Travel with Theo's Guide experience

On my immediate left, I’m standing by a traditional, white, European statue of the Virgin Mary. On my far left are the upper ridges of the Adelberts. Out over the lower ridges of the Adelberts and across the Vitiaz Strait, I can see the peak of Mt. Konigoi, the dormant volcano on Karkar Island, just above a collar of clouds. On my far right lies the Madang Harbour. I recognize islands from the Saturday morning kayaking I do with my friends: Pig, Little Pig, Long, and a finger of Krangket.

I am enjoying this spacious view from Halopa Station, to which six other expatriate friends and I hiked with our guide, Theodore Baworo of Theo’s Guide & Wantok Tours, and Arnold Sapurie, his assistant. Theo, originally from Milne Bay, is a 2010 graduate of Divine Word University’s Tourism Management and Hospitality program. He has devoted himself to developing PNG village tourism programs (http://pngvillagetravel.blogspot.com) of the type we were experiencing, as well as providing free tourism awareness and education to the potential rural tourism destinations as a tourism consultant.

To get to Halopa, we left our 4x4 vehicles at Warabalau Village off the North Coast Road and hiked for about two hours. Along the way, we stopped at Aluak Village, where Theo had arranged a welcome with Titus, the Elementary School teacher. Led by singing, dancing, decorated school children, we walked through an arch of palm fronds and hibiscus. The children threw flower petals in the air that fell like confetti around them and us.
 
Later, when we could see Halopa across a gorage, we could also hear a garamut announcing our arrival. We were greeted by Chris Ulul, the village leader, Mr Wanba, teacher at Halopa Primary School and Fr. Andrew, the local priest. We sat in a haus win, each with our own fresh kulau, watching singing and dancing from several groups of school girls. One of our number, fluent in Tok Pisin, thanked the students and the community, presenting them with a soccer ball and two volley balls as tokens of our appreciation. Theo also gave them money for the school out of fees we had paid him.

After lunch, we set out for Hulai Falls and Mythical Pool, another two-hour hike, up and down a steep, muddy track, criss-crossed with tree roots. Theo, Arnold, Nattan, Gregory and others from Halopa thoughtfully assisted those of us who needed an extra hand.

Hulai Falls cascades down several ledges, ending in a large deep pool of dark green water, completely encased by rock. The water was refreshing but not too cold when we dived in, relaxing our sore muscles.

To begin our return, we walked for about half an hour down the stream bed, again helped if we needed it. Then came the challenge of the day: climbing for close to an hour up a slippery, root-filled, almost vertical path, that led to the main path back to Halopa.

Once back, we sprawled out on the main lawn in the late afternoon sun. Later, men and boys and a few women and girls entertained us with more singing and dancing, accompanied by kundus and a garamut. Our favorite dance was a dramatization of a man trying to kill a snake, although at first he was too terrified to succeed. The dancers were the snake as it coiled around, fending off the man. The dance ended when the snake was finally killed.

That evening, we were treated to a dinner of chicken, rice, cooked bananas and vegetables. We slept in a meeting room, using our own bedding on pandanus mats provided by our hosts. 

The next day, after a hearty breakfast, we walked back to our vehicles at a pleasant pace, enjoying our last views of the jungle, the mountains, and the ocean.

People interested in having Theo arrange a hiking program for them can contact him at theosguide@gmail.com 

They will be rewarded with a memorable, off-the-beaten track (and strenuous) program, one in which Theo attends to every detail to be sure the outing is an unqualified success.

Professor Catherine Frerich - Michigan, USA (June, 2012)


* This article was also published on:
Post Courier's NEW Age Women Magazine (NAW), August 2012