Known for its rich natural resources, heavenly forest, magnificent beach, and extravagant biodiversity, the West Papua of Indonesia offers a huge number of tourism sites. You can find each region or regency has its specialty. It includes the Fak Fak regency, one of the well-known places to explore during the visit to the land of black pearl.
About Fak Fak Regency
Fak fak is one of the regencies located in the bird’s head peninsula. The place has such a strategic location that makes it loved by tourists. In other words, people can visit the place from many directions such as from Maluku or from Fak Fak Torea airport which is only 6 km away. To make it even better, the trip to the area will be filled with beautiful nature.
Another thing to point out about the regency is the commodity. Fak fak is known as the City of nutmeg or Kota pala due to its nutmeg commodity. The location is one of the biggest suppliers of nutmeg in Indonesia, which is also known for its beautiful nature and tons of tourism potential. The place also has a thick historical aspect from the Japanese and Dutch colonial times.
Places To Visit Around Fak Fak Regency
1. Old Mosque Patimburak
While most of the west Papua population of the Papua is Christian, there is also some historical tourism site that indicates Islam influence. One of the historical sites you can find around Fak fak is the Patimburak old mosque. Locals said that the mosque was built 200 years ago, which makes it the oldest mosque in Fakfak.
One interesting point on this site is the unique architecture. Built-in 1870, the building combines a mosque and church aesthetic. It was one of the creations by Abuhari Killian, which symbolizes culture and religious tolerance. Not only from the church, but the surrounding area is also tightly limited to 35 family heads from the past with their strong bond to each other.
2. Kokas District
One of the districts in Fak Fak that hold a large history of the area is Kokas. Visiting the area gives you a chance to explore all of the historical knowledge from the old Japanese colonization era to war world 2. Kokas district also has some uniquely designed architecture that resembles the old town’s distinctive west Papua historical moment.
3. Tapurarang Archeological Site
Still, around Kokas, you can also pay a visit to a prohibited cave cliff with a rich archeological history. It is Tapurarang, a historic site flaunting its eerie but meaningful prehistoric wall painting. Colorful drawings resembling hands, pictures of plants, and animals splayed across the cave wall. All were drawn with similarly human blood-colored tints.
The seemingly old gravity painting was a good remembrance of the prehistoric or ancient civilization around the area. Considering the blood-colored paint, locals depict the location as a sacred place. Locals considered the handprint as the symbol of cursed people who taunted the evil spirits, who later left the bloody handprint in the cave wall.
4. Lorentz National Park
Along with the long historical sites, you can always visit ranges of National parks in Papua. Fak Fak regency itself is included under the Lorentz national park span. Thus, paying a visit to the natural conservation area will be a treat for your holiday. Be sure to get permission from the west Papua local government or community to explore the park.
Lorentz park is one of the Unesco world heritage sites due to its large pan ecosystem and areas. It covers ranges of biomes, from the peak of the Jayapura mountain to the marine area. Lorentz is also a house of heavenly bird conservation, in which you can meet hundreds of bird species from the endemic to the endangered species.
5. pristine and untouched Beaches
The pristine water makes Fak Fak come with a huge number of beaches and tourism. Start from Patawana at Kotam Village, which is 30 km from Fak Fak. Patawana has a widespread of white beaches, blue water, and a well-kept marine ecosystem. The regency also has other beaches to visit, including Toran and Wambar beach.
6. Panoramic Waterfalls
Fak Fak regency can boast its natural beauty through a range of waterfall sites. Kitikiti waterfall is a famous site with a direct connection to the sea. Some other locations are the Kayuni waterfall, the main destination for tourists that is easier to reach, and lastly, is the Maradred falls that exhibits its beauty through rock cliffs and panoramic views.
Being one of the known locations in the region, make Fak fak a great place to visit. There are so many places you can explore. Historical tourism, religious, conservation eco-tourism, to exploring some biomes in the areas, the regency is packed with jam. Of course, you also should not forget about the popular nutmeg as part of your touring experience.
