Vanuatu or Papua New Guinea

Hey,

I have one weeks holidays in early august and im trying to toss up where to go on my holidays. Im thinking of going somewhere slightly off the beaten track and have started thinking about Vanuatu or Papua. I dont know too much about either to be honest so I was hoping for a bit of advice from some wiser heads:

What are the unmissables in both countries for anyone who has been there?

Is there much to recommend Vanuatu if you are a solo independent traveller?

Is Papua a safe place to travel?

I only have a week so I was wondering what the transport infrastructure is like, esp in Papua.

Will the weather be good at that time of the year or is it monsoon season?

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

I can't speak for PNG but I had a ball as an independent traveller in Vanuatu. So many of the islands are not properly covered in guidebooks that you do feel off the beaten track.

I found plane connections to main islands reliable, from where you can get boats/trucks etc easily just by talking to people.

Have a look at this site for inspiration about community-run bungalows to stay in: http://www.positiveearth.org/bungalows/explorer.htm

thanks tinydog that's a helpful website