• Summary
   
• Itinerary
  & Map

A
once-in-a-lifetime adventure, this western New Guinea tour combines the best of
land and sea in the Baliem Valley and Raja Ampat. In the Baliem Valley, with
its 2,700 species of orchid and 124 endemic plants, we meet the Dani and Lani
people, known for their dress of feathers, orchid-fiber fabrics, and boar
tusks. We move on to Raja Ampat, a centerpiece of our western New Guinea
expedition. Witness 75 percent of the Earth’s coral species as you dive and
snorkel among these stunning islands. We round out our Baliem Valley and
western New Guinea adventure travel expedition in Bali, a romantic close to a
truly unique experience.

Baliem Valley & Raja Ampat
Expedition highlights include:

• Visit to Jakarta, including a special
  cultural lunch at Rumah Jawa and tour of the 14-room museum.
• Two full days of Baliem Valley adventure
  travel; ample opportunities for visiting with the local people, including
  a magnificent pig feast prepared by village hosts.
• Seven nights of snorkeling and diving in
  Raja Ampat; see barracudas, sea horses, mantas, reef sharks, and hawksbill
  turtles.
• Luxury accommodations aboard the Sea Safari VIII during our Raja
  Ampat expedition, a 12-cabin,
  traditional Pinisi Buginese Schooner, made of ulin wood.
• Rich birding opportunities; see
  sulphur-crested cockatoo, beach kingfisher, spice imperial pigeon, singing
  starling, and more in the Misool Island Group.

What to expect:

Baliem
Valley and Raja Ampat adventure travel is for experienced travelers only. As we
journey in this remote land, remember that the infrastructure is poorly
developed in some areas, leading to occasional delays and itinerary amendments.
For the hiking portion of our Baliem Valley tour, participants should be fit
and capable of hiking/trekking five to six hours at a moderate pace along
forest trails, which are often uneven and muddy. The Raja Ampat expedition is
recommended for intermediate and advanced snorkelers and for Advanced Open
Water–certified divers. Bring a healthy spirit of adventure and flexible
attitude and you’ll gain much from this unique journey. Temperatures will range
from the upper 70°s to upper 80°sF.