Sentani Travel Guide

Sentani is a little town in northeast Papua Province, 15kms to the southwest of the provincial capital, Jayapura. It is a bit of a bore, yet is the gateway town to popular Lake Sentani.

Lake Sentani is a good 25kms long and supports communities of Sentani people and features many hilly islands. Tourists can do boat trips of the lake from Sentani by motorized canoe to take in the stilted fishing villages and the plants and animals here.

Apart form the lake there is also good trekking in the area amid the dense ‘Cyclops’ terrain above Lake Sentani. Sentani is also a good place for picking up locally made handicrafts.

Jayapura is the gateway town to Sentani and is beautifully set over Yos Sudarso Bay. It is the largest city in Papua Province, with hotels, museums, shops, restaurants, and banks.

Getting There & Away

Sentani Airport serves the region, receiving flights from Jakarta and other major Indonesian centers. Located 32kms from downtown Jayapura, the airport has taxis and minivans that provide access to both Sentani and Jayapura from the airport. Ferries serve Jayapura from Jakarta - one-week sailing time via Ternate and Sulawesi.

Things to Do

Sentani Attractions

Lake Sentani

The main draw to sentani is this huge lake which supports all types of fish and communities and has good nearby trekking.

Side trips from Sentani

Jayapura

The papua capital is a pretty city and has good tourist facilities including hotels and an airport.

Events

Lake Sentani Festival

This festival is an aside to the main lembah baliem festival and is a showcase of local sentani culture.