As mentioned repeatedly, our hatred for guided tours meant
we did not have a guide, or porters. That said, almost all adult men you meet
will offer to guide you (for a fee obviously). Truth be told, we used one guy
for about an hour once, to take us to the next village when the trail we were
on disappeared because of a series of huge landslides. We gave him a few rupiah
and a snickers bar, which he seemed quite happy with.
So, if you do find yourself stuck, or lost, or confused, or
unsure, fear not. It is quite feasible and easy, to find a random person
(typically adult men, but also kids could do it; women are too busy working J) who will show you the
way, or simply guide you for as long as you require the services. I am quite
sure, that would be far cheaper, and much more efficient, than arranging a
guide in Wamena for the entire trip (which is also easy to do, if you really
really want/need a guide).
As well, while we did not hire any porters, I am also quite
sure it would be very easy to hire random people to carry your pack(s), again
for a fee obviously. We were regularly asked if we needed guiding/porter
services. It would not be a problem to arrange any/all of this on the fly out
in the villages.
In terms of guide/porter costs, I have no first-hand
knowledge. But, a Dutch couple we spoke to in Wamena, paid 400,000 Rp. (28 USD)
per day for a guide, that was pre-arranged in Wamena. However, they also had to
pay for groceries (to feed themselves and him), and cigarettes for him (really,
that was part of the deal). They said the trip turned out OK, but the food was
a disaster (they ran out), and the guy smoked all the cigarettes in the first
two days. Again, just sayin’ J
Hot tips:
·
If you really feel you need a guide/porter(s),
you can arrange it in Wamena, no problem. Rut, at Hogorasuak Guesthouse (see
“Wamena” section) can arrange it for you, for example.
·
A do-it-yourself option if you are unsure, is to
arrange guides on the fly. As you will find out, most of the trails to most of
the villages in the main valleys are obvious and easy navigated. If you get
into a situation that makes you nervous, find a random guy, and almost for sure
this person will be happy to show you the way to your destination village for a
few rupiah.
(click on "older posts" for more)
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