Papua Travel Information - Accommodation Papua: Accommodation Hotels & Guesthouses Virtually all hotels in Papua are owned by Indonesians from other parts of the country. Good selection, including a few really upmarket ones is to be found in the major destinations of Jayapura, Sentani, Biak, Wamena as well as in Timika which serves the mining town of Tembagapura. Elsewhere, there may be only a few hotels in town, and there are none at all in the smaller places. In the highlands, many former missionary residences have been turned into guesthouses for hikers exploring remoter areas without proper hotels, and Dani themselves have opened some VERY basic village-style guesthouses around the Baliem Valley. Be prepared that hotel prices in Papua are about three times higher than in western Indonesia! Staying in Villages In remote areas without formal accommodation one will have to stay in local villages. Be prepared that Papuan villages are usually much more basic than those elsewhere in Indonesia - fleas are a real problem in the traditional highland villages in particular. Also note that payment will be expected in most cases. To avoid being hit with more than a fine hotel room would have cost, always ask how much staying in someone's home will cost you BEFORE taking up an offer to stay - this is quite different from other parts of Indonesia where this would be rude! Honai Hotels Some highland villages along the more popular trekking routes around the Baliem Valley have purpose-built honais (traditional, round huts) for visitors. These are usually extremely basic, but cleaner than the real ones, and cheap by Papuan standards. Staying in them is one way to help Papuans get a small share of your money spent in this region. Mountain Shelters Along all the longer trails connecting distant villages in the highlands, you will find very basic shelters constructed by passing Papuans for themselves. They are extremely basic and often infested with fleas, but could be a life-saver if you get stuck and have no tent! Anyone is free to use these.