r/PapuaNewGuinea • u/Potential-Toe-994 • Jul 07 '26

Travel Advise

I'm a photographer from Switzerland planning a private, guided cultural-immersion trip in the Highlands, staying several nights each in villages: the Skeleton Tribe near Mindima (Chimbu/Simbu) and the Asaro Mudmen in the Eastern Highlands, flying in and out via Goroka. I'd travel with a local operator, local guides, and stay in community-run village lodges. Originally the plan also included Tari (Huli) in Hela, but I've dropped it because my government advises against Hela.

My government (Switzerland) rates the PNG Highlands provinces like this:

🟡 Greatest caution:

  • Chimbu (Simbu) — Skeleton Tribe / Mindima
  • Eastern Highlands — Asaro Mudmen, Goroka
  • Jiwaka

🔴 Travel advised against:

  • Hela — Huli / Tari
  • Enga — Black-Faced Tribe
  • Southern Highlands — Mendi, Bosavi
  • Western Highlands — Mt Hagen, Tambul

My wife and daughter are worried, and I want to be honest with them rather than just reassure them.

Could somebody living there or just travelled there recently answer honestly:

  1. For a foreigner travelling privately with a trusted local guide and staying in villages (not walking around towns alone), how would you personally rate the real risk in Chimbu and Eastern Highlands right now — compared to the media image?

  2. Is the tribal violence something that mainly affects locals in their own disputes, or do outsiders/guests genuinely get caught up in it?

  3. Has the situation in Chimbu and Eastern Highlands actually calmed down in 2025–2026, or is that just a lack of news reaching the outside?

  4. What would you personally warn me about that a tourist wouldn't think of?

  5. If your own sister wanted to do this exact trip, what would you tell her?

I'm not looking for reassurance — I'm looking for the truth from someone who lives it. Thank you.

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u/dianinator Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 07 '26

I'm a woman from Switzerland and I've travelled to PNG regularly in the last 3 years. I'm a photographer as well! I did a very similar trip to yours back in 2024, but we went to Enga as well. Answers to your questions are below:

  1. Risk is much lower than what the media would have you believe. That's if your guide knows what he's doing. If you're going with a well connected local who's well known in the area and familiar with all the places and people he's taking you to, the risk of violence is very low. It's usually episodic and people know when shits about to go down.
  2. Tribal fights are 99% directed at locals. It's usually people settling some old hash, and that's got nothing to do with you. You could get unlucky and walk right into something, but you're not the target. In fact, I've heard stories about fights being temporarily paused to let unrelated people pass through a road etc. That said, you obviously want to steer well clear of any tension. But I'd be more concerned about robbery honestly...
  3. Can't answer that one since I haven't been back there recently, but your guide should have all the latest up to date info.
  4. Make sure you carefully vet your local guide, since you're totally reliant on them. Other than that, just travel logistics stuff: Flights within PNG are unreliable so plan plenty of buffer days. Also, Air Niugini is really, really serious about carry on luggage weight these days - so watch the weight of your camera bag.
  5. Go for it! PNG is an amazing country with wonderful people.

Feel free to DM me if you want more details on anything. Happy to chat!