Solomons - Bouganville - PNG info

Dear travellers,

just made it from Honiara all the way to West Papua. Here is some info:

First of all, when you are in Solomons go to Malaita, it's great. You can go to any village anywhere, people will welcome you and feed you, just ask.

The cheapest accomodation we found in Honiara was - strangely - in Honiara Hotel. They have budget rooms for S$226 (double). Bulaia is very dodgy. The church guesthouses were all full.

Also note that flying in the Solomons is much more expensive now that what LP says.

We heard there was some fighting around Buin recently, so we opted to go from Gizo to north Choiseul - Taro, you can hitch a lift from there to the east cost of Bouganville. We took boat to Sirowai (2 hours by truck south from Arawa). People from Bouganville don't come very regulary but more or less every week, however we decided to charter the boat - it's about 2 hours - we paid S$ 1200 (US$150). Although we heard some rough stories from a backpacker about Ramsi deporting people from Taro etc.; all nonsense, police in Taro were friendly, just wanted to know if we had PNG visa.

Bouganville was great although as LP (and everybody else) says it is NOT covered in jungle. In betweeen Sirowai and Buin there is a roadblock, it's not possible to travel by road. Also there is a roadblock on Panguna road, so you can't come this way either. If you arive to Buin the only way (according to locals) is by boat to Sirowai.

In Arawa there is a cheap renthouse just next from Arewai Guesthouse (K30 pp). No moneychangers or banks, just ask around and someone who's going to the Solomons will happily change your S$ for Kina (not USD though); start with the owner of Arewai Guesthouse.

Buka is a shithole, however there is a bank, and Mangrove GH at K50 for a double was the cheapest (it's pass expensive Kuri Village Resort).

In PNG if you do get to Tari, Southern Highlands, Tari Women's GH is still great (now K30 pp), for exploring the area ask for Matthew from Pureni village. If you can bring him some books, he'll be very happy. We went to his father's village, fantastic people and Matthew was absolutely great guide.

The Highlands Hgw was all open, buses running.

Vanimo - the best Indonesian Consulate experience - we got 60 days visa in 4 hours, no questions, no ticket! (K135, or it would be K70 for 30 days)

Now you can get Indonesian entry stamp at the border, no need to go to immigration in Jayapura any more, or to pay any bribes as LP suggests!

Hope this helps someone

Regards

P.S. Just few days ago in Vanimo I got bad malaria (possibly from Bouganville), put Malarone on and it didn't work. So be warned that Malarone may not work. Next I tried the chinesse Artemether, which is available in PNG, worked perfectly.

Forgot to say; there is no longer immigration in Gizo, try to get stamped out in Noro. If not, try customs officer in Gizo and ask nicely.

In PNG we arrived to Port Moresby two weeks after entering Bouganville, went to international terminal at the airport and got stamped in in 5 minutes, no probs. Otherwise try Rabaul, Lae or Madang.

BTW there is a boat from Buka to Rabaul every Thursday for K155. However we flew to Moresby and then on to Tari 'cos there was this bloody marvelous special fare AirNuigini sale in April (all for about 1/3 of price).

Greetings from Sentani

were you taking Malarone everyday as prophylaxis or only after you got malaria as treatment? i'm going to the Solomons and trying to decide which prophylaxis to take. and i was leaning toward Malarone...

thanks! hope you feel better soon!

No prophylaxis, just as a treatment. I am spending in the tropics way too long for any prophylaxis

Videshi, I always use doxycycline (vibromycin) on trips less than 3 months. I don't have any side effects, and it kills anything else I might contract, as it is a broad spectrum antibiotic.

Hi,

only just found this but its very helpful - did you catch the bus to Tari from Mt Hagen - this is what i plan to do but would like to hear about someone else experience of it

Thanks,
Kim