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Wamena Airport
Jalan Gatot Subroto, 99511, Distrik Wamena, Papua, Indonesia
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Join Gone With The Wynd Expedition XIV
US $2800 (approx £2300) per person - for full details see
https://www.thelasttuesdaysociety.org/expedition/baliem-valley-cultural-festival-trekking-the-new-guinea-highlands/
Join us on an expedition to one of the words most beautiful & remote places – the Highlands of New Guinea.
Since the European’s discovery of New Guinea in the 16th Century they’d believed the highlands were too inhospitable for human habitation, but in 1938 Richard Archbold flew over and discovered a great valley filled with people – the last major population on the planet to come into contact with the Western world, the ultimate Shangri-La inhabited by the Dani and Lani Tribes. In 1961 the Harvard-Peabody expedition chose the valley as the last untouched place on earth and sent Robert Gardener to make the famous film – Dead Birds – accompanied by a crew including Peter Matthiessen (of Snow Leopard fame) who wrote the extraordinary ‘Under The Mountain Wall’ about the trip, and Michael Rockefeller who would go on to be eaten by The Asmat on the coast (where we hope to return with another group in 2025).
Whilst the modern world has arrived in Wamena – ‘City of Pigs’ it remains one of the remotest places on earth, accessible only by air (or a 6 day 4×4 drive) and outside the tiny town the Papuan’s live much as they have done since time out of mind, the older generation still wearing penis gourds and farming with stone tools. This trip will start with the spectacular Baliem Valley Festival where 100s of Dani, Lani & Yali tribes people gather in traditional dress to celebrate their culture and customs, stage pitched battles, sing, dance and feast on pigs – pigs are central to Dani culture, often kept in the house and seen as family members.
After the festival we will spend four days trekking through traditional villages, camping overnight before returning for a spectacular private pig feast and celebration in a village. For birdwatchers there is the possibility to add on one or two days to go in search of birds of paradise.
Wamena Airport
Jalan Gatot Subroto, 99511, Distrik Wamena, Papua, Indonesia