About Papua Barat

One of the last lost paradises

Previously named Irian Jara and recently renamed Papua Barat, Occidental Papua is a province of Indonesia located in the far west of the Island of New Guinea which covers all the area called Vogelkop (Birds' head) and its' surroundings. The area of Papua is inhabited by around 800,000 Melanesians fundamentally living under ancient tribal law. The capital of the region is Manokwari.

Even though this region is under increasing pressure from the Indonesian government for its' fabulous mineral riches (gas, gold, nickel, silver and copper) , the surrounding islands remain untouched. The inhabitants have preserved their culture and lifestyle and live in perfect harmony with their surrounding environment. Once at sea, and away from Sorong, time truly stops. We have the sensation of being truly alone in the world, with postcard surroundings which are far removed from the way our modern civilisation lives.

This fragile area is definitely under threat by a world driven by the economy. Sadly, you will need to move quickly if you wish to witness and experience one of the last remaining untouched regions of our planet.