Papua New Guinea: A Land Like No Other 🇵🇬

When I discovered this fact, I was instantly hooked on Papua New Guinea (PNG): it has 15% of the world’s languages but just 1% of its population.

PNG ticked all the boxes for the kind of country I love to visit—few tourists, an adventurous reputation, a slight level of perceived danger, and a sense of the unknown. So, naturally, when Kieran and I were planning our big Asia trip, PNG had to be on the list.

The Highlands: A World of Ancient Tribes

For thousands of years, the isolated tribes of PNG’s Highlands lived completely untouched, protected by rugged mountain terrain that kept outside influences at bay. While coastal areas had contact with traders, the highland tribes remained in their own worlds, developing unique customs, traditions, and even distinct languages—which explains why PNG has over 850 different languages spoken today.

Then came the Europeans. The Germans and British were the first to colonize PNG, and in classic Spanish explorer logic, they named the region "Guinea" because the people reminded them of West Africans.

The "Dangerous" Reputation of PNG

Before I even set foot in Port Moresby, I had been bombarded with warnings:
💬 "Papua New Guinea? Isn’t that a dangerous place?"
💬 "You’re going to get robbed."
💬 "Aren’t there cannibals there?"

Like most people, I just assumed PNG was dangerous. But one thing I’ve learned from traveling to "dangerous" countries is that the reality rarely matches the fear-mongering.

When we landed in Port Moresby, I got the gut feeling that things weren’t going to be as bad as people said. What I didn’t realize at the time was that Papua New Guineans are some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met. The mix of genuine hospitality, vibrant tribal traditions, and an incredibly raw travel experience made PNG one of the most fascinating places I’ve ever explored.

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Bougainville: The Next Country on the Map?

Our next stop? Bougainville.

A tiny, seemingly random island—but one with a massive story.
Getting there wasn’t cheap. $500 return for a 1-hour flight. Why bother?

Well, Kieran’s slightly autistic superpower is finding hidden gems that are either unique or will perform insanely well on social media. He told me something that instantly sold me on the trip:

👉 Bougainville is set to become the newest country in the world by 2027.

A region that has been fighting for independence from Papua New Guinea for decades, Bougainville is on track to separate and form a completely new nation. This was the kind of raw, once-in-a-lifetime place we needed to experience before the world caught on.