Tours

Biak and Supiori Islands
8 days tour

Biak and Supiori Islands
10 days tour

Expeditions

Note: Please read our web page of the Tause tribe: Mamberamo/Waropen.
This tour is different from our other Tause tribe tour (which features more jungle trekking). This tour is 10 Days and involves a Base Camp with daily treks into the jungle.

The Tause tribe lives in the Mamberamo River/Waropen area, on small feeder streams in the lowland Sagu forests. Due to modernization and the encroachment of civilization along their original territories, small groups of Tause have moved away from their original location.
The Tause tribe we will visit lives near the edge of their original territory. The Tause tribe has very limited exposure to the modern world.

The Tause tribe lives in the Mamberamo River/Waropen area, on small feederstreams in the lowland Sagu forests. Due to modernization and the encroachment of civilization along their original territories, small groups of Tause have moved away from their original location. The Tause tribe we will visit lives near the edge of their original territory. The Tause tribe has very limited exposure to the modern world.

The crocodile hunters on the banks of these rivers sell the crocodile meat and skins in what has to be one of the most dangerous of occupations. Every year several people are attacked and killed by crocs on the shore, usually while they are bathing or washing clothes. These estuary crocs live in both fresh and salt water and can grow to as much as 5 meters in length. We will remain in our boat a safe distance while we watch these amazingly brave men. These authentic crocodile hunters have lots of stories to tell.

The Tause tribe lives in the area known as upper Mamberamo and Waropen. Most of the tribes that live on the Mamberamo River are all now accustomed to western material goods. They have had contact with the missionaries and Indonesians for many years but there are still pockets; isolated groups of the Tause tribe that continue to move around. These are nomadic people who don't make permanent settlements. They negotiate encroaching civilization by simply moving deeper into the forest.

The Tause that we are going to visit are one of those groups that has resisted outside influence. Our local guides happened upon this group when they were out searching for Gaharu wood. Gaharu wood is very expensive and getting harder to find, requiring them to search deeper and deeper into the forest to locate it. This is how we found this Tause tribe.

After a year in preparation, we visited these people. Our guides have regularly visited them with gifts of tobacco and salt. We have guarded this location carefully in anticipation of our return. These same men will be the ones who will escort us there.

In October of 2009 we were fortunate enough to meet the Chief of the Tause tribe. He lives part time in a small village downstream and part time in the forest with the nomadic tribe. He is the protector of these people. A generous gift is given to him each time we visit. He will use the gift to help his people buy machetes, salt and tobacco.

The Tause decorate and clothe themselves with tree bark, facial piercing, noken bags, and a headdress of Cassowary feathers as is typical of the Mamberamo River tribes. The chief told us that he was born in the upper Mamberamo River area and how their territory stretches from the Mamberamo River all the way into the Waropen area, where we will meet them.

Their daily life activities are very much like any lowland tribe in Papua. They cut down Sagu trees and process the pulp, although they have their own way of processing it, as you will see. They make noken bags with pig’s tails and crowned pigeon feet hanging from them. They sleep under small bush shelters, and like to fish, much like the Asmat. They smoke tobacco rolled up in leaves rather than a pipe and their bows and arrows are much longer than other tribes in Papua.

As with other Papua Adventures tours to the Kombai, Korowai and Citak, we will go with them into the jungle and they'll show us how they make traps to catch food; how they choose a tree that is proper for making the bark that they wear, and we'll see how they cut it and pounded into a kind of fabric. Their Chief will be our language interpreter.

In addition to meeting this beautiful Tause tribe, this tour is also perfect for are nature lovers. The forest is lowland rain forest and the boat trip up and down the river has stunning views. The northern part of Papua is full of exotic birds and other wildlife and the variety is spectacular. There are giant fruit bats and a huge variety of birds including parrots, cockatoos and crowned pigeons. You might see the occasional crocodile sunning on the riverbank.

We will make a comfortable base camp close to the Tause settlement. We do short treks into the jungle to see how they cut and process Sagu, fish, make traps, etc. If you only have a short time or want an easy trekking experience this is a recommended option.

TAUSE TRIBE: MAMBERAMO/WAROPEN
AND CROCODILE HUNTING 10 DAYS TOUR

Day 1
Tour starts in Biak, Papua. You will be arriving via the Garuda airlines flight from Makassar.
Pick up our travel permit (surat jalan) from the police office.
Fly to Nabire, on the north coast.
Accommodations at a medium priced hotel in Nabire.

Day 2
Travel by chartered boat about 8 hours to the Waropen District. Travel time will depend on the conditions at sea but as we are never that far from land the sea is never really that rough. Spend the night in a house in the Waropen District, as there are no guesthouses or hotels in that area.

Day 3
Travel up one of the larger rivers in the area on a chartered boat, then make our way up a smaller tributary and head for our campsite where the local crocodile hunters. Spend the night at base camp. After dark we will head out in dugout canoes with the hunters and see how these rugged individuals make their living.

Days 4-6
Continue to travel up the main river on a chartered boat, then turn off into a side river and travel to make a comfortable base camp by the side of the river. Travel time is about half a day.

Day 7
Travel downstream and back to the village where we spent the first night. Travel time is much faster going downstream, but it will depend on the river conditions.

Day 8
Travel by motorized boat back to Nabire.
Spend the night at medium priced hotel in Nabire.

Day 9
Fly on a domestic airline to Biak where we will check into the Hotel Arumbai,
which is the nicest hotel in the center of Biak.
Tour that afternoon to "Goa Japan", the caves where the Japanese army hid out
in World War II. Visit to one of the nice beaches in Biak for a swim.

Day 10
Fly on a domestic airline back to your destination within Indonesia to complete the tour.

THE PRICE FOR THE 10 DAY TAUSE TRIBE
MAMBERAMO/WAROPEN AND CROCODILE HUNTING TOUR
2 PERSONS: PRICE PER PERSON $US 5400 ·
3 PERSONS: PRICE PER PERSON $US 4900 ·
4-6 PERSONS: PRICE PER PERSON $US 4500 ·

THIS TOUR PRICE INCLUDES
All round trip airline tickets from Biak-Nabire including departure taxes ·
Hotels, ground transportation, all charter boats and village accommodations ·
All meals and beverages while we are in villages and camping with the Tause ·
Travel permits ·
English speaking guide and porters ·

NOTE
Papua Adventures can help arrange your booking and payment of
domestic airline flights to and from Biak, Papua

THIS TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE
Personal health insurance, travel insurance ·
meals and beverages in Biak and Nabire, alcoholic beverages ·
laundry, or tipping ·
Airfare to Biak, Papua ·

|