Background
New Guinea remains the indisputable home of the world’s last men. Here, in the pockets of prehistory hidden from time and by nature, there still survives something of original man, who is required to expend all his efforts, every day, to resolve the problems of food and survival.
Our next expedition deep to the wild jungle of Western part of New Guinea, where on the banks of the Mamberamo River survive two hundred people of nomadic Papuan tribe of Bauzi, completely isolated from the outer world and remaining in the Stone Age, hunting cassowary and using a whistled language.
Additional info
Dates: Flexible
Duration: 10 days / (+ 2 Days 11 nights
Number of participants: 2 – 4
Cost per person:
– USD –.—subject to participant, or
– USD -.— subject to 2-4 participants
10% early booking discount (in case you book before (–/—.)
Everything is included except from:
– international flight to Jayapura roundtrip,
– medical insurance,
– Indonesian visa (not required for Russian citizens),
– lunches and dinners in Jayapura and Nabire.
Estimated cost of international flight Moscow – Jakarta – Jayapura – Jakarta – Moscow: USD 750 – 900 (Usually bought on your own, we consult you).
Single supplement: USD 300 (provided in hotels and in tents, but does not provided in the guest house on the sea shore)
TRAVEL PROGRAM: TOUR TO PAPUA
Day 0.
Home – Jakarta – Jayapura
Flight from Moscow (other city) to Jakarta via Dubai or Abu Dhabi (or another city). Connection to the direct flight Jakarta – Jayapura or Direct to Biak (we recommend Jakarta-Jayapura).
* Departure from Moscow can be on October 5.
** Recommended flight ID-6186 from Jakarta to Jayapura with Batik Air, departure at 0:05 am on October 7, arrival in Jayapura at 8:15 am,
or flight JT-798 from Jakarta to Jayapura with Lion Air, departure at 21:40 on October 6, arrival in Jayapura at 6:05 am,
or another flight (garuda Indonesia or Batik air).
Accommodation: no
Meals included: no
Day 1.
Jayapura – Nabire
Early in the morning arrival by international flight in Sentani, meeting with the guide and catch up for the short meeting while breakfast/lunch in the airport of Sentani or in local cafe. Time to buy local cash and take rest. At 13:10 with Wing Air departure to Nabire located in Papua province. Arrival in Nabire in the afternoon, transfer to the hotel. Check in at the Mahavira hotel or Getz hotel.
While the crew goes to the police station to report and to the local market for some last shopping, we can walk around Dekai to get first acquaintance with Papuans and local life, and also have dinner in local cafe.
Meals included: no
Accommodation included: Mahavira hotel or Getz hotel
Day 2.
Nabire – Mamberamo River bank
After having breakfast in our hotel, we take a boat and drive along the ocean shore and then proceed upstream the Mamberamo River to the last village. Lunch on the way. We reach the last modern village in the jungle. Overnight in the tent on a river bank.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation included: tent
Day 3.
Jungle / Traditional nomads’ camp of Bauzi tribe deep in the jungle
By long boat we continue going upstream Memberamo River. You can enjoy the beauty of the wild (flora and fauna). We change our local guides and the boat along the way. Stop at the riverbank and our guides go straight into the forest to look for traces of the Bauzi tribe.
The Bauzi number hardly more than 1,5 thousand of people, and only a couple of hundreds still live traditionally, in full isolation from the outer world. Once they get a trail of the tribe they return to our camp to give the news. Overnight in a tent on a river bank.
* Depending on the remoteness of the Bauzi nomads’ camp and success of our Bauzi guides, we can get traditional nomads’ camp of Bauzi tribe deep in the jungle already on this day or on the next day.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation included: tent
Day 4, 5, 6.
Traditional nomads’ camp of Bauzi tribe deep in the jungle
Together with our guides, we set off on foot into the jungle to seek for the Bauzi camp, where we stay for these days. Bauzi is a nomadic tribe who does not live long in one place and, instead, often migrate in order to have enough resources for survival. They are mostly dependent on sago palm, as well as other jungle tribes of New Guinea. Starch that they extract from the trunks of Sago palm trees is considered the staple food of Bauzi and makes up much more than half of their diet.
Bauzi are skilled hunters. They use bows and arrows, as well as spears for hunting and fishing. They hunt such big prey as wild pig, and cassowary, as well as Cus Cus, rats and other marsupials, lizards and various birds. As an exotic food and biggest delicacy, Bauzi forage eggs of Megapode bird from the underground or Capricorn beetle larvae from the rotten trunks of fallen sago palm trees.
Bauzi live in small groups of 15 – 20 people. They practice animistic beliefs. Bauzi tribe speak their own language, one of nearly 1 thousand languages of New Gunea, 1/5 of all languages on the planet. Bauzi language belongs to the East Geelvink Bay language group and is not at all understood by the neighboring tribes. Bauzi use a whistled speech, that is, besides normal speech, they also whistle to emulate speech and facilitate communication. For the most part, tribal warfare is no longer a large part of Bauzi culture and all Bauzi people speak the same language, however before many dialects existed.
We will stay in the camp with Bauzi and each day join their day to day activities, such as hunting, fishing, sago palm cutting, foraging, having a meal and talking around the fire to get known more about their way of life and culture, and also share our lifestyle with Bauzi.
We stay overnight in our tents next to the Bauzi camp or, if they allow us, in their dwellings.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation included: tent or local hut
Day 7.
Traditional nomads’ camp of Bauzi tribe deep in the jungle – Nabire
After some final activities and farewell, we leave the forest and head to the riverbank. We get the boat and go down to the mouth of the Mamberamo river. Then a few hours by boat along the ocean coast and we go straight to Nabire. The whole way by boat takes some 6-7 hours. Dinner at your choice and overnight in the hotel.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch
Accommodation included: Mahavira hotel or Getz hotel
Days 8, 9
Nabire – Ocean beach
After breakfast in our hotel, we set off by boat to the ocean. Few hours along the ocean coast and we get the pasture of whale sharks.
The whale shark is a slow-moving, filter-feeding shark, so it is not dangerous for the human and easy to observe in the wild. It is largest known fish species and largest living non-mammalian vertebrate, that sometimes exceed 15 meters in length.
We stay on the ocean beach, snorkel around the small islands and observe whale sharks. Once we have enough of whale sharks, we can also do fishing. Equipment for snorkeling is provided by the guest house where we stay. Equipment for fishing (if you wish) can bought in Nabire in advance or brought with you. Overnight in the small inn on the ocean beach.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation included: Sawo guest house on the sea shore
Day 10.
Ocean beach – Nabire
Breakfast and morning at leisure on the ocean beach. In the afternoon we take a boat and get back to Nabire. Overnight at the hotel.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch
Accommodation included: Mahavira hotel or Getz hotel
Day 11.
Nabire – Sentani – Return flight
Early in the morning we fly to Sentani. Departure from Nabire at 6:30 am and arrival in Sentani at 8:30 am (or departure from Nabire at 9:30 am and arrival in Sentani at 11:10 am). Catch our international flight back home from Sentani airport.
* Recommended flight ID-6183 to Jakarta with Batik Air, departure at 17:05 pm, arrival in Jakarta at 21:50 pm on October 17,
or another flight.
Meals included: breakfast
Accommodation included: no
* The participant of the expedition to the Bauzi people should be motivated, respect the culture of the Bauzi, be aware of the purpose of the trip and possible adjustments to plans depending on weather conditions, be in a good shape (physical conditions) and the ability to adapt in an strange environment and culture.
** The itinerary can be changed in the course of expedition by team leader for the sake of the interests of the expedition team and due to safety reasons.
