Papua, also known as Irian Guinea, covers the western half of New Guinea, with mountains, forests, swamps, and almost impenetrable wilderness it is one of the remotest places on earth.

Papua is Indonesia's largest and easternmost province, and covers half of New Guinea, the world's second largest island. It is an island of exceptional natural grandeur, with some of the most impenetrable jungles in the world. The highest mountain is Mount Jayawijaya, with snowcaps covering its 5,000 high peaks. There are beautiful scenic beaches, immense stretches of marshlands, cool grassy meadows, lakes and powerful rivers carving gorges and tunnels through the dense primeval rain forests that covers 85% of the province. The most heavily populated and cultivated parts of Papua are the Pania Lakes district and the Baliem Valley to the east. 

The people of Papua can be divided into more than 250 subgroups, each with its own language and culture. Those in the central highlands still maintain their customs and traditions, and because the terrain has been virtually untouched by outside influence and communications always have been difficult, there is an incredibly diverse mixture of ethnological primitive cultures. Many parts of Papua still remain largely unexplored, and for example, it has only been around 60 years since the outside world fell upon the tribes that inhabit the Baliem Valley, and the Korowai tribes were only discovered 25 years ago.

The island of Biak is one of the better known areas of Papua. It is a small island, only 50 km long and averaging about 18 km wide. Regular flights from Jayapura, the capital and largest city of Papua, serve the island. The major attraction for visitors to Biak are coastal: wonderful white sand beaches and extremely accessible shallow waters with coral reefs, The diving and snorkeling here and at nearby Yapen is thought by many to be amongst the very best in the world. Accommodation can be simple in tents or in a four-star resort. The Raja Ampat archipelago encompasses more than 9.8 million acres of land and sea off the northern tip of the province. Located in the Coral Triangle, the heart of the world's coral reef biodiversity, the seas around Raja Ampat hold the richest variety of species in the world.

Treks into most inland areas require an arrival by flight into the Lake Sentani area, located close to Jayapura. This region is a beautifully dramatic introduction to Papua. The best way to see the lake and adjacent areas is by motorized canoe. This transportation allows you access to visit the small fishing villages built on stilts over the lake. The Mamberamo River is often called the Amazon of Papua, weaving its way through vast territories of virtually unexplored terrain. A river trip down the Mamberamo is undertaken by motorized canoe. Small tributary rivers lead into tribal villages with some of the most isolated people on the planet.