Solo in PNG

Hi guys
I just thought id leave some up to date info on traveling in PNG. I spent a month in several areas of the country, mainly in New Guinea during late march - late april. Its sadly not somewhere for someone on a strict budget. Its a lot more expensive than other pacific islands. When in towns and cities i was generally spending about NZ$20-30 per night for a guest house. I chose to spend the most of my time getting away to smaller villages, where i was greeted and welcomed as one of the family, NZ$5-10 for 1 night + meals and they'l happily do your laundry too if needed. I have traveled a fair bit in the last 8yrs and come across happy/kind folk through out different countries but PNG peoples seemed to stand out. Possibly because the majority of westerners that go are there for business in the mines etc, they find it a real pleasure/excitement to accommodate someone that is just a "tourist" and travelling to see the country and its people for personal learning and pleasure.
I traveled through the majority of the highlands stopping at the main places on the map but also diverting off to check out smaller more remote places too. I was restricted because i was on my own, not having endless cash to throw about. Had i been with someone else more would have been possible. Prices for small planes or boats to get further into the interior or to remote dive spots costs. If and when i return i'l definitely be looking for a travel mate to help out - Generally when you book into a room, the price is for the room not per bed. Guides charge a daily rate and boat prices go up and down with the fuel prices. All would be much more affordable sharing the cost between at least 2. Its a real shame as travelling by ones self definitely has its pro's.
Dont go expecting to randomly hook up with other travelers, for virtually the entire month i didnt come across another westerner. Only when i was in Rabaul in New Britain and stopping at a big hotel resort where i was getting the internet. They all seemed to be there on business, not the traveler talkative types. You'l only likely find internet in the main cities, Port Moresby, Lae and Madang. Anywhere else its to slow to even bother with.
Don't be put/scared off by stories coming from expats/miners, the most wont have traveled the country. They listen to the media in Aus which is 99% negative and what stories their told through security. Honestly, the more remote i got the safer i felt. The cities, walking about after dark and unlikely but possible you come across a road block is your only concern otherwise you'll be greeted and looked after like a king.
Other than the highlands I spent some time on the coast and nearby small islands, the sepik river and New Britain. I would fully recommend all, there is still a long list of things i wished id seen and done. If you read this and want me to be more specific about places and what I think would be worth a look, let me know.

Have FUN
Alex from Scotland

Hey Alex!

Thanks for the update...I'm thinking of going there later in the year to have a look around myself! What were your favorite spots? Did you visit any tribes? Do you have any photos to share?

Thanks,
Karen

Thanks for this, very interesting.

Did you visit Enga province by any chance?

Hi, Alex!
Thank you for your report! There is too little info about travelling around PNG by oneself so it is really valuable.
I have some questions.
You wrote:
"I chose to spend the most of my time getting away to smaller villages, where i was greeted and welcomed as one of the family" - how did you meet those who offered you to stay at them?

"Honestly, the more remote i got the safer i felt." - I heard that if you are not accompanied by any local you are nothing for local rascals and you may be robbed and even mordered. The advise was to be always accompanied by someone from the community of this area. Should we follow it or does it sound like paranoiac?:)

Hi
Enga province was top on the list for the parts of the highlands i went to, extremely nice people, food and scenery. I went from Wabag to find Kiep village. The Guesthouse there is now shut down but they will still take you in if need be. I treked on past and carried onto other small villages where i was continually met by kind hostpitable people (some with English). I spent 4 days and nights around that area staying with different people, the village names i dont remember.
Meeting local villagers i found by walking off the roads or meeting a local who would insist in putting me in touch with his/her family or wants you to come with them and meet his/her family. Staying with villagers was easy, i either had to look lost, find myself in conversation and they'd offer or I'd ask if they could help me out for the night. Where there was a market near by I'd sometimes take a bag of vegtables/noodles/biscuits to offer. Mostly look at paying around 20 Kina for a night with locals.
I chose not to have a local companion purely because the only slight advantage was the language barrior which one way or another I could manage and that it would cost me double per day which i couldnt afford. Also it can potentially cause problems, if the local thats accompaning you is of another tribe to your hosts, they may have some back dated un-solved disputes.
I met great people in the cities but you should be aware, generally village people are totally honest and will do anything they can make you feel at home and ensure the safety of you and your belongings.
It is amazing how some people will go completely out there way, devoting a whole day to helping a foreigner, possibly loosing out on his/her wage for the day.
The Asaru mud men was a tribe i saw outside Goroka. They were obviously used to foreigners coming and visiting occasionally. I ended up staying with them for a night, i had to ask as i think most stay out in Goroka. I sadly didn't get so remote to see un-disturbed tribes locked in by jungle, but their out there, somewhere!
Goroka was great for a couple of days, Id definitely like to go back for the cultural show (sing sing) in sept.
Mt Wilham is worth going to although i didnt climb it.

When i went to Madang i stayed on a near by island 10 mins on banana boat (Siar island) really nice place to relax for couple of days.
Alexishafen where you can go looking for WW11 Aircraft wreckage in the bush, lots of engines, a small plane and a huge U.S Bomber in very good condition considering.
Bogia looking out to Manam island was fantastic, theres a guesthouse there just outside the town but I wouldnt stay there, its well over priced and the people in the village right next door are far more friendly and helpful. I ended up here for 5 days, go spear fishing with the pikininis, sunsets/sunrises, awesome views. Ask for lou lou village 150m past Bogia town up the road on the right ( theres another name for the village but i dont have my note book here) the bigman there is Michael Kaukae, possibly one of the nicest guys you'l ever meet, he's a traveller/story teller and can help with travel north to Sepik. If you go say a big Hi from me.

Wewak is also a nice place to go, i was suprised by Michael's son who spotted me off the boat. I had no idea who he was but Michael had called him to put me up for the night, i stayed with them only one night i wish for more because in the bush near the village there is supposed to be a big waterfall and birdwing butterflys.
Angoram is also great, i wanted to get further up the sepik but couldnt afford the petrol costs for the outriggers by myself. Ask for a guy called Jonny he lives oppersite where the boats go from and can help with transport up/down river. After couple of days i traveled by banana boat through the night down the sepik to the mouth with locals carrying the Buai (beetlenut) well worth the trip!.
New Britain, rabaul is a jaw dropping place to be if you want to splast out for the flight around 6-700kina from Lae, definitely worth the money in my opinion. In Lae theres an artifacts/soveneirs shop run by an Aussie called Karen, there you can buy great carvings etc from all different regions saving you from carrying whilst traveling. Postage is expensive!

Theres a heap more places/things id liked to have seen but not enough time.. The one place I really wanted to get to and couldnt was "Long Island" only really accessible from Madang, I understood the ferry only goes once every 1-2 weeks. I was given bad info and told to try in Lae where they told me that i could only go from Madang. I reckon this would be a great trip because not many will have made it there with the irrational ferry timetables. Volcanoes and leatherback turtles is what i heard. Milne bay is supposed to be exceptional for diving and culturally, again i was restricted by a lack of savings. I would have also liked to have made it to Tari to see the huli wigmen. Taking a boat from port moresby - Alatou and onto Tufi. Skull caves, Tree kangaroos, queen alexandra birdwing butterflys, Leatherback turtles, culture shows and real remote tribes in highlands accessable by small planes and long/hard treking.

You'll have to excuse me for any spelling mistakes, i dont have my note book or map to look back on. I do have some photos from the trip which are up on facebook. I can try send a link.

Im not sure but I think the last lonely planet addition for PNG & Solomons was released like 5 yrs ago, a lot of the info is now false, NOT all but the prices have all gone up apart from some things like transport and the occasional guesthouse.

I hope this is of some help and that i managed to anwser some of you're questions. Let me know how you get on.
Happy trails
A

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150176959695880.305510.510175879

Hi, I'm heading up in a couple weeks solo. What did you do for drinking water. I'll be using aqua tabs and boiling in a billy. Do you know if they sell Methylated spirits in PNG? Methylated spirits is also known as wood spirits or denatured alcohol (afaik)

The facebook link is not working. Can I contact you I have a million questions.

Cheers!

Steve

Hi Steve
Im not sure about methylated spirits but id imagine so, possibly through a treking organisation.
For water i just used Betadine/Iodine, which did the trick but dosnt taste good so maybe your aqua tabs would be better. I didnt end up doing any multi day treks, only single day. I decided last min to go real light and left tent/stove etc behind. I wouldnt bother with sleeping bag, takes up far to much room and now will be hot even in the mountains. I found a cotton/nylon sleeping bag inner was ample. Mosquitos are a big problem so take what you can to help with that.
Contact is difficult, im in karakol - Kyrgyzstan and heading into the mountains for 6 days tomorrow. I can try help anwser further questions through here.
Cheers

how much money did you use ?

Around $2000 kiwi not including flights for one month.

Hey alex.
Of cors more question.
I mostly hitchhiked from Switzerland to Timor- Leste. I have a ferry the next days to Jayapure.
Then I would like to cross the island to moresby without using any planes. What do you think? Is this possible?
I gonna use a combination of hitchhiking, boat hitchhiking, hiking etc from Vanimo to Madang to Lae or so. The hot part is going to be to walk over the mountains to Port Moresby... I guess.

thx for infos

about my travellings on www.cymytrip.ch.vu

Crunch
Your plan sounds like a true adventure. I'l be impressed if you get free boat rides, most will want something. Im not sure about the walk over the mountains, i know theres black cat and bulldog trek just north east of POM that head across in the direction of the north coast. Get a guide book/decent map and ask locals. Good luck!

Going as light weight as possible is the most important, 5-6kg. I took a bivvy bag just incase i got caught out and couldnt find a village. Villages are easy to come by and in my experience welcoming/ glad to see a tourist who can contribute to their families cost of living.