Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# Eco and culture tour--Madagascar or New guinea? URGENT Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea
lyc921 09:56 UTC 09 Nov 2011 | Dear all I am going alone for a 20-30 days trip, budget: 5000 USD. could anyone who has been to both Madagascar and New guinea give me some suggestions? Which one can see the most nature and culture things? Appreciated for any kind of replies :) Thanks so much in advance! |
mvcb 01:55 UTC 10 Nov 2011 | Hi, I've never been to Madagascar, but am living in PNG right now, so I'll comment on the PNG side of things. I reccommend PNG for nature & culture. The cultures are completely unique & amazing, even amongst each other: Engan Culture in the PNG Highlands is completely different to Sepik Culture just as Chinese culture is to Mexican culture. Yet they live right next to each other! 25% of the worlds languages are found in PNG, the people are the most linguistically diverse in the world. More than 800 languages for 6 million people. Village stays are very popular and it is amazing to share the lives of some of these unique tribes. On the nature side of things, there are no large mammals like in Africa. But if you are a diver, PNG has some of the best marine life in the world. I went snorkelling yesterday and saw a Maori Wrasse which was as big as me. It was completely unafraid of me too, which was a bit off-putting... Also the mammals here are unique, mostly marsupials, like the cute looking cuscus, looks like a mix between a koala & a kangaroo. The kangaroos here live in the trees which is cool. I've never seen a crocodile but the villagers say that they are all around. The bird life here is world-class. Birds of Paradise bring lots of birdwatchers to the country but I'm not sure what the fuss is about. I've never had the patience to wait for one. If you are travelling alone, PNG can be tough. It is best to find a buddy, just for security. Especially so if you are a women. Otherwise you are risking some trouble. Also it can be pretty expensive, because there is not much of a road system here and internal flights are the only way to go sometimes. The hotels don't get many tourists (mostly miners & loggers) and so the rates are expensive. Village stays & guesthouses are economical though, and if you take local transport like PMVs & Banana Boats then you may skip the expense of the flights. Hope it helps, let me know if you need any more info from here. | 1
Laszlo 04:10 UTC 10 Nov 2011 | New Guinea is FAR more pristine but its wildlife is MUCH harder to see than Madagascar's. But for culture, New Guinea is incomparably more interesting. I myself found one trip to Madagascar enough. After many, many trips to New Guinea, I'm still looking forward to the next one any time! And I've mostly traveled in New Guinea on my own, very happily. | 2
becks 18:35 UTC 10 Nov 2011 | I'd say both have plenty of nature and culture, but the nature and culture that you'll find will be very different! If you can be more specific about what kind of experiences you hope for, we can probably help you better, and you'll probably it work out for yourself anyway ;) If it's the case that your'e desperate to see both places, check the weather / climate when you can go and see which fits best. Where are you coming from? Getting to Madagascar is hugely expensive from almost everywhere, but it's cheap to travel once you get there. I haven't been yet, but have the impression that travelling within PNG is costlier. Do you speak French? + 1 for Mada. Would you rather see a jungle or crazy rock formations? Tree kangaroo or lemur? | 3
Laszlo 01:11 UTC 11 Nov 2011 | Unfortunately, while seeing lemurs in Madagascar is VERY easy, seeing a wild tree kangaroo in New Guinea is very unlikely. Cuscuses may be the closest things to lemurs one can reailstically hope to see in the wild in NG, and even they are nowhere near as easy as Mada's lemurs. | 4
lyc921 07:54 UTC 11 Nov 2011 | Thanks so much for all replies! I come from Taiwan, female, speak English and a bit Spanish, but unfortunately no Franch... To be honest, I just came back from Amazon rainforest in Peru and Brazil, so I may a bit more prefer to see the view in Madagascar. But I am very interested in Ethnobiology, hope to see the most of indigenous people's eco knowledge, and it seems that PNG will be the better place to go. Speaking to safety, I assume Madagascar would be safer, but I dont speak Franch..On the other hand, at least English is ok in PNG. So.....I still cant not deside!!...Anyone has any suggestions?~ Thanks again for any replies:) | 5
Laszlo 12:26 UTC 11 Nov 2011 | VERY little English is spoken in Madagascar and surprisingly much English spoken in PNG. So for a chance to get into local knowledge, it is definitely PNG! | 6
mvcb 04:29 UTC 14 Nov 2011 | yep, PNG definitely. Plenty of people love to chat about the rainforest. See you here soon. | 7
lyc921 08:30 UTC 16 Nov 2011 | Thx again for helping me where is the better place for me to go! That would be....New Guinea!! But I am still wondering： considering to the safty (I will go alone) and budget limitation of 7000 USD, should I choose PNG or West papua ? or I even can do both? is English ok in West papua ? Thank you very much~ : . | 8