Papua New Guinea, Goroka Show & Tribal Lands

Planet

This tour travels through some remote regions and we strongly believe in maintaining their pristine nature. We strive to ensure that we leave these areas as we find them and our team have been trained in strict no litter policies, meaning that we take all refuse to either be recycled or properly disposed of in nearby towns, and don't over burden local villages with western litter.

In conjunction with our local team we work with hotels and guesthouses to implement best practices when it comes to environmental matters – again in some places this is far behind what we might be used to in other parts of the world. This includes basic things like not replacing towels each day, as well as saving electricity and turning lights off.

Our travelers are specifically briefed on not to buy souvenirs made from endangered species – people in Papua New Guinea do not always have the same respect towards wildlife as most travelers will have, and can sometimes offer such things for sale.

People

As with many of the trips that we offer, this tour has a strong focus on local culture and different ethnic groups. Where possible we try to ensure that local people benefit from our presence.

We recognise that we have a special responsibility to conduct our trips in a sensitive and responsible manner, and not to contribute to any degradation of local culture. It is very important that village visits are carried out sensitively and local people do not feel as if they are being ‘invaded’ or treated as exhibits.

By virtue of our small group sizes (maximum 12, but more typically 7-10) we visit these villages on a more equal basis than would be the case if we were a group of 25 people. We consult with tribal elders to make sure that our presence is welcomed, and always make use of a local guide from the particular village or ethnic group that we visit, to ensure that there is financial benefit to the local community. We do not encourage our travelers to give gifts to children but rather advise that they channel any donations or gifts through the elders, who can ensure that they are distributed appropriately.

Travelers are briefed extensively on appropriate behaviour within the villages to ensure that we do not unwittingly cause offence.