Numfor Island

Address: Numfor Island, Schouten Islands (Geelvink Bay), Papua, Indonesia

Admission: No formal admission; costs limited to transport (boat or charter flight).

Numfor (also written Noemfoor) is an island in Cenderawasih Bay off the northern coast of Papua province, Indonesia, and is part of the Schouten Islands. The island saw significant activity during the Second World War and contains wartime remains.

The island includes coastal villages and areas of tropical forest; wartime airfield remains and related infrastructure are among the island’s notable features. Local life today is based on fishing, small-scale agriculture and community services.

During the Second World War the island was the focus of Allied operations to secure airfields and maritime control in the region; those events left visible traces in the island landscape. Postwar, the island returned to civilian administration and local livelihoods.

Numfor lies northeast of the main island of New Guinea in Indonesia’s Papua province, within the Schouten Islands chain near Biak. It is accessed by sea from larger regional ports and forms part of the local island district administration.

• WWII history: The island was the scene of Allied military operations in 1944 and retains remnants of wartime airfields and installations.
• Location and access: Part of the Schouten Islands near Biak, it is administered within Papua province and accessed by sea from larger regional centres.

Typical access is via Biak (Biak-Numfor), with boats and occasional small charter flights. From Biak, arrange transport through local operators or the port authority; crossings can take several hours and depend on sea conditions.

• Arrange transport via Biak - sea crossings can be long and weather-dependent; charter a fishing boat for flexibility.
• Bring insect repellent and lightweight rain gear; equatorial storms can arrive quickly.
• Respect local communities and ask permission before photographing villages.