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Papua New Guinea Things To Do

David towers above the locals - Papua New Guinea
David towers above the locals
by grets
Reviews and photos of Papua New Guinea attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Papua New Guinea sightseeing.
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The Huli Wigmen
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    • grets
  • By grets on July 3, 2004
  • Papua New Guinea Page by grets
    • Papua New Guinea Things To Do
    by grets
    One of the reasons for us coming to Papua New Guinea is to see the Huli Wigmen, and today we have the opportunity. These are young men who have chosen to be removed from the normal society for a period of up to 18 months during which time they grow their hair into elaborate styles. The wigmen are accompanied by a guru whose purpose it is to ease the hair into the right shape as it grows, ensure only the right food is eaten and that the growing ‘wig’ is being raised from the mat at night so as not be ruined by the pressure. Once the hair has grown to the required length and has been shaped accordingly, it is carefully shaved off as one complete wig, and then either sold or hired out for special occasions. The wigmen live outside the main part of the village as it would be considered inauspicious for the growth of the hair for the men to be seen by the ladies of the village. As foreigners, Helen, Leoni and myself are considered honorary men, and therefore don’t count! Without telephones to contact the wigmen, Mark has to shout across the valley for them to meet us at an appropriate place. The Wigmen are very proud and keen to be photographed. We take their address to send the photos on.

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    Inside the house
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  • By grets on July 3, 2004
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    • Great hospitality - Papua New Guinea
    Great hospitality
    by grets
    The door is low and the inside is dark and dingy. In the middle of the room the fire is burning fiercely, as before there is no chimney and the room is thick with smoke. I cannot help my persistent cough; I am embarrassed about my obvious discomfort from their hospitality. They notice my predicament and remove some logs from the fire, reducing the smoke considerably. 15 of us are crammed in to the small hut, all on benches around the walls, each one equally inquisitive about the others. The children sit there wide eyed and tongue tied, staring at the strange visitors in their midst. This is mostly Mark’s family and he laughingly tells us that the children will be the stars of the village for days on end after having had white men in their hut. It is such a magic moment that I will remember forever. The room is spartan, but by their standards, very up-market. Mark is a rich man, gauged by the fact that he has a separate building for his pigs, rather than them all living in with the family. Three small rooms are screened off behind the benches and act as the adults’ bedrooms. Mark is also a very modern man, preferring to live with his wives instead of sharing the men’s hut.

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    Tari
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  • By grets on July 3, 2004
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    • What a welcome! - Papua New Guinea
    What a welcome!
    by grets
    Tari is the main town in the area and the principal attarction are the people and their culture. The twon really is just an airstrip and a scattering of other buildings. The bank is now closed because is was robbed too often.

    The population of Tari is 900, and thy'd all turned out to see the airplane land.

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  • Address: In the Southern Highlands Province
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    The widows
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  • By grets on July 3, 2004
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    • Papua New Guinea Things To Do
    by grets
    At the village Mark takes us to visit the ‘widows’, young women whose husbands have been killed during clan warfare. For six months after their bereavement they live together for support, and then it’s time to look for a new husband. The family pay a lesser dowry for them the second time round, as they are now ‘second-hand’. Widows are fairly sought-after in the Huli society and they should have no trouble finding a new partner. The girls, who are both very young and carrying a small child in their arms, are wearing straw skirts, a scarf covering their heads and a top made from a loosely crocheted material.

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    Enter a "Haus Tambaran" (Spirit House)
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  • By jadedmuse on December 20, 2005
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    • A typical Haus Tambaran (Spirit House) - Papua New Guinea
    A typical Haus Tambaran
    (Spirit House)
    by jadedmuse
    I found this by far to be the most fascinating aspect of our trip down the Sepik River: entering the forbidden Spirit House or "Haus Tambaran" as the villagers call it.

    Each village has one, and basically it is the focal point of the male tribesmen...it is where they gather every day and where many of them sleep.

    It involves an important right of passage for the young male who, when he is ready to enter adulthood, enters the Haus Tambaran and doesn't come out until he's become "a man".

    This is the time when the boys' backs and arms are cut up and dirt packed into the skin to raise it during the healing process so that it scars...the marks are carefully carved (by an elder) to resemble the crocodile's leathery back. It is a tradition that celebrates the boy becoming a man.

    To symbolize this rebirth process, the boy climbs a staircase leading to an upper level within the Spirit House. At the top looms a huge wooden carving of a woman with her legs spread - so that as the boy reaches the top floor, he passes through the spread legs and thus is "reborn" a man.

    Women are not permitted to enter this sacred Spirit House - but they allowed us to take a peek inside and it was completely fascinating.

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  • Directions: Anywhere along the Sepik River
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    The people 5
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  • By grets on July 3, 2004
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    • Papua New Guinea Things To Do
    by grets
    PNG is a country of more than 700 languages - that accounts for 1/3 of the world's indigenous languages, but Pidgin is the second language to most. It is a fascinating language which has taken words from many others, such as German and English.

    Me = me
    You = yu
    All of us = yumi
    He/she/it = em
    They = ol
    To think = tinktink
    To forget = tinktink lusim
    Give = givim

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    Enjoy the Pristine Highlands Nature
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  • By jadedmuse on December 20, 2005
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    • The view is the reward - Papua New Guinea
    The view is the reward
    by jadedmuse
    Once you've crossed a rope suspension bridge or two (see my "off the beaten path" tips) it's inevitable that you'll come across a waterfall. There are several near the Ambua Lodge and other areas in the Highlands mountains....we stumbled upon streams, rivers and waterfalls and the foliage is prolific as a result of the cascading water.

    If you have the time, take a "nature walk" or hike along trails (usually with a guide), as it's worth it to see some of nature's majesty in its purest forms.

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  • Directions: Tari, in the PNG Highlands
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    War trenches
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  • By grets on July 3, 2004
  • Papua New Guinea Page by grets
    • Papua New Guinea Things To Do
    by grets
    Today’s walk is different from yesterday’s ramble. Now we are walking in deep war trenches indicating the demarcation between the various clans’ territories. Here and there are war graves, some very recent. I do hope we don’t get caught in the middle of one! Where there are no trenches, we amble along paths on meadows, through thick grass taller than us or giant bamboo. There is not much to see initially, but after a while we get out on more open land with wonderful views out over the valley. When Mary-Jane planned this walk with Harold (the guest relations officer), she took into consideration my bad chest and most of the walking is down-hill. The jungle is quite thick in places, but Mark tells us that not so long ago, this area was home to many villages that were burnt down during the clan wars. We stop for a while in a village, resting in the shade of a tree. The terrain becomes more challenging; this is sheer jungle with undulating land, streams to cross and very muddy paths

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    The people 2
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  • By grets on July 3, 2004
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    • David towers above the locals - Papua New Guinea
    David towers above the locals
    by grets
    We see the one and only shop for many miles, but there are few commodities on sale. Home made cigarettes rolled in newspapers are traded on the ground in the shade outside. Peter plays darts with a few other men, and wins a can of Coke. The main attraction here at the market today is us. Wherever we walk we have our own entourage of giggling children and inquisitive adults. They are all happy, even proud, to be photographed, and do not expect a payment in return. We do not feel threatened in any way, and I am pleased to say that everybody I have encountered so far has been very friendly.

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    Trekking
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  • By grets on July 3, 2004
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    • Papua New Guinea Things To Do
    by grets
    After lunch we take the Waterfall Walk with Peter Hobbs, one of the guides in the lodge. The start of the walk is tough, a steep ascent out of the hotel up to the main road. We then turn off the road into the forest where the walking becomes much easier and very pleasurable. Peter makes me a walking stick which improves my feeling of safety as we amble down the track to the river through the gorgeous montane rain forest.

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    More Papua New Guinea Tips
    Overview
         		Hotels and Accommodations
    Tips: 24 - Photos: 23
    Things To Do
    Tips: 57 - Photos: 62    		Nightlife
    Tips: 8 - Photos: 3
    Transportation
    Tips: 19 - Photos: 14    		Restaurants
    Tips: 10 - Photos: 13
    Shopping
    Tips: 5 - Photos: 5    		Off the Beaten Path
    Tips: 12 - Photos: 13
    Tourist Traps
    Tips: 7 - Photos: 4    		Warnings or Dangers
    Tips: 29 - Photos: 14
    Local Customs
    Tips: 32 - Photos: 32    		Packing Lists
    Tips: 8 - Photos: 12
    Sports Travel
    » Add a tip now    		General Tips
    Tips: 20 - Photos: 12
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