Papua Tourist Information and Tourism

(Papua, Indonesia)

Rich in Indonesian culture and diversity, the easterly province of Papua is part of the enormous island of New Guinea and covers the western side. This province is Indonesia's biggest and stands alongside the recently created province known as West Papua on the Bird's Head Peninsula (formerly West Irian Jaya).

Since much of Papua is covered with dense jungle, tourists will find that the main resorts do tend to be scattered along the coastline and around the Baliem Valley. Holiday makers will find that the best offerings are based around Fak Fak, Manokwari, Merauke, Sorong, Wamena and also within the capital of Jayapura, where tourist information is especially plentiful. The island groups of Raja Ampat and Biak are further popular tourist destinations, with some gorgeous beaches and coastal views.

Papua Tourist Information and Tourism: Top Sights

If you are looking for coastal activities and attractions, the island of Pulau Biak is one of Papua's definite highlights, with pristine sandy beaches, such as those at the resorts of Adoki, Kota Biak and Tendidori. Biak is one of the best places in Central Papua to come scuba diving and offers tourists organised dive trips, snorkelling tours and rental dive equipment. Just off the coast of Sorong, the Raja Ampat Islands are another scuba diving highlight, while away from the beaches and within the interior of Papua is the easy to reach Baliem Valley and its world-class trekking, thatched-hut villages and culture. The town of Wamena is an important gateway into the Baliem Valley. Other top Pulau attractions include Timika and its enormous gold and copper mines, the tropical jungles and mangroves around the Asmat region, and the indigenous flora and fauna within the Wasur National Park. More information about Papua Tourist Attractions.

Various Islamic mosques, historical temples and important landmarks are dotted around Papua, with the Hamadi Temples being especially noteworthy and located close to Jayapura. For something still very striking and quite natural, consider climbing the Gunung Ifar or Gunung Trikora mountains, where organised guided tours are available. Good hiking trails are also to be found around the undulated shore of the expansive Danau Sentani lake, along with longboat cruises passing some of Sentani's 19 different islands and innumerable fishing villages, where the houses are often raised above the water level on wooden stilts. Located in Western Papua and close to both to Cenderawasih Bay Marine National Park and Ransiki, the Anggi Lakes are quite beautiful. More information about Papua Landmarks and Monuments.

The biggest cities and towns of Papua contain some interesting museums and galleries, with Waena being home to the Taman Budaya (Cultural Park) and the Museum Negeri (State Museum). In Wesaput and within the Baliem Valley, the Palimo Adat Museum is filled with information about the Dani tribe from Irian Jaya. The Cenderawasih Museum stands in the resort of Kota Biak and is a good cultural alternative to the neighbouring beaches. If you are in the Abepura area, then do search out the Papuan artefacts and Asmat carvings at the Museum Loka Budaya (Cultural Museum), since this collection is highly regarded throughout Indonesia. More information about Papua Museums.

Although Papua is Indonesia's most easterly region and therefore a fair trek from some of its most famous tourist attractions, there are still some appealing excursion possibilities to choose from. To the west, the archipelago of the Maluku Islands is often of great interest to holiday makers. Particularly popular are the beach resorts on Maluku's islands of Ambon, Seram and Bacan, the latter of which is famed for its stunning coral gardens and scuba diving. Actually a part of the overall Papua area, the island of Pulau Bika is also known for its diving and snorkelling opportunities, which some tourists find the allure of nearby Papua New Guinea, to the east, just too strong to resist. More information about Papua Attractions Nearby.

More Papua Information / Fast Facts and Orientation

• Country: Indonesia
• Location: Western New Guinea / West Irian Jaya (West Papua)
• Status: province
• Capital: Jayapura
• Area: approximately 162,925 square miles / 421,980 square kilometres
• Population: approximately 2.8 million
• Language: Indonesian, Austronesian and Papuan
• Currency: Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
• Time zone: UTC +7 to +9
• Country dialling code: +62
• Telephone area code: Agats - 0971, Baliem Valley - 0969, Fak Fak - 0956, Jayapura - 0967, Manokwari - 0986, Merauke - 0971, Nabire - 0984, Pulau Biak - 0981, Pulau Yapen - 0983, Sentani - 0967, Sorong - 0951, Timika - 0901
• Religion: Islamic, Protestant and Roman Catholic
• Average daily Papua January temperature: 30°C / 86°F
• Average daily Papua July temperature: 29°C / 84°F