Sentani Lake in Jayapura City

When people hear about Sentani Lake, they may recall the biggest lake in Papua Province. It is true. This enormous lake is accessible, especially from Jayapura City. The distance is about 50 km. To be exact, it is situated under Cyclops Mountains. Due to its strategic location and fame, more tourists keep coming to the location. They want to enjoy the flawless nature and rejuvenating air near to the lake. According to the locals, Sentani means “Here We Live at Peace”. The name was first uttered by BL Bin – a Christian missionary. It was in 1898.

The Nuance
It is undeniable. The size of Sentani Lake is huge. With the pristine atmosphere and excellent landscape, the lake offers an amazing beauty. At least, the size is about 9,360 hectares! Not to mention 21 small islands are scattered on the lake, having the height about 75 meters above the sea level. For tourists, several local boats are available to rent. That means they can get around the lake and explore all part of it in an efficient manner. Moreover, the air is quite refreshing and the environment is neat and clean.

Exploring Sentani Lake
Many types of activities can be done in Sentani Lake. Usually, tourists would swim in the shallow part of the lake. The water is clean and comfortable, after all. One thing, kids should come with their parents. For families, it is better to supervise their children when it comes to swimming. As an alternative, they can simply take pictures of the lake using a camera. It is a safer activity to do, after all. In this case, they need to climb the highest part of the islands in order to obtain the best views. It is tiring, but it is worth it.

The next activity is swimming, which can be done either on a boat or not. Many big fishes live in Sentani Lake and they are worth a catch. During fishing, tourists can also eat snacks on the boat. This is going to be fun and memorable! Next, they must drop by in nearby villages and meet the villagers. The fact is that 24 villages are available to visit near to Sentani Lake. The views of traditional houses and the life of fishermen society are indeed interesting. Not to mention the villagers are quite approachable.

What’s next? The most popular attraction in Sentani Lake is the local festival. The locals perform such festival annually, especially in June. During the event, the audience can see numerous dances and Ondoafi traditional ceremony. Also, they have the chance to enjoy traditional foods of Papua. All of the performances are done on a boat, so it is quite interesting to watch.

Nearby Attractions

• McArthur Monument
• Baliem Valley
• Bosnik Beach

How to Get There
As the name suggests, the lake is located in Sentani District. For those coming from Jakarta, they need to reach Sentani Airport using an airplane. Once they get there, it is time to ride either a minibus or other local transportation services to the lake, which is located near to McArthur Monument.

Where to Stay

• Yasmin Hotel
• Aston Jayapura Hotel
• Swiss-Belhotel Jayapura