Irian Jaya

Jayapura
Jayapura is the capital and the biggest city of this eastern most province. It is a neat and pleasant city, built on the slope of a hill overlooking the bay. General Douglas Mc Arthur's World War II quarters still stand here. The Museum Jayapura is located inside the Cenderawasih University campus. Tanjung Ria Beach, known as base G by the Allies during World War II, is a popular holiday resort with facilities for water sports. From Skyline in the hills behind the city, one gets a beautiful view of Jayapura, Jotefa and Humboldt bays and the lake Sentani area.

Lake Sentani
There is a settlement on the shore of this lake not far from Jayapura where one can observe local traditions as they are practised in the daily lives of the people. The short trip from Jayapura, pleasant as it is, offers a little foretaste of the province's magnificent sceneries.

Biak
Biak, a town built on the rocky soil of an island of the same name on the rim of Cenderawasih Bay, is Irian Jaya's gateway. A big Indonesian naval base, it has an infrastructure that is better than in most other places in the province. Japanese caves are found near Ambroben. There are some good beaches on Biak island, the most popular of which are Bosnik on the east coast, good for swimming and skin-diving, and Korem on the north coast, where one can watch young men dive for pearls. Supiori Island, just north of Biak, has a recreation forest and villages where visitors are welcome.

Kasuarina Cape
Named after the big casuarina trees which grow in the area, Kasuarina Cape is just two kilometres from Sorong town on the Bird's Head peninsula of northern Irian Jaya. Good for swimming and recreation.

The Asmat
The Asmat people who live along the remote southeast coast around Agats are famed for their artistic "primitive" woodcarving. Modern civilisation did not reach this area until recently. Agats has an interesting museum filled with woodcarvings and other objects. The area, however is still largely untamed wilderness.