiting the country of the Asmats is a unique opportunity to see a disappearing culture that is rich in art and tradition. Here, some 70,000 Asmats live in a huge tidal swampland of 10,000 square miles. Tides, which reach 62 miles inland, have created a vast water-world accessible only by boats.

AGATS
THE ASMAT VENICE

Like Venice, Italy, Agats seems suspended between water and sky. The water comes not only from the annual rainfall of 200 inches but also from the high tides that flood the town daily and necessitate elevated boardwalks for foot traffic. At high tide, boats pass underneath. Narrow plank walkways lead off the main boardwalks to individual houses, and making a stroll in Agats is an exercise in equilibrium. All parts of the town are connected by these causeways, giving the impression at high tide that the town is floating on water.

Agats and the Asmat county has only recently been opened to tourism. But even today getting to Agats is not easy. Merpati Airlines has a scheduled flight to Agats from Jayapura via Wamena, but flight conditions over the Jayawijaya Mountains are unpredictable and often prevent keeping this schedule. It is also possible to fly by missionary aircraft, but these are expensive and are not always available since their flight schedules are dictated by missionary need. There are scheduled flights from Merauke to Agats and back. The easiest way to get there is by carefully planning one’s schedule to take advantage of these. But despite the complex logistics of the flight schedules, landing on the grass-covered steel plates of the airfield that ends abruptly at a huge river is a thrilling experience, reminiscent of the early days of flying.

From the airport, the village of Agats is a half-hour boat ride. Long log canoes, launches and motorboats wait for each flight and carry the passengers to hotels or losmens.

In Agats, sightseeing consists of walking around the town and popping in for a view of the beautifully carved Asmat long house built by the Asmat Foundation, where villagers stay when they come to town. Visitors can also stroll over to the neighboring village of Syuru, which is much like Agats must have been.

A look at the Asmat Museum of Culture and Progress is a must. Sponsored by the American Roman Catholic Crozier Fathers Mission, it contains excellent examples of Asmat artifacts, wood carvings, and skulls collected in the 1960s before headhunting was banned.

The Catholic Church also sponsors an annual art fair in December, where all the best Asmat carvers’ works are exhibited and their carvings sold at auction to the highest bidders.

From Agats, boats can be hired for trips to more remote Asmat villages such as Yapen, one of the centers for traditional wood-carving activities. Two or three day trips can be made up the Siretsj River to the villages of Warse, Ambarep, and Atsy. Longer trips take visitors from Atsy to Fos, Waganu, and Wowi.

It is possible to arrange for ceremonies such as a bee-raising, which is the installation of an ancestral totem pole. For such a pre-arranged ceremony, arriving visitors are met by Asmats in war painted wielding spears and shields. Standing in dug-out canoes and paddling, while chanting in unison, the welcoming party makes an imposing sight.

Wooden artifacts are readily available both in Agats and the surrounding villages. One especially noted center for carving is the village of Biwar Laut. Here, wood carvers can be seen at work inside their long house. All of the villages still maintain a communal meeting house, or long house, called jews, where the men gather.

Since visits to the villages are by boat, the trips themselves are interesting. The passing terrain and the local boat traffic are endlessly varied and fascinating, and since the villages are up rivers and along tributaries, one can get close to the landscape.

With thirty years of missionary work, government programs and the slow but steady influx of outsiders, the Asmats are slowly adopting modern ways. Yet, enough of their traditional lifestyle remains to make tourism a worthwhile development. Agats could use a tourist facility that caters to Western needs, and if major villages along the water routes had simple but adequate accommodations, this part of Irian Jaya would attract as many visitors as the Baliem Valley. 

MANOKWARI
THE BIRDHEAD’S SURPRISE

Manokwari, nestling around Sawaibu Bay at the foot of the Arfak Mountains, is a surprisingly a pleasant town. With its wide avenues and white sand beaches ringed by palm trees, it looks like a Mediterranean resort. Amenities include a number of hotels that come up to Western standards, prime among which is the Mutiara. There are also good restaurants serving Chinese and Indonesian cuisine. The town itself has plentiful taxis, shops, and a main market as well as a fish market where small boats are available for hire. Warung, or food stalls, line the sidewalks at night, while shops light up, and are open for business.

There are some local tourist highlights that are worth visiting. For the best views of Manokwari, drive up to the overlook of Gunung Meja Park. There, by the Japanese War Memorial, one can take pictures of Doreri Bay and the surrounding Arfak mountain range. For a magnificent vista of the coastline, go further up the same road by the Cenderawasih University campus.

There are several beaches to explore. One is Ambon Beach, a black beach just past the university. Another is Pasir Putih, or White Sand Beach, about five kilometers from the center of town. Beaches accessible by boat are on Lemon and Mansinam Islands. On Mansinam, there is a large white cross commemorating the Christian pioneers who arrived here from Jakarta on February 5, 1855.

A popular out-of-town jaunt is to the Anggi Lakes in the Arfak Mountains. Merpati Airlines flies to a dirt strip near the village of Surei. From there, one can backpack up a trail to observe gorgeous birdwing butterflies and exotic stands of orchids and gladioli, or do a one-day trek to Bini Bay for bird-watching.

SORONG
AT THE TOP OF THE BIRD’S HEAD PENINSULA

Although Sorong is at present a business town known chiefly for oil fields, fisheries, and pearl culture, there are a number of tourist attractions that, with investment, could be fully developed as profitable enterprises. In the port area, which is the busiest and most interesting part of Sorong, one sees local boats and giant oil tankers. The Pasar Sentral or central market, is a busy place as the Tanjung Kasuari Beach is located some 6 miles distant from the town. The most outstanding building in Sorong is the local mosque.

For many, a visit to a pearl farm on Kabra or another island, is the highlight of their stay in Sorong. Boats are available at the harbor for the trip to the offshore islands where the pearling activities take place. Local travel agents can also arrange a tour there, as well as full day tours that go on to outlying islands for a view of the local people’s way of life and for swimming and snorkeling at fine sandy beaches. There is an advantage to using a tour operator’s services. Tour operators know the local ways and the best spots, and provide visitors with a reliable guide / translator.

LORENTZ PARK AND THE SNOW PEAKS OF CARSTENSZ

The WWF is working on establishing tourist routes that would take nature lovers and climbers on an adventure of a lifetime. A future plan is to start from the ocean level at Timika (one can fly there from Biak by Merpati) and as tourists hike toward the Carstensz Peak, they will pass through 34 ecosystems from steamy tropical mangroves to ice-capped peaks. A current approach is to fly to the town of Ilaga from Nabire, make an overnight stay at a local guest house, and then head through dense sub-alpine and alpine forests, open plateaus, waterfalls and rock forests to conquer the 4,884 m (1628 feet) Pyramid Peak. In addition to the usual sulat jalan, one also needs a climber’s permit from the Ministry of Forestry and an additional government permit. This can take some time to obtain and it is best to ask a local travel agent’s help.

The WWF, in cooperation with PHPA, is also working out a management plan, which would make it possible to preserve this fabulous world heritage site while allowing visitors to enjoy it.

DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM

A master plan for the development of tourism in Irian Jaya has been designed. Irian Jaya’s goals for tourism are to provide tourists with good facilities, supporting services, and a variety of diversions, such as sea-tourism, and cultural experiences. One of the many ways to promote tourism is through package tours that combines sightseeing, transportation, and accommodations in Irian Jaya and will eventually include other places in eastern Indonesia.
Source : www.indonesia.nl/articles.php?art_cat_id=17&rank=1

Entry Filed under: Indonesia & Bali Tourism News