Advises for PNG and Solomon

HI travellers,

I've been checking most of the messages but I haven't found any which could suit to my needs.

In September I want to travel to Papua to attend the Goroka festival 2008, then to Tobriand islands and Solomon. I will intend to travel for 3 months. My questions are as it follows:

0) Which is the most convenient and cheapest way to do this trip from Europe? in terms of airlines, pacific passes, etc

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

1) How is possible to know the exact dates for the Goroka festival?
2) Any suggestions about accommodation in Goroka?
3) Any advises during the festival?
4) Have you been at the festival? is it too touristic? is it easy to take photos?
5) Any other sightseeing besides the festival around that area?

TOBRIAND

1) Which is the easiest way to reach these islands? from Port Moresby? any airlines?
2) Once in the islands what do you recommend me to do? villages? beaches? accommodation?

SOLOMON

1) Shall I go back to Port Moresby to fly to Honiara?
2) Any airlines to travel to Honiara?
3) Once in Salomon how is the best way to move trough the islands?
4) Any danger after the civil fights?
5) Any special island to recommend me?

That's it!!! just I will be very please to the whole travellers who could answer some of the questions above.

Thanks in advance... meanwhile I invite you to enter to my website: www.jordillorens.com

Good health and fantastic travels,

Jordi

Just waiting for a reply from all the travellers who went to that area.

Thanks in advance,

Jordi

Hi, Jordi,
I can't help with the PNG part of your questions, as I haven't been there, and as I live in Australia, can't advise on getting there from Europe.
However, I do know that at present the only way to fly from PNG to Solomon Islands is from Port Moresby to Honiara. There are two flights a week on Air Niugini, Fridays and Saturdays leaving Port Moresby at 9.15 am. I don't think you can book these on line though. This may change in the next few months, as the government of Solomon Islands is looking at improving tourist access.
As for Solomon Islands, where I would suggest you go depends on what you want to di there.
If you are a diver, I would give different advice to what I would give if you are interested in culture.
A worthwhile site for the culture and adventure is Exploring Solomons
As for safety, look at my earlier post tonight. Australia has just revised their safety warning to a lower level than it has been in the last ten years.
Basically, I feel safer there than I would in Sydney. The recent change in the government has made everything much more settled than it has been.
You can travel within the country by plane, if your time is limited, or by inter-island ferry (note these are by no means luxury boats - you will probably have to sleep on deck, and they are often crowded. Most have no cabins.) Some travel is also by outboard motored fibreglass canoe, but if you want a life vest, bring your own. And, yes, I have travelled all these ways, to most parts of the country.

There are lengthy posts about attending the goroka Show here, nothing can be added to that.
I'd try and combine it with some village visits or climbing Mount Wilhelm.

The only way to get from Europe to PNG without spending much time is flying via Australia - not cheap, but it's a seller's market.

The only easy way to Trobriand is to fly.
Never been myself, so can't recommend villages.

OG is correct about getting to the Solomons from PNG.
I'd add that most tourists would find conditions on local boats there too basic, and that flights should be booked ASAP.
I found Malaita the most interesting island for culture and Rennell for ecology, but most tourists like Western Province, which offers more tourist facilities.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/message.jspa?messageID=13637677#13637677</a> SOLOMON

1) Shall I go back to Port Moresby to fly to Honiara?

Yes you have to.

2) Any airlines to travel to Honiara?

I went the other way with Air Niugini and it was fine.

3) Once in Salomon how is the best way to move trough the islands?

Cargo Ship!

4) Any danger after the civil fights?

None that I detected.

5) Any special island to recommend me?

The Marovo Lagoon, and Uepi Island.

TROBRIAND ISLANDS

My advice is dont go. There are much more interesting things to see around the rest of Milne Bay.

Jordilorens I recently travelled in the areas you want to go to and I made some notes about the experience which will partially answer many of your questions, here is the link:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/message.jspa?messageID=13637677#13637677

With respect, Lostscot, you were in Solomon Islands for a short time six months ago, and only visited 2 provinces.
While Marovo and Uepi are great for tourists and divers and very picturesque, there are many other interesting places which are worth a visit, if one has time.
Since December 2007, there has been a major improvement in both the political situation, and international flight options. However, the cheap international flights at this stage are only between Brisbane and Honiara.

Hi to Laszlo, Ozziegiraffe, Lostscot..

Thanks for your replies and I will check all your advises carefully (I printed your relate, Lostcost) so I will contact you again in case I have more doubts.

Thanks travellers!!!

Jordi

Hey Ozziegiraffe - whats your point?

Are you the only person who is allowed to post information about the Solomons Islands?

As you are constantly pointing out, you've been everywhere in the Solomons Islands, you've been there for ages and practically wrote the book on it. Does that mean that the advice of someone who was there for such a short time and only visited two provinces is now irrelevant?

Was I incorrect in any of my replies?
Is the Marovo Lagoon NOT a special place?
Did I say it was the ONLY special place?

Normally your posts manage to keep the "been there done that before you" tone just below the surface but in this one its totally broken out. I loved the way you dismissed me as a "tourist" because I went to the Marovo Lagoon...

I think you made a bit of a tit of yourself here, mate.

Affable regards,
LostScot

Lostscot, you are reading more between the lines than is there. I sent you a PM, as some of what I said does not need to go public.

Lostscot,
I cannot read the whole of your latest PM. It is abusive and hugely inaccurate in its assumptions.

I have gone back and read it in full. You seem to have misread or misinterpreted what I did write.
I never suggested you shouldn't post. In fact I said your original was a good one.
Your apology for the inappropriate language was way down the post, and I did not read it the first time. In fact, the way you wrote it was nearly as rude as the original. "an old woman" is not exactly polite or accurate.
And you implications that I have financial interests in promoting tourism are as far from accurate as they could possibly be.
My financial interst is more like: if more local people receive some sort of income, then I won't be asked to pay school fees for as many children as I am now.

Hi OzzieGiraffe,
My PM reply to you was not abusive - however, it was cleverly written and had a justifiably condescending tone that you appear to have interpreted as abuse because it correctly indicated that your "point" (or lack of?) appears vacuous...

I don’t do “abusive” on forums – I generally just do travel advice, and from my perspective you are the only person ever to not appreciate that. I’ve never got into an argument on Thorn Tree before, and I regret that you started it.

Was my apology not accepted then? I am still awaiting yours!

Shall I post your original PM (and my reply) to the list, so that it’s on public record what we did say? That seems fairer than you being able to post that it was “abusive” or suchlike, without giving anyone who reads this thread the chance to judge for themselves. I won’t do that yet without your permission as I respect the sanctity of prose, although I feel it would add context to this discussion which you have NOW deemed appropriate to hold in the public domain. It’s not okay, I think, to say I was “abusive” or that I “misinterpreted” without getting whole thing aired, think you not?

...however tempting... it shouldn’t be done, as this is not what the Thorn Tree is for...

You are the one who found it necessary to describe yourself as an older woman, why is it relevant for you to say, then abusive when I do? Okay, you said oldER and I said old. Whats an er between friends? You say my apology was as “as rude as the original”... the original remark contained some straight talking aimed to imply the same level of (dis)respect that YOUR unprovoked snipe on the forum contained. You are rude. I was right. There is a difference.

In my latest PM I numbered and listed some questions for you to answer, based on your message. Can’t you at least answer the first one? Go on... answer it, because for me this is the biggest bone of contention here. Where did I say that I was an “expert on the Solomon Islands” and then, further, please explain what your entire point was when you started this exchange? Oh that’s right... let’s not forget who started this.
If you are not, as you now say, implying that I shouldn’t post to your forum can you PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT YOU MEANT BY THE COMMENT IN THE FIRST PLACE THEN? You now say that I AM allowed to post on this forum... so am I not allowed to reply then? Or recommend a province? PLEASE EXPLAIN.

It is my charge to you, as I explained in my PM but you havent dained comment on, that you are JEALOUS that someone else occasionally posts on a forum that you consider to be, somehow, yours.

Quote: “My financial interst (sic) is more like: if more local people receive some sort of income, then I won't be asked to pay school fees for as many children as I am now.”

...well... that’s clearly a financial interest indeed. So this is your motivation for persuading people to go to Lau Lagoon, to save yourself money personally. So is this why you originally attacked me on the forum? Because I made a recommendation of the Western Province instead of the one you want people to go to (for personal/financial reasons)? So you are worried that I might persuade someone to go to a province OTHER than the one that would save you money? It’s a tricky one, since your heart is clearly in the right place even though your head is not, and I shall have to wrestle with my conscience whether to report this to the Lonely Planet moderators. I shall await your reply regarding this.

LostScot is not abusive, but can be direct and perhaps a little condescending to people who make unprovoked slurs against him.

LostScot believes that the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree is designed as a liberal space, where people can post/garnish a wide range of recommendations and opinions. It’s not fair to belittle the posts others based merely on how long the poster has been a member of the forum.

LostScot believes that you should never advise for or against a certain place when you have a vested financial interest in it (the includes saving money as well as making money). Even if there is no financial interest, but say the place is ran by good friends – you should not be making recommendations which could be perceived as impartial when clearly they are not. You should DEFINATELY not be attacking others for making recommendations that could draw dollars away from your interests. You appear to be misunderstanding the whole concept of the Thorn Tree.

I offered you, OzzieGiraffe, an easy way out of this where you could save face but it appears you would rather argue on. Since you want to argue, can I please re-iterate the first 2 questions I asked in my PM...
Q1) Where did I ever say I was an expert on the Solomon Islands?
Q2) Since you were unable to answer Question 1, why did you write that [in your PM]?

Finally, to anyone else who has to read this – my apologies to you. The forums are also not designated for carrying out personal arguments (especially not ones about nothing, like this one is) but since OzzieGiraffe took the time to have a go in public (albeit a mild go) I feel duty bound to defend myself or at least ask her “What is your point?”. I am not sure that she knows that herself.

Cordial Regards,
LostScot

Ps. Despite having asked above for certain questions to be answered I am also more than happy to drop this whole thing. This is because it’s not what the Thorn Tree is intended for and I respect that (even if you don’t). If you really want to argue on... I have your private email address and you can have mine.