Baliem Valley

Wamena is the main city in the Baliem Valley of West Papua that serves as the gateway to exploring further into the valley. The city is the starting point for most tours and treks into the Lani, Dani, and Yali tribal lands, and you can actually go to Asmat lands from here too. These tours and treks range from local half-day walks to 30-day expeditions deep into tribal lands.

It is a pretty functional town with basic facilities and amenities provided, though it may be considerably more expensive than Jayapura as everything is basically shipped by freight.

The Baliem Valley and surrounding areas offer a glimpse into what were stone-age villages. The mountains to the south provide superb scenery, but are accessible only by air and/or walking.

Some of the walks up to two days can be done without a guide, but it is highly recommended to employ a guide for anything longer than that. Trails are marginal in places, there are no signs, and almost no English is spoken in the villages.

Guided treks range from backpacking with a guide, to backpacking with a guide and a couple of porters, up to a full expedition with guide, cooks and enough porters so you only need to carry your camera.

Backcountry trails range from a road (well, almost a road), to a well-used footpath with some steep places, to game trails, to more or less a route that requires a guide. Landslides that take out section of trails are not unusual, especially during the wet season, so detours and/or bushwacking around the slide can be expected. Trails typically involve a lot of up and down as you cross rivers at the bottom or a valley and later in the day go over a mountain pass into the neighboring valley. Starting altitude (Wamena) is about 1,800 meters above sea level (5,200 ft) and many trails go over 3,000 meters (10,000 ft).

There is a road from Wamena to the south, but due to flooding and the lack of bridges, where there are rivers only the roads are not as complete as they appear on the map. Therefore, walking and flying remain the only ways to commute outside of the proximity of Wamena.

Public transportation in Wamena consists of airport taxis, minivan taxi (called Bemos) that run set routes, and bicycle rickshaws. Prices are reasonable, even the premium rates charged to tourists. Make sure to confirm the costs with the driver before boarding.

Private-hire vehicles (with driver) are typically a small SUV or a mid-size 4X4 pickup truck.

Due to the limited information, a majority of tourists who come to the valley will most likely explore with a tour guide. These are some of the sights you are expected to see:

• Mummy of Akima. A remote village featuring a 100-year-old mummy. Less touristy area because of its 'difficult' access. (updated Feb 2017)
• Mummy of Jiwika. A developed tourist village where its highlight is a 300-year-old mummy, preserved by smoke. Be aware that a fee may be paid per person if the mummy is photographed together with the locals. (updated Feb 2017)

• Contilola Cave. A pretty deep cave that needs a decent level of fitness to explore. Right at the end of the walkable portion are the waters that you can choose to dive into. Make sure to bring flashlights. (updated Feb 2017)
• Festival Budaya Lembah Baliem (Baliem Valley Cultural Festival). An annual event that gives visitors a general introduction of the cultures of Papua's last frontier tribes. Highlights include dances and simulation of tribal warfare. (updated Feb 2017)

Be aware that everything is expensive in Wamena compared to the rest of Indonesia as virtually every single thing (including gasoline) is transported by air, though the enforcement of fuel prices that are now subsidized and the same as Java, may help to lower the prices of all things somewhat.

• Ropan Market, Jl. Trikora, Wamena Kota. The only grocery store in town. (updated Feb 2017)

• Martabak Terang Bulan Holland, Jl. Trikora, Wamena. Choice of sweet and savory meat murtabak. From Rp70,000. (updated Feb 2017)
• Rumah Makan Sukajadi, Jl. SD Percobaan. The Indonesian traditional meatball soup (bakso) and soto. (updated Feb 2017)

• Pilamo Cafe & Bakery, Jl. Safri Darwin No. 2, Wamena Kota, ☏ +62 (969) 31162. This is one of the few places in Wamena where you can have your daily fix of coffee plus a selection of pastries. (updated Feb 2017)

Water upstream is cool and appears to be safe to drink (but this does not constitute authoritative advice, so drink at your own risk). While this is true for natural springs that dot the countryside, anyone venturing into the backcountry should bring a backpacker's water filter and/or be prepared to boil water.

Wamena city water is not safe to drink unless boiled and filtered. Hotels and restaurants typically provide boiled and filtered water, and offer bottled water at a reasonable price. There are a number of local purification facilities that produce bottled water, generally available in 1/2-liter to 20-liter sizes.

Note that alcohol (in any form) is illegal and unavailable in the Baliem Valley.

Do not expect a lot of options for luxurious accommodations.

• 🌍 Baliem Valley Resort, Sekan Village, Baliem Valley. A resort owned by a German that incorporates the traditional house called Honai into bungalows and the local diet into some of your meals. The owner also offers up to a one-week-tour that takes you to a first-hand look at the local tribes. Resort is 45 minutes away from town on a hillside. From $100. (updated Feb 2017)
• 🌍 Hotel Baliem Pilamo, Jl. Trikora No.114, Wamena Kota. Perhaps the best option within the Wamena city. Modern hotels with standard rooms. (updated Feb 2017)
• 🌍 Hogorasuok Guesthouse, Wamena Kota, Wamena (About 15 min walk from the airport, in a quiet street). Owned through a Dutch association and managed by an Indonesian couple. The guesthouse is clean, has about 5 rooms (2 or 3 double rooms, 2 or 3 single rooms), shared bathroom, and a shared kitchen (breakfast included: bread, jam, fruit), and free Wi-Fi. The association is part of an orphanage and help young Papua get job training. Very friendly guesthouse. You can check availability at uskomwamena@gmail.com (updated May 2019)

There is little light at night and it might feel overwhelming to walk but it felt safe overall to walk even in the dark. As for any city, stay vigilant and avoid flashing expensive items (money, camera, bag, jewelry).

• Jayapura - the largest city in Papua province.