Tour companies, Highlands or Sepik; Is Tari safe?

I'm a photographer and plan to go to Papua New Guinea for 2 weeks in August and having great difficulty figuring out how to travel there. I would prefer hiring a guide, rather than go on an organized tour, but it seems that tour companies don't offer guides. Does anyone know of a company that does so that is not outrageously expensive? Most seem to be about $5-$6,000 for one person. If we have to go on a tour, there are so many, it's difficult to know which tour companies are recommended, so any recommendations would be terrific.

Also, with 2 weeks, including the Mt. Hagen cultural show, would you recommend going to the Highlands or the Sepik River for photographing traditional cultures? ( and how bad are the mosquitos on the river?) Lastly, is going to Huli villages in Tari safe to go? I have heard that there has been tribal fighting there and didn't know if that was still the case.

Thanks so much for any advice you may have!

you might try wandertours . i came across them doing some research for the mt hagen show.

i've heard the same about tari right now but have heard that you can have amazing experiences on the sepik. everyone i've spoken to has said that is the unexpected highlight of their trip.

Thanks so much!

Try Wemso Lodge & Tours. It is based in Port Moresby and owned by a Southern Highlander. They say it offers some of the cheapest tour services. Visit their website: www.wemsolodgetours.com.pg

Tari is not that dangerous as portrayed by foreign media. Getting out of the main centers and into the heart of the communites are very peaceful. Community people will treat you like a king.

Sepik is expensive but try Beaver Falls, another unexplored river people in the Southern Highlands as well. Try establish the tour company above.

Cheers.

Hi

for the Sepik tour I can recommend a guide ,who is living in the Sepik region at the Wagu lake . His name is Mathew and has an own boat for a tour along the Sepik and has a guesthouse at the Wagu lake ,where you can see and make photos of the bird of paradise .

I have seen them and have made a video. You can get full infornations about all possibilities in the web www.sepiktours-individualrates.de

There you will find his phone number and his e-mail. He will come to Wewak to meet you or you can fly from Wewak to Ambunti with MAF and he will meet you there.

It is a wonderful untouched countryside full of birds and in August there is the crocodile festival in Ambunti ,to see the peole dancing

sing -sing

Dieter

Thanks so much everyone. Very helpful recommendations! Anyone know how safe Tari is right now? I very much would like to go there, but am hearing different things about how safe it is to travel there.

I left Tari a few months ago but can give you my observations from when I was there re: tribal fighting. I worked at the hospital and we saw a LOT of injuries - well, that was why we were even there in the first place. That said, tribal fighting tended to be small scale, specific incidents between tribal or family groups. Weapon of choice is a large bush knife (machete) - some guns around but not common. Incidents would flare up and down relatively quickly (generally <1 week). Everyone in town would know where the hot spots were. So, as a foreigner you would not be a direct target and asking around should prevent you from going to a village with tensions. Most 'tribal fighting' is localised skirmishes rather than a full scale war.

That said, as with anywhere in PNG you can be unlucky and be in the wrong place at the wrong time. And when things go bad, it can be really bad - I had a patient who had an arm amputated for using someones mobile phone...

Thanks so much for this information. I guess we'll need to ask around before deciding to go.

Hi,

Ok I know this local tour company recently established, based in Goroka, New Guinea Live Tours : www.newguinealivetours.com which does tours to the highlands and the Sepik or even to the islands. Its locally owned and and is a great way to see PNG and experience the place esp for the upcoming Goroka Show in September!. Its cheaper than most of the other tour operators costing less than US$5000. Check it out!

Hope this information helps.