DAY TOURS
This village day program is an easy hour-long car ride to one of two villages – Mware or Iwaka -just outside of Timika the main town. Visitors are greeted by the villagers dressed in traditional attire dancing and singing to the sounds of drums.
visitors greeted by villagers dressed in traditional attire
dancing and singing
dancing and singing
Nearby in the sago gardens, you can watch how Kamoro men and women continue to process sago today just as their ancestors did hundreds of years ago. This includes the felling of a sago tree, removing a part of the bark, breaking up the trunk into bits of woody pith, and “milking” the pith through a leaf sieve into a large trough where the “milked” sago hardens. The trough is actually a branch of a large sago frond. If you’re game enough, you may try any (or all!) of these activities. The Kamoro are more than happy when visitors join in.
milking the sago with river water
No experience is complete without a Kamoro feast. From the rivers, mangroves and sea come a rich harvest: fresh fish, mangrove crabs, clams cooked or smoked over a wood fire; sago grubs – live and creamy or roasted and crunchy on the outside; tambelo (a much sought after Kamoro delicacy that looks like a long worm, but is actually the adult of a bivalve and tastes much like fresh oysters), and pancakes of sago.
fresh fish from the Arafura Sea
There is a carving demonstration and the opportunity to
purchase carvings directly from the carvers.
purchase carvings directly from the carvers.
..and to complete the experience, a short paddled trip along the river
in a traditional dugout canoe..
in a traditional dugout canoe..
OVERNIGHT TOURS
The trip begins with a river ride starting at the government dock of Pomako through the the mangrove ecosystem that the Kamoro use. Travel is by a covered 10 meter long canoe fitted with two 40 hp engines. Within three hours you will reach the coast of the Arafura Sea. In this beautiful bay where the waters of the river and sea meet is the sandy floored village of Timika Pantai.
Our covered boat seats 4 in the cabin comfortably.
Typical of any Kamoro home, your guesthouse is made of wood planks and leaf-thatched roof. Each room easily sleeps 2 people and a small living room with a trestle table and benches. We provide mattresses and mosquito nets for a comfortable night. The Kamoro sleep on mats made of pandanus leaves. In the evenings you can choose to read by a solar powered light or shoot the breeze with the Kamoro, sitting on the sandy ground around a small wood fire.
visitors outside their guesthouse
Just outside the house is the shady hibiscus tree, an excellent spot for meals and those relaxing moments fanned by light sea breezes. A short stroll takes you to the river for a swim or a warm bath. A quaint pandanus leaf “outhouse” open to the skies provides the modern convenience of a clean sit-down toilet and a large tub of well-water for that cooling mandi (a traditional way of bathing that involves throwing scoops of water with a dipper over oneself).
You’ll get to see a large and spectacular ‘kaware’ involving over a dozen canoes full of men in traditional dress (well, grass skirts…’real’ traditional dress was nothing at all… being completely naked….), paddling and singing together to welcome the visitors. Beaching their canoes, the men all jump out for a rousing final dance
A Kaware welcoming committee
On a short trip into the mangrove swamp nearby you can see how the Kamoro obtain ‘tambelo’ a long, wormy-looking beast that lurks in fallen trees. These are fertilized eggs of this mollusk that evolves into larvae that bore their way into fallen trees.. This is a ‘health food’ for the Kamoro, said to cure all ills as well as their version of Viagra. While it looks like a long, slimy worm, ‘tambelo’ is a bivalve mollusk that tastes like a sweet, raw oyster.
Dennis gives tambelo a try
This village features some of the best of Kamoro carvings, and there is a demonstration of carvings as well as the opportunity to purchase them. There is free time to visit the village and the school (if it is in session), for bird-watching, and to observe women fishing with bark-string nets.
Dennis visits the local school
Unknown to most, WWII Japanese shore batteries still exist in the area, now awash in the ocean except at low tide. These are located nearby in front of Kekwa Village. There was a Japanese fighter airstrip stretching between Kekwa and Timika Pantai and used by Freeport during the initial stages of its infrastructure work before the Timika airstrip was in operation.
WWII Japanese shore battery
COSTS, SUPPLIES AND CONTACT INFORMATION
All meals are provided and consist of rice or noodles accompanied by local fare such as fresh fish and mangrove crabs. Meat from large monitor lizards is featured on the menu when available. We provide bottled drinking water as well.
PRICE (ALL PAYMENTS WITH INDONESIAN RUPIAS, OR IDR ONLY)
DAY TOUR
IDR 5,000,000 (excluding land transport), for any number of people. For an additional IDR 750,000 we can provide round-trip transport from either Kuala Kencana or the Rimba Papua Hotel for up to five persons.
OVERNIGHT TOUR
(1-2 nights) IDR 12,000,000 for one to four guests. Guests have to provide their round-trip land transportation to Pomako, or we can provide this for an extra IDR 1,500,000 for up to four persons, to and from Kuala Kencana or the Rimba Papua Hotel.
Both programs have to be scheduled with at least two weeks prior notice.
Both programs are suitable for adults as well children.
THINGS TO BRING
CONTACT For further information, please contact Luluk Intarti.
Mobile
0812 4088 025
if calling from outside Indonesia: +62 812 4088 025
Email
luluk_intarti@fmi.com or suko2004@gmail.com
All meals are provided and consist of rice or noodles accompanied by local fare such as fresh fish and mangrove crabs. Meat from large monitor lizards is featured on the menu when available. We provide bottled drinking water as well.
PRICE (ALL PAYMENTS WITH INDONESIAN RUPIAS, OR IDR ONLY)
DAY TOUR
IDR 5,000,000 (excluding land transport), for any number of people. For an additional IDR 750,000 we can provide round-trip transport from either Kuala Kencana or the Rimba Papua Hotel for up to five persons.
OVERNIGHT TOUR
(1-2 nights) IDR 12,000,000 for one to four guests. Guests have to provide their round-trip land transportation to Pomako, or we can provide this for an extra IDR 1,500,000 for up to four persons, to and from Kuala Kencana or the Rimba Papua Hotel.
Both programs have to be scheduled with at least two weeks prior notice.
Both programs are suitable for adults as well children.
THINGS TO BRING
- insect repellent
- sunscreen
- torch-lights
- umbrellas
- hats
- long-sleeved shirts
- long pants for the nights
- t-shirts
- shorts
- bathing suits
- your own towel
- toiletries and toilet paper
- a sarong or pareo is optional for drying
off from a swim or used as a light blanket at night
CONTACT For further information, please contact Luluk Intarti.
Mobile
0812 4088 025
if calling from outside Indonesia: +62 812 4088 025
luluk_intarti@fmi.com or suko2004@gmail.com
