Papua and Maluku Islands Travel Guide

Your travel guide to Papua, formerly Irian Jaya, from the easternmost side of Indonesia. It is half of New Guinea, the world’s largest and highest tropical island, on the west of Papua New Guinea, an independent country. Papua of Indonesia is the last final frontier of tourism here, is limited in infrastructure and also limited information available on it. Traveling here is like exploring the unknown and can be challenging, but it thrills many adventure seekers.

Most travelers come here for the remote highlands that are still filled with indigenous tribes and ancient rites like the popular Baliem Valley, trekking through tribal villages, and also for the exotic jungle of Lorentz National Park, which has the highest mountain in Indonesia, the Puncak Jaya (Carstensz Pyramid). Flora and fauna found here are a myriad of species similar to those found in Australia but well adapted to the mountainous rainforest of Papua.

Papua Travel Guide. Photo by Asso Myron on Unsplash

To the west of Papua lies the Maluku Islands, also known as Moluccas or Spice Islands, to the east of Sulawesi. Wedged between these two large areas, these many tiny islands are largely unexplored and on the list as off-the-beaten tracks of Indonesia travel. The gateway here is via Ambon, its largest city with an airport. Most travelers come here to experience the interesting historical and cultural sites, snorkeling and diving off the coasts, hiking, and trekking.