Carstensz Pyramid (Puncak Jaya) – Tribal life of today

Damal Tribe lives near of Carstensz Pyramid

The areas near the route to the Carstensz Pyramid are still home to a part of the Kimial and Damal tribe who are living a traditional, prehistoric life. Today there is only a handful of them (the area was for a long period of time intensively civilized), but you can meet some if you have a piece of luck.

Damal Tribe – Carstensz Territory

Damal man Photo©JahodaPe­tr.com

Damal Tribe – Carstensz Territory

Damal man Photo©JahodaPe­tr.com

Some men from the Damal tribe are still dressing only to penisgourds and they are decorated with bird perckers put through their noses, sometimes even with the bird's head. The birds they use are mostly paradise birds, but some other species are used, too.--

On their penises they wear „koteka“, with thick wooden tubes on their penises. Today they no longer use instruments made of stone or bone like in the age when Heinrich Harrer walked through these places. Natives such as these now live much farther, in the lowland jungles in the south of the island. These are the tribes of the tree peoples called Korowai and especially Kombai. But that would be a story about different expeditions?

Dani tribe is Living in Baliem Valley

The Baliem Valley is far from Carstensz Pyramid, but you can reach it on the way back. If you fly across Sentani, you can reach Wamena with a regular flight. Visiting a Dani Village is not difficult anymore; it only takes a couple of days. We can also arrange this program for you.

West Papua's Dani Tribe – angry tribesman

Do you have a problem, sir?… Photo©JahodaPe­tr.com

West Papua's Dani Tribe – Dani warrior

Dani warrior Photo©JahodaPe­tr.com

West Papua's Dani Tribe

Dani warriors waiting for us… Photo©JahodaPe­tr.com