Most visitors to Papua New Guinea enter the country through Port Moresby, a sleepy capital that often is described as one of the most dangerous capitals in the world. Although this might frighten some people from paying PNG a visit there are perfectly safe places in the vicinity of the capital where you can experience the hospitality of the Islanders. Just half an hour by boat from Port Moresby lies Fisherman’s Island, a peaceful community with a population of around 1,000 people. During our recent Papua New Guinea adventure we visited the island for a 2-day homestay with Joel and his family.
To get to the island you have to take a boat from the Koki Fish Market's harbor in Port Moresby, a trip that takes around 30 minutes. It is important to follow certain safety measures when traveling around in PNG, just to avoid taking any risks. Joel already had arranged the boat ride for us, and we were met at the port by one of the locals, who took us out to the island.
Fisherman's Island, also known as Daugo Island
Arriving at the island
Yuma making friends with a local dog
The islanders often keep their own pigs, and while most of them are caged some of them walk freely around.
We tagged along some of Joel's friends and relatives, and they kindly showed us around on the island.
Greg shows us an octopus they had caught the night before
Sea cucumber is big business on the island as they are sold at a high price to China to be used in Chinese medicine
Above: The new local church, recently founded by donations given by the people living on the island.
It is a very peaceful island where you are free to walk around by yourself and talk to the locals. Everyone knows everybody there, so it is very safe. But if you do, you’ll soon find yourself surrounded by a whole bunch of energetic children. “What’s your name?”, they ask. At the school the kids are taught in English, so they know how to speak some basic sentences. And they are very curious and happy when there are visitors from the outside. My darling Yuma soon found himself the superstar of the day, with a group of kids who wanted to hold his hand and guide him around. No smartphones or video games here; when there’s a holiday the kids are just playing sports and fooling around.
Yuma, in the middle, getting guided around by the local kids
We stayed with Joel's family for two nights and got to take part in their everyday life. It is also possible to visit the island as a day trip from Port Moresby, but if you want to indulge yourself into the islander lifestyle it could be fun to stay there for a night or two. Just note that there is no water pipe going to the island, so bathing facilities are limited.
An example of the lunch you can get served on the island. The home cooking here was really delicious!
Joel and his family are open to visitors who want to do a homestay on the island. If you are interested in a truly unique memory from your trip to PNG you can contact him directly about possible stay dates.
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or comments feel free to let me know if the comment section below.- Anette
About Anette
Anette came to Japan as an exchange student in 2010, met the love of her life and got stuck. From her base in Tokyo she writes about her experiences as a full-time worker in Tokyo and about her travels in Japan and abroad. She's a free-spirited adventurer who enjoys both the great outdoors and her urban lifestyle.
Papua New Guinea: Homestay at Fisherman’s Island
Reviewed by Anette
on
11:53:00 AM
Rating: 5
A modern-day shield-maiden who loves to explore the unbeaten paths of the world. From her base in Tokyo, Anette takes on both rural and urban challenges, and on her path, she has overcome anything from natural wilderness and cultural barriers to commuting in overcrowded Tokyo trains.
Life is too short to be stuck on one page, and this mindset reflects the diversity of Anette’s blog. Besides being a career woman she is also a globetrotter, with 39 countries and counting. No challenge too big, no adventure too small!
A modern day shield-maiden who loves to explore the unbeaten paths of the world. From her base in Tokyo, Anette takes on both rural and urban challenges, and goes by the motto "No challenge too big, no adventure too small"! ・Read more →
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