Blog Entry Northern Papua: The Common Gateway to Papua

Just about everyone going to Papua will make at least a brief stop in the North. This region is home to Jayapura, Papua's original capital and busiest sea port, while the nearby town of Sentani is the hub of air transport both to and around Papua. Those heading for the popular Baliem Valley will have to pass through here, and even visit the local police to pick up the necessary travel permit. Once here, it would be a shame to rush though. The area around Jayapura and Sentani has a lot to offer, including scenic bays with good beaches, a huge freshwater lake with islands big enough to support villages, a healthy tradition of woodcarving and painted bark-cloth manufacturing, two good museums, Papua's best shopping both for handicrafts and for modern necessities, and of course the widest range of places to stay and eat anywhere in these parts. As an added attraction, you could even make a side-trip to neighbouring Papua New Guinea from here - easily the cheapest way of reaching that fascinating country. After the Jayapura area, the most common travel destination in the North is the island of Biak is Cendrawasih Bay. Biak has plenty of historical and cultural interest and is very accessible, though those hoping for a really pretty tropical island should head further afield to nearby Supiori, Numfor, Yapen, or the cluster of smaller islands in the south of the bay, just north of the town of Nabire. The latter is a dull town in its own right, but the traditional gateway to the westernmost part of the Central Highlands. Finally, real adventurers could try and explore the more remote parts of the northern lowlands, certainly one of Papua's least visited areas.