Ecotourism Melanesia
Ecotourism Melanesia
4.5
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About
Ecotourism Melanesia is a local tour operator based in Port Moresby for the past 15 years. The company offers a range of multi-day tours around PNG and a selection of day trips in the Port Moresby and Sogeri areas. Some of our day trips are suitable for cruise ship shore excursions. All our excursions are private tours operating on demand only – sorry we don’t operate scheduled tours sold on per-seat basis due to the low number of visitors.
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4.5
11 reviews
Excellent
7
Very good
2
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
1
Hammer13
Melbourne, Australia203 contributions
Mar. 2020 • Solo
The person that gave us five stars previously must’ve been drunk this to is nowhere near value for money for what you pay for it whoopy So you get to see Parliament house and you get to see the museum and the fish 🎣 market Big deal all these things you can do by yourself add a much less cost would not recommend this waste of money to anybody
Written 14 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Caspian
Canberra, Australia82 contributions
Feb. 2020 • Solo
There’s very little tourist reviews about anything around Port Moresby. So I was a bit nervous about my visit at first.
That said, I hope this review will give you adventures junkies peace of mind.
The tour with Ecotourism was terrific, I did a tour around the WW2 sites and the guide Wesley was magnificent. He was even happy to amend the itinerary on the go and squeezed in some great local visits such as the animal’s sanctuary.
Along the roads up to the mountain I felt safe and enjoyed meeting all the locals with my guide. The adventures up to Owens Corner and down the Kakoda track was amazing, highly recommend seeing that part of the world.
If you’re looking for a safe reliable tour company. Ecotourism Melanesia has you covered
That said, I hope this review will give you adventures junkies peace of mind.
The tour with Ecotourism was terrific, I did a tour around the WW2 sites and the guide Wesley was magnificent. He was even happy to amend the itinerary on the go and squeezed in some great local visits such as the animal’s sanctuary.
Along the roads up to the mountain I felt safe and enjoyed meeting all the locals with my guide. The adventures up to Owens Corner and down the Kakoda track was amazing, highly recommend seeing that part of the world.
If you’re looking for a safe reliable tour company. Ecotourism Melanesia has you covered
Written 19 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
b80126
Adelaide, Australia9 contributions
Jan. 2020 • Friends
I cannot say enough about our short time in PNG with Ecotourism Melanesia. From communication and booking with Aaron many months in advance, to being on ground with Wes and Andy, the experience was amazing. Timely, accurate and well worth value. Be sure to check out Ecotourism Melanesia for your Papua New Guinea needs!
Written 28 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michelle B
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia5 contributions
Nov. 2019
My boyfriend and I went on the Sogeri Jungle Village Trip tour with Ecotourism Melanesia in November 2019. We only had two days, so we were picked up from the airport at 7am, and drove directly to the village. On the second day we went on a long hike (we were supposed to see a WWII plane, but didn’t make it – more below) and then returned to Port Moresby by about 5pm. We paid $540 per person for this trip, and were told it was a discount from the normal $800.
If you are looking for a very typical / traditional village experience, this was perfect. There were certainly no other tourists, and the village had only accommodated a few tourists before us. There were no staged dances. We ate the local food (lots of bananas, pineapples and yucas) and slept on the floor in a spare hut in the village. The driver was incredibly kind and showed us around Port Moresby on the way. T his was the most genuine local experience I have ever had in my travels.
That said, there were absolutely no tourist facilities. We didn’t have access to soap, running water or hand sanitizer, nor were we told to bring our own. There were lots of insects and no mosquito nets. We were told that the hike would be 5 hours round-trip, but after 3 hours of hiking the guide told us that the hike would be an additional 30 minutes to 2 hours just to get to our destination (thus a 7-10 hour round-trip). He also revealed that he had never done the hike in one day before. The host family is incredible kind, but clearly don’t have any tourism training. All facilities are very basic – I fell during the hike and was bleeding for hours because there was no first aid kit. (We left ours behind because we were just going for the day.) The owner lives in Australia, and it seems that he hasn’t done the hikes that he is selling, so he cannot properly represent them. We were promised a number of things in the description of the tour (guest house, market visit, school visit, etc) that just didn’t happen.
This is a very unique experience, and some people might enjoy it, but for me it wasn't worth the price paid. I have done tours in Africa, Asia, and other Pacific Islands and stayed in other basic accommodations, but this was by far the most basic and least prepared for tourists.
If you are looking for a very typical / traditional village experience, this was perfect. There were certainly no other tourists, and the village had only accommodated a few tourists before us. There were no staged dances. We ate the local food (lots of bananas, pineapples and yucas) and slept on the floor in a spare hut in the village. The driver was incredibly kind and showed us around Port Moresby on the way. T his was the most genuine local experience I have ever had in my travels.
That said, there were absolutely no tourist facilities. We didn’t have access to soap, running water or hand sanitizer, nor were we told to bring our own. There were lots of insects and no mosquito nets. We were told that the hike would be 5 hours round-trip, but after 3 hours of hiking the guide told us that the hike would be an additional 30 minutes to 2 hours just to get to our destination (thus a 7-10 hour round-trip). He also revealed that he had never done the hike in one day before. The host family is incredible kind, but clearly don’t have any tourism training. All facilities are very basic – I fell during the hike and was bleeding for hours because there was no first aid kit. (We left ours behind because we were just going for the day.) The owner lives in Australia, and it seems that he hasn’t done the hikes that he is selling, so he cannot properly represent them. We were promised a number of things in the description of the tour (guest house, market visit, school visit, etc) that just didn’t happen.
This is a very unique experience, and some people might enjoy it, but for me it wasn't worth the price paid. I have done tours in Africa, Asia, and other Pacific Islands and stayed in other basic accommodations, but this was by far the most basic and least prepared for tourists.
Written 20 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marina K
Chicago, United States20 contributions
Oct. 2019
We had a private tour with Parlament house and Museum visit, visiting the fish market and fisherman village, local markets. Give enough time for the museum - it is stunning! Do no miss the insect collection in the parlament house! World war two american planes are on display in the museum yard. For us the highlight of the city was the museum! There is also an about 45 minutes ride away a great National park! Worth checking! The road, waterfalls, scenary is unbelivble, The park is wonderful! The slopes of vulcanic rocks and cycades are priceless!
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Written 5 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wombat60
Melbourne, Australia3 contributions
May 2019
If you want someone to organise an off the beaten track trip in PNG, Ecotourism Melanesia can probably do it very well. I wanted to travel to the island where my father was based in WW 2, but it was extremely off the tourist route. After I explained what I wanted to do, Aaron suggested an itinerary, and then made the arrangements through local representatives.
Because of difficulties in communication (e.g a cyclone had damaged phone and internet access), things didn’t always go completely as planned, but arrangements were always in place to solve any issues. Even though the food and accommodation were basic, I had known this would be the situation. I always felt safe and that problems would be sorted. The pre-departure information, itinerary and local reps were great.
Because of difficulties in communication (e.g a cyclone had damaged phone and internet access), things didn’t always go completely as planned, but arrangements were always in place to solve any issues. Even though the food and accommodation were basic, I had known this would be the situation. I always felt safe and that problems would be sorted. The pre-departure information, itinerary and local reps were great.
Written 11 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark P
4 contributions
Sep. 2018 • Friends
Aaron,
I'm writing this on the plane at Weiwak, appropriately delayed by over an hour, waiting for take off.
Thank you so much for a truly first class trip. From the moment Hugo met Natalie and I at Port Moresby, the service was great. The trip was a wonderful introduction to PNG.
We really appreciated that nothing is easy in PNG. Whilst the roads were awful, the river travel was great. At every stage Espinol was there to ease the path ahead and I am well aware that Ecotourism Melanesia bore all the stress to leave us only to worry about enjoying the experience and ptotecting ourselves against the mosquitoes.
Everybody played their part. Espinol especially but so many in Simbai, including the wonderful Dickson, and on the Sepik River stage of the trip James and Glynn.
I suspect the most unexpected part of the unexpected expectations was the night canoe trip to James' village as a result of the plane delays. He explained that he had never made this trip at night with tourists before...
But it was handled very well and nobody felt phased once we got under way.
Every bit of information you sent us was to the point. We appreciated the warning about the cruel and public killing of the pigs at one festival. Nonetheless there was something very honest about the process. Only vegetarians have any entitlement to righteous indignation.
The most uncomfortable part of the journey was the mosquitoes on the last few days and I'm sorry but I will never get used to sago or Mu Mu! The addition of some Italian spices may have made it a little more appealing.. But not a lot. However the food provided to us tourists was delicious and we were able to sample the local food without embarassment.
It's also worth saying that the group we travelled with was, without exception, lovely.
Thanks to you and all of your team and the people of PNG for a truly wonderful experience. No thanks to the government for its neglect of the infrastructure and needs of its peoples basic needs. I'm sure the protection of PNGs heritage is compatable with infrastructure development by its amazingly resourceful population.
All the very best for you and ecotourism melanesia.
I'm writing this on the plane at Weiwak, appropriately delayed by over an hour, waiting for take off.
Thank you so much for a truly first class trip. From the moment Hugo met Natalie and I at Port Moresby, the service was great. The trip was a wonderful introduction to PNG.
We really appreciated that nothing is easy in PNG. Whilst the roads were awful, the river travel was great. At every stage Espinol was there to ease the path ahead and I am well aware that Ecotourism Melanesia bore all the stress to leave us only to worry about enjoying the experience and ptotecting ourselves against the mosquitoes.
Everybody played their part. Espinol especially but so many in Simbai, including the wonderful Dickson, and on the Sepik River stage of the trip James and Glynn.
I suspect the most unexpected part of the unexpected expectations was the night canoe trip to James' village as a result of the plane delays. He explained that he had never made this trip at night with tourists before...
But it was handled very well and nobody felt phased once we got under way.
Every bit of information you sent us was to the point. We appreciated the warning about the cruel and public killing of the pigs at one festival. Nonetheless there was something very honest about the process. Only vegetarians have any entitlement to righteous indignation.
The most uncomfortable part of the journey was the mosquitoes on the last few days and I'm sorry but I will never get used to sago or Mu Mu! The addition of some Italian spices may have made it a little more appealing.. But not a lot. However the food provided to us tourists was delicious and we were able to sample the local food without embarassment.
It's also worth saying that the group we travelled with was, without exception, lovely.
Thanks to you and all of your team and the people of PNG for a truly wonderful experience. No thanks to the government for its neglect of the infrastructure and needs of its peoples basic needs. I'm sure the protection of PNGs heritage is compatable with infrastructure development by its amazingly resourceful population.
All the very best for you and ecotourism melanesia.
Written 10 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lorenzo
Lausanne, Switzerland12 contributions
Aug. 2018 • Couples
When I decided to go to PNG, with my partner and my daughter, I really wanted to travel with a trustful and reliable travel agent. I chose Ecotourism Melanesia because they were ready to organize a custom trip for me (5 days trek in the jungle in a new area, far from tourists) and for my daughter (1 week kitesurf in a village without accomodation infrastructure and... zero foreigners!). My major concern was safety, especially for my daughter who was going to spend a full week kitesurfing alone in Hula.
Aaron Hayes, the Ecotourism Melanesia Manager fully understood my request and organized a customez, amazing tour! Both trips were a life experinece for me & my partner (the jungle trek) and my daughter (the kitesurf in Hula).
PNG has bad reputation in terms of safety, but, as soon as you get out from Port Moresby, it is an amazing country with fantastic, friendly and generous people! We always felt safe and fully supported by Ecotourism Melanesia who never hesitated to make extra miles to make our stay unforgettable!
Thank you Aaron and the whole Ecotourism Melanesia team!
Aaron Hayes, the Ecotourism Melanesia Manager fully understood my request and organized a customez, amazing tour! Both trips were a life experinece for me & my partner (the jungle trek) and my daughter (the kitesurf in Hula).
PNG has bad reputation in terms of safety, but, as soon as you get out from Port Moresby, it is an amazing country with fantastic, friendly and generous people! We always felt safe and fully supported by Ecotourism Melanesia who never hesitated to make extra miles to make our stay unforgettable!
Thank you Aaron and the whole Ecotourism Melanesia team!
Written 4 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nick H
1 contribution
Sep. 2018 • Solo
Too much happened during my short one week trip, but the best way to sum up my visit to PNG with Ecotourism Melanesia is always be prepared for the unexpected. Even if you have an itinerary expect delays or changes and try to enjoy what you are able to experience. Try not to think too much about why it is so expensive to travel in PNG, as it will not make any sense to you. This is not a country for shoestring travellers and travelling solo will cost you a lot. It is however amazing that so many locals can speak English, even in the remote areas, so talk to the people, as they are the best form of information. I wouldn't recommend the day tours, as there is too much driving on bad roads with only limited time at your destination. Instead, get yourself out into the countryside or mountains and meet the people and see how they live. And if you can afford it go for at least two to three weeks so you can diversify your plans.
Written 4 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Victoria B
1 contribution
Dec. 2018 • Solo
My trek was beyond amazing. Andrew & Honey we’re the perfect guides - caring and endlessly patient, knowledgeable and funny. I was an inexperienced trekker & went alone so as not to delay others. I cannot therefore measure very accurately how difficult it was though certainly a challenge and incredibly rewarding. I met beautiful people, ate delicious food, swam in rivers and slept (totally exhausted) in some unusual places. Absolutely I shall do it again. Just trying to work out when. A big thank you to everyone.
Written 2 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Philip R.
Vienna, Austria7 contributions
Hello,
we are interested in the Port Moresby whole day Tour and the one day Jungle Tour on 23 and 24 November. However, we are only two people and both trips are pretty expensive, considering that we are only two. Is it possible to merge with another group?
Thank you and best,
Philip
PNG_Travel_Geek
Cairns, Australia433 contributions
Unfortunately we have no other bookings on these dates.
ktho2318
Port Macquarie, Australia40 contributions
My brother visited The Trobriand Islands during the war and always told me that they were the most beautiful place on Earth. (he was then installing RAAF IFF beacons). Do you have any suggestions for visiting there for a few days? Are there health problems?
PNG_Travel_Geek
Cairns, Australia433 contributions
Culturally speaking its a very interesting place but the main island Kiriwina is not really a tropical paradise its quite dry and most of the coastline is mangroves and mud flats. The smaller outer islands are very pretty (beach and palm tree stuff) and these are the ones your brother probably visited during the war courtesy of military transport. These days the small remote islands are almost impossible to visit without a risky journey in a small boat which we don't offer. Health issues on Kiriwina - just the usual malaria and runny poo if you drink water that doesn't agree with you. We offer a package trip to the Trobriand Islands main island Kiriwina for 2, 3 or 4 nights.