Tips when visiting Papua
19 Jul 2011 23:45:00
Papua is Earth's second largest island and is famous for its traditional arts and cultures, wildlife and impressive landscapes. The indiginous people speek over 250 different languages, you can climb the 5050m high Puncak Jaya peak covered with eternal snow or lie on a pristine tropical beach, see and buy traditional Asmat woodcarving art or contemporary art. All in all Papua is one of the most interesting places to visit in Indonesia. But before heading out unprepared, here are five tips to ease your visit to this wonderfull island:
- Papua is a malaria endemic area, before heading out you should take malaria medication.
- Have thin clothes available when in Jayapura and thicker clothes when in Wamena.
- Be prepared to live more simple and less excessive because Papua is expensive compared to other places in Indonesia.
- Be careful if you drive a vehicle, because in the countryside there are often pigs crossing the road. If you accidentally hit one, it can be a quite expensive pay-off especially if it is a mother who would normally be feeding her babies: since she can not feed her babies anymore, the price of one pig is multiplied by the amount of babies she has.
- You should know that after taking pictures of local people they will probably ask you to pay for each picture.
Happy travelling in this beautiful part of Indonesia!
