Young Pioneer Tours are pleased to announce the first homestay in Mount Hagen, Papua New Guinea in conjunction with our partners in the area.
Due to safety aspects homestays in Papua New Guinea are a relative rarity, which is a real shame as it offers one of the best ways to truly sample the local culture. Therefore in conjunction with our partners in Kauga Munum tribe we have designed the perfect homestead experience, with it being action packed, authentic and most importantly safe.
Where is the Mount Hagen homestay?
The actual location of our homestay is about one hour, or so from Mount Hagen town and airport. Point Village of the Kauga Munum tribe is located in Jiwaka Province on the border of Western Highlands Province.
Up in the mountains of Papua New Guinea this is truly a breathtakingly beautiful spot, with great views, wildlife and regular sightings of the Bird of Paradise. This makes this experience perfect for birdwatchers and nature lovers.
What can I expect from the homestay in Mount Hagen
When you join our Mount Hagen homestay you can expect things to be very rough and ready, with this not being for the faint hearted. Accommodation is comfortable, but basic, with you sleeping in the traditional houses.
There is also no mains electricity within the village (although there is on the main road), with what limited power there is being provided by generator. This will at least ensure you have enough to charge cameras and phones. There is obviously no Wi-Fi, but there is enough cell coverage to be able to send e-mails photos, and as I have previously managed Facebook live!
https://www.youtube.com/live/0ZMLPIrSf80?si=j_-Vev9nYQys_Lj0
Fish water comes directly from the ground, or “the bush” and is enough to keep you hydrated and clean.
What will I do on the Mount Hagen homestay?
This has been setup so you can do essentially as much, or as little as you like. The people of the village are extremely friendly towards guests, which is exactly what they will view you as.
With the area boasting such amazing scenery guided hikes, treks and bird watching trips can be arranged, with there also being other options for those who really want to get involved.
For those interested we can arrange for you to go hunting with the tribe, which will include all aspects of how the animals are caught killed and taken home.
With farming also being a huge part of how people live here, we will also show you how this is done, with jumping in to help being optional. We will though at least introduce you to everything that is grown here and how it is done.
All meals from breakfast to lunch and dinner will be prepared from local ingredients, with us also being able to offer a cooking class for people interested in learning how to cook highland cuisine.
How you can directly help the people
Young Pioneer Tours have worked with the same tribe within the country since 2017 and have seen just how much help the money we have provided has been to the village.
After discussing the needs of the village and knowing how friendly the people are we came up with the idea of offering a homestay here. The duality of this is that we feel it will offer a truly unique and authentic experience, but also that the vast majority of what you pay will go directly to the tribe and village.
Currently the village are trying to raise enough money to be able to connect themselves to the power grid. This will not only help with the overall standard of living, but will reduce energy costs, be greener and help improve the education and thus opportunities of the local children.
How long does it last and how much does it cost?
YPT charge a small processing fee, as well as for your expenses in Port Moresby and getting you to and from the village. After this we have a recommended minimum donation amount, which is given directly to the village at a ceremonial feast at the end of your trip.
How long you stay for depends greatly on you, but we suggest a minimum of 2 nights, 3 days, with the optimum time being 4 nights, 5 days, or a week, We can though of course arrange for longer homestays at the village.
YPT are currently working on a group homestay tour this January, with us being able to arrange bespoke homestays in Mount Hagen throughout the year.
Click the link to see our full list of group and independent tours to Papua New Guinea.
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