Papua itinerary - suggestions
May 8th, 2018 | 02:34 PM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Oct 2012
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Papua itinerary - suggestions
Based on earlier responses, since we're landing in Jakarta on a Wed night next March, I just booked a Garuda flight from CGK to Sorong for shortly after midnight arriving around 6 AM Thu morning. That's about as far as I've gotten. Also booked is our return out of Denpasar on Sat evening the following week. So we have essentially 10 days (Thu-Sun the first week and Mon-Sat the next) to firm up.
Considering that the two "must-do" items are Raja Ampat and the Whale Sharks at Nabire (Java and Bali are not really on the itinerary this time except for being entry/exit points), here is what I was thinking - 1st Option:
1) As we are arriving Thu morning in Sorong, we spend 4 nights in Raja Ampat. Then head to Sorong the following Monday on these Garuda flights: dep Monday 3 PM Sorong arr Makassar 4 PM, connect to dep Makassar 1 AM arr Biak 5 AM on Tuesday morning.
2) Spend Tuesday around Biak/ day trip to the Padaido islands. Night in Biak.
3) Wed morning Biak-Nabire early morning short flight. Go to see the whale sharks today and tomorrow. Tonight and tomorrow night in or near Nabire.
4) Friday morning head to Bali: dep Nabire 8 AM arr Bali 2 PM with a 2.5 hour layover in Timika. Night and next day in Bali and leave tomorrow evening.
Alternatively - 2nd Option:
1) Same as above
2) Spend an extra night in Biak.
3) Arrive Nabire Thu morning for 2 nights. Cut out the night in Bali.
4) Do Nabire-Bali (with the same Timika connection) on Saturday which is the same day as our Intl flight out of Bali at 8 PM. The Garuda flight from Timika gets into Bali at 2 PM so that will give us 6 hours to check in for the Singapore Air flight (separate tickets, no protection).
One of the main things I can foresee causing obvious major hassles are flight cancellations so that is why we want to fly exclusively on Garuda. Also, not sure what there is to see in Biak/Padaido (difficult to find pictures or ideas etc. on the web) so I just gave us 1 day there in Option 1 so we can do an extra one in Option 2. Not really specifically interested in Bali for 1 night so we can skip it on this trip. I think 2 days are enough in Nabire. I've read less than optimal reviews about the place. The whale shark experience is the only reason we're going so we want to minimize our time there.
Any thoughts?
Considering that the two "must-do" items are Raja Ampat and the Whale Sharks at Nabire (Java and Bali are not really on the itinerary this time except for being entry/exit points), here is what I was thinking - 1st Option:
1) As we are arriving Thu morning in Sorong, we spend 4 nights in Raja Ampat. Then head to Sorong the following Monday on these Garuda flights: dep Monday 3 PM Sorong arr Makassar 4 PM, connect to dep Makassar 1 AM arr Biak 5 AM on Tuesday morning.
2) Spend Tuesday around Biak/ day trip to the Padaido islands. Night in Biak.
3) Wed morning Biak-Nabire early morning short flight. Go to see the whale sharks today and tomorrow. Tonight and tomorrow night in or near Nabire.
4) Friday morning head to Bali: dep Nabire 8 AM arr Bali 2 PM with a 2.5 hour layover in Timika. Night and next day in Bali and leave tomorrow evening.
Alternatively - 2nd Option:
1) Same as above
2) Spend an extra night in Biak.
3) Arrive Nabire Thu morning for 2 nights. Cut out the night in Bali.
4) Do Nabire-Bali (with the same Timika connection) on Saturday which is the same day as our Intl flight out of Bali at 8 PM. The Garuda flight from Timika gets into Bali at 2 PM so that will give us 6 hours to check in for the Singapore Air flight (separate tickets, no protection).
One of the main things I can foresee causing obvious major hassles are flight cancellations so that is why we want to fly exclusively on Garuda. Also, not sure what there is to see in Biak/Padaido (difficult to find pictures or ideas etc. on the web) so I just gave us 1 day there in Option 1 so we can do an extra one in Option 2. Not really specifically interested in Bali for 1 night so we can skip it on this trip. I think 2 days are enough in Nabire. I've read less than optimal reviews about the place. The whale shark experience is the only reason we're going so we want to minimize our time there.
Any thoughts?
May 10th, 2018 | 07:09 PM
#2
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,801
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I haven't been to Papua and can't offer first hand on any of the places you're planning, but I will mention that friends had a spectacular experience swimming with whale sharks in the area around Triton Bay, which is the southern part of Raja Ampat. This was in December.
I can understand why you'd prefer to fly Garuda, but, is there really no better to get from Sorong to Biak except backtracking hundreds of miles to Makassar? Sounds exhausting.
I can understand why you'd prefer to fly Garuda, but, is there really no better to get from Sorong to Biak except backtracking hundreds of miles to Makassar? Sounds exhausting.
