Walindi Plantation Resort, New Britain Island, Papua New Guinea

Advantages: Stunningly beautiful, friendly English speaking people
Disadvantages: Dangerous, unless you follow stringent rules.

...isn't overbearing. The hotel is on the side of a hill and has some fascinating multi-level architecture which gives it a warm homely atmosphere. In the evening on one of the half-levels beside the large stairway, a pianist plays very soothing music. It is not crowded with strangers, you have your own security card which lets you up to from your room to the public areas above. On my last stay, I decided to go further afield and booked a stay at neighbouring Lalaouta Island.I planned two night but unfortunately the second night was privately booked by the French owner to celebrate his 50th birthday with friends and family. Nevertheless I loved my one day and night there. Transport was provided free by the island Resort from all the P.Morsby hotels to the jetty followed by a 20 minute boat ride to the island. Comfortable wooden cabins... Read review

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Advantages: Pristine rainforest and beaches, amazing diving, welcoming locals
Disadvantages: Not for those who cannot make their own entertainment

...Sitting on a roof-top veranda and gazing out towards the reef where punishing rips and currents swirl, I thought how fortunate I had been to arrive in Samoa on a comfortable airliner instead of by the rickety boats made of palm trees used by the first Polynesian settlers to arrive here. Yet in many ways, the islands that make up Samoa (Independent Samoa) are little changed since those settlers arrived some 2000 years ago as part of a migration of humans across the Pacific from the Philippines and Papua New Guinea to Tahiti and Easter Island. Samoa is still largely covered by pristine, impenetrable rainforest and in the first place I stayed I was lucky enough to be high on a hilltop overlooking the forest on the island of Upolu, one of Samoa's two main islands. Cloud 9 Eco-lodge is a quiet family home situated amongst coconut groves... Read review

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Advantages: Brilliant experience, unforgettable taste of a culture very different from my own.
Disadvantages: High crime rate in the capital city.

...If you are looking for an intense cultural experience, a taste of a world very different from your own, you can't go past a visit to Papua New Guinea. From the dense tropical rain forests of the highlands to the beautiful palm fringed islands, it is a land whose natural beauty is only surpassed by the variety and colour of the people who live there. I lived in Papua New Guinea for about six months a few years ago, and I have to say out of all my travels this is the place that affected me the most. I mainly stayed in a little group of islands called the Trobriands, in the Milne Bay Province. 'The Trobes' (as they are affectionately known as) are gorgeous - picture the most idyllic island paradise you can think of and you'll be pretty close. Altogether they have a population of less than 30,000 people, and at the time I was there only... Read review

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