Hi! My name is Phebe Leonita, I am an IUB alumni of 2014. I was born and raised in the City of Jayapura before I went to study in the States.
#VisitJayapuraPapua
Ayo tong ke Jayapura! Tempo suda, tra pake lama!
Jayapura is the capital city of Papua and the administrative city of Papua Province. It is located at far east of Indonesia by the borderline of Papua New Guinea (PNG).
Jayapura is very beautiful for its natural wonders such as white sand beaches, green mountains, scenic night view comparable to big cities such as Hong Kong and they are still within the city.
Should you want to travel the extra miles for more discoveries, there are plenty awaits you. Be it a laid back trip or an adventurous one, don’t worry! We have it all!
A. Do you feel like chill around the city?
These places I am about to share with you are located within 10-30 minutes from Jayapura downtown. Trust me you won’t waste away any of your time stuck in the traffic in Jayapura.
ANGKASA
First stop is called Angkasa for its’ location which is at the top of a mountain, where you can still enjoy a fresh and cold air and wake up to a rejuvenating foggy morning. Nevertheless, you can also enjoy the Pacifc Ocean view from Angkasa, away from traffic and noise.
BASE-G BEACH
If you travel further down from Angkasa, you will arrive at Base-G beach. Base-G is one of the most visited beaches to date, for its’ location that is considerably close to downtown. At Base-G you can rent a ‘honai’ (traditional gazebo) to relax whilst enjoying the beach. During World War II, Base-G beach area used to be a military base camp for the Allied forces.
SKYLINE FOR COCONUT
When visiting Jayapura, be sure to stop by Skyline. You can have your young coconut doze overlooking Youtefa Bay panorama.
PAPUAN COFFEE
Papua has its own locally harvested coffee beans which you can enjoy at most of the local coffee shops around the city. The type of coffee beans that grows widely in Papua is Arabica, which also commonly grows in Wamena and Nabire area. You are welcome to enjoy a sip of your coffee paired with fried banana, fried cassava and other delicious snacks.
PAPUA QUICK FACTS
Papua consists of 255 tribes, each with their own
languages.Papua was used to be known as Irian Jaya, but based on UU No.21/2001 Otonomi Khusus Papua, the official name was then changed to Papua.
(https://papua.go.id)
JAYAPURA CITY SPOT
As the night falls, here comes the highlight! Be prepared to be mesmerized by the beauty of Jayapura night city view from Jayapura mountain top. Right from there, you can see the entire Jayapura downtown, Jayapura Harbor, Kayu Pulau Village (located on a small island) and dimming light from houses and buildings across the Jayapura Bay – all at one glance.
FOODS - PAPEDA AND SEAFOOD
Wherever we travel, food must be part of our itinerary too, so let me guide you through authentic local foods you cannot miss. Papeda is a must-try while you are in Papua. Some of you might not be used to the texture of Sagoo, but come on! Let’s try something new. People usually eat Papeda with Kuah Kuning. Kuah Kuning is a sh soup with yellow color soup (consists of Tumeric). Kuah Kuning tastes both sour and a little bit spicy which is great to refresh your taste buds. Should Papeda is too adventurous to your taste buds, we also have fresh seafood served with rice. If you are hungry around 10PM, we do have Nasi Kuning (Yellow Rice) available for late night supper.
B. Are you an adventure seeker? Let’s hit those islands, mountains and check out the east border of Indonesia!
Get ready to sit in the car for about 1.5 – 2.5 hours and ride on a boat to get to these destinations.
Yohiki Island
YOHIKI ISLAND
Yohiki Island (where Kampung Putali is located) is one of the small islands at Sentani Lake. You need to drive to Yahim Pier and then take a boat for about 10 minutes to get to Yohiki Island. You can watch the sunset, enjoy Cyclops Mountain view, and nearby small islands, while sitting on a wooden swing, peacefully at Sentani Lake.
Lake Sentani Festival
LAKE SENTANI FESTIVAL
“Festival Danau Sentani” is a perfect showcase of the local culture, where you can watch traditional dance done on a boat by local citizen dressed in traditional costume and handmade traditional handcrafts at Sentani Lake. The Festival is usually held annually every June for 5 days.
MAC ARTHUR MONUMENT
Up to this day, we can still see some of relics or traces of World War II in Jayapura. One of them is MacArthur Monument. Being located at Ifar Mountain inside the Indonesian Military Base, it was named after Douglas MacArthur who was a military commander of the United States Army Forces. You can learn more about the history of war between the US Army and Japanese Army during Hollandia (Jayapura) colonization while enjoying the view of Sentani District, Sentani Lake and Sentani Airport from above.
HARLEM BEACH
Harlem Beach
Harlem Beach is located at Depapre district, which is about 68 km northwest from downtown Jayapura. You need to drive to Depapre Pier, before taking a 15 minutes boat ride to get to Harlem Beach. The beach offers white sands shores and untouched coral reefs complete with colorful marine life. Being in a secluded area, Harlem beach is also suitable for swimming, snorkeling, banana boat ride and barbeque.
SKOUW - BORDER BETWEEN RI AND PNG
The cross border of Republic of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea is located at Skouw, 70 km east of Jayapura. Many people like to spend sometime with their family and friends at Skouw where they can take pictures at Skouw Sign, buy some snacks and beverages made in PNG, and other goods at the market.
After all, there is so much more to know and explore in Papua other than koteka, Raja Ampat (I know it’s an amazing place!) and Freeport. Should you have the time and chance, you should definitely visit Jayapura -- the place I called home.
Phebe Leonita
Kelley School of Business 2014