The Oldest Cultural Festival in the Heart of Papua

The Dani tribe in Wamena is famous for being warlike (Photo: CNN Indonesia)

The following article is an old article from CNN Indonesia with the same title in Bahasa Indonesia.

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia -- The Baliem Valley Cultural Festival in Wamena will be held, 8-11 August 2016. This is the oldest festival in the heart of Papua Island. Here, you can see the indigenous culture of hundreds of tribes spread across Papua as well as the various uniqueness that wraps the area around Wamena.

"If you want to enjoy the sensation of the natural beauty and culture of Papua, please visit the Baliem Valley, Wamena, Papua," said Tourism Minister Arief Yahya, in Jakarta, in a release received by CNNIndonesia.com, Monday (1/8).

In terms of attractiveness, the Baliem Valley has extraordinary natural and cultural charm. It is lined with the Trikora Mountains with the highest point of Puncak Jaya, the only place in Indonesia that is covered in eternal ice, besides that there is also Lake Habema which is the highest lake in Indonesia.

In terms of cultural traces, in the Baliem Valley, tourists can witness the history of stone age life that is far from modern civilization. "Visitors can wear local traditional clothes such as koteka or hodlim, can also feel living in a traditional Honai house, participate in cooking by burning stones, also participate in war dances that are hundreds of years old," said Jayawijaja Regency Regent, John Wempi Wetipo.

One more thing that John promised, namely visiting the mummies of traditional tribal chiefs who were enshrined in several districts such as Kurulu District, Assologaima District, and Kurima District.

Read also: The 8 most unique and interesting papuan cultures and traditions.

“The mummies were tribal chiefs and warlords who were respected and became role models in their time. The preservation of mummies is carried out traditionally and can last up to hundreds of years," said John, adding that all the mummies in Wamena are estimated to be between 200 and 300 years old.

Another 'secret' of tourism in Wamena is a saltwater lake at an altitude of 2100 meters above sea level, precisely on Mount Mili.

This uniqueness makes the Baliem Valley Festival the target of many foreign tourists. This was confirmed by Gantang, Director of Papua Adventure Tours and Travels.

"In a month, the number of foreign tourists visiting the Baliem Valley is around 200-300 people," he said.

Meanwhile, when the Baliem Valley Festival is held, the number could double. "In August, the number of tourists can reach 700 people. So a total of more than 3,000 visitors can arrive in the Baliem Valley in one year," said Gantang.

Constrained Access and Amenity

Regarding the development of Wamena as a tourism destination, Arief admitted that Wamena was constrained by two things, namely access and amenities.

“Access is related to the road leading to the location. Far and expensive, also takes a long time. People often compare it to outbound which is cheaper," said Arief.

Meanwhile, regarding amenities, Arief highlighted tourism supporting facilities such as hotels, restaurants and cafes that are needed by tourists, especially those from abroad. (lesson / tutoring)