Asmat People – The former headhunters and cannibals of the Asmat were once very feared and have only been safe to visit for a few decades. Until today many Asmat villages are wild and culturally intact.
The Asmat are one of the best-known indigenous peoples of New Guinea, famous for their woodcarving art and their deeply rooted warrior tradition. The art of the Asmat, in particular their Bis Pole (as the Asmat call the phael) and war shields, is known and appreciated worldwide. Their works of art are not just aesthetic objects, but carry deep spiritual meanings linked to the worship of ancestors and the stories of the tribe.

From Timika we fly directly to the Asmat region. Every morning we take boats along the coast to the eastern. We also witness several big events involving hundreds of people. A gigantic boat ceremony, drum festivals & mask dances are all part of the massive experience!.

The Korowai, also known as the Kolufo, are an indigenous people of southeastern Papua, Indonesia, who are well known for building their unique houses in the canopies of trees. The tribe was largely un-contacted by the outside world until the 1970s. The Korowai tribe is an Indigenous people living in the rainforests of southeastern Papua, Indonesia, known for their traditional tree houses built in the jungle canopy to escape flooding and animals. The Korowai tribe, often nicknamed the tree people, is one of the indigenous tribes of Papua that has a unique lifestyle that has caught the attention of the world, namely their unique habit of building tree houses towering above the tropical rainforest, far from the reach of modern humans.

The Korowai tribe is one of Indonesia’s cultural treasures that should be preserved. Their unique life in harmony with nature provides inspiration to appreciate cultural and environmental diversity. Korowai tree houses are built using natural materials that are easily found around the forest, such as wood, rattan and sago leaves. They have extraordinary skills in building sturdy and stable constructions on trees.

The staple food of the Korowai tribe is sago, which is processed into various types of food. In addition to sago, they also consume game such as wild boar, tree kangaroos and various types of birds. The Korowai adhere to animism and dynamism. They believe that the spirits of their ancestors and nature have great power and influence their lives. Traditional rituals are often performed to ask for blessings and protection from these spirits.