Unforgotton The Baliem Valley

The Baliem Valley was once dubbed Shangri La and it is easy to see why. The Valley is incredibly lush and fertile and is surrounded on all sides by towering peaks of 2,500 to 3,000 metres. The fertility is such that the valley has been farmed for 9,000 years but it was only discovered by westerners in 1938! There are three mains tribes inhabiting the Baliem Valley: The Dani in the base, the Lani to the west and the Yali in the south-east. Each tribe has a distinct culture. One sure and interesting way to distinguish between the tribes is from the Koteka, or penis gourd, sported by the male members. The men of each tribe tend to the growing of the gourds with the three tribes each cultivating a different style. The Dani use a long, thin Koteka, the Lani sport a medium sized, wide cannon-like gourd, and the Yali wear the longest of all.

The Dani


Entering Dani territory involves a journey into a deeper reality.
The inevitable pig-feast on arrival is your rite of passage into their unique culture for an engrossing a four or five hour intense experience. You will find yourself in a simple, traditional compound surrounded by fully greased and painted Dani tribes-people wearing their ceremonial best.

The whole elaborate affair is deeply spiritual, far more than a photo-session can ever capture. Here you will be warmly greeted by the amazing Chief Yali, Kelly's adoptive father who is legendary amongst the Dani for his kindness, generosity and skills in the art of co-operation and avoiding conflict. With this unique and privileged connection you will receive the full weight of Dani hospitality.

The Lani


Like the Dani, the Lani are expert farmers utilising a highly effective and efficient irrigation system to produce abundant crops of Sweet Potatoes (Ubi), Tobacco, Beans, Taro, Spinach, Sugar Cane and Bananas. Much of the Lani lands lie in a beautiful oasis interspersed with checkerboard patterned sweet potato gardens. The Lani are more stockily built than the medium-bodied Dani and their lands are more densely populated. They tend to congregate in largish villages rather than the small compounds which dominate Dani territory.

The weather in the Valley is predominantly sunny and trekking along the river amidst the terraced farmlands and wondrous forests is a trekker's paradise. Trails are usually clear and maintained as local people travel them and this makes the trekking pretty comfortable.

The Yali

The Yali tribe lives high up along the valley ridges in the Jayawijaya mountains. The land here is rugged and thinly populated. The tribes-people live in wooden huts with roofs made of tree-bark and they are grouped into small compounds. A vegetable garden and dense rainforest will surround each compound.

Trekking in the Yali area is more strenuous than in the lower reaches of the Valley but it is perfect for the fit trekker who wants to experience truly virgin rainforest and the unique people who live amidst it.

In summary, The Baliem Valley will provide a never to be forgotten experience. The inhabitants of the valley are essentially peace-loving agrarians who welcome visitors wholeheartedly.
sources: http://www.papua-adventures.com/introduction.html

Ayung River Rafting

Welcome to Ayung River Rafting is a new establishes rafting adventure company inviting you enjoys the adventure rafting at Ayung River Ubud Bali which still be wild with the beautiful and high riverbank. Ripples irrigate the river rock, tracing Bali nature pass the river which is full of fun and pass the attractive and challenging rapids are the impressive experience on your vacation in Bali.

An impressive experience trace the Ayung River will be started from your pick up schedule at the hotel resident and drop to start point to get the short training from well trained and experience guide. Movement raw the safe and high quality rubber boat and also led by professional guide which have experienced to pass the attractive and challenge rapids with full of fun. Your journey above water river, take a bath in natural waterfall and also view Bali nature which still be wild represent the amazing experience which is not fallen into oblivion.
Your adventure in the water will end at the finish point and enjoy the buffet lunch at the same time enjoy the nature of Ubud Bali. Taking shower and change clothes will be reserved to refresh your body. The comfortable transportation which have been provided will bring the you return to hotel with fully memory. Enjoy the white water rafting adventure at Ayung River with Ayung River rafting is correct choice for the adventure in river water. With the complete facilities and also supported by the staff which professional and skilled in this classic adventure tour hence adventure dream in Bali will be existed.

Riding Horse In Brastagi

Brastagi is a former Dutch hill resort, 66 km away from Medan, at an altitude of 4,600 feet, is a cool and pleasant town. It is an ideal starting and ending point for travels in Sumatera as it is near the main Sumateran entry point of Medan. There are hotels of all standards, moneychangers, and restaurants serving both Indonesian and western style food, nice scenery, and very friendly and polite people. No guides and salesman will bother you when walking town.

The four-hour drive from Lake Toba to Brastagi, skirting the lake for a long way, is picturesque. It is a narrow, winding road through pine forest, terraced plantations and verdant meadows in the Karo hills, with hardly any people around. On the way, at the tip of the lake, is a waterfall named Sipiso Piso (Razor's Edge). It is a tourist spot with food stalls and souvenir shops.
It lies between two volcanoes. The area is known for its cool climate, orchids, flowers, fruits and vegetables. Back-packers use it as a base for climbing the two volcanoes, jungle trekking and for visiting the nearby Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre. There were a tourist that had been for months, eating only fruits and vegetable and soya curd for protein.
Package tours to the Triangle are available from Malaysia and Singapore, in another name, at another price. However, one can do the tour conveniently on one's own, economically and leisurely. If you have missed Lake Toba for your honeymoon, it is never to late for a visit.

Up to and around Bukit Gundaling is a nice and not very demanding walk. The area is pretty with some grandiose villas and great views over Brastagi, toward Gunung Sibayak, and towards Gunung Sinabung. On the top there are many stalls. It is very populer on Sundays.
Tahura is a protected forest covering 51,500 ha. The main gate is 5 km from Brastagi towrds Medan. At the gate is a 100 m wide park-like forest popular for picnics, especially on Sundays. Behind this area is untouched forest.There are many villages around Berastagi and many have at least a few traditional houses, often inhabitated by eight families each. It can be a good idea to visit such a village that is not a tourist object if one wants to see normal everyday life of the Karo people.
The one of the "musts" in Brastagi is to walk up on Gunung Sibayak, this volcano is still active and the environment on the summit 2,172 m above sea level. Lau Debuk-debuk hot springs are one of the most popular attraction of Berastagi. the hot springs that most tourist visits is however not Lau Debuk-debuk, but Gunung Semangat hot springs, which sloppily is also called Alu Debuk-debuk.
A cool hill town, Brastagi is a good base from which to explore Karo Batak villages, climb volcanoes or sample jungle trekking in Gunung Leuser National Park. The park is one of the largest national park in Asia. It cover more than 7750 sq km and protect more than 100 different animals, including rhinoceros, elephant, tiger & orangutan and at least 300 spieces of birds.
The Erpangir Kulau ceremony takes place once every month on the day of Cukra Lau, the best according to the Karonese calendar. On this day, people come to pray and ask for help, to ge twell, to find a wife or husband, most people come before noon and normally come in small groups and dressed in white.
Air Terjun Sikulikap is 10 km from the monument in Brastagi along the road to Medan, the are black Gibbons, Macaques, Squirrels, Hornbills, Phyton, butterflies and lots of herbal plants and birds to be seen.

Ciater Hot spring

Ciater Hot Spring is a nice park with small pools in which we can sit or swim. The streams and pools are fed by warm mineral springs, which are created by the heat from nearby volcanoes. About 30 minutes from Tangkuban Perahu crater. Ciater is pretty little place in the middle of huge tea estate. Its main attraction is the Sari Ater Hot Spring Resort; the pools are probably the best of all the hot springs around Bandung.

We can enjoy swimming in warm sulfurous water pools that can heal rheumatism and skin problems. Here we can swim in warm mineral water pools, good for healing skin problems. Ciater hot spring is one stop place for entertainment and relaxation. Ciater is located in Lembang, a green, lush place. The water contains iodium and sulfur, well for curing skin ailments and rheumatism. Equipped with tennis courts, restaurants, and camping area, Ciater is a good way to retreat from every day's life.

Ciater is another area with tea plantations and hot springs, eight km northeast of Tangkuban Perahu. The place also has a tea factory. Ciater is a good starting point for hiking, and has some accommodation.