These days the term "trek" is commonly used to describe a series
of day hikes from point to point. Trekking is a hugely popular activity
for visitors to Papua New Guinea because of the varied scenery, unique
wildlife and the opportunity to meet village people in remote areas. Trekking
allows you to absorb the nature and culture of PNG in situ, and
the people you meet along the way will invariably be friendly and pleased
to see you. As you pass through villages you will be invited into people's
homes, given local food to try and treated to some colourful cultural
education if you happen to be around during special occasions. You may
even receive a marriage proposal :)
Exploring Papua New Guinea on foot is a scintillating experience. There is a wide range of walking difficulty levels available from flat, cleared walking trails to fighting your way uphill through thick jungle. My favourite is the half-day hike from Ononge to Woitape in Central Province (photo top left), because it's all downhill !
Other
variations on the hiking theme are beachcombing
and mountain climbing,
and the most popular trek is the Kokoda
Track which is a mecca for Australian trekkers due to its historical
significance.
Most trekkable land in PNG is communally owned by clans, unlike in developed countries where most land is owned by the state or by private individuals. In PNG, visitors need to be careful to ensure that they stick to walking areas where permission has been given for tourists to traverse. This may mean keeping to defined walking tracks unless you can make special arrangements with landowners to pass through other areas. This is not just for reasons of politeness ... some tribes have spiritual beliefs that designate certain areas of land as "tabu for males" or "tabu for females", or "tabu for outsiders" and they believe that bad things may happen (eg the yam harvest will be spoiled) if somebody strays into a tabu area.
There are several good reasons to take an organised trek with a guide. One reason is to help ensure you don't end up in a tabu place where your presence may offend somebody. A guide will help you communicate with local people you meet along the way, and explain your presence. A guide will also keep you company, steer you away from creepy-crawlies, and carry you out if you break your leg :) ....... (If you're big, you'll need two guides!). Ecotourism Melanesia offers a range of guided trek-tours inclusive of airfares, transit and on-trek accommodation, camping equipment, tropical first aid kit, itinerary monitoring and airport pickup. Here is a selection of our organised treks:
Tour
EM07 Mt Masur Sanctuary Trek (Madang Province) 5 days 4 nights
Includes 3 days hiking in the Mt Masur area of the Adelbert Range,
overnighting in villages. Excellent flora and fauna viewing, birds of
paradise etc.
Tour
EM09 Woitape Valley Trek (Central Province) 3 days 2 nights
A weekend tour comprising 2 x day-hikes in the foothills of the Owen
Stanley Ranges. Accommodation at Woitape Mountain Lodge.
Tour
EM10c Walk the Kokoda Track 8 days 7 nights
Our popular Kokoda trek including one night at Kokoda Lodge and six
nights in village guest huts along the trail. All food, equipment, guide
and porters supplied - walk alone with a guide or join a group.
Tour
EM15 Tufi Trekking (Oro Province) 8 days 7 nights
Stay in
beautiful coastal villages as you take a number of half and full-day hikes
along the coast followed by an overnight trek across the Tufi Peninsula.
Tour
EM18 Daga District Trek (Milne Bay Province) 8 days 7 nights
A new guided
trek to a very remote area that very few tourists have visited. Follows
a circular route beginning at Agaun airstrip, overnighting with families
in 7 different villages. Spectacular mountain scenery, isolated hill tribes.
No technical climbing.
Tour EM19 Climb
Mt Wilhelm (Chimbu Province) - 4 days 3 nights
A non-technical
climb but requires above average physical fitness due to altitude issues.
1 night Kundiawa town, 2 nights Betty's Lodge at base camp
Tour EM20 Walk the Sir Pita Lus Track from Goroka (Eastern Highlands)
to Brahman (Madang Province) - 4 days 3 nights
Overnight
at Akameku village outside Goroka town and make an early start next morning
for 3 days walking through virgin forest with birds of paradise galore.
Vehicle transfer from Brahman down to Madang town. NB Tours EM19 and EM20
are easily combined.
We can also arranged customised treks. It is possible to hike in virtually every province of PNG. However, there are a few areas where hiking has become risky due to deteriorating law-and-order situations, such as the Southern Highlands and our tours steer well clear of these places.
| ARTICLES ON HIKING & TREKKING IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA | A trek from Pomio to Navu |
| *Published in "Paradise", the in-flight magazine of Air Niugini | |
| Discovering the historic Bulldog trail (Wau to Kakoro) | |
| Up and down the Gorge - trekking to from Lake Kopiago to Oksapmin | |
