While West Papua is famed for Raja Ampat and many other tourist destinations, let us not forget that it is not the only part of Papua worth visiting. Aside from West Papua, Yahukimo has become one of the regencies in Papua, blessed with its exquisite natural beauty and rich cultural aspects.
Yahukimo is ready to welcome you with its rolling hills and breathtaking landscape. Experience the local culture by visiting its traditional villages adorned with unique Papuanese traditional wooden houses known as Honai.
In the following sections, we will reveal a lot more about Yahukimo, its potential, and available transportation to get there.
What You Need to Know about Yahukimo
Located 788 km from West Papua, Yahukimo Regency is nestled at 100-3,000 meters above sea level. The capital city is the Dekai District which encompasses an area of 17,152 Km2.
According to Kompas, the name Yahukimo comes from the names of four tribes who live in the area, namely the Yali, Hubla, Kimyal and Momuna tribes. They are abbreviated into one name, which is Yahukimo.
To the north, this Yahukimo area is bordered by Jayawijaya Regency, Yalimo Regency, and Keerom Regency. It is bordered by Boven Digoel Regency and Asmat Regency to the south. The Bintang Mountains Regency borders it in the east and the west by the Nduga Regency.
In 2006, based on the Regional Regulation of Yahukimo Regency No. 05/2006, Yahukimo Regency was divided into 51 districts, 1 kelurahan, and 517 villages. Kurima District is the district with the largest area in Yahukimo, 605 km2. At the same time, the smallest district is Duram District, with an area of 100 Km2.
Consequently, Kurima District becomes the district with the highest number of villages, 22 villages in total. Meanwhile, some other minor districts, such as Yahuliambut, Kona, and Dirwemna districts, have the least number of villages, each with five villages.
Similar to West Papua, Yahukimo Regency is home to many ethnic groups, including the Yali, Hupla, Kimyal, Momuna, Una-Ukam, Mek, Yalimek, Ngalik, Tokuni, Obini, Karowai, Duwe, Obukain, Kopkaka and Bese tribes.
Yahukimo Potentials
Yahukimo is famous for its farms and plantations. Pigs, cattle, and goats dominate the majority of large livestock in the Yahukimo Regency. As for the small livestock, most of the population raises native chickens, ducks, and rabbits.
Blessed with its nature, it is no wonder that Yahukimo’s economy is supported by agriculture, especially food crops like rice. Along with rice farming, there are also freshwater fisheries. Yahukimo forest also produces commodities such as forest coconut, red fruit, cassowary tree, Lawang bark, agarwood, and rattan.
Red fruit is a pandan fruit with high nutritional value that is nutritious for health. Meanwhile, forest coconut mostly grows in highland forests but has not been widely cultivated by the community.
Both commodities are widely found in Kurima, Anggruk, Ninia, Soba, Samenage, Musaik, Kosarek, Silimo, Suru-suru, Obio, Dekai and Panggema. These two plants are expected to become commodities in the Food Reserve Forest and community forest areas. Some other crops are also cultivated in these areas, such as coffee, oil palm, deep coconut, cocoa, and vanilla.
Moreover, Yahukimo is graced with a beautiful landscape perfect for tourism. West Papua is not the only province on the Papua Island to refer to when talking about beautiful forests and misty waterfalls. According to Wisato.Id, there are at least 10 top tourist destinations in Yahukimo which are on par with those of West Papua.
One of them is the Pinjong Waterfall, located in the Soba District. This waterfall has a height of more than 100 meters and has a fairly heavy water flow. Several additional small waterfalls add to the beauty of the already picturesque main waterfall.
Nestled between the rolling hills in the Korupun District, there is Mount Ya’alyem. Backdropped with lush woods and a cool, breezy wind, Mount Ya’alyem becomes a perfect place to unwind from the hustle and bustle of the big city.
You can also get a sneak peek of the daily life of the local people by visiting the Kilise Village. You will find traditional Papuan settlements, namely Honai, there. The unique Honai house is wood with a conical roof made of grass or straw.
How to Get to Yahukimo
Due to the mountainous terrains of Yahukimo, people depend on air and water transportation to travel between regions.
A Yahukimo airport, namely Noop Goliat Airport, is a government-owned runway located in the Regency Capital of Dekai. Although some are not in good condition, almost all sub-districts in Yahukimo Regency have an airplane runway.
Yahukimo Regency also has one port, namely Logpon Port. Logpon Port is a river port that connects ships from other regencies such as Mimika Regency and Asmat Regency.
With its exquisite natural and cultural wonders, Yahukimo is a must-see destination that you should visit besides West Papua. So, pack your bags now; Yahukimo is waiting for you!
