Custom itinerary: Departures anytime.
Irian Jaya, formerly Dutch New Guinea, is the western or Indonesian half of New Guinea, and is one of the most primitive regions on earth. This extraordinary expedition takes you to the DANI tribes of the Grand Baliem Valley, the YALI tribes of the eastern highlands and the ASMAT tribes of the coastal region. These are very traditional tribes, only recently emerged from the "Stone Age".
"DANI" is a generic term applied to all the tribes
of the Baliem Valley, who are believed to have inhabited this region
for more than 40,000 years and may be related to the Australian aboriginals.
Kept apart from each other for centuries by hostile terrain and long traditions
of inter-tribal warfare, headhunting and cannibalism, there has evolved
an astonishing degree of cultural and linguistic diversity in language,
customs and even physical appearance, despite a great similarity in physical
appearance.
The Dani peoples reject any form of clothing, other than the grass skirt worn by the women and the penis sheaths of the men. They are, however, extremely fond of body ornamentation and decorate themselves elaborately with feathers and shells, especially for celebrations. They have both a complex social organization and agricultural system as well as considerable engineering skill in constructing their suspension bridges and homes. The Dani live in fortified compounds which enclose the separate roundhouses of the men and women, their gardens of sweet potatoes and their domesticated pigs, which are raised as members of the family as they are believed to possess a soul similar to that of man.
The YALI tribes live beyond the Grand Valley of the Baliem River in the eastern highlands. They were not contacted until the 60's and the 70's when the missionaries began penetrating these remote regions. They live in spectacular mountain country and exhibit their own unique cultural lifestyles. Their dress is a version of rattan waist hoops and penis gourds.
The ASMAT, world-renowned wood carvers and artists, as well as formerly ferocious headhunters and cannibals, live along the coastal marsh area of Southern Irian Jaya. Traditionally their culture is extremely ritualistic, involving wife-exchange, the constant appeasement of spirits and the belief that life comes from the death of another human being. Their extraordinary carvings, considered by many to be among the most important primitive works in the world, are direct expressions of their relationship to their intense spirit world.
This expedition to the Dani, the Yali and the Asmat has been designed to give you the opportunity to walk back in time; to observe and interact with ancient and still traditional cultures.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA, the eastern half of the island, was first visited by Europeans in the 1930's. "PNG" has over 1000 cultures and over 700 distinct languages. From Jayapura, Irian Jaya, you'll fly directly over to Wewak, PNG. The purpose of this visit is the annual SING SING FESTIVAL. Each year the highland tribes of Papua New Guinea gather at Mt Hagen for this wildly colorful festival, a spectacular tribute to ancestral rituals that have survived the past and are today, an integral part of daily life. Hundreds of tribesmen representing 40-50 different tribal groups participate in this competition, proudly displaying their unique dances, chanting and drumming. Bodies are bedecked with cassowary plumes, kina shells, aromatic leaves. Faces are brightly painted and elaborate headdresses are worn. The competition ends with an award ceremony on the last day.
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