Papua New Guinea

The wrecks of World War II

The island of New Guinea was a setting for bloody battles between the Japanese and the allied forces (mostly Australians and Americans). A weird legacy of the war is "wreck tourism" - the latest example being a mummified Japanese fighter pilot hanging from his parachute by the popular hiking route of Kokoda track.

The best-preserved wrecks are the ones underwater and even by snorkeling you can see WWII fighters on the bottom of the coastal waters. Internet has pages by aficionados who have even dug out the identities of these pilots. Until the last few years you could find planes, heavy machine guns or even bombs gathering moss in the jungle, but these days the locals have recycled the wrecks. In the villages you may find odd memorabilia and purchase, for example, a gas mask left in the jungle for decades.

www.pacificwrecks.com

Voluntary work in the jungle

Voluntary work is one of the best ways to get to know foreign cultures and, at the same time, accomplish something concrete that makes the world even a better place. The idea is to create grassroots contacts and an understanding between people belonging to different nationalities, cultures and religions. Organisations who structure the voluntary work are non-profit, but the volunteers will often have to pay a fee to take part.

Papua New Guinea is one of the poorest, corrupt and unsafe countries in its region. There are many different organisations working in the area, but Madventures is interested in jungle conditions and would place its trust in Trekforce, British expedition professionals. Trekforce projects concentrate on villages of Morobe highlands, and every stint working there includes jungle training. The work in these projects takes from two weeks to five months.

www.trekforce.org.uk/expeditions/papua_new_guinea.htm

The best jungle guide in Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea's bad reputation has wreaked havoc on local tourism. Package tours to the most popular sites are available, but for the independent traveller, PNG is a challenging destination.

If you want to travel outside the tourist trails, Madventures recommends hiring a guide. The best one in the country is a man called Sam Ifid, a former officer who has traversed the whole of PNG during his military career. Sam knows the jungles; he is very cultured; pleasant; and speaks good English.

Sam lives close to Lae in a village called Gabensis. You can phone him on +675-72961895 or +675-6773295. Alternatively, you can reach him through Trekforce.

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Episode Guide: Papua New Guinea