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.
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