Tag Archives: West Papua

It was a trip I’d been anticipating for a long time: an ocean voyage on a small ship to visit remote West Papuan villages and to snorkel in the marine-rich waters around Raja Ampat and the Spice Islands. The chance to swim with giant whale sharks was what had sold me on this particular itinerary. […]

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It is remote. And rugged. We were met with a mock war-dance: warriors sporting black body paint and carrying bamboo spears and arrows charged at us, while other villagers crowned in feathers danced and sang. Welcome to West Papua! The island of New Guinea has been populated for tens of thousands of years – mostly […]

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