During the past day and night, National Geographic Orion sailed the Arafura Sea from Kokas to the town of Agats in the Asmat region of West Papua, Indonesia. Here we boarded our expedition Zodiacs and set out to visit the village of Per, where the ancient culture of the Asmat people still thrives, and time seems to stand still. We were greeted with a tremendous welcome. Dozens of war canoes filled with Asmat warriors in their traditional dress paddled towards us as we navigated the river in our Zodiacs. When we arrived at the village, we disembarked and were met by hundreds of villagers celebrating our arrival with ceremonious song and dance. After spending a couple hours with the people of the Asmat, we cruised back to our ship to ready ourselves for the second event of the day: an afternoon visit to the town of Agats, where we explored the local culture, met local people, and visited the wonderfully curated Asmat Museum of Culture and Progress. What a fantastic and unforgettable day!
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 10 Dec 2022
Asmat, Indonesia, 12/10/2022, National Geographic Orion
- Aboard the National Geographic Orion
- Indonesia & Papua New Guinea
Lisa Hornak, Naturalist/Photographer
Lisa Hornak is a visual journalist and filmmaker based in San Diego, CA, who has worked for newspapers, magazines and wire services worldwide since 2004. She focuses her work on women’s issues, human rights and the impacts of climate change. Her awar...
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