It is one of the most anticipated lake festivals in Indonesia and has been held annually for 10 years.

Held between June 19-23 at the Khalkhote tourist area in East Sentani, Jayapura regency, Papua, the 10th Lake Sentani Festival presents the vibrant cultures of the various ethnic groups that surround Lake Sentani.

“Compared to other lake festivals in Indonesia, this one is the most consistent. Reports from foreign media also mention this festival as the most attractive, original and unique,” said Tasbir, the Tourism Ministry’s deputy assistant for government business development, during the festival’s opening day in Kalkhote, Jayapura, on Monday.

Themed “Cipta Harmoni Budaya” (Creating Cultural Harmony), which reflects the spirit of unity and harmony shared by the diverse clans around the lake, this year’s festival will be joined by participants from 19 districts across Jayapura regency.

The festival is set to feature various examples of local culture, such as boat attractions, traditional dances, including a Papuan war dance and the Isosolo Dance, which is performed on a boat, a culinary festival to introduce traditional Papuan dishes, traditional ceremonies like the Ondoafi coronation and cultural performances presented by communities across Jayapura.

Furthermore, the event will also offer a cultural parade, photography exhibitions, arts and sports competitions, as well as promotional events for the National Games (PON) XX in Papua in 2020.

This year, a tribal house was chosen to serve as the festival’s icon.

Papua Governor Lukas Enembe, who officially opened the festival, praised the lake as a beautiful natural landmark and something that offered unique potential for tourism. “The locals could build cottages in the hills surrounding the lake where tourists could stay to enjoy the breathtaking scenery.”

He expressed the hope that the event would empower the surrounding people to have a better life.

“Ten years is a long time. Hopefully the people have already experienced from the event that the following festivals will no longer be solely managed by the government but also by the people themselves,” he said.

Jayapura Culture and Tourism Department head Chris Kores Tokoro said the festival had made a positive impact on the economic growth of Sentani,

“Ever since it was held for the first time in 2012, there has been an increase in the area’s economic activity. In 2015, the local economy stood at Rp 8 billion [US$602,228]. In 2016, it was Rp 11 billion and this year’s target is to reach Rp 15 billion,” said Chris.

Located near the provincial capital of Jayapura, the mesmerizing Lake Sentani is one of the largest lakes in Papua, Indonesia’s easternmost province. There are more than 33 fish species and half of them are endemic to Indonesia.

Megawati, a visitor, said this year’s festival was less merry compared to the one put on last year.

“In the past, there were many more Isosolo dancer boats participating, as almost all the villages sent their respective boats. This time, there were only five of them,” she said.

Nunung, another visitor, complained about the smaller number of booths selling Papuan souvenirs. She said there were 68 booths but most of them sold products from outside Papua.

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