Timika is a small Indonesian town on the southern coast of Papua, close to the huge mining site of Tembagapura, with its base town of Freeport. Timika International Airport has the only flights into this section of Papua from the rest of Indonesia.
This area was important to the Japanese during the Second World War because of the copper mines nearby, and scuba-diving to visit sunken ships and fighter planes is one of the activities that draws tourists to Timika. Many people also come to view the Puncak Jaya Mountains, some of which are among the highest in the world. The town is surrounded be rainforests, and nearly 1500 species of birds live in the vicinity.
Visitors are also attracted by the people of Timika and the surrounding area. The Kamoro people produce their own indigenous art, and supply the town with fruits and vegetables, many varieties of which are almost impossible to find elsewhere.
