Air Garam Fountain in Wamena City, Papua Province
Wamena City is part of Jayawijaya Regency and it belongs to Papua Province. When it comes to tourism, people are familiar with the highlands and local cultures, without a doubt. The region resides on 1600 meters above the sea level and tourists can find lots of unique things there. For instance, there is a natural phenomenon called Air Garam. “Air” means water while “Garam” means salt. In terms of name, most tourists may think about the sea, no? However, this one is located on the mountain! To be exact, this salty fountain is located in Air Garam Village at Asotipo Sub-District.
The Nuance
People may wonder about this uniqueness, for sure. The reason is it is rare to find salty water in the highlands. Once arriving at the site, tourists may find a small pond (having the size of about 1 x 3 meters. It is surrounded by various sizes of stones, as well. Not to mention lush trees and hilly panoramas surround the fountain. In terms of nuance, the site offers a peaceful atmosphere due to the secluded location. The thing is the accessibility is poor, so tourists should put more efforts to get there.
Exploring Air Garam Fountain
Air Garam Fountain becomes popular due to the uniqueness, without a doubt. It is because tourists are interested in visiting the site and watch the fountain directly. Once they arrive at the location, the first thing to do is definitely an exploration. They may get around and find some good spots for relaxing and sightseeing. The panorama even gets better if they climb a nearby hill and watch the fountain from up there. The landscape is slippery and steep, though, so everyone should be careful when climbing.
The next thing to do in Air Garam Fountain is indeed photography. Have no worries. Tourists don’t need to spend money to take photos in that area. What they need to pay attention to is only the environment. That means littering and damaging in nature are prohibited! Well, not only visitors can take photos of the fountain, but they are able to get beautiful pictures of nature including lush trees and beautiful hills too!
Another recommended thing to do is to learn more information regarding the fountain. It is said the locals used to make salt from the fountain’s water! Another story tells that the water is able to get rid of diseases! No wonder, visitors are likely to sip some during the visit. However, no one is allowed to take a bath in it. That’s the most important rule! Villagers consider it sacred, due to the local legend. It is said the fountain was formed due to the cry of a maiden who was left by her group back then.
Nearby Attractions
- Trikora Mountain
- Habbema Lake
- Susu Mountain
- Lorentz National Park
How to Get There
The first destination is definitely Wamena City. From Jayapura City, tourists can get an airplane at Sentani Airport and head to Wamena Airport right away. This flight takes only 30 minutes. If they come from Jakarta City, on the other hand, the flight takes around 10 hours and 15 minutes. Later, after getting to Wamena, their next destination is Asotipo Sub-District where Air Garam Fountain resides. The distance is 41.1 km, so the trip takes about 1 hour and 11 minutes. Not to mention tourists should undergo a short trekking to reach the site later. As for the best route, it is Yos Sudarso Street.
Where to Stay
- Sinakma Elok Hotel
- Rainbow Hotel
