Southern Highlands. With over half a million people, the Southern Highlands has the highest population of any province in Papua New Guinea. It has two important towns, Mendi, the provincial capital, and Tari Basin. A recent decision by PNG's parliament may see the province being split up into three provinces in 2012. The province is rich in natural resources but is also fairly lawless (The Government declared a State of Emergency in the province in 2006.) On the other hand, the Southern Highlands are rich in traditional culture and there is considerable wildlife, including birds of paradise. A rewarding experience if you are prepared to be adventurous.
Western Highlands covers an area of 8,500 km², and there are close to half a million inhabitants. The provincial capital, Mt. Hagen is a bit of a Wild West frontier town. Much of the province's income comes from coffee production; it also sends large quantities of sweet potato, potatoes and other vegetables down to the lowlands. The province has some good walks and is popular with birdwatchers.
Asaro Mudmen from the Eastern Highlands
Eastern Highlands covers an area of 11,200 km², and has a population of almost half a million, speaking 20 languages. It forms the boundary between the Highlands and the coastal provinces of Morobe and Madang and has both mountain ranges and wide river valleys. Eastern Highlanders are generally regarded as the friendliest people in the Highlands and there are fewer tribal fights than in other provinces in the region. It is the leading coffee producer in the Highlands, which provides the main source of income to most people. It has the country's largest hydro-electric power station at Yonki, and the world-renowned Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research. A major tourist attraction are the Asaro Mudmen who wear masks made of mud.
Chimbu Province, also known as Simbu, has an area of 6,100 km² and a population of close to 300,000. Its capital is Kundiawa. It occupies a central position in PNG, sharing boundaries with five other provinces. Despite this, it is one of the poorer provinces in the country.
Enga Province is the most westerly of the Highlands provinces. The name Enga actually means "people to the west" in a language spoken around Mt. Hagen. Enga is the highest province in Papua New Guinea, with much of it being over 2000 meters. Enga covers an area of 12,800 km² and is drained by two major river systems, the Lagaip that heads south into the Fly river and the Lai, which flows north to the Sepik. Unlike most other provinces it has only one major ethnic group, known as the Enga but, despite this, tribal warfare is common. The capital is Wabag and its Cultural Center has a good display of wigs, war shields and masks. The center also houses a workshop where young artists are taught sand painting, an art form unique to Enga Province involving the use of "sand" made up of ground up rocks of different colors. In Porgera is the world's largest gold mine outside South Africa, but this does not appear to have benefited the people too much. Orchid enthusiasts cannot miss Laigam, where the botanical gardens have over 100 species of delicate mountain orchids, as well as a good range of rhododendrons.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Highlands (Papua New Guinea)
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Highlands (Papua New Guinea) - updated May 2024
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Highlands (Papua New Guinea) Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
