Papua is a land of contrasts, with some of the most impenetrable jungles in the world and snowcapped mountain peaks towering over glacial lakes. Papua is Indonesia’s largest and eastern most province and covers the western half of the world’s second largest island.

It is a land of exceptional natural grandeur; with beautiful scenic beaches, immense stretches of marshlands, cool grassy meadows and powerful rivers carving gorges through dense forests. The most heavily populated and cultivated parts of the island are the Paniai Lakes district and the Baliem Valley to the east.

The provincial capital of Jayapura is situated on hills which overlook the sea, and is accessible by boat and plane. It was here that General MacArthur assembled his fleet for the invasion of the Philippines during the Second World War.

History

European traders looking for spices began arriving in the early 16th century, and have left historical footprints in the area with names such as Bougainville, Cape d’Urville and the Torres Straits.

It was the Dutch who made the most lasting impact on the island, when in 1828 they formally made Papua a Dutch Territory until 1962.

Entry

Land Transportation : Private cars and motorcycles which are available to hire on charter to the particular destination. From Jakarta, Surabaya, Makassar, Denpasar and Manado.

Small airstrips are used to travel the inland area (Twin Otter and Cessna).

Sea transportation: every regency capital situated at the coastal area owns a port, which can be visited by cruises: Ms. Dorolonda, sails from Surabaya, Makassar, Kupang, Ambon Fak Fak, Sorong, Monokwari, Nabire, Serui, Biak and Jayapura. Ms. Labobar sails from Batam, Jakarta Semarang, Surabaya, Makassar, Sorong, Manokwari, Biak, Serui and Jayapura.

People & Culture

The people of the island can be divided into more than 250 sub-groups, including the Marindanim, Yah’ray, Asmat, Mandobo, Dani and Afyat. Those in the central highlands still maintain their customs and traditions, virtually untouched by outside influences.

The different tribes have lived, for the most part, in isolation from even one another, resulting in an incredibly diverse mixture of cultures. The coastal regions of Papua, however, were visited as early as the 7th century by traders from Sriwijaya kingdom.

Cuisine

Sea food being one of the specialties here makes it a heaven for visitors who love fish and sea food dishes. Freshly baked or grilled fish taste wonderful especially when consumed while watching the sunset. People allergic to sea food need not worry because you can also consume traditional food like papeda or ayam lalapan (fried chicken with chili).

Tourism Office

Jl. Raya Abepura, Dinas Otonom Kotaraja, Jayapura – Papua

Phone. (62-967) 583001 Fax. (62-967) 586551

www.papua.go.id

Source: Indonesia’s Official Tourism Website

Filed under: Culture, Art and Education, Economy and Development, History, Tourism ]]> http://westpapuaupdate.com/2012/12/27/papua/feed/ 1 westpapuaupdate OB-UT641_Indone_H_20120928050742 http://westpapuaupdate.com/2012/12/27/the-asmat-papuas-famed-woodcarvers/ http://westpapuaupdate.com/2012/12/27/the-asmat-papuas-famed-woodcarvers/#comments Thu, 27 Dec 2012 09:56:51 +0000 westpapuaupdate http://westpapuaupdate.com/?p=1369 ]]>

The wide south-east swath of land of the Indonesian part of the island of Papua comprises flat plains overgrown with mangrove forests serrated by many rivers. These plains lie so low that at high tide during the rainy season, sea water penetrates some two kilometers inland and flows back out to two km to sea at low tide. During low tide the plains are muddy and impassable. This is the largest alluvial swamp in the world, a low-lying territory of bog forest and meandering rivers emptying into the Arafura Sea.

Here is the habitat of crocodiles, gray nurse sharks, sea snakes, fresh water dolphins, shrimp, and crabs, while living along the banks are huge lizards. The forests contain palms, ironwood, merak wood and mangroves and are home to the crown pigeons, hornbills and cockatoos. There are grass meadows,  and orchids do bloom here.

In such inhospitable landscape the Asmat have made this their home, next to the Marind-Anim and the Mimika tribes.

Among these, the Asmat are the best known, or the most infamous. They are fierce warriors who in the past practiced head-hunting following their culture and belief. But through their complex culture, they have also created some of the world’s most outstanding wood sculptures, exemplified by strong lines and design, most coveted by art collectors around the world.

Despite prized among the world’s finest primitive arts, nonetheless, to the Asmat themselves, their woodcarving is inextricably linked with the spirit world, and therefore, are not principally considered as aesthetic objects. Much of the highly original art of the Asmat is symbolic of warfare, headhunting, and warrior-ancestor veneration. For centuries the Asmat, preoccupied with the necessity of appeasing ancestral spirits, produced a wealth of superbly designed shields, canoes, sculptured figures, and drums.

Many of these masterpieces are today on display at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Asmat region shot into world spotlight when in 1961 Michael Rockefeller, son of New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller disappeared here on his second expedition to New Guinea. This time the expedition was to the Asmat region itself to purchase as many woodcarvings as possible.

On his first visit Michael had been deeply impressed by the Asmat sculptures, and planned to display these at an exhibition in the United States. On this fatal trip, accompanied by a Dutch art expert, the two hired an outboard-powered catamaran, but on this journey the boat capsized pushed by the rushing incoming tide. Impatient, Michael swam to shore never to be seen or heard of again.  Whether he was dragged down by the tide, was ripped by crocodiles or hunted down by the Asmat remains a moot question.

The name “Asmat” most probably comes from the words As Akat, which according to the Asmat  means: “the right man”. Others say that that the word Asmat derives from the word Osamat meaning “man from tree”. Asmat’s neighbors to the west, – the Mimika- , however, claim that the name is derived from their word for the tribe – “manue”, meaning “man eater”.

The indigenous people in the region are divided into two main groups; those living along the coasts, and those in the interior. They differ in dialect, way of life, social structure, and ceremonies. The coastal river areas are further divided into two groups, the Bisman, living between the Sinesty and the Nin River, and the Simai.

Around 70,000 Asmat, the largest tribe in the area, are scattered in 100 villages in a territory of roughly 27,000 square km living in this huge tidal swamp land. The tribe was untouched by civilization until recent times. Dutch outposts, missionary settlements, and foreign expeditions finally made inroads into this isolated community only in the 1950’s and 60′s.

Formerly, entire tribal families lived together in houses of up to 28 meters long called yeus. Yeus are still in use today, but are only occupied by men for rituals where unmarried men sleep. Upriver, the Asmat still live in longhouses, while the Kombai and Korowai Asmat still live in houses constructed in treetops.

The Asmat live on sago, their staple diet, as well as on mussels, snails, and fat insect larvae collected from decaying stumps of sago palms. These are eaten to the accompaniment of throbbing drums and ritual dances.  Larvae feasts can last up to two weeks. The Asmat also gather forest products such as rattan, and catch fish and shrimp in large hoop nets.

The Asmat are semi-nomads, their life depending on conditions on the river which is their sole means of transport and their source of food.

Today in the village of Agats, raised walkways form a network above the muddy ground. The walkways link the village landmarks – churches, mosque, schools, Catholic mission offices, post office, police station and several government offices and a few shops selling basic goods. At high tide, small canoes and outboard motor dugouts weave through a small network of canals.

The Asmat Museum of Culture and Progress houses some of the best carvings and artifacts collected from all over the region.

Once a year the Asmat Cultural Festival is held in October (See Calendar of Events), dedicated to the development of Asmat art and culture. The main attractions are the carvings and dances performed by villages around Agats. The best carvings in the festival will be placed at the Asmat Museum, while the rest are sold through action on the festival site.

Asmat cannibal woodcraft motive

Photo©JahodaPe­tr.com

Alfred noted that the police had sought the cooperation of the city’s Muslim youth leaders in ensuring security during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

“I have also communicated with several Muslim youth leaders and asked them to assist in providing security at churches, particularly during Christmas,” he continued.

Alfred said 500 police officers will be deployed in an effort to step up security in Jayapura during the festivities.

“Our personnel will be stationed in several points, such as Luat Jayapura, Port Area, Entrop, Abepura and Waena,” he pointed out.

Alfred stated that police officers would also be stationed in Nafri village to maintain security in the violence-prone area. “We will examine the security in the area. If necessary, we will hold patrols in some vulnerable zones,” he said.

Alfred urged the people of Jayapura to celebrate Christmas and New Year peacefully. “The Christmas and New Year are just like other religious holidays. We should celebrate them all in the same way. However, it is not just the police’s responsibility to maintain peace; all citizens must contribute to the effort,” he said.

Editor: Yeyen Rostiyani

Source: Antara

Tobias Zimmer

Raja Ampat Islands: The Raja Ampat (or ‘Four Kings’) islands are no doubt among the most sought-out dive destination in the world, but they’re also great for sailing, island-hopping and hiking. Located off the northwestern tip of Bird’s Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea in Indonesia’s West Papua province, they are best explored through the sea with a slow boat. Here, a rainbow rose over Misool Eco Resort. How to get there: Fly into Sorong, the capital of West Papua, and then head out by boat.

The Alila Purnama will make its maiden voyage on December 15. ©Alila Hotels & Resorts

The Alila luxury hotel chain will launch its first luxury sail boat, it announced on Monday.

The boat will make its inaugural six-day voyage on December 15 from Raja Ampat in Indonesia’s West Papua province and will take guests around the Indonesian islands.The sailing journey will be part of a 10-day vacation package priced at $62,000, which will include a three-night stay at the group’s villas in Uluwatu and Soori. 

The sailing boat, christened Alila Purnama, which means ‘The Full Moon’ in Indonesian, will have a crew of 16 and can accommodate up to 10 guests.

The boat, a traditional Phinisi Indonesian two-mast sailing boat, is 46 meters long and consists of three decks. The furniture on board the ship will be custom-made from teak, rattan and other locally sourced materials from Indonesia.

The Master Suite on board the Alila Purnama ©Alila Hotels & Resorts

The Alila Purnama will have four air-conditioned cabins, each with queen-sized beds and ensuite bathrooms. There is also a master suite, featuring large wraparound windows with panoramic views of the sea. The luxury vessel will also feature a library, lounge, bar, an indoor dining area that can seat up to 12, and oversized daybeds in the main outdoor deck. The vessel will also offer free wifi.

The luxurious lounge on board the Alila Purnama ©Alila Hotels & Resorts

The luxury sailboat also has its own fully licensed PADI dive center, including equipment for kayaking, surfing, fishing and snorkelling. “For this first boat in our collection, we are trying to cater to nature lovers and divers for the luxury market,” Alila vice president of sales Brandon Chan told Relaxnews.

The Alila chain of hotels operates a group of hotels and resorts in Southeast Asia, including China. “We do have a market for China; in fact a large number of Chinese tourists come to Alila hotels,” said Chan. The group, which launched its Chinese website on Monday, is looking to open its first three villa properties in China over the next three years.

In 2007, India-based Oberoi Hotels & Resorts also launched its own bespoke luxury cruise with the Oberoi Zahra, a luxury vessel with 25 cabins, offering the jetset a seven-day vacation cruising down Egypt’s Nile River.

http://www.alilahotels.com/

The Indonesian part of Papua island is currently divided into the provinces of Papua and West Papua.

Ade Komarudin, the Golkar Party secretary at the House of Representatives and chairman of its labor wing, Soksi, said that he had held discussions with tribal chiefs and public figures in Papua and West Papua and concluded that establishing another province would best advance the region’s development.

Ade also threw his support behind two proposed new districts in West Papua: South Manokwari and the Arfak Mountains.

“I will assign Soksi members sitting on House Commission II to fight for the establishment of the two new districts to better meet the demands and aspirations of the people to improve welfare,” he said after attending the inauguration of Soksi’s West Papua regional leadership on Saturday. Commission II oversees home affairs and regional autonomy.

The national government in 2009 imposed a moratorium on forming new provinces and districts. Activists and analysts have questioned the effectiveness of forming new provinces in improving public welfare because funds need to be allocated to building offices and holding elections.

Among the critics was Bambang Brodjonegoro, dean of the economics school at the University of Indonesia, who said he supported a moratorium on new regions.

“Take a break for five years to evaluate whether the regions can be managed properly,” he said. “If they have not performed well, the regions must not be divided again. Or they should be [dissolved].”

He added that older provinces, districts and municipalities should also be reviewed. “Budget allocations need to be reviewed. They should be reviewed by local people to determine if their needs have been met,” Bambang said. “There should be minimum standards for public services.”

Sofyan Wanandi, chairman of the board of trustees of Regional Autonomy Watch, said regional autonomy had been a failure.

Sofyan said one survey found that only 10 percent to 15 percent of about 500 autonomous districts and municipalities have developed successfully.

But Ade was confident that South Papua and the two proposed districts met the requirements to form their own administrations.

Ganjar Pranowo, the deputy head of Commission II, also said the government should prioritize the creation of South Papua. He said the House had received proposals for the creation of 24 new regions, and agreed that 19 of them, including South Papua, were worthy of further consideration.

“South Papua is a priority region and it has met conditions to become the third province in the eastern Indonesian region after Papua and West Papua,” said Ganjar, a politician with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

Suara Pembaruan

Indonesia’s Transportation Ministry is planning to develop a number of key airports in the restive regions of Papua and West Papua, while leaving the development of smaller airstrips to local governments, an official said on Monday.

“We are according special attention to Papua because it has a lot of airports and some of the larger ones we have already dealt with,” said Bambang Tjahjono, the ministry’s director for airports.

Bambang said that one of the priorities was to develop the Mozes Kilangin Airport in Timika, because its operation supports the distribution of economic goods to the inland communities.

“What is clear is that the Timika airport is one of our priorities,” Bambang said according to state news agency Antara.

He said the airport still had a “special” status since it was built and owned by the huge gold and copper mine operated by the local subsidiary of US mining giant Freeport MacMoRan.

He said a memorandum of agreement had yet to be signed between PT Freeport Indonesia, the Transportation Ministry and the Mimika district government to change the status of the airport into a general one. “The draft is with us and we are still studying it. If it is agreed upon, there will certainly be some financial support [from the central government],” Bambang said.

He said that once the agreement is signed, the government will build various public facilites such as passenger terminals and aprons in areas around the current airport already cleared and purchased by the Mimika government.

The Mimika government is alloting Rp 1.5 billion for soil compacting work for the area where the apron would be built. It is also building a new access road from Kwamki Baru.

Bambang said the airport in Timika has seen a continuous increase in passengers over the the past few years and added that the government was also asking the state oil and gas company Pertamina to invest in Timika so as to assure an adequate supply of fuel there.

Another airport to receive priority is the Sentani airport of Jayapura, which will see its runway expanded to 3,000 meters and is currently construction its taxiways.

Also due for expansion is the airport for Sorong in West Papua. “We have already signed the MoU with the Sorong mayor so that the local government can immediately fence the [expansion] area to keep livestock out,” he said. Once fenced, the government will then expand the length of the runway, he said, according to Antara.

The MoU also includes the construction of a new alternative airport for Sorong, to be built in Segun.

The other airports to be developed include the ones in Kaimana, in Wamena, in Manokwari and in Merauke. A new airport will also be built in Wagete baru, Deiyai district.

Indonesia expects robust growth in cruise tourism next year with 300 calls already scheduled to visit the country’s ports, bringing some 160,000 passengers, a senior official said Wednesday.

The calls might still increase until the end of this year, Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry’s Meeting, Incentive, Convention, and Exhibition (MICE) director, Rizky Handayani, said.

“Cruise calls to Indonesia have been increasing over the past several years. It shows that we are a good market and a great destination, and surely have strong potential to grow further in this sector,” Rizky said on the sidelines of the ministry’s marketing coordinating meeting in Jakarta.

The expected number of tourists the cruise ships would bring next year — 160,000, would be a 35 percent increase from this year, which has received 200 cruise ship calls with 118,800 passengers visiting the country through the end of this year. Last year, the figure stood at 178 calls, bringing 112,000 passengers.

She said about 40 percent of cruise liners would visit Bali, 35 percent to West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara, 13 percent to Java, and the rest would go to Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Sumatra, Maluku and Papua.

“Smaller cruise liners that only bring around 400 people usually visit exotic places in Maluku, Papua and Sulawesi,” she said.

The ministry has recently set up a task force consisting of the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry, Transportation Ministry, state-owned port operator Pelindo, state- run shipping company Pelni, oil and gas company Pertamina, local governments, the Customs and Excise Office, and the Immigration Office, in hopes of bringing in more cruise liners and luxury yachts to Indonesia.

The task force has identified 10 ports across the country, such as Surabaya, East Java; Semarang, Central Java; Bali; Makassar; and Pare Pare in South Sulawesi, which would be developed to enable larger cruise ships to dock in the ports.

“We are working hard to finish the development of each port as soon as possible. We expect to finish the development of Benoa, one of the favorite cruise destinations, next year,” she said. Benoa is set to have a dedicated cruise terminal in the future.

With all the developments taking place in every port, she was optimistic that Indonesia would be able to attract 600,000 passengers in 2016.

She also said that Indonesia had been participating in the world’s largest cruise exhibition, Cruise Shipping Miami, in the US, to promote cruise destinations across the archipelago.

Previously, minister Mari Elka Pangestu said that Indonesia would collaborate with ASEAN countries through joint destinations so that the country could work together in joint packages such as from Singapore – Malaka – Aceh’s Weh Islet, or from Phuket Island in Thailand to Bali, and so on.

As of today, Indonesia has 70 points that can be entered by different types of cruise ships.

Asia Pacific, including Indonesia, is an exciting cruise market due to strong economic growth in the region.

Christine Duffy, president and CEO of the Cruise Lines International Association, described Asia as a gateway to tomorrow’s cruise marketplace, during the second annual Cruise Shipping Asia Pacific in Singapore last month.

State-owned port operator PT Pelindo II, or the Indonesia Port Corporation (IPC), said the construction of Sorong Port in West Papua would be delayed until 2013 from its original plan for the fourth quarter of this year due to problems with land acquisition.

Pelindo II corporate secretary Yan Budi Santoso said problems had occurred because the new port was to be constructed on land belonging to indigenous people.

“Most of the area where we will construct the port belongs to the local people and we have found
that it is not that easy to convince them that the project will benefit them,” Yan said in Jakarta on
Tuesday night.

He said the company was currently holding a series of meetings with the local owners of the land to explain the importance of the project for the local economy.

“We are ready to construct the port, but we cannot force the people who claim to own the land to leave immediately,” he said.

Despite the issue, he remained upbeat that the project would be started in early 2013.

The port, which will have the capacity to receive 500,000 containers of twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), needs around 7,500 hectares, leaving the possibility for future expansion.

Pelindo II, which is working in conjunction with another state seaport operator, PT Pelindo IV, and five shipping companies — PT Meratus Line, PT Salam Pacific Indonesia Line, PT Samudera Indonesia, PT Tanto Intim Line and PT Tempuran Mas — is spending Rp 1 trillion (US$104 million) on building the port.

“Based on the company’s plan, this port will commence operations by the end of 2014 to help reduce logistics costs in the eastern part of Indonesia,” he added.

When the port started operating, it would cut logistics costs in the region by 50 percent, he said.

Sorong has been designated as a regional hub in the east, linking the regency with other parts of the archipelago, including Bitung, Jakarta, Merauke, Jayapura and Surabaya, as well as neighboring countries, such as Papua New Guinea and Australia.

The port will also support the establishment of Papua and Maluku’s economic development corridor, one of six corridors launched by the government through its Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesia’s Economic Development (MP3EI) program.

In addition, Yan said the company would start ground breaking for the country’s largest port, namely Kalibaru Port or the New Priok, at the end of this month.

“Kalibaru is our priority now because Tanjung Priok Port has been operating [for some time] at overcapacity and the [container] traffic keeps increasing every year,” he said.

According to Pelindo II data, container traffic at Tanjung Priok reached 5.8 million TEUs throughout 2011, a 23 percent increase from 4.7 million TEUs in 2010. That figure is expected to reach 6.5 million TEUs by the end of this year.

—JP/ Nurfika Osman

Wednesday 03 October 2012

Indonesia: Chinese producers are expected to increase their capacity in Indonesia to 65Mt/yr from 60.56Mt/yr, according to an Indonesian industry official.

“Production will increase by 7% because the capacity of the factories will be ramped up and there will be additional investment in the cement business as well,” said Director General for Basic Manufacturing Industry, Panggah Susanto. The plans for investment have been approved by the Capital Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM).

Chinese producer Anhui Conch Cement Co Ltd has said that it will will build a 10Mt/yr plant in either South Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan or West Papua.

China Trio Bit Engineering Co Ltd will build a 1.5Mt/yr plant in Subang, West Java. Another Chinese firm, State Development and Investment Corperation (SDIC), will build a 1.8Mt/yr plant in Papua. In addition, Siam Cement, the largest cement producer in Thailand, has also expressed interest in building a 1.8Mt.yr plant in West Java.

Global Cement News