Papua New Guinea used to be a land lost in time but not any more. It has been rushed through a process that has taken the Western world decades to grasp and we still mess it up. The computer age, cash economy and, worst yet, advertising is there to stay. But for a last glimpse at an enchantingly wild, strange tribal world, Melanesia and Papua New Guinea may be your last chance. Precautions and usual prevention of malaria is essential, as is good medi-vac insurance.
Major airlines connect via Asia and Australia.
Alex Smailes is a photojournalist with Corbis-Sygma agency. He has published stories for Geographical on the S Pacific, Asia and the Balkans. He has recently concentrated on the Caucasus region and resides half the year in the Caribbean.