This is a new tour for 2010. Papua Adventures is always looking for something new
and exciting and in this tour you will certainly get all that. We've for years been
exploring the more remote parts of Papua and because we have good contacts
with crocodile hunters, wild pig hunters, and Gaharu wood hunters, we are able
to find tribes and interesting places, that are not known to other travel companies.
Just check the web and see what other company goes to the Tause tribe.

Please read our web page of the Tause tribe: Mamberamo/Waropen.

The Tause tribe live in the Mamberamo River/Waropen area, on the north side of the
river along small feeder streams in the lowland Sagu forests. Because of modernization and the encroachment of civilization along their original territories, there have been small groups of Tause moving away from their original area in the Mamberamo River.

The Tause tribe that we will visit live close to the edge of their original territory.
So, for anyone interested in seeing a tribe, that hasn't been spoiled by
modernization, then join us for one of the most exciting adventures of the year.

TAUSE TRIBE: MAMBERAMO/WAROPEN,
13 DAY ITINERARY AND COSTS

Day 1
The tour will start in Biak, Papua. You will be arriving most likely via
the Garuda airlines flight from Makassar. This flight arrives in Biak at 05:30am.
We will get our surat jalan (travel permit) from the police.
In the late morning we will fly to Nabire on the north coast of Papua.
We will overnight at a medium priced hotel in Nabire.

Day 2
We will travel by chartered boat to Waropen District. The boat ride should
take around 8 hours. Travel times depend on the conditions at sea. But, we are never really far from the land mass. So, traveling at sea is not too rough. We will overnight in a house in Waropen District. As there are no guest houses or hotels. We'll meet with our local guides and the Tause Chief to gather more information about the Tause tribe.

Day 3
We will travel up one of the rivers on a chartered boat. We will travel up the main river and then turn off on a side river and travel to the place where we make camp
on the side of the river. Travel time is one full day.

The Tause tribe live in the area known as upper Mamberamo and Waropen.
Most of the Tause tribe that live on the Mamberamo River are
all now accustomed to western material goods. They have had contact
with the missionaries and Indonesians for many years.



But, their are still pockets, isolated groups of the Tause tribe that continue to move around. These are nomadic people, so they don't make permanent settlements.
When civilization is encroaching upon them, they simply move deeper into the forest. The Tause that we are going to visit are one of those groups that still has pretty much resisted outside influence. Our local guides happened upon this group when they were out searching for Gaharu wood. This wood is very expensive, so the gatherers of this wood often times have to go deep and deeper into the forest to look for it.
That is how they came upon the Tause tribe.

For almost a year before we met them in October our guides have regularly visited
the Tause and given them tobacco and salt. The Tause are continually happy with
the Gaharu wood hunters stopping by and giving gifts of tobacco and salt. Our local guides have guarded this location and they will be the ones who escort us to the Tause.

In October of 2009 we were fortunate enough to meet the Chief of the Tause tribe.
He lives both part time in a  small village downstream and part time in the forest
with the nomadic Tause tribe. He is the protector of these people. And a generous gift
is given to him each time we visit the Tause tribe. He will use the gift to help them
buy machetes, salt and tobacco. As the nomadic Tause still don't venture near
any kind of permanent settlement or village.

Day 4
We will start our trek into the jungle to see the Tause tribe.
We will make camp at a place close to a water source.

Day 5
We will spend this day trekking and in the afternoon we should be close enough
to the Tause tribe in one of their nomadic settlements. We will be accompanied
with the Chief, so the Tause will feel at ease with us.
We will bring them gifts of salt and tobacco.

Day 6
We will spend the day with the Tause tribe.
They do not wear the koteka (penis gourd),
but wear tree bark that is pounded
and flattened like a fabric.

Their attire of tree bark cloth, facial piercing,
and noken bags, and a headdress
of Cassowary feathers are typical of a Mamberamo River tribe. The chief said that he was born in the upper Mamberamo River
and the range of the people stretches from
the Mamberamo River all the way into the Waropen area, where we will meet them.


Their daily life activities are very much like any lowland tribe in Papua.
They cut down Sagu trees and process the pulp from inside. But, how they processed
it was a bit different than the Korowai, Kombai or Asmat. They make noken bags
with pigs tails, crowned pigeon feet hanging from the bag, build small bush shelters
to sleep under. But, their fishing techniques are very much like the Asmat. In that they use traditionally made noken material and weave it around a large rattan hoop.



Unlike the Korowai, Kombai, they smoke tobacco by rolling it up in a leaf. They don't
use pipes. Their bows and arrows are much longer than other tribes in Papua.

Day 7
We will again spend this day with the Tause tribe. Like on other Papua Adventures tours to the Kombai, Korowai and Citak, we will go with them into the jungle
and they'll show us how they make traps to catch food, how they choose a tree
that is perfect for the tree bark that they wear. And they'll we'll see how they cut it and pound it into a fabric. You will have plenty of time to ask them questions about their lifestyle, culture and heritage. Their Chief will be our language interpreter.

Day 8
We will start our trek back through the jungle. We will make camp in
the jungle, close to a water source.

Day 9
We will trek back to where our boat has been waiting.
And we'll make camp on the side of the river.

Day 10
We will travel downstream and back to the village where we spent the first night.
Travel time is much faster going downstream.
But, again it depends on the river conditions.

Day 11
We will travel by motorized boat back to Nabire.
We'll spend the night at medium priced hotel in Nabire.

Day 12
We will fly on a domestic airlines to Biak. We'll check into the hotel Arumbai,
which is the nicest hotel in the middle of Biak. We can take a tour that afternoon
to the Goa Japan, the caves where the Japanese army hid out in World War II.
And go to one of the nice beaches in Biak for a swim.

Day 13
You will fly on a domestic airlines back to your destination within Indonesia.
The tour will be concluded.

THE COST FOR THE 13 DAY TAUSE TRIBE;
MAMBERAMO/WAROPEN TOUR
2 PESONS: PRICE PER PERSON $US 7000 ·
3 PESONS: PRICE PER PERSON $US 5500 ·
4-6 PESONS: PRICE PER PERSON $US 5000 ·

THIS TOUR PRICE INCLUDES
All round trip airline tickets from Biak-Nabire, departure taxes, hotels,
ground transportation, all charter boats, accommodation in villages,
all meals and beverages when we are in villages and camping with the Tause,
travel permit, English speaking guide, porters.

NOTE:
Papua Adventures can help arrange your booking and payment
of domestic airline flights to and from Biak, Papua.

THIS TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE
personal health insurance, travel insurance, meals and beverages in Biak and Nabire, alcoholic beverages, laundry, tipping.

This is a very interesting tour and you will experience something
that you will never see anywhere else in the world.

A reference list of past clients is available upon your request.

Sincerely,
Papua Adventures
PT. Biak Papua Adventures

Under the new autonomy law governing Papua, all tour and independent groups
must use a travel company that is registered in Papua.
You must show proof of using a registered tour and travel company within Papua,
before you will receive your surat jalan (travel permit) from the police.

PAPUA ADVENTURES is a registered tour and travel company in Papua
and is licensed under the name PT. BIAK PAPUA ADVENTURES.

Many tour groups have been barred from traveling in Papua
because they did not follow the new regulations.
If you are a tour company or an independent group wanting to travel in Papua.
Then PAPUA ADVENTURES can help you secure
the necessary documents to ensure your entry into Papua.

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