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Stunningly beautiful lowland and hill forests on Waigeo Island in the fabled Raja Ampat archipelago support a spectacular component of Earth's living diversity.

Health

Please discuss all health issues touched upon below, in depth with an experienced doctor at your nearest specialized travel advice center, so as to obtain personalized medical guidance tailored to suit your specific needs. We strongly insist that you conclude proper travel assistance insurance in your country of residence before setting out to Papua.

Preparing an overseas trip always provides a welcome opportunity to verify whether your vaccinations for widespread diseases such as Tetanus, Diphtheria and Poliomyelitis are up to date. In addition, immunization against Hepatitis A plus B, Japanese Encephalitis, Rabies, and Typhoid Fever are more or less recommended when embarking upon an adventurous journey into Papua's outback. Please be advised that, whereas Yellow Fever is not endemic, vaccination against it is formally required when entering Indonesia within six days from transiting an infected area.

Malaria, including the potentially lethal celebral Plasmodium falciparum strain, clearly constitutes the primary potential health hazard for visitors to Papua. Since there is no 100 % effective anti-malarial prophylaxis, the cornerstone of malaria prevention quite simply lies in avoiding being bitten. The Anopheles mosquito, hosting the Plasmodium parasite that ultimately causes an outbreak of malaria, bites exclusively between dusk and dawn. At such time be sure to wear preferably light-colored clothing, which covers your arms and legs as much as possible, and regularly apply preferably DEET-based (Moustimug®, Z-stop®, Anti-M® or OTC-repellent®) or other high-quality repellents (Autan-Active® or Mosiguard®) to the uncovered parts of your body. Always sleep under a mosquito net, preferably impregnated with permethrine or deltamethrine. It has been variously estimated that strict adherence to these simple precautionary measures effectively reduces the risk of contracting malaria by as much as 80-90 %. Additional prophylaxic administration of either Malarone® or Lariam® will then increase your protection to in excess of 95 %, and is generally highly recommended for adventure travel into Papua.

Papua boasting the highest mountains between Himalaya and Andes, it is also important to be aware of the risks associated with going to and staying at high altitude. Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is considered to be a neurological problem caused by changes in the central nervous system as a result of insufficient adaptation to the low oxygen pressure at high altitude. The occurrence of AMS is dependent upon the elevation, the rate of ascent, and individual susceptibility. There are no specific factors such as age, sex, or physical condition that correlate with susceptibility to AMS. Any lowland resident can contract AMS when staying for four to eight hours above 2,000 m elevation. While there is only a 20 % chance of getting AMS when staying in areas between 2,000 and 2,500 m elevation, 75 % of people will have mild symptoms at elevations over 3,000 m. Symptoms usually start 12-24 hours after arrival at altitude and generally subside within two to four days as the body acclimatizes. The symptoms of Mild AMS are headache, dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, nausea, disturbed sleep, and a general feeling of malaise. Symptoms tend to be worse at night and when respiratory drive is decreased. Mild AMS does not interfere with normal activity, and continued stay at altitude and ascent at moderate rate are permitted. However, it is essential that any symptoms of illness are promptly communicated so that these may be monitored because Mild AMS may progress toward Moderate or Severe AMS, High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE), and High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE), all of which are life-threatening conditions.

Safety

You'll experience that the vast majority of people in Papua are exceptionally friendly and welcoming. Any of their grievances are with the government and security forces, and definitely not with overseas visitors. It is understandable if occasional reports of local unrest discourage potential travelers to visit Papua. Please do rest assured, however, that we are always well informed about temporal local conditions and would never operate a tour if there was any obvious danger.

Each ecotourism destination in Papua that we promote, has been carefully selected on the basis of biodiversity richness and species endemism, existing conservation priorities, ecosystem and habitat intactness, accessibility, and not least community receptiveness. At each location, we have spent multiple weeks to several months in order to seek out the most pristine and rewarding itineraries, thereby forging intimate ties with landowners, village authorities, community and clan leaders, and their ongoing support alone virtually guarantees a safe and hassle-free journey.

When we take you off the beaten track, to pristine hotspots we know inside out, we do take all reasonable precautions to maximize your safety and comfort under all circumstances. We carry a Garmin® Global Positioning System (GPS) and Thuraya® Satellite Phone at all times, enabling us to respond adequately in the event of any emergency. In addition, we have concluded pre-arrangements with helicopter charter companies based in Papua as part of our foresight to develop comprehensive emergency evacuation procedures and protocols for the various destinations that we promote throughout the territory.

Health

Safety

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