//
Papua, also known as Western New Guinea and formerly Irian Jaya, is the easternmost part of Indonesia. It comprises the western half of the island of New Guinea, the world's largest and highest tropical island, while the eastern half is the independent country of Papua New Guinea.
By plane
Although Papua can be accessed either by water or air, almost all travellers travel by air.
By boat
PT.
By land
The land border crossing between Papua and Papua New Guinea open to foreigners is on the north coast between Jayapura and Vanimo, PNG.
Most of Papua's main cities are not connected by road, but Trans Papua Sorong-Manokwari-Bintuni with almost 600 km length has been finished (the other sections of Trans Papua are being built).
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Timika · Regional · TIM
Loading places around the airport…
Biak is the main city on the island of Biak, off the northwest coast of Papua, Indonesia. The largest population centre of Biak island is in this city, meanwhile the rest of the island is thinly populated with small villages.
Fakfak is a town of 19,000 people (2020) in Papua. There are 1.5 km of white sand beaches about half an hour from the town and also rock paintings nearby.
Jayapura is the capital and largest city in Papua, with a population of 315,000 people in 2014. The city has also been known in the past as Hollandia (1910-1962), Kota Baru (1962-1963) and even Sukarnopura (1963-1968).
Manokwari is a city of 107,000 people (2018) in Papua. Manokwari is the capital city of West Papua province, and a hub city.
Merauke is a city in Papua and is the capital city of South Papua. Merauke has become a gateway to Wasur National Park.
Sorong is the largest city of Southwest Papua province, on the western tip of the bird's head peninsula in Papua, Indonesia.
Timika is the largest city in Central Papua province in Papua, with 142,000 residents in 2020. It has become a gateway to one of the largest gold mines on the planet, the Grasberg mine.
Wamena is a town in Papua. It is the capital of Highland Papua province.
The Baliem Valley is a region in central Papua. Surrounded by mountains as high as 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) and practically isolated from much of the island, this valley hosts some of the traditional cultures of Papua.
Lorentz National Park (Indonesian: Taman Nasional Lorentz) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in southwestern and central Papua province of Indonesia, which is located on the western half of the island of New Guinea.
Raja Ampat is a group of islands on the western tip of Papua in Indonesia, famous for its diving experience. Most of the world's coral reefs biodiversity and rare species of marine life can easily be found in an archipelago about the size of Switzerland.
The Asmat is a regency of southwest Papua province of Indonesia, located on the western half of the island of New Guinea. The term Asmat refers both to the Asmat people and the region they inhabit.
Wasur National Park is a national park in South Papua province in Indonesia. It includes largest wetland in South Papua province, and has been one of the least disturbed by human activity.
Articles and travel topics about Papua and Indonesia.
Travel tipsFull 2026 list of visa-free countries for Philippine passport holders. Check ASEAN entry rules, stay limits, and Bureau of Immigration clearance tips.
6 min read
Travel tipsComplete 2026 guide to global tourist taxes and access fees. Compare entry fees in Venice, Bali, Bhutan, Kyoto, and Edinburgh, and learn how to pay them.
8 min read
Travel tipsExplore the rainy seasons in Asia month by month. Compare Southwest and Northeast monsoons, typhoon belts, dry island escapes, and travel dates.
8 min read
Travel tipsFull 2026 list of visa-free and visa-on-arrival countries for Indian passport holders. Check entry requirements, stay limits, and transit visa rules.
7 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.