Now that I got a chance to give a littletaste of a cruise from the inside,
LETS LET THE JOURNEY BEGIN!
Our 1st stop - ALOTAU!
After a day and a half at sea from Australia, we arrived to the ALOTAU!! (the capital of Milne Bay Province, which is south-east of Papa New Guinea). This is usually the first stop for most cruise itineraries to Papua New Guinea.
There's so much to see and do and see in Alotau! We had about 10 hours to explore this destination until we had to get back on board the ship. The harbour was beautiful, the atmosphere- so relaxed, locals were very welcoming and friendly, and so much natural beauty around! Furthermore, it is also enriched with old cultures and traditions and has its history fame from being the site for the battle of Milne Bay, in 1942 (where the Japanese forces suffered their first loss in WWII at the hands of American and Australian troops that were stationed there)source. Apparently there are little remains from that time, due to the environment which has grown over much of the battlefields and returned sites back to their natural state.
Once you get off the ship you can either take a short walk to the town marketplace or choose from many local bus tours nearby that take you to whatever experience to prefer - from emphasising on history tour at the war memorial/ tasting fresh fruit and vegetables at the local markets/ visiting local villages.
I was really looking forward to visit a local village and learn about their daily life and interesting culture and traditions. I always love getting a chance to chat with locals and to get an authentic perspective on their local life!
We found a local 15 seater mini bus tour of the town that would take us to one of the remote villages. A 30 minute drive on unsealed and bumpy roads while passing through old and new towns, markets and the beautiful nature around:
Stopping at a Local Market:
After a few stops we continued driving until our bus pulled off the main road and went up a dirt track amongst many trees. It stopped and dropped us off there.
Once we all got out of the minibus it was very quiet.... as if the place was deserted... But suddenly, we found ourselves being ambushed by about 20 local villagers in their cultural clothing (feathers mostly)- running towards us from every direction, yelling from all around (from bushes, trees etc..) with spears and drums! I felt as if I was in a movie! LOL!! They hid so well all around us and we hadn't even noticed until we heard them yelling, and 2 seconds later coming face to face with us! Of course, it was all part of their 'greeting' ceremony, but it definitely gave a little scare to a few of the visitors!
They ended it with a little traditional dance and their leader, which was very nice and welcoming, spoke fluent English and invited us into their village. Since cannibalism was part of PNG culture until not too long ago, he also jokingly assured us that we will not be eaten once we come inside :)
There were many women and children of all ages. All were dressed with their traditional clothing - skirts and feathers. They all greeted us very kindly and we were led into a big hut where we enjoyed a few cultural dances/performances
The children got face painted (which was very itchy after a few minutes so we had to rub off)
Then we were taken to see the rest of the local village. It was such a beautiful and peaceful place!
Of course, very simple and basic living, in the forest - all hand made from local trees and food from plants around.
We heard more stories of their daily life in the village, and took a walk through the village garden where we got a demonstration of their planting techniques, traditional weaving techniques used for baskets, accessories, and skirts
A few Tips:
-The currency used in Alotau is the PNG Kina (1 AUD is about 2 Kina)
-Since Papa New Guinea is located right on the equator it is hot and humid throughout the year, with temperatures ranging from 25 to 30 degrees during the day.
Its advisable to dress in light, comfortable clothing and shoes/ sandals and a hat. It is also advised that women dress conservatively and to wear shorts or skirts to at least knee length.
-Don't forget to bring bottled water, sunscreen and insect repellent.
HOPE YOU ENJOYED!
And as for our second stop and ADVENTURE....
KITAVA ISLAND!
TO BE CONTINUED.... :)
HAVE A GREAT WEEK!
-All pictures are mine and original, taken on my Galaxy S7 phone-
Have a great week!
Much Love ❤️
@Cooknbake
