Baliem Valley Festival in Wamena City, Papua Province
When it comes to the most popular tourist site in Wamena City, people may recall the beautiful Baliem Valley. Not only the site offers stunning panoramas and unique landscape, but it also becomes the home of the famous Festival Lembah Baliem or Baliem Valley Festival. The locals conduct the event regularly each year and it has been done for at least 25 times. Due to the popularity, it even attracts outsiders and foreigners over time. They want to witness the unique performances and enjoy the merriment, after all. For the information, the event lasts for three days!
The Nuance
The nuance is definitely merry and interesting. It is because the festival involves hundreds of local participants from different tribes, including Yali, Lani, and Dani. They perform the dance and other attractions in an open field, located on Baliem Valley. The most attractive feature is none other than the costume. These people mostly wear “Koteka” (Papua’s traditional clothes). They wear a headgear that features Cendrawasih’s feathers. Not to mention they carry traditional weapons as the ornaments. Both men and women join the festival, actually.
Exploring Baliem Valley Festival
For the information, the locals conduct the festival in August before the nation’s Independence Day. To be exact, it starts from August 6th to 8th. The best bet is that tourists come with a reliable tour guide who can give them both information and direction during the visit. Not to mention they have the chance to learn the history! It is said the festival occurred for the first time in 1989. The purpose is to retain the local culture and give a special entertainment to both the locals and visitors.
When it comes to the performance, it is dominated by dances. There is even an interesting scenario, including several stories like kidnapping, killing, and raiding. Due to these issues, another tribe tries to take revenge on the perpetrators. No wonder, the performance looks both entertaining and intense to watch. The good thing is tourists are allowed to take photos while watching it. It can be done freely! On regular days, on the other hand, Dani Tribe would charge tourists who take photos of them. Thus, the event gives the chance to collect photos as many as possible without spending money!
The festival takes place in Baliem Valley, surrounded by beautiful landscapes like Trikora Mountain, Habema Lake, and hilly areas. No wonder, tourists can also enjoy sightseeing and relaxation first while waiting for the event to start. They would be lucky if meeting foreigners during the event, actually. It is because the festival has been recognized by other countries too! Isn’t that great?
Nearby Attractions
- Telaga Biru Wamena
- Pasir Putih Aikima
- Kontilola Cave
How to Get There
The first things come first. Tourists should head to Wamena City before visiting Baliem Valley to watch the festival. From Jayapura City, a flight to Wamena takes around 30 minutes. It may take longer if tourists come from Soekarno – Hatta International Airport at Jakarta City, though (which is about 10 hours). After arriving at Wamena, later, their next destination is Baliem Valley. The distance is 19.6 km. That means the trip may take around 44 minutes.
Where to Stay
- Baliem Valley Resort
