BALIEM FESTIVAL 2025

Explore the last frontier of Indonesia’s remote Papua Island, embark on a spectacular cultural journey and attend the Baliem Valley cultural Festival scheduled to take place Wosilimo district from August 7 – 9 – 2025

This is the one occasion when all the diverse tribes from the highlands of Wamena and the Baliem Valley such as the Dani, Lani, and the Yali congregate to celebrate their annual festival. This year the festival will be centered in the district of Jayawijaya. Located high in the Jayawijaya mountains on the Indonesian side of the island of New Guinea, Baliem is a stunningly beautiful green valley long hidden beyond soaring hills.

Highlight of the Festival is the mock tribal warfare held to maintain the agility and preparedness of the tribes to defend their villages.

To prepare for these mock battles, organizers have prepared an arena of 400m by 250m that will be filled with 500 to 1000 of warriors and dancers.

The tribal war simulation is scheduled to be held during two days featuring about 26 groups of 30-50 warriors. These mock battles are accompanied by the Papuan traditional music of Pikon. Pikon is a musical instrument made out of wood skin which produces sounds when one blows it. The sounds created produce soothing music. Not many people can play the instrument as it requires special skills.

Organized by the district government of Jayawijaya, the festival is aimed to introduce and preserve the values and culture of Baliem Valley traditional tribes. The Baliem Valley festival will be enhanced by various fascinating art and cultural performances, including traditional Papuan dances, pig racing, Puradan Rattan Spear Throwing, Sikoko Spear games, Papuan traditional musical performance, and many more.

There will also be a special competition of Sege throwing and archery competition for foreign visitors as a sign of appreciation for their attendance. Visitor can also experience the true meaning of being a Papuan by wearing the traditional costumes of Koteka and have their skins blackened so they can also be part of the festivities.

Join the crowd and learn what makes them smile, laugh, and cheer. The Baliem Valley Festival 2024 awaits, offering abundant memories of the magical land of Papua.

How to reach

To reach Baliem Valley fly to the town of Wamena via Jayapura. There are regular flights available to Jayapura from Jakarta, Bali or Makassar. To attend the Festival it is best to contact an experienced travel agent.

For complete information on the Baliem Valley, including flights, operators, how to get there, where to stay, and what to do, you can Contact us.

Tips:

Foreigners must obtain a travel permit, known as Surat Keterangan Jalan to get access into the interior of Papua. You can obtain the Surat Keterangan Jalan at major police stations, such as at Jayapura, Merauka, Timika, Biak, Nabire, Monokwari and other major cities. The permit will depend on your request, lasting from 1 week to 1 month or longer. Prepare copies of your passport, recent photograph and list of places you wish to visit. It is easy to obtain the Surat Keterangan Jalan, because the officers are friendly and helpful. A Guide is needed to explore the valley. The best time to visit is between March and August If you travel during the rainy season, prepare yourself with cold weather gear Ask your guide about Do’s and Don’t in the Baliem Valley. High up in the mountains of central Papua at an altitude of 1,600 meters above sea level, hemmed in by steep green mountain walls, lies the stunningly beautiful Baliem valley, home of the Dani tribe.

Baliem valley is 72 km. long, and 15 km to 31 km wide in places. It is cut by the Baliem river, which has its source in the northern Trikora mountain, cascading into the Grand Valley, to meander down and further rushing south dropping 1,500 meters to become a large muddy river that slowly empties into the Arafura Sea.

The first outsider to discover the valley was American Richard Archbold, who, on 23 June 1938 from his seaplane, suddenly sighted this awesome valley dotted with neat terraced green fields of sweet potatoes, set among craggy mountain peaks. This is Indonesia’s own Shangri-La.

Only recently emerged from the Stone Age, the Dani are known as the “gentle warriors”. With their simple tools of stone and bone, they nonetheless, managed to sculpt green fields that hug the hills, where they grow root crops, and raise pigs. They have also built outposts and lookout towers to defend their valley from hostile tribes.

Because of the fertile soil and their agricultural skills, the Dani together with the sub-tribes of the Yali and the Lani, are, therefore, the most populous in Papua, living scattered in small communities near their gardens among the steep mountain slopes. Today, they also cultivate bananas, taro and yams, ginger, tobacco and cucumbers.

The men’s and women’s huts (locally called the honai) have thick thatched roofs, which keep the huts cool during the day and warm during the cold nights.

By trekking, you can witness traditional ceremonies, traditional markets and the way of life of the Dani. There are a very limited number of restaurants inside the Baliem Valley. Your tour guide can bargain with the Dani people to provide you with simple meals. It’s strongly advised that visitors bring their own meals and snacks during trekking through and around Baliem Valley. Meals and snacks can be bought at grocery stores in Wamena.

To make your trip easier and to get the most value, it is advisable to find a packaged tour offered by several operators. Click on Find Travel Agent

To Eat

At the end of the mock battles, food festivities are held at the venue or nearby. When you book a tour package, the organizers usually provide places to eat. Dance performances and music shows are staged and visitors are welcome to join.

To Do

During the festival, have your camera ready. Very often you will come across unique moments that you never want to miss. A number among the more than a thousand war participants, do want to keep abreast with the outside world, so they adorn themselves with local regalia, while sporting flashy sunglasses: a personal ad of a trendy look meeting age-old tradition. Ask them politely to pose for you. It’s an unusual anachronism not to be missed.

All you need to do during the festival is just observe and enjoy the mock war. The longer it gets, the nearer the spears and arrows get to hit the opponents. The closer the miss, the louder the roar from the hundreds of spectators. They have participated in these battles every year so that participants do get better each year.

After the Festival, visitors can go sightseeing to the Dani Market in Wamena, and visit the traditional Wauma Village that can be reached by car from Wamena. In Aikima see a 250 year-old mummified village chief, or, after a 2-hour climb, see the salt springs, where Dani women have, for centuries, made salt in a simple manner. More info, please contact us!

Traditional cut Finger 🤞

 Indonesia is famous for its diverse traditions and cultures. One of them is the finger-cutting tradition of the Dani tribe in Papua.

The Dani tribe is one of the largest and most famous tribes out of approximately 466 tribes in Papua. The Dani tribe is located in the Baliem Valley area, Jayawijaya Regency-Papua Pegunungan.

Quoted from detik.com, the name Dani itself was given by researchers who conducted research and were in direct contact with the Dani tribe in 1926. The research was a joint expedition between America and the Netherlands and was led by M.W. Striiling.

One of the researchers named Le Roux said that the name Dani comes from the Moni language, namely 'Ndani' and means "east of the direction of sunrise". Meanwhile, the native Dani tribe themselves do not know who gave their tribe the name, but they know that "Ndani" means "peace".

The Dani tribe has many traditions, one of which is the finger-cutting tradition.  The finger cutting tradition is carried out when one of their family members, namely the father, mother, child, or sibling, dies, this is done because of the high sense of brotherhood held by the Dani tribe. 

The Dani tribe believes that cutting off one of the fingers is a symbol of the pain when left forever by a family member they love. This is also done as a prayer so that the same thing does not happen again. 

Most finger cutting traditions in the Dani tribe are only carried out by women. However, some men also do it to show deep sadness, because Dani men generally do not cut their fingers, but cut their ear skin to show their sadness when they lose one of their family members. 

This finger cutting tradition of the Dani tribe has been passed down from generation to generation and is still carried out today. Although the Papuan and Jayawijaya governments have prohibited this tradition, the Dani tribe still does it today as a way to remember their ancestors and express their condolences.

Wamena Papua Highland

 

Wamena is a district in Jayawijaya Regency, Papua Province, Indonesia, and is also the capital of the regency. Wamena is located an airport that connects the Jayawijaya region with Jayapura. 

Wamena is the only largest city located in the interior of central Papua. Wamena comes from the Dani language which consists of two words Wa and Mena, which means Tame Pig. 

Unlike other big cities in Papua, such as Timika, Jayapura, Sorong, and Merauke, Wamena is a paradise and a pearl that has not been touched much in the interior of the central mountains of Papua. The city, which is located in the Baliem valley and is crossed by the Baliem river and flanked by the Jayawijaya mountains to the south, has an altitude of around 1600 meters above sea level. The city of Wamena still has fresh air and is far from air pollution like other big cities in Indonesia. 

As with most cities in the interior of Papua, this city is developing according to the development pattern around the airport. 

"If you haven't been to Wamena, that means you haven't been to Papua," this kind of statement is usually said by residents when they arrive there. The real intention of the statement is to reward tourists who can finally break through the limited access to the city.

Only tourists with special interests and who like adventure really want to vacation here. Wamena is termed off the beaten track, aka remote and difficult to reach, not only for foreign tourists but also domestic tourists.

The hard struggle to get to this city in the interior of Papua will pay off when you arrive at the Baliem Valley. The place is truly beautiful, with a fantastic landscape. Tourists will also encounter a culture that they have never seen anywhere else.

When the Baliem Valley Festival is taking place, it is the best time to visit Wamena. Meanwhile, the recommended length of visit is a minimum of five days.

The air temperature around the Baliem Valley varies, between 14.5˚C and 24.5˚C. In a year the average rainfall is 1,900 mm and there are approximately 16 rainy days a month.

The boundary between the dry and rainy seasons is difficult to distinguish. However, March is the month with the highest rainfall and July is the month with the lowest rainfall.

 The Baliem Valley is surrounded by the Jayawijaya Mountains which are famous for their eternal snow peaks, including Trikora Peak (4,750 m), Mandala Peak (4,700 m), and Yamin Peak (4,595 m).

Witnessing the Local People's Traditional Ceremony

After finding and witnessing the interesting mummies, it is better to mingle with the community while watching the tribal war ceremony. This ceremony usually takes place in August before Indonesia's Independence Day. Traditional dances and music are used to enliven the atmosphere of this interesting ceremony. Not only that, travelers will also be greeted with a stone burning ceremony or also called Kit Oba Isogoa. When this ceremony takes place, there's nothing wrong with trying sweet potatoes which are a typical Papuan food.

Trikora Peak Climbing Itinerary (4,751 M.dpl) Sudirman Mountains, Papua-Indonesia

 Trikora Peak Climbing Itinerary (4,751 M.dpl) Sudirman Mountains, Papua-Indonesia 

Day 1

 Jakarta-Sentani-Wamena Flights to Sentani from Soekarno Hatta, Jakarta-If according to the schedule the journey continues to Wamena. 

Day 2 

when you arrive at Wamena meet and be picked up by the guide, then go to the inn. After checking in and resting we will recheck personal equipment and repack. 

Day 3

 Wamena - Habema - Camp 1. Wamera In the morning after breakfast and everything is ready, by using a vehicle we will go to Lake Habema (3,000 m) about 1-1.5 hours drive. In the middle of the trip, precisely at the Napua Post, we will ask for permission to pass and coordinate with the security forces. Crossing 1 wide river. After passing through the savanna, it begins to enter the boundary of the tree which is the location of the first camp. 

Day 4

 Wamerashelter–Camp Sudle-Goa Somala (3,800mdpl) In the morning after packing and breakfast, we will continue the trekking journey to the Sudle camp, and if there is enough time, continue to Camp Rock Shelter/Cave Camp/Goa Somala at an altitude of 3,800 m with an estimated 8-10 hours of travel. Starting with climbing 2 hills that are not too high, after that along the ridge until we arrive at a wide valley. Two flat terrain that is quite far with weeds that are quite high we must pass before finally arriving at our second camp. This camp is usually called a rock shelter or Somala cave, is a rock inlet about 2 meters x 8 meters to be used as a place to stay that is quite comfortable protected from rain and wind, we will not sleep in a tent. 

DAY 5 ROCKSHELTER–CAMPIBEX(4,200MDL) After breakfast, we continue our journey to the old High Camp, if possible continue to Summit Camp or IBEX Direct Camp, starting with a flat terrain through rivers and waterfalls, passing 2 climbs to the high camp long time. After that, the uphill terrain is very steep with a height of about 100 meters, there is a safety line along the route. Passing the old Hanging Valley Camp. The trip to the camp is about 7-8 hours away. spend the night in the tent again. The porters will return to Somala Cave, and spend the night there for 3 nights.

 Day 6

 Acclimatization Acclimatization if needed, by carrying out activities around campdirect, besides that we will refresh ascending and descending techniques. But if the team's condition is good, the oxygen saturation is good enough, then today can be used as a climb to the top of Trikora. 

Day 7

 Campibex-Puncaktrikora–Campibex Summit Day, the activity will start at 02.00 for breakfast and preparation for the peak climb, the journey begins with going to the bottom of the cliff, after that we will climb the rope ascendingly through 9pitch. the end of the fix rope to the highest peak of Trikora. After arriving at the peak, we rest first, before going down with the rappeling technique one by one to the foot of the cliff and return to the camp to rest. The journey is estimated to be around 6-8 hours up and 3-4 hours off. 

Day 8 

Campibex-Campudle/Camp2 After breakfast then packing while waiting for the porters to arrive, we will continue the journey dow

n to the middle camp with about 6-7 hours of travel. Day 9

 Campsudle/Camp2 - Wamera-Wamena Travel with the same route to get to the vehicle pick-up point, then continue the journey to Wamena and spend the night at the inn. 

Day 10 

Wamena as a backup day if there are problems on the trip or not according to the target time. But if it is in Wamena, it can be used for rest, or if there is time, explore the Baliem Valley with an additional fee that is adjusted.

 Day 11 

Wamena-Sentani-Jakarta Participants will be dropped to the airport to travel back to their respective Jakarta.

3 Days Adventure-Papua Hubula-Papua

Wamena – Baliem Valley Tour (3Days /2 Nights)

Day 01: Jayapura Arrival – Wamena (L.D)

Arrival at Jayapura Airport, claim your luggage then check-in for your flight to Wamena (unescorted). Upon arrival at Wamena Airport you will be met by your guide and transferred to the hotel for check in. The rest of the day is a FREE program. The hotel located in Wamena Center. *Dinner at the hotel.

After Lunch, we drive to Napul Hill for a view of Baliem Valley. Visiting Sinakma Village, cross a hanging bridge of Wamena River and passing Lani Village, visit Jibama local market then continue to Wesaput – Pugima Village. Afternoon at : 5:00 P PM. Dinner*

Day 02:

#Full Day: (Real Medium Treks)

Kurima District – The Southern of Baliem Valley (B, L, D)

After breakfast we drive for one hour to Southern Baliem Valley, start your trekking day by passing vegetable gardens and enjoy the scenery of Baliem Gorge, meet local people who live near Baliem River and learn a bit about their life and culture.(simple lunch box will be provided). In the afternoon we walk back then drive to hotel for dinner.

Day 03: Wamena-Jayapura Departure (B)

After breakfast, transfer to Jayapura Airport for your next destination.

Valid until May-June

Include:

1. Accommodation (Best hotel in Wamena

2. 2 days Cultural tour

3. All transportation includes airport transfers in Wamena,

4. Meals as per program *B.L.D),

5. English speaking guide,

6. Traveling permit arrangement,

Not Included:

1. Travel insurance,

2. Personal expenses

3. Tips for guide

4. Alcoholic beverages

5. Small money for taking picture with Dani people.

6. Dani ceremonies of Pig Feast and Dance,

7. Donations/entrance fee, all activities mentioned on the above program.

8. Flights (Jayapura-Wamena-Jayapura)

Dani Tribe in Baliem

Dani tribe

    The Dani or Hubula tribe is a group of tribes that inhabit the Baliem Valley region in the Central Mountains, Papua Mountains, Indonesia. Their settlement is between Ersberg and Grasberg Hills in Jayawijaya Regency and parts of Puncak Jaya Regency.

    It is thought that mountain tribes were first known to have migrated to the Baliem Valley around hundreds of years ago.

    This tribe is known as Dani because a European expedition asked the Migani tribe who called Ndani which means "east", for the Lani tribe.

    Meanwhile, the name Hugula is an endonym in the dialects of the Itlay hisage, Itlay lokobal, Assolokobal, Ohena, Kurima and surrounding sub-tribes. Meanwhile, the Itlay sub-tribe Haluk, Siepkosi, Hubikiak, Mukoko, and some Wita Waya use the name Hubula. In the Yiwika, Musatfak, Asologaima and surrounding areas it is called Huwula/Huwulra and the Sowa/Soba, Pasema and surrounding areas are called Hubla as mentioned in Yahukimo Regency (Hupla tribe).

    It is known that the Dani people are skilled farmers who use stone axes, scrapers, knives made from animal bones, bamboo or wooden spears and digging sticks. European influence was brought to the missionaries who built the Protestant Mission center in Hitigima around 1955. Then after the Dutch founded the city of Wamena, Catholicism began to arrive.

 

Mini adventure in Baliem Valley

 One day-mini adventure in Baliem valley for “the Ethnic tour Photography, and Trekking to Salt spring, Waterfall, mock war, dance, & pig Fiesta with Dani tribe.

Grade : Moderate/Medium/Challenged

Day by day program

Day 1

You will be picked up in front of Pilamo hotel at 09 heading to Sumpaima village. It takes 25 minutes to 30 minutes.  Here you will be the place where the Mock ceremony will start. The Dani people will present: Mock war, mock dance/snake dance, war dance, & start steaming cooking. It takes 2/3 hrs until the earth steaming cooking is done. Moreover, you will also see the Dani chief kill the pigs, grilling, pealing & cook into the earth oven. Finally the local (Dani people) will sells the Papuans souvenirs in the rest of the time. At 12:00/13: 00 pm. We are going to visit:

1. 350 years old mummy
2. Trekking into the wild rain forest to see the salt springs & see the baliem valley panorama
3. Cultural tour to Suroba & dugum village & passing the traditional wooden bridge
4. You will also guided to visit “White Cristal sands, made out naturally by rains flowing down to the valley
5. You will visit the Local market & the last
6. You will visit the Baliem valley view point’s & Napua waterfalls
7. Endemic birds are expect to see & heard along Dani valley

Back to hotel at 17:00 pm-Flexible.

Day 2. 

Hotel Wamena-Jayapura-Dropping service)

Inclusive:

-Food,  Water, Land Transport in Wamena & ends in Wamena -Accommodation in Pilamo hotel or  local house

– Police Permit and Donation

– Guide fee and Porter fee – Smile

Exclude of:

– Air Fare and Airport Tax to Jayapura/

– Domestic flight from Jayapura to Wamena Return

– Personal Travel Insurance

– Personal Expenses

-Pig Ceremony (Pig Fiesta)

What to Bring:

– Comfortable trekking shoes

– Sleeping Bag

– Windbreaker / jacket, sweater, gloves, ear cover

– Flesh light – Sun block lotion

– Insect repellent

– Cameras / video camera, binocular

– Personal toiletries

– Personal medicines

– Rain coat – Sun Block.

– Sun glasses.

– Camera / video (keep it safe from water)

The invoice will be attached, after final agreement is made.

 

Tradisional House in PAPUA (HONAI)

 Honai is the traditional house of the people of the mountains of Papua and Central Papua, especially the Dani tribe. A simple round honai house with a small door and not equipped with windows. There is also a rectangular shape, this type of house is called ebe'ai (female honai). The height of the house is about 2.5 meters which is divided into two parts, namely the lower and upper floors. The lower floor is usually used for sleeping, while the upper floor is used to carry out daily activities such as eating, relaxing and making crafts. On the lower floor, in the middle there is a hypere, which is a place for bonfires that are used for cooking or simply warming the body. Photo of the Papuan Traditional House Complex The simplicity of the honai house is not without purpose, the small house structure gives a warm effect. In addition, the simple honai house makes it easier for the owner to move around. There are three types of honai houses, namely honai houses (male only), ebai house (for women only), and wamai house (specially for animals). The word "ebe" which means female, and Wamai comes from the word "wam" which means pig.

 

5 Days 4 Nights Program

 We have 5 days/4nights program | Wamena

Day 1

Home-Jakarta-Jayapura-same day connect flight to Wamena | And Same day treks to Kilise village

Day 2

Day trip to Ibiroma village | Deeper, treks to Ibiroma kampung, and and around. Back to Kilise village | Cultural tour | visit some authentic villages, meet indigenous people [serving family at huts, feeding pigs, etc]

Day 3

Kilise-Baliem river crossing-heading to Seima village, and connect to Sogokomo terminal. And today you will head to the western valley called the Hubula tribe. You will stay overnight in Suroba village |crossing wooden bridge,visit Anemaugi village, suroba kampung, and back to Suroba guest house | stay overnight.

Day 4

Suroba-Jiwikla village-Salt making in Mabel Hills | Salt making attractions, late afternoon at 15:30 or 16:00 PM visit public market and back to hotel | shower |Dinner at hotel

Day 5

Departure | Airport check-in, Departure

More information

📩WhatsApp 081385441635

📧kaonaknenwendanak@gmail.com

Habema Lake

 Indonesia is a beautiful country and it is surrounded by tons of stunning natural landscapes. Due to the reasons, people are likely to find more new places to explore when visiting the country. As for the reference, Wamena City of Jayawijaya Regency has a rare lake called Habema. People recognize it as the tallest lake in Indonesia. It is because the lake resides on a high land, so tourists need to conduct trekking in order to reach the location. Plus, it offers a distinct beauty as compared to others. Not to mention the locals consider it sacred and mystical!

The Nuance
In terms of beauty, Habema Lake is undoubted. It has the total size of about 225 hectares and resides at the height of 3225 meters above the sea level. The real name is Yuginopa Lake, but it changed to Habema (which is named after the founder). For the information, the lake is located in Lorentz National Park, so it is quite noticeable. The lake is surrounded by hills and numerous highland plants, too. If tourists get to the lake by car, they only need to spend about 2 hours.

Exploring Habema Lake
A long trip to Habema Lake is worth the effort. After all, tourists are able to enjoy the stunning panorama along the way to the location. The hilly landscape and tall trees won’t bore them! Plus, the air is quite fresh, especially if tourists come in the morning. The best experience comes when they arrive on the site. The beautiful lake resides with its majestic snowy mountain in the background. It is likely tourists would take photos right away once they arrive there.

Aside from photography, visitors should not miss the chance to explore the location. Some spots provide the best views for sightseeing, after all. For instance, there is one site where tourists can see Trikora Mountain clearly. What about swimming? According to the villagers, the lake is not suitable for swimming or playing water. It is because of the cold water and depth. The size is quite big, too, so tourists aren’t likely to swim safely there. As an alternative, they can take selfies in front of the lake and conduct family recreation in that area.

Here is the tip. It is better to avoid visiting Habema Lake late in the afternoon or during the wet season. It is because the temperature and atmosphere become too low at those times. In fact, the temperature is 10 Celsius degree at noon and it drops significantly to 0 at night! In order to avoid discomfort, in this case, tourists should wear a jacket and other comfy attire.

Nearby Attractions

• Puncak Trikora
• Yugum'paga (Lorenz National Park)
• Mbua Waterfall

How to Get There
It is true the fastest and most comfortable way to reach Habema Lake is by airplane. For those coming from Jayapura City, the flight takes only about 30 minutes. For those coming from Jakarta City, in this case, they may spend at least 10 hours to get there. Later, after arriving at Wamena, they can simply take Yos Sudarso Street and head to the lake right away. The distance is 42.4 km, so the trip takes around 1 hour and 15 minutes.

More information

WhatsApp number: 62 813-8544-1635

Email: kaonaknenwendanak@gmail.com

Page: Baliem Valley Trekking 

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Baliem Valley Trekking Package

IntroductionWelcome to Papua! 

I am iron Tabuni, Papuan, and I am an independent trekking guide in the Baliem Valley. I assist people like you to participate in a trekking and to connect with the indigenous families living in the Valley. It is my joy to help you experience true Highland Papuan culture. Together with my wife and two daughters I live in the outskirts of Wamena. For my trekkings I hire only local Papuan people, and I do not make use of any middlemen. For this reason I can offer you reasonably priced, high quality programs, in which you have an opportunity to experience the real Papua. I can guarantee you that joining one of my programs is a journey of a lifetime. 

  

Programs Currently

I have three programs to offer. The first is a 4, 5 or 6 days trekking through the Baliem Valley, where you will visit and sleep in various villages, and will be received by families that over the years I have built connections with. The second program is a three days visit to my ancestral village in Lanijaya-territory. It involves a trekking on the first and the third day, and on the second day meeting with the villagers to experience how they live. The third program is a one or two days local program around Wamena, the capital of our regency, where we visit several local sites. This third program is not a trekking, but involves leisurely walking and the use of local transport, where together with me you explore the area around Wamena. 

Trekking

During the Baliem Valley trekking we walk several hours per day, with many breaks. We will pass through valleys and hillsides, with a different scenery every few hours. It is not a difficult hike, as you will have someone next to you who carries the larger part of your luggage. In the evening we settle for a sleeping place in one of the villages in the Baliem Valley. Meals will be served in the morning, afternoon and in the evening. To cater as much as possible to your taste and possible diet, we will buy the food as much as possible together.