Festival of Arfak in Manokwari

One of the tribes in Arfak mountains

The local government of Arfak Mountains regency are going to conduct Festival of Arfak from 8 - 12 October 2018. The tribes who live in the mountains will show their dance performance, songs, traditional costumes, food, kaki seribu houses, and other interesting cultural activities.
Visitors who are interested in seeing the festival can fly to Manokwari city and continue their trip by 4WD cars to the mountains. There are cars that go back and forth between Manokwari city and Anggi lakes every day.

Traditional Costumes of Arfak tribes

Visitors can stay in the kaki seribu houses of the villagers who live along the Anggi lakes area. Kaki means legs and seribu means one thousand. So, kaki seribu house means a house that has got one thousand pillars that support it. In reality the pillars are fewer.
Arfak mountains have been famous around the world as a must see destination for birdwatchers. There are a lot of species of tropical birds including such endemic paradise birds as Western Parotia, Magnificent Bird of Paradise, Black Sicklebill and Cinnamon Ground Dove. There is also Vogelkop Bowerbird that can build a bower and  decorat it with beautiful flowers and other colorful articles to attract his female counterpart.

Tourists at one of the tops of Arfak range
admiring the beauty of Anggi lakes

Tourists who go to Arfak mountains during this festival can go hiking to the tops of the mountains and see the wonderful view of the lakes and its surrounding area. There are a lot of species of flowers on the slopes of the mountains that surround the lake such as Rhododendron konori, rhododendron laetum and terrestrial orchid. There are also myrmecodia and other unique plants in the mountains.
Your trip to Arfak mountains during this cultural festival will be an unforgetable memory for you who wants to see the natural beauty of West Papua's nature and unique cultre of the indigenous people of Manokwari. Written by Chales Roring