Jayapura travel guide

Jayapura, Indonesia

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Jayapura

Introduction

Jayapura is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of Papua, on the island of New Guinea. It sits on the island's northern coast, where the city meets the Pacific Ocean and Yos Sudarso Bay. To the east, the city borders the country of Papua New Guinea; to the south lies Keerom Regency, and to the west, Jayapura Regency.

Before you go

Jayapura sits on a bay at the centre of New Guinea, far from Indonesia's other major cities, and has long carried a reputation as one of the country's more overlooked corners. It began as a trading post, was developed by the Dutch in the 1900s as a port of entry for exploring eastern New Guinea, and later served as a frontline base during World War II. After Indonesia's independence, the Dutch held on until a UN-supervised referendum in 1962 transferred the territory, and the city was briefly renamed Sukarnopura before reverting to Jayapura. Government transmigration has since brought residents from across the archipelago, especially Java, making this perhaps the most diverse city in Papua, where traditional Papuan communities and migrants from other parts of Indonesia have blended together.

Plan around the city's layout: Jayapura proper and the Abepura district, roughly halfway between the airport and the city centre, are the most populated areas, and heavy traffic builds up as people commute between the two. Expect warm, humid conditions typical of this part of New Guinea, and allow extra time for road journeys at busy hours.

Getting there

Sentani International Airport (DJJ) sits about 30 km west of the city centre and is the main gateway to Jayapura. Virtually every national carrier in Indonesia flies in from Jakarta, Denpasar, or Makassar, and the airport also serves as a transit point for flights deeper into the smaller cities and settlements of Papua. Flights from Jakarta take nearly six hours and many include a stopover in Makassar. Try to have a window seat when you land, as the curvy green hills rising above the blue lake give a fine first impression of Papua's unspoiled nature.

From neighbouring Papua New Guinea, you can travel up to two hours from the border crossing at Skouw Checkpoint. Most nationalities are eligible for a visa waiver, but an Indonesian visa can be arranged at the consulate in either Port Moresby or Vanimo, the last checkpoint before entering Indonesia. Public Motor Vehicles travel regularly between Vanimo and the Wutung border crossing, and once across the Indonesian border there are taxis into Jayapura. The border town of Skouw itself is worth a stop, with markets and exotic ornaments from both Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, and both the Indonesian rupiah and Papua New Guinean kina are accepted.

Getting around

Jayapura has no rail, metro or tram network, so all public transport is road-based. The main shared option is the minivan: each van has its destination route printed on the side, so you identify the right vehicle by reading the van itself rather than looking for a numbered stop or timetable. Fares are paid per trip at a flat rate, and this is the cheapest way to cover ground around the city.

If you want more flexibility, are carrying luggage, or plan to visit several places in a day, you can arrange a dedicated driver through a hotel such as the Swiss-Bel. Taxis also operate in the city, including ones that meet arrivals at the airport and ones that carry passengers onward from the border crossing with Papua New Guinea. Walking works for short hops within a single neighbourhood, but the city's spread-out, hilly topography — valleys, hills, plateaus and mountains, with much of the area outside the inhabited core made up of rough terrain, swamp or protected forest — makes it impractical for crossing the city.

Where to stay

Jayapura's hotels cluster around the city centre and the district of Abepura, giving you a straightforward choice between a central base near the shops or a quieter stay slightly out of town. In the heart of the centre, you'll find a mid-range option on Jl. Percetakan Negara within easy walking distance of the large shops, while Abepura has a hotel offering free Wi-Fi, a refrigerator and breakfast. A casual hotel on Jl. Percetakan II in Gurabesi puts you within a few kilometres of the beach at Pantai Dok 2, the Port of Jayapura and Mandala Stadium, and comes with modern rooms and suites, a coffee shop, a fitness centre, a guest lounge, a spa and an indoor pool, with free parking provided.

If you're after the most luxurious stay in the city, head for the hotel at Pusat Bisnis Jayapura on Jalan Pasifik Permai, where the rooms and pool overlook the bay and some front desk staff speak English — a practical advantage if you have no Indonesian language skills. Wherever you settle, expect warm and humid conditions typical of the city, and book ahead if your visit coincides with a soccer match at the stadium.

Food & drink

Jayapura's eating splits between sit-down restaurants and a street food scene that is plentiful and good. For a splurge, Rumah Laut on Jl. Koti is an upmarket place built on stilts above the waters of Jayapura Bay; its name means "The Sea House", and the menu covers seafood alongside the usual Indonesian classics. Ungkea Jungle Resto in Kwadeware, Waibu, sits in the middle of a sago plantation and serves authentic Papuan cooking: papeda, the jelly carbohydrate made from sago; ouw, grilled sago wrapped in banana leaf; and kha ebehele, snakehead fish in black gravy.

Street food is where the city's different areas show their own specialty. On the road from the Swiss Belhotel into the city you'll find BBQ seafood stalls; the easternmost main street has a large number of satay chicken stalls, though satay is pretty much everywhere; and at one of the crossroads between the two main streets are noodle soup vendors. For budget meals, Bakso Bang Yus in Wahno, Abepura, serves meatball soup with many variants, Mie Medan Percetakan in Gurabesi, North Jayapura, does halal mie ayam (chicken noodle), and Warung Barokah Tahu Tek on Jl. Garuda in BTN Skyline Indah serves tofu with peanut sauce. Drinking in Jayapura is limited: most restaurants will serve Bintang beer if you ask, though it may not necessarily be cold, and the bars and nightclubs in Entrop, a short drive from the city, are not heavily frequented. The Swiss Belhotel bar is nice but quiet.

What to see and do

Jayapura rewards those willing to move between coast, lake and hill. Start with the World War II legacy: the General MacArthur Memorial at Sentani, reached by the road opposite BRI on the way to the airport, honours the American general who defended the Philippines, New Guinea and Australia; the site itself is basic, but the steep terrain makes it a spectacular vantage point, and you will pass old Dutch colonial houses on the climb. The area around the governors residence also holds old Dutch colonial villas, some with traditional-style gardens. Beaches range from the quiet to the lively: Base G Beach offers white sand and pristine light blue water overlooking the Pacific, with gazebos for rent if you want a long group rest; Hamadi Beach, a local harbour beach, has four large World War II artillery emplacements and fish markets further along, though it is not well-kept and covered in rubbish - at night food stalls set up and give it plenty of atmosphere, and the nearby Holtekamp Bridge is eye-catching. Further out, Harlem Beach at Tablasupa in Depapre is a place for watching sunset, with a natural freshwater pond, while Pasir 6 Beach is simply white sand. Inland, Lake Sentani is a large freshwater lake ringed by steep mountains, with a small number of restaurants and guesthouses on its edge, and the love-shaped Lake Imfote at Atabar in Ebungfau makes an easy detour. Kali Biru Genyem at Berab in Nimbokrang is a "blue" water river. For views over the city and the bay it nestles in, head to Jayapura City Hill - take a left from Jl. Ardipura towards the hill with the transmitter towers - and for something gentler, Teletubbies Hill at Doyo Lama in Waibu is a scenic grassy hill named for its resemblance to the hill from the television show. Youtefa Bridge is a new landmark of Jayapura and is accessible around the clock. At the far edge of the region, the Border Post Skouw marks the crossing between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, with a lighthouse from which you can look down on Solomon beach and Wutung in Papua New Guinea. If your visit falls in June, the Lake Sentani Festival uses both the shore and the water for a four-day celebration of Papua's diverse indigenous culture, with dances and traditional ceremonies on stage and crafts and local food and drink for sale. Sports fans can head to the Lukas Enemble Stadium Complex in Nolokla, Sentani, which includes an aquatic center, shooting range, indoor stadium and main football stadium, where you may catch a match on the weekend.

Festivals & events

Jayapura's festival calendar is anchored by the Lake Sentani Festival, held each June. The event centres on the lake and its surrounding communities, making it the key date to plan around if you want to time your visit to the region's cultural calendar.

Three days in Jayapura

Day one: Start in Jayapura, the capital of Indonesian Papua on the island of New Guinea. It sits on Yos Sudarso Bay on the Pacific Ocean, close to the border with Papua New Guinea, and the city's history runs from the Dutch period through World War II and, after Indonesia took control, a spell under the name Sukarnopura. Government offices and the main commercial life are here, while the wider area spreads out toward Abepura. Expect to arrive at Sentani International Airport (DJJ), which is served by flights from Jakarta, Denpasar and Makassar. Try the state-run DAMRI buses to get between the airport and town.

Day two: Use the day to understand how the city fits into the region. Jayapura is the capital of Indonesian Papua, and the surrounding territory includes Keerom Regency and Jayapura Regency. The city's story takes in the Dutch colonial era, World War II, the UN handover, and the later renaming to Sukarnopura before it became Jayapura again. Government buildings and the Papuan administration are part of the city's fabric, and Java's influence shows in the mix of people and institutions. Plan your movements around Abepura if you want to see how the urban area extends beyond the centre.

Day three: Head for the border side of things. The Skouw Checkpoint is the crossing toward Papua New Guinea, and most travellers passing through are heading between Jayapura and the PNG towns of Vanimo and Port Moresby, with Wutung on the far side. Public Motor Vehicles are the usual way to reach the checkpoint and to get around more generally. From there, you can look back over the bay and the Pacific Ocean before returning to the city.

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