Meeting the island of New Guinea will leave one astonished. Indeed, the splendour of this extraordinary place is just beyond words, with a wide array of odd fauna, enormous radiations of marsupials and birds, bizarre creatures and outlandish tribes. The shape of New Guinea is often compared to that of the beautiful bird-of-paradise, a distinct species of the island.
The world`s second largest island is one of the very few destinations in the world still waiting to be explored, with hundreds of offshore islands hiding never-met ethnic groups and never-seen wildlife. The immense diversity of New Guinea is also reflected in its natural beauty. Fabulous coastal stretches, combined with pristine bays and coves, shelter radiant coral gardens and abundant marine life. Labyrinths of wild jungles some of which have never been entered by a human are spreading in the tropics of the Equator under the snowy peaks of volcanoes. This is a place for courageous adventurers and passionate mountaineers looking for thrill, authenticity and natural purity. This is New Guinea “The Bird of Paradise”.
WEST PAPUA/IRIAN JAYA
The western half of the island of New Guinea is the Indonesian Papua, also called West Papua or Irian Jaya, located in the western edge of the Pacific Ocean. The way of living in the central highlands is rather primitive, reminding the prehistoric period.
Not much seems to have changed since then and the Stone-age-like tribal villages of hundreds of different subgroups are scattered in the deep primaeval jungles, happily enjoying their isolation. Life in the wetlands of Memberamo River, sometimes referred to the “Amazon of Papua”, is abundant and wild for this region is defined by vast lowlands, lakes and rivers that provide excellent conditions for fauna and flora. Dense rainforest, phenomenal beaches, scenic underwater “theatres” and imposing snow caps, covering 5 000 meter-high mountain peaks, the Indonesian Papua offers exceptional natural grandeur.
