Nature Trails
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Lembah Baliem, Highland Papua
Trekking the Villages of the Baliem Valley
5 daysMax. 6Challenging
FromIDR 9,800,000 / person
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Destination in Highland Papua
Lembah Baliem
A high valley in the Jayawijaya Mountains, with the honai houses and sweet-potato gardens of the Hubula people.
Photo: Philomène Martinelli Globe-Trotting.com · CC BY-SA 4.0
Tours in Lembah Baliem
2 tours available
Rituals & Ceremonies
New
Lembah Baliem, Highland Papua
The Baliem Valley Cultural Festival
4 daysMax. 8Moderate
FromIDR 8,900,000 / person
About Lembah Baliem
The Baliem Valley stretches about 80 kilometres through Papua's Central Highlands at around 1,600 to 1,700 metres. Its main town, Wamena, lies on the Baliem River and is the gateway to the surrounding villages.
The valley is home to the Hubula, better known as the Dani, as well as the Lani, Yali and other peoples nearby. Their traditional honai are round, thatched and windowless to hold in warmth on cold highland nights: honai for men, ebai for women and wamai for pigs. Every August the Baliem Valley Cultural Festival, held since 1989, brings together dances, noken crafts and origin stories from many communities.
Getting there
The Baliem Valley has no road link to the coast; the only practical access is a flight from Jayapura (Sentani Airport) to Wamena, about 45 minutes. Flights can be delayed by weather, so keep a spare day. A travel permit (surat jalan) is arranged in Wamena.