PNG Experience

Hello Everybody,
Im new to this forum and while i was reading some of the travel stories on this site i felt compelled to tell my experience of PNG recently.
I travelled over there the start of this year for 12 days and it was absolutely amazing. We began at Port Moresby and the first thing i remember thinking was how untouched it is, even for a capital city. Of course it resembles any normal pacific coastal city, there was just this character about it that i guess you really don't expect to find.
Before leaving for PNG i was warned how dangerous it is and i had seasoned travellers come upto me proclaiming the fear they had felt while spending a night in Port Morsbey. And then people procceeded to tell me that the highlands is scarier.. The only thing i got in the Highlands were hugs and handshakes. The people on the coast were alot more shy but just as hospitable and lovely.
I spent most of my time in Goroka at a village where my surrogate family (people i went over with) came from. It was definately an eye opener! But the best experience i've ever had. It is amazing how generous and kind hearted these people are. They really taught me alot about charity and i felt completely safe the whole time i was there which might strike a different note to the one played on the "smart traveller" website.
The scenery is breathtaking and if your a fan of coffee and morning mists, then PNG is the place to go.
We spent 2 nights in the Chimbu province (1 night at Kundiawa and 1 at Wohti Conservation Area) and i can't even express the beauty of Chimbu.

Wohti Conservation in particular is just magic. Some of the largest bat tribes of PNG are there and during the 4 oclock rains just give an enchantment to it.The local tribe whose land it is are trying to establish a program for travellers eager for the traditional village experience. We were welcomed by a traditional dance group, followed up the mountain by inquisitive children and given a tour of the conservation area. We also got to eat pork and kaukau cooked in a moo moo (hangi) and hear stories from the chief of the village at night. If anyone is interested i have contact details for this place. They are really keen for people to see this beautiful part of the world and experience the true PNG.

We also went to Lae and although the highway is a bumpy ride, it was definately an experience! I had the oppertunity to travel with people who knew the country and the customs which is definately an advantage and getting around can be a problem at times but i didn't really mind that as i got to have some good conversations and practice my pidgin.

Travelling to PNG wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea but i only have good things to say about the place. The people are some of the most generous people i've ever met and although there was a bad apple here and there, the overwhelming majority gave the shirts off their backs just because they could. Downside is that things there are pretty expensive but i found that the things most expensive were the stuff they import (food in restaurants especially). The market goods are cheap (although, you have to work on some of them to get a fair price. There is definately a 'tourist price' but youll find that everywhere). If your a fan of adventure and don't mind not running to a schedule, then i can recommend PNG to anyone. Especially the Highlands.. simply breathtaking. My girlfriend and i plan to go back there in a few years after we finish our degrees.

Hope all is well with everyone :)

Mitchell H

I just want to say thanks for posting about your experience. I too had a fantastic time when I visited PNG and only have good things to say. It might not be for everyone but personally I loved it and look forward to going back one day. We found the people to be very friendly and only felt unsafe once (walking back through goroka after dark - we shouldn't have been doing it anyway and nothing actually happened, it just felt uncomfortable). We visited Madang, Lae, Goroka (and the amazing 'show'), Alotau & surroundings and Tufi & surrounding villages. On my next visit I would love to visit the Sepik and more of the highlands. It's an amazing country. I found especially in Australia people were very negative about the place (all people who hadn't been there) and asked why we would want to spend our holiday there.

Hi There!

I just read your thorn tree entry about PNG and would like to know how you arranged that trip? I'm planning to backpack around Australia and NZ in 7 months or so and have though about traveling to PNG but all the horror stories have discouraged me. You sound you went over there with a host family or something? Was it an all inclusive trip through some travel group? What's the low down?

Thanks for the reply kiwitoo. We drove up the highway at night from Lae back to Goroka which was pretty scary but i was lucky enough to have a few beers and fall asleep through most of it and wake up safely home! Good to hear you had a great time. I missed the show unfortunately but i plan to make a return trip in the near future. I really wanted to check out Southern and Western Highlands but we didn't have enough time. Maybe next time!

Hi georget,

I went over with my (surrogate) family who did alot of the organisation. We were lucky enough to have a lot of local contacts (as they come from the highlands) so we avoided alot of the crap you can find while interacting with the tourist side of things. To be honest, it isn't an easy trek (especially in comparison to Aus and NZ) but it is well worth it. We organised independantly from Australia (booking flights e.t.c) but found most of the plans unravelled once we got there. If your already coming to this part of the world, i would recommend PNG in a heartbeat.. especially Chimbu. Absolutely breathtaking. The horror stories i got told were mostly from a) people who had never been there and b) people who spent most of their time in Port Moresby. Like anywhere in the world, there are some places you don't go but if you get to know the locals, they are sure to help you out. Only thing i got were hugs and handshakes and people genuinly interested in getting to know you. So hospitable as well. If your in to the grassroots adventure.. i highly recommend. If your someone who prefers the more smooth running type of holiday then PNG might not be your cup of tea (although it isn't impossible to have such a holiday there).

Have a squize at this site:

http://www.pngtourism.org.pg/

They pretty much have the low down of the country. All the nice places, accomodation e.t.c.

Also, if you wanted to experience the village atmosphere, Wohti conservation area runs a tour where you stay in their village for a few nights and you get to experience the traditional way of life. I highly recommend this: the conservation area is amazing. Especially the caves. I've got the contact details of the co-ordinator of the project if you wanted more information.

Also, this is one of PNG's major air services.

http://www.airniugini.com.pg/

Almost all travel throughout the country is done by Air so this can also help you in getting an idea of costs e.t.c.

If you need any more info, i'm sure people on the forum who have had alot more experience in PNG can give you info. But i can honestly recommend PNG to anyone with an open mind and an openess to new experiences.

Mitchell H.