Tour Asmat

Upon touchdown in Timika, our driver will be there to whisk you away to your hotel. Today, it's all about settling in, so enjoy lunch and dinner at local eateries recommended by your driver. (included) If you're up for it, a visit to the local market can also be arranged for a glimpse of Timika's daily life.

Important: Your guide awaits in Asmat, so today you will travel with a driver only. Drivers don’t speak English but they are standby and at your service.

Breakfast is served at the hotel in Timika. Our driver will transfer you to the airport of Timika where you will catch the regular flight with Wings Air to Asmats’ Ewer airstrip. Our guide will welcome you at the airport in Ewer. Because there are no cars, you will be transferred by motorbike to the harbour. Your luggage will be transported by wheelbarrow to the harbour. You continue by a (very) small motorized boat in about 30 minutes to Agats, the capital of Asmat regency. You will stay in a basic homestay with AC rooms.

After lunch, you will walk to Syuru village to gain insights into life in and around Agats. There, you will visit the Asmat museum, which houses an intriguing and beautiful collection of Asmat art. Asmat art is highly uncommon, and the pieces you encounter during this trip are still actively utilized in complex ceremonial practices today. Maintaining a delicate balance between the realms of the living and the spiritual world of the deceased is crucial to the Asmat tribes. Each decorative piece, whether it be masks, drums, or ancestor poles (known as bis), holds profound significance. Later in the afternoon, you will return and enjoy dinner either at your accommodation or at a local restaurant.

After breakfast, we will board our motorized canoe to Per village. Transportation in this area is over water, and we will head towards the ocean to reach Per village, situated close to the Arafura Sea. Lunch will be served at a traditional longhouse in Per. In the afternoon, we will join the Asmat people upstream to observe their daily life in the jungle and swamps. In the evening, we will request our Asmat hosts to play the drums so we can experience their traditional music. We will spend the night in a local house.

Stay in the village to further immerse yourself in the Asmat culture. After breakfast, you will witness the Asmat paddle canoe ceremony. These ceremonies are still conducted to inaugurate new canoes crafted by the local people. Once a canoe is built, it is not permitted to rest on the ground; instead, it must be carried directly to the river. The rivers hold immense importance for the Asmat tribes as they provide vital resources. Today, you can also join the local people in learning how to catch shrimp and fish. Spend the night in a local house.

After breakfast, we will board the motorized canoe for about 3 hours to reach Beriten village, passing Owus along the way. Depending on the river tides, the route to the village will be determined accordingly. We will make stops at various beautiful sights along the journey. Lunch and dinner will be served at a longhouse in Beriten. You will have the opportunity to explore the village, interact with the local people, and learn about their daily lives.

After breakfast, we will paddle or walk into the swampy jungle with the Asmat people to observe them processing sago (which remains the main food in Asmat). You will also have the opportunity to witness other Asmat ceremonies, including dancing and the Mbis pole ceremony (Mbis is believed to possess supernatural powers to protect families). In the afternoon, we will be transferred by motorized canoe back to Agats. Upon arrival in Agats, you may take a stroll around the town. Dinner and overnight accommodation will be provided at the same homestay where you started.

Early in the morning, we will depart by motorized boat to Ewer airport for the flight back to Timika. Bid farewell to your guide in Ewer. Upon arrival in Timika, our driver will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel. The driver will accompany you to local restaurants in town for lunch and dinner, and is at your service.

A private transfer with our driver to the airport.