5-7 days in papua

we wish we could spend 1 week in papua from taiwan or japan before going to australia
what would u recommend us to do and where to go?
thanks in advance

If you really meant Papua, you should ask in the South East Asia Islands & Peninsula branch. However, if you meant Papua New Guinea, you are on the right branch...

i m in the right one then

;-)

i m looking for papua new guinea

If the domestic airfare is no obstacle, my vote goes for the Sepik region.
Good combination of traditional art, culture and maybe beach.

sepik?
i ll study it

do u know if there are any flights from the capital to sepik?

Yes, the regional capital Wewak is well served.
From there various beaches and offshore islands are within fairly easy reach, while the Sepik River itself is a few hours away by road.
So is the hilly inland region of Maprik which also has interesting spirit houses and art.

cool i hope to find a good tour package for 1 week...

Not easy.
This is a lightly-touristed country, so tours are few and expensive.

damn...
is it hard or dangerous to travel alone?

Well, it certainly isn't as safe and easy as Singapore or Switzerland, but if you have the right budget, it can be easy(ish) enough.
If your budget is low, you might want to rethink, as you couldn't see much in such limited time then.

what do u mean with the right budget?
how much does a decent accomodation cost per night for 2 people?
what about the transportations?

Decent accommodation is a relative term, but maybe upwards of $50 in the towns, though less in villages. So that is not too bad.

I meant more the need to take domestic flights, which can really be pricey (check online) and also the need to charter a boat for river tours, and if time is short, also to reach islands.

Budget travel in PNG is also possible, but slow and far from easy or comfortable.

thanks lazlo
do u live there?

Nope, next door.

where?

A guide will easily cost ca 500 USD for 2 people per night (incl accommodation in villages, food, transport from & to Wewak). Make sure you write a contract, make sure you get a traditional canoe and not an ugly modern boat, and make sure you stay in the right guesthouses (and not in the swampy mosquitoe-infested ones). I can highly warmly absolutely recommend a guide who happens to also be an amazing cook. We also came across a horrible guide who I would advise against. You can send me a private message if you want more info.

500 usd per day for the two of us?

You can send me a private message if you want more info.

well, we just want to know how to plan a not very expensive week in papua new guinea

I really don't know how to plan a not very expensive week in PNG, because I thought it was really expensive. Here's my recommendation anyway:
(copying a reply I sent to another thread)
I warmly recommend the guide Johannes Teven for the Sepik River
He also happens to be an excellent cook and has the most wonderful positive outlook on things.
You can call or text him at +675-73637760.
No e-mail. Might take a few days before he answers.
Tell him you got his number from tourists he took around in August and that he take you to all his favourite villages and guesthouses.

Unfortunately we had booked our trip through another guide - who turned out to be really really awful in many different ways - who had contracted Johannes (who is amazing).
The other guide had decided on guesthouses which belonged to a friend of his and were in mosquitoe-infested villages next to swamps.
Johannes can arrange everything (transport from Wewak to the river and canoe - insist on a motorized canoe, not a regular boat - to various villages).
(and to avoid the swamp-infested mosquito-infested places).

Johannes made a very positive and professional impression on us.

The cost - including transportation, accommodation, food, village visits & fees, 2 litres of water per day etc - was 500 PGK per day. However, prices can go up quickly in PNG (which is sooo expensive) so don't be worried if the price quoted is higher. Make a contract.

One village to stay in is Wombun. Supercute, nice market, really friendly people, lovely guesthouse.
I think Palimbai was the most awful guesthouse (isolated from the rest of the village by the swamp = nowhere to walk). Kanganamon is a nice village across the river, a lot of mosquitoes (but less than Palimbai) but at least much nicer and cleaner and possible to walk around.
Wagu village with rainforest, birds of paradise and view over the water.
http://www.wagurainforest.com/your-trip
Avoid staying in Ambunti. Between Ambunti & Wagu there's a large village with a newly built Haus Tambaran and a church which had been torn down due to termites. They had lovely guesthouses. Would have loved to stay there. Hope this helps. :)
Oh, there's a crocodile festival in Ambunti in early August (dates determined a few months before). Try to go then, if you can.

wow
thanks bro
i ll have a look at what u wrote us

Also see this thread: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?newPost=true&messageID=21121029&#21121029

cool
thanks, i ll have a look