Attractions Nearby Papua, Day Trips and Excursions

(Papua, Indonesia)

Being located on the far easterly side of this region of Indonesia, Papua is a fair distance from some of the country's most outstanding attractions and most of these are really best reached by plane. Directly south of Papua, Darwin, in the Northern Territory of Australia, is just a relatively short flight away.

The Maluku Islands and their multitude of attractions are considerably closer to Papua, together with the Biak islands. However, the attractions of Papua New Guinea should not be overlooked, especially as they are part of the same overall land mass.

Maluku Islands

The spreading Maluku Islands really do encompass a huge area and lie to the west of Western Papua. Many different islands combine to make up Maluku, such as Halmahera, Kisar, Morotai, the Sula Islands, the Tanimbar Islands, Ternate and Tidore. Close to Western Papua is Ambon and also the Banda Islands (formerly the Spice Islands), both of which are well connected to Fak Fak by regular boats. Ambon Island serves as the provincial capital of Maluku and contains a series of appealing cultural attractions and historical sites, such as the Siwa Lima Museum and the Commonwealth War Graves. Holiday makers visiting Ambon particularly favour the Namalatu Beach area, while those visiting the Banda Islands can expect to find a cluster of ten picture-postcard islands. Stunning coral gardens reside around the Banda Islands, at Pulau Hetta and on Pulau Neira.

Papua New Guinea

Formerly the easterly half of New Guinea, Papua New Guinea borders eastern Papua and is a sizeable island nation, with seven distinctive regions on this main island, including the Highlands, Huon Gulf, Madang, Milne Bay and Sepik. Geologically speaking, New Guinea once formed part of the Australia land mass and therefore, many species here share strong similarities with those on Australia, including native species of marsupial mammals, such as possums and kangaroos. The attractions of Papua New Guinea are incredibly varied and really do depend upon with part you are visiting, although it is fair to say that you are likely to encounter some fascinating villages, with woodcarvings and costumed dancing demonstrations. Interestingly, it was not until the early 1930s that seashells ceased to be the currency of some Papua New Guinea regions.

Pulau Biak

The island of Pulau Biak is actually part of Papua and lies directly to the north of the mainland. Kota Biak forms the centre of Biak and is a relatively relaxed town, with limited transport and some good attractions. In Kota Biak, the Cenderawasih Museum is one of the main tourist attractions and contains an unusual mixture of shells and WWII paraphernalia. Around Pulau Biak, the dive sites are exceptional, and scuba divers come from far and wide to marvel at the underwater coral landscape surrounding the island. Day trippers also come to Pulau Biak for its acclaimed bird-watching tours and island-hopping opportunities.