The main attractions of Papua New Guinea: review and photos. Papua New Guinea from a tourism perspective

New Guinea is an island in the Pacific Ocean sharing maritime borders with Australia along the Torres Strait. It is also washed by the Arafura and Coral Seas. The western part of the island belongs to Indonesia, the eastern part to the Independent State of Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea also owns the Bismarck Islands, part Solomon Islands(Bougainvillea and Buka) and many smaller ones.

The basis of the relief is mountains. The highest points are Puncak-Jaya Peak (4884 m) in the west and Mount Wilhelm (4509 m) in the east. There are 18 in Papua New Guinea active volcanoes.

Total area – 786,000 sq. km (the second, after Greenland, largest island on Earth), population is about 9,500,000 people.

The total area of ​​Papua New Guinea is 462,840 square meters. km, population – more than 7,000,000 people, most of which are Papuans and Melanesians. The majority of the population professes the Christian religion, the rest follow local traditional beliefs. The official languages ​​are English, Tok - Pisin (the most common) and Khiri - Motu. Papua New Guinea is the most multilingual country on the planet (about 820 languages ​​and dialects).

The capital of Papua New Guinea is Port Moresby.

Cities of Papua New Guinea

It is best to start getting acquainted with Papua New Guinea from the capital - the city of Port Moresby. Port Moresby has colonial architecture, a comfortable climate, and beautiful nature.

Tourists flock to the city of Goroka for the annual Folk Song and Dance Festival held in August.

The city of Lae is the second largest in the country. The visiting card of Lae is the Botanical Gardens with a huge number of rare plants and animals.

Representatives of all ethnic groups of the country live in the city of Mount Hagen. This is true cultural capital- held here a large number of festivals and national holidays. The most favorite among local residents– August City Festival.

How to get to Papua New Guinea

There are no direct flights between Belarus and Papua New Guinea.

The best option would be to fly on the route Minsk – Port – Moresby with two connections (for example, in Amsterdam and Tokyo) with Belavia, KLM and Air Niugini airlines. The travel time will be about a day (including connections), the cost of a round-trip ticket is from 2000 US dollars per person.

Climate of Papua New Guinea

The territory of Papua New Guinea is influenced by two climatic zones - equatorial and subequatorial.

The average air temperature in summer is +24 - +32 degrees (can reach +40 degrees), in the mountains - +14 - +17 degrees.

Annual precipitation is 1300 – 5000 mm depending on the region. Rains usually fall between December and March.

The best time to travel around the country is from May to October. When planning a trip, you should take into account the constant high air humidity in the country, which is poorly tolerated by European residents.

Most hotels in Papua New Guinea are complexes consisting of bungalows and located away from the bustle of the city, in picturesque places. As a rule, 2* - 3* hotels are located in the capital, as well as hotels belonging to world-famous chains, the infrastructure of which includes sports grounds, casinos and nightclubs. The cost of living is quite high (from 80 US dollars per night in a 3* hotel).

You can rent a cottage or guest house (without amenities and hot water). Breakfast is usually included in the price.

In the mountains, accommodation options are traditional lodges with amenities and national cuisine(from 7 US dollars per night).

Economy - accommodation options are private boarding houses (from 3 - 7 US dollars per day) and motels (7 - 15 US dollars per day).

When checking in, you should make sure that there are mosquito nets on the windows.

Beaches of Papua New Guinea

The city of Port Moresby has excellent conditions for water sports - scuba diving, windsurfing, sailing, water skiing, sea fishing, as well as golf, squash and tennis.

Idlers Beach, located east of Port Moresby, is famous for its white sand and picturesque coral reefs.

Even further east is the best resort on the island - Loloata Island Resort with well-developed infrastructure and the Oceanarium park.

Very pleasant places for a beach holiday are located on Cape Moy.

Diving and snorkeling are popular on Duke of York Island, and surfing is popular on the island of New Ireland.

Kulau Lodge Resort will appeal to lovers of folk traditions.

In the vicinity of the village of Vau there is most picturesque beach Salamaua, where you can just soak up the sunshine or do something active recreation– swimming, diving, windsurfing.

Banks, money, exchange offices

The currency of Papua New Guinea is the kina, equal to 100 toe. There are paper banknotes in denominations of 2.5,10,20,50 kina and coins in denominations of 1 kina, 1,2,5,10,20,50 toe.

Banking hours:

From Monday to Thursday – from 8.45 – 9.00 to 15.00

Fridays – from 8.45 – 9.00 to 16.00

Currency exchange can be done in banks (a commission of 0.2 - 1% is charged), in private exchange offices, at the airport, in hotels and in large shopping centers. ATMs are only available in the capital and can only be used if you have an account with a local bank.

Credit cards of the world's major payment systems (American Express, Visa) are accepted for payment almost everywhere. Cashing of travel checks (preferably in US dollars, pounds sterling, Australian dollars) is carried out only in banks in large cities.

In the provinces, only cash is accepted for payment.

Tipping is not accepted in the country; a service charge is included in the total price.

Tourist safety

The security situation in Papua New Guinea is not entirely clear, so it is simply necessary to follow basic rules of conduct:

• It is advisable to leave valuables, large sums of money and documents in the hotel safe
• In crowded places, it is recommended to monitor personal belongings and not leave them unattended
• Avoid visiting remote areas alone at night
• You should not exchange currency with “street” money changers
• Before going outside, you should use sunscreen, wear sunglasses and a hat.
• Before traveling, you should take preventive measures against malaria, typhoid, hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, Japanese encephalitis and cholera
• Only use bottled or boiled water for drinking, brushing teeth, and making ice.
• Meat, fish and seafood should be pre-cooked
• Vegetables and fruits should be washed thoroughly, vegetables should be heat-treated, fruits should be peeled

Transport

Due to the mountainous terrain of Papua New Guinea, there is only air travel between the main population centers. Regular flights are operated by Air Niugini.

You can get from the mainland to the island part of the country by motor boat.

In large cities, you can use a taxi or bus (cheaper).

Entertainment, excursions, attractions

Port Moresby's attractions include colonial-style houses, the modern Parliament House, the Sports Complex, the National Museum with one-of-a-kind exhibits, the Art Gallery, the Catholic Cathedral and the Hanuabada pile village. In the National Botanical Garden you can see many exotic plants and birds.

Among the attractions of the city of Goroka are the McCartney Museum and the Raun Raun Theater, whose repertoire consists exclusively of folk legends. Not far from the city is the village of Bena - Bena - a center of hand weaving - and the ethnic village of Asaro. You can relax in the lap of nature in Mount Gahawisuke Provincial Park.

The main tourist attractions of the city of Lae are, first of all, the Botanical Gardens, as well as the Melanesian Arts Center and the Arts and Crafts Center. Not far from the city you can visit the village of Vau with the Institute of Ecology, a museum, a zoo and the Mak-Adam National Park. And on the Vatut River you can go rafting.

You can get to know the culture of local residents better in the city of Mount Hagen, where a large number of ethnic festivals and holidays are held. IN Cultural center There are many handicrafts, many of which you can purchase for yourself.

Lake Kutubu is located at an altitude of 800 meters above sea level and is included in the List natural monuments planetary significance. Here you can find unique fish that do not live anywhere else on the planet.

New Guinea is home to the largest butterfly on the planet - the Queen Alexandra butterfly, the second largest - the Goliath butterfly and the largest Hercules moth on Earth.

Cuisine and restaurants

The main ingredients of local dishes are root vegetables, sweet potatoes, yams, grains, meat (pork, game, poultry). The most popular national dishes are the following:

• "kumu" - pork roasted in an earthen oven with sweet potatoes, served with rice and herbs
• “balli-beef” - fried beef served with rice
• "bugandi" - soup with egg
• fish prepared in all possible ways
• "Hula" - fried crab meat with colocasia
• variety of fruits
• "dia" - sago and bananas in coconut cream
• "saksak" - sago pies
• “Pit-Pit” - sugar cane stalk boiled in coconut milk with ginger and tomatoes
• “cake” - pies with fruit fillings

Drinks: coffee, “Muli-vara” (lemonade), fruit juices

Alcohol is represented by imported drinks

Shopping and shops

Store opening hours:

On weekdays – from 9.00 to 17.00

On Saturdays – from 9.00 to 13.00

As a rule, various wooden products, crocodile skin products, wicker baskets, decorative axes, bows and arrows, beads made from wild pig tusks, and a symbol of happiness in the home - wooden birds of paradise are brought as souvenirs from Papua New Guinea.

Customs

You can import and export local and foreign currencies in unlimited quantities.

Allowed to import:

• Up to 260 cigarettes or 250 g of cigars or tobacco (for persons over 18 years of age)
• Up to 1 liter of alcohol (for persons over 18 years old)
• Perfumery - in reasonable quantities for personal use
• New goods - no more than 200 kina (for persons under 18 years old - no more than 100 kina)

It is prohibited to import:

• Drugs
• Antiques
• Weapons (without special permission)
• Pornography
• Non-canned foods of animal origin (except those produced in Australia and New Zealand)
• Animals, plants and seeds without special permission

Pets are imported with an international veterinary certificate.

It is prohibited to export:

• Antiques
• Objects and things found at the bottom of the ocean
• Exotic animals and plants

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It is located in the Indian Ocean north of the Australian continent. It is usually classified as Oceania. However, New Guinea is almost equally divided by the vertical border. The western part belongs to Indonesia, and the right part belongs to the state of Papua New Guinea. Therefore it western part often referred to as Asia. Its closest neighbors are the Moluccas to the north, New Britain Island to the east, and Australia to the south. The island of New Guinea itself is simply huge. It is the second largest island in the world, only Greenland is larger. There are many small islands around New Guinea. Some of them are inhabited by Aboriginal people, others are deserted.

Nature and climate of the island of New Guinea

On the island the flat terrain gives way to mountain ranges. In the western part there is a massif called Maoke. Its highest peak, Puncak Jaya, almost reaches an altitude of 4.9 km above sea level. The Bismarck Mountains to the east are only slightly inferior in scope and height. Mount Wilhelm has a height of about 4.5 km above sea level.

Proximity to the equator and distance from civilization made this island a real corner wildlife. Researchers count about 11 thousand species of plants, hundreds of species of animals and insects here. There is a place on the island called the Garden of Eden. It was discovered only in 2005. The Garden of Eden is a site in the western part of New Guinea, it covers an area of ​​300 thousand hectares. Its location allowed the Garden of Eden to remain isolated until recently. Researchers discovered here many species of frogs, butterflies and plants that science knew nothing about. To their surprise, they found here the so-called “bird of paradise,” which was considered extinct, and the rarest mammal, the tree kangaroo.

The climate in the south and north of New Guinea is different. The northern part lies in the equatorial belt, the southern part in the subequatorial belt. The hottest weather is usually on the coast and small islands. In the north of the island the climate is uniform throughout the year. During the day the air temperature stays around +30ºС, at night it drops to approximately +24ºС. In southern New Guinea, the seasons vary more widely. In summer the weather is about the same as in the north. During the winter period, which lasts from May to September, the temperature during the day is around +28ºС, and at night – about 22ºС. If you do not tolerate heat well, it is better to choose central or mountainous areas for your holiday. There the air temperature is always 7-10 degrees lower. At high altitudes at night the air temperature can drop to +6ºС. Therefore, you will have to take care of warm things.

The humidity on the island is different everywhere. Moreover, it is never possible to guess where there will be more rain and where there will be less. The rainy season usually lasts from December to March. However, even in summer, showers are not uncommon here. They are especially common on small islands off the coast of New Guinea.

Attractions and population of New Guinea

When going on holiday to New Guinea, don't expect to see many cultural monuments. There are no majestic ones to be found here. architectural structures, no famous poets or painters were born here. But the island itself is amazing. He fascinates with his wild tropical nature. And a separate point is the local population. Scattered throughout New Guinea are traditional villages inhabited by Aboriginal people who have preserved their ancient culture.

An interesting landmark of Papua New Guinea is the Giluwe volcano. It has two peaks at once, and alpine meadows stretch on its slopes. This is the highest volcano in all of Oceania and Australia. Its height is about 4.4 km above sea level. The first ascent of Giluwe Peak was made by two Australians - Mick and Dan Leahy. Nowadays, tourists are invited to repeat the expedition of the Leahy brothers and climb to the very mouth of the volcano. The view from the top is simply fantastic.

Another interesting place is the Cook settlement. It was named after the famous discoverer, sailor James Cook, who made many voyages and made a significant contribution to the study of the life of the people of Australia and Oceania. The Cook settlement is also called the Cook swamps, which are located in the Wagha valley, at an altitude of 1.5 km above sea level. Thanks to archaeological excavations It became known that many thousands of years ago local tribes were excellent at the art of agriculture. The researchers' findings made it possible to create a complete picture of the life of the aborigines - how they moved from gathering to agriculture and cattle breeding. Even 4 thousand years ago they had a developed drainage system that allowed them to supply the soil with moisture.

The city of Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, is also worth visiting. It is located on a peninsula jutting out into the sea. At its tip is the historical center of the city, which locals call Town. There is also a high Pag hill, from the top of which a wonderful view of the entire city opens. In Port Mosby you can see buildings dating back to the late 19th century. Of particular architectural interest are the United Church of Ella and the Houses of Parliament. The appearance of the city is very diverse. Here you can see old huts on stilts next to high-rise office buildings made of concrete and glass. You can learn about the history and culture of the country at the National Museum, which is located in the city center. Port Mosby is also home to the National Botanical Park. Plants from all over the country are collected here. It is worth paying attention to the exhibition, designed in the form of a map of Papua New Guinea. The plants on it are planted in such a way that they reflect the characteristics of the flora of each corner of the country. Here you can also see a huge collection of orchids. You will travel between vines and tropical thickets on wooden decks, enjoying the beauty and aromas of these exotic flowers. In addition, the botanical park is home to many tropical birds and some animals. Couscous and tree kangaroos always cause delight and tenderness among tourists. These are completely safe and very cute little animals.

Only its colorful population can compare with the natural beauty of New Guinea. To get acquainted with the life and culture of the most vibrant and unusual tribes, you need to go to eastern part islands - Papua New Guinea. This is where the Papuans live - the aborigines who have lived outside civilization for thousands of years. Of course, the tribes are gradually adapting to the modern world. While women and men wear traditional straw skirts or prefer nudity, children can already be seen wearing cloth shorts or jeans. It is impossible to say anything definite about the tribes. The fact is that about 7 million people live here. At the same time, researchers discovered about 850 different languages ​​and dialects and the same number of ethnic groups, each of which has its own unique culture, beliefs and traditions. The largest tribe, Dani, occupies an area of central region islands. Their settlements are open to tourists. Here you can learn about the traditions of the tribe, which include cannibalism and wars with neighboring villages. You will be shown local crafts, Papuan costumes and even ancient mummies. An extremely unusual sight.

If you want to get acquainted with all the tribes at once, it is worth visiting one of the festivals of Papua New Guinea, where the aborigines represent their culture by dressing up in the craziest and brightest outfits and performing traditional songs and ritual dances. The largest holiday is Papua New Guinea's Independence Day. On the eve of this day, the Goroka Festival is held. It is here that you can see hundreds of representatives of different tribes. Their bodies are painted in the wildest colors, their necks are hung with massive shell necklaces, and their heads are crowned with headdresses richly decorated with tropical bird feathers, dried plants, bones and other natural materials. Once you visit the Goroka festival, you will have enough impressions for the rest of your life.

A trip and holiday to Papua New Guinea is an excellent opportunity to spend a few days in beautiful and untouched nature. Tourists are amazed to see the rich fauna and flora, especially those travelers who come here for the first time. It looks like . Nature surprises with its thickets of sago palms, araucarias, wild orchids, sugar cane and many others. Traveling to Papua New Guinea is like visiting the past.

A significant part of its territory has retained its primitiveness, although a lot of time has passed. Experienced Travelers they say that time has stopped here.

Climatic features

Papua New Guinea has a tropical climate, with a large area being humid. Temperatures vary slightly throughout the year.

The average temperature on the islands is approximately 26 degrees. The amount of precipitation varies between seasons.

Seasons may be dry or rainy. Moreover, such seasons occur in different places in different months. The best time to travel is from May to September.

At the same time, only coastal areas can boast of a hot climate. Mountain areas differ significantly from plains. Here the temperature is lower and there is a lot of rainfall. Note that on the plains there is almost constant drizzle and hail from time to time. Therefore, no one lives in these areas.

Planning a successful holiday in Papua New Guinea

This wonderful country has excellent opportunities for swimming and sunbathing throughout the year. Mostly tourists come here to combine snorkeling and diving with beach holiday. For the best beaches in the country, it's worth heading to the main dive resorts. The country's main attraction is its nature, so it's worth planning a true ecotourism tour through the unexplored and dense jungles of Papua New Guinea. Note that this region is distinguished by the richest diversity of flora and fauna.

The country has a large number of nature reserves and parks. The most interesting can be called National Park Warirata, Moitaka Nature Park, Kokoda Trail Park and Namanatabu Historic Reserve. Travel agencies invite all travelers to go to hiking or go mountain climbing. Therefore, a trip to Papua New Guinea must be carefully planned. Every tourist will find interesting entertainment in this country. For example, the laziest travelers are offered to spend time doing exciting fishing. In addition, for romantic meetings, it is proposed to go on sea cruises along the coast of the islands.

Sights of Papua New Guinea

In the historical center of the capital is the University, also called Town. On this peninsula there is a hundred-meter high Pag hill, from where you can see scenic view for the whole city. Ela Beach Park is also an interesting place.

Some buildings have survived from the 19th century. The oldest building in Port Moresby is the Ela United Church, which was built in 1890. By the way, in the same area there are many modern office buildings and luxury hotels.

In the north of the city there are many government buildings, including the Parliament House, a large sports complex and the National Museum. In this museum you can see natural, cultural, historical and ethnographic exhibits telling about Papua New Guinea. Port Moresby is home to a national botanical park, which is considered the main attraction of the city. This garden is called a real paradise for birds. And they can be seen on our website.

Amazing and rich nature is the attraction of this unique country. For example, near the town of Tufi there are real fjords, which are rarely found in this area. The local population is also astonishing because it has preserved its way of life and culture, which is why they say that time has stopped here.

National cuisine

In the local cuisine you can see and taste Asian and Oceanian dishes. The main products include local root vegetables, for example, sweet potatoes, taro, and yams. Cereals include sago and rice. Local dishes are prepared mainly from meats such as game, poultry and pork. The national dish of Papua New Guinea is mumu - sweet potatoes and pork are fried in an earthen oven.

Egg soup is called burgandi. Fried beef with rice is bally beef. Fish cooked in coconut sauce is kokoda. In addition, a variety of salads are well distributed. Colocasia, yams, cassava sago, and rice are used as garnishes.

Vegetables, fried breadfruit and herbs are served at the table. All kinds of desserts are called local fruits served in coconut cream. The most popular drink is local coffee. In addition, fruit juices and muli wara lemonade are very popular in Papua New Guinea. Alcoholic drinks are not produced here; they are imported from other countries. In addition, you should only order alcohol from restaurants that have good storage conditions. Please note that it is not customary to leave tips in local restaurants.

Papua New Guinea Photos

Port Moresby

The capital of Papua New Guinea and the country's main gateway, Port Moresby (population approximately 145,000) is located on a peninsula in the superb natural Fairfax Harbor lying on the island's south-eastern shore, in the wider Gulf of Papua. The city itself is relatively small - its entire historical core fits on a small peninsula between Walter Bay and Port Moresby Bay, but the neighborhoods that have grown over the past twenty years circle the entire Fairfax Harbor, forming a fairly spacious series of small suburbs and individual villages. The city was founded by Captain John Moresby in 1873 as a small colonial settlement, and the following year Christian missions that had emerged in the nearby village of Hanuabada and Yule Island (10 km west of the peninsula) merged with the camp, and Port Moresby began its rapid development as the administrative center of the region. This part of the country has a noticeably drier climate than the rest of New Guinea, so it is here that the main administrative and commercial institutions are gradually concentrated.

Port Moresby is a mixture of old colonial buildings, modern offices and run-down suburban houses. The city was heavily damaged during the fighting of World War II (it was the main transit base for Allied troops), so there are few attractions here. Most government buildings are located in the northern part of the city (Waigani district). Here is also the Parliament building (1984) in a colorful style that combines modern architecture and traditional motifs of the “houses of spirits” (haus tambaran) of the peoples of the island; a large sports complex built for the South Pacific Games held in Port Moresby in 1991; National Museum, where materials on the nature, ethnography, culture and history of Papua New Guinea are widely presented; Art gallery with a large exhibition of cultural works of the island; a Catholic cathedral in an unusual style, as well as the restored pile complex of the village of Hanuabada, considered the symbol of the city.

The historical center of the city, which is simply called Town, is located slightly south of Vaigani and is bordered on the southwest by Paga Hill (98 meters high), which offers a wonderful view of the city. A port stretches along the northern shore of the Town, the southern coast is occupied by Ela Beach Park, and in the center there are old quarters in which buildings from the late 19th century have been preserved. The oldest building in Port Moresby is the Ela United Church, built in 1890. The Boroko area is home to the most modern office buildings and the most expensive hotels, as well as the capital's largest shopping center, which includes many restaurants, bars, banks and department stores. And a little further east along the coast stretches the Gordons district, whose boring appearance is noticeably “diluted” by the lively Gordons Market, which is one of the largest in the country.

The National Botanical Park (Port Moresby Botanical Gardens, open Monday to Friday, from 9.00 to 15.00, on weekends by appointment) is the main attraction of the capital - in addition to a huge number of plants from all over the country, this garden is a real bird's paradise. Here there is a corner made in the form of a map, and in each part of this unique map plants from the corresponding region of the country are collected. In addition to numerous representatives of the flora of the islands, there are more than three thousand varieties of orchids in natural conditions (the largest collection of these plants in the southern hemisphere of the planet), and about 2 kilometers of suspended trails and boardwalks are laid under the canopy of trees, allowing you to get acquainted with the local vegetation without harming it. harm.

The hills surrounding the capital are extremely picturesque, and almost the entire mouth of Fairfax Bay is blocked by powerful coral reefs, so there are many sports organizations here. The city has all the conditions for scuba diving, windsurfing, sailing, sea fishing, water skiing, golf, tennis and squash, and some lack of equipment and qualified instructors is more than compensated by the unique conditions of the surrounding nature. However, most interesting places located outside the city limits, in the Central District.

Central district
The Central District covers a narrow strip along the southern coast of the Gulf of Papua to the eastern tip of the island of New Guinea, as well as the southern slopes of the central mountain range. To the north-east of Port Moresby are the spectacular Rouna Falls, and nearby Warirata National Park, the country's first nature reserve. Covering an area of ​​approximately 1,000 hectares, the park was originally a hunting ground for the chiefs of the coastal Koiari tribes, and now features almost all of the region's flora and fauna, including birds of paradise, wallabies and deer. There are a dozen walking trails throughout the reserve, at the end of which a beautiful panorama of Port Moresby and the green coastline opens. Just north of Port Moresby, the Brown River is a pleasant place for swimming, rafting and picnicking.

The famous Kokoda Trail begins nearby, connecting the northern and southern coasts of the island. This essentially ordinary mountain trail passes through extremely picturesque places Owen Stanley Ridge is also the country's most popular historical excursion - it was along this trail that the most brutal battles broke out between the Japanese and Allied forces during World War II. The trail goes through rugged and beautiful mountain areas, under the canopies of dense tropical forest, past numerous clear rivers and waterfalls, visiting battle sites - bunkers, caponiers, artillery positions and defensive lines of both warring sides.

Just 46 kilometers from Port Moresby, the picturesque Sogeri Plateau begins - the starting point for the Kokoda Trail. Here, at an altitude of about 800 meters above sea level, the air is fresh and cool, and the numerous rubber plantations and ethnic villages only add to the charm. Here, in the town of Six Miles, near the airport, is Village Arts, a state-owned store with the best collection of folk arts and crafts in the country. Nearby are the historic Bomana War Cemetery with a beautiful park and the Moitaka Farm, which researches and breeds crocodiles and other living inhabitants of the region.

To the east of the capital, the popular Idlers Beach begins, and in the waters of the bay lie the Sinasi Reef and Daugo Island, famous for their beautiful corals and white sandy beaches. Further east, just a fifteen-minute drive from Port Moresby, is one of the island's best resorts - Loloata Island Resort (www.loloata.com). Surrounded by one of the largest coral reefs on the planet, it offers excellent conditions for snorkeling, diving, fishing and other water activities (the Oceanarium Marine Park is nearby).

Northern District, or Oro
Few people, when mentioning New Guinea, expect to hear about fjords. However, the coast of the Northern District around the town of Tufi really most closely resembles the rocks of Norway or Iceland, with the only difference being that the water here is always warm, and these rocks are formed beautiful rocks not by the influence of the glacier, but by the tectonic forces of the Earth. Cape Nelson, jutting out into the Solomon Sea, was formed by the eruption of three volcanoes, whose rapidly hardening lava ran down to the water, creating numerous rock tongues and gorges, so similar to classic fjords. The clear waters of the local fjords, going down to a depth of 90 meters, are teeming with a huge number of representatives of tropical ichthyofauna, and the rocks themselves rise above the water to a height of more than 150 meters. The wide mouths of the bays are protected by reefs, and the shores are often covered with mangrove forests, over which hang vertical slopes of gorges covered with mosses and orchids, from which cascades of waterfalls fall. It is not surprising that in such a beautiful place a tourist infrastructure is being intensively created, the fulcrum of which is the city of Tufi, from where diving tours and many various trips related to bird watching, deep-sea fishing, windsurfing, canoeing or simply doing nothing on the white sandy beaches are regularly organized. the shores framing Cape Nelson from both the north and south.

Every October, the region celebrates the Tapa Festival, followed by Martyrs' Day and Korat Church Day. The northern branch of the Kokoda Trail ends in the village of Kokoda, spreading along the coast to Buna and Gona with many local tourist roads. It was also the site of fierce fighting during the Second World War, so the surrounding area is replete with traces of those battles, and at Hiropa Plantation, on Buna Road, there is a Japanese plaque commemorating the 15,000 Imperial Army soldiers who died here. On the slopes active volcano Mount Lamington is home to thousands of birds.

Southern Highlands
The Southern Highlands lie not in the south at all, but in the very center of the country. This region is often called "Wonderland" because until 1935 this chaos of mountain ranges and evergreen forested valleys was practically one big blank spot on all maps of the world. The Kikori, Erave and Strickland rivers take off from here, the second highest mountain of the island, Jiluwe (2900 meters), is located here, caves of enormous depth have been discovered and amazing people live, whose acquaintance with modern civilization is limited only to occasional meetings with the inhabitants of mountain towns. This is one of the few places on the planet where the traditional way of life is evident in almost every aspect local life. Ancient ceremonial rituals are present everywhere, men and women still wear traditional dress, and huts are still built from stones and branches of bushes. The fresh air of the mountains is ideal for numerous excursions, and under the canopy of a dense tropical forest you can see (and hear) dozens of bird species, clear rivers with numerous waterfalls.

South of the district capital Mendi, at an altitude of 800 meters above sea level, lies the beautiful Lake Kutubu - the second largest lake in Papua New Guinea and one of the most unusual bodies of water in the region. Included in the list of natural monuments of planetary significance in 1998, it is famous for its unique ichthyofauna - 10 out of 14 species of fish living here are not found anywhere else on Earth. This tranquil and very beautiful lake also provides refuge to almost a hundred species of birds, and its shores are teeming with reptiles and insects. Local residents built a small boarding house above the water's edge, using only local materials and traditional construction methods. Hiking tours to the most beautiful places in the vicinity of the lake regularly depart from here.

The Mendi Valley is also well known for its beautiful landscapes, limestone caves and the Uli Vig hunters who paint their faces red and yellow and wear elaborate wigs made from human hair.

Eastern Highlands
A land of gold mines and coffee plantations, the Eastern Highlands are more susceptible to European influence than any of the country's other upland regions. The Highlanders still live in neat villages, clusters of round huts surrounded by low walls and meadows of feather grass-like kunai grass. Traditional rituals and dress here are gradually being replaced by jeans and cowgirls, and English speech can be heard much more often than in other regions of the country.

The biggest locality region - Goroka (population about 25 thousand) is its agricultural and commercial center. The small hill station lying at an altitude of 1600 meters above sea level, as Goroka was until the early 1950s, has now grown into an attractive and fairly well-organized city with modern facilities and a relaxing atmosphere of endless spring. The climate here is really pleasant - the temperature rarely rises above +30°C, and fresh winds from the mountains maintain a pleasant microclimate even during the rainy season. The main attractions of the city are the annual August festival, which brings together in one place the best performers of folk songs and dances from all the surrounding hill tribes, the McCartney Museum (the second largest in the country) with an extensive exhibition of folk arts and crafts, military relics and photographs, and also the nationally known theater troupe Raun Raun with its own theater (located near the market, just a 5-minute walk from the city center), the entire repertoire of which is based on the use of traditional stories and legends.

The village of Bena Bena, located 10 km from Goroka, is the largest community in the mountainous areas specializing in hand weaving - rugs, bedspreads and mats made by local artisans are very popular throughout the country. Also nearby is the village of Asaro, inhabited by representatives of the ethnic group of the same name, widely known for its ritualism, as well as the unusual tradition of covering their bodies with gray mud (legend says that in this way Asaro warriors frightened their enemies, who mistook them for ghosts - theatrical illustrations of this particular legend are the centerpiece of the Goroka Festival).

From Goroka Post Office a trail leads to Mount Kiss, which offers a magnificent view of the valley, and south of Goroka you can climb Mount Michael and visit a cave with prehistoric petroglyphs. 11 km from the city lies Mount Gahavisuka Provincial Park, which occupies 80 hectares of beautiful mountainous terrain and has been turned into a small botanical park where plants from all over the country are collected. And around there are endless coffee plantations, through which you can access the Kotuni trout farm, or the large cultural center of Kainantu (however, it is better to go here through the Kassim or Lae pass), where not only traditional local crafts are sold; but they also teach local woodworking or weaving technologies.

Chimbu District
In the heart of the highlands lies Chimbu District, the country's smallest and most densely populated region. The mountain slopes here literally rear up - the entire district is occupied by steep mountain ranges, dissected by deep and often inaccessible valleys. Here is located highest point country and the most popular destination for climbers from all over the region is Mount Wilhelm (4509 meters). The main way to relax here is active. Trekking trails of all difficulty levels scatter throughout the district, going past traditional villages of the Chimbu (Simbu) tribal group, through dense tropical forest, past pristine rivers with their trout farms, along the shores of the beautiful Pindaunde lakes, where there is a small lodge. The landscapes here are breathtaking - on a clear day you can see almost the entire island from the mountain slopes, from the northern coast to the southern, and the climate is cool (there is even snow cover on the peaks).

The capital of the Kundiawa district is located in a picturesque setting near the old airfield, which lies directly on the mountain slope (even the runway here is at an angle to the horizon). The town does not boast any attractions, but is a good starting point for mountain and river hikes in the region. Just a few kilometers from Kundiawa, almost next to the main road, lie the Keu Caves, where speleological tours are often organized (there are many other caves in the vicinity, but most of them are burial places for soldiers killed in battles and are therefore closed to the public), and The local rivers Vagi and Purari, according to many experts, are among the best in the world for organizing rafting and kayaking.

Western Highlands
Western Highlands District lies between Chimbu, Enga and Southern Highlands Districts. The mountainous land of the region is covered with dense equatorial forests of the lowlands and green alpine meadows of the mountain slopes, merging into the ever-shrouded mountain peaks.

The region's capital, Mount Hagen, is a colorful and bustling commercial center where quick profits from coffee and tea plantations quickly replaced traditional lifestyles, turning the city into something resembling the "Frontier towns" of Wild West films. Having quickly grown over the past quarter century from a tiny village of cattle breeders and planters, the city has absorbed representatives of almost all ethnic groups in the country. Maybe that’s why it is considered one of the “most festive” cities in the country - a huge number of different cultural festivals, festive ceremonies and various traditional events are held here, from the usual bride price holiday in these parts to a colorful ceremony marking the opening of a new road. The best time to visit Mount Hagen is August, when the town's annual festival takes place. Representatives of hundreds of different mountain tribes gather for this holiday, each in their characteristic tribal dress, headdress (an important element in local symbolism, by the way) and body paint. This festival is a wonderful opportunity to get acquainted with the rich traditions and social structure of the peoples of the highlands.

Local handicrafts can be seen at the Mount Hagen Cultural Centre. It is housed in a carefully restored traditional village hut and has a small museum with exhibitions of various crafts and ethnic items. The traditional center of the city's public life is the Saturday market, where representatives of all nationalities of the region gather. This is a real kaleidoscope of fruits and vegetables, birds and animals, farmers in bright shirts or skirts, as well as hunters in traditional clothes made of grass and feathers. Men here wear long beards, and women wear lots of shiny scarves and brightly colored bilum bags. Here you can buy almost the entire range of handicrafts for which this region is famous.

55km north of Mount Hagen, Bayer River Reserve is one of the best places in the country to see the famous birds of paradise, possums, tree kangaroos, parrots and cassowaries in their natural habitat. Hiking trails to the valleys of the Vaga and Ter rivers or trekking routes to the southwestern slopes of Mount Wilhelm begin from here.

Western district
On south coast islands of New Guinea, between the border with Irian Jaya and west coast Gulf of Papua, lies the Western District - the main agricultural region of the country. The region's wide open fields and marshy river valleys are teeming with life, including Rusa deer, wallabies, wild pigs, crocodiles and lizards. And all this is just a few steps from domestic flocks and waterfowl - the region's residents manage to find a delicate balance between providing for their own food needs and protecting the original inhabitants of this land.

The main city of the district, Daru, is located on a small island of the same name near the southeast coast of the country, in the Torres Strait. Once a small center for pearl and sea cucumber fishing, it has now become a fast-growing trading and fishing port, somewhat reminiscent of the ever-bustling Arab seaside towns. Its main export product is crocodile skin and products made from it, so the local market is constantly flooded with lovers of fashion accessories and tourists from Australia (Cape York is only 180 km away from here - a trifle by the scale of the region).

The main tourist attraction of the Western District is Bensbach Wildlife Lodge, located on the river of the same name, whose mouth forms the border between Papua New Guinea and Irian Jaya. The vast plain of the Bensbach River is almost entirely flooded during the season, providing unique living conditions for a myriad of birds and fish (the lodge is considered one of the best fishing spots in the country), and during the dry season, herds of ungulates roam this analogue of the Nile Valley.

In the upper reaches of the Fly River, which flows through the district, there is one of the largest gold and copper mines on the planet - Ok Tedi. Opened in 1980, it produces about 80 thousand tons of ore daily; it is not difficult to guess that the Fly River is also gold-bearing - amateur gold mining on its banks has long turned into a kind of tourist attraction (the content of the precious metal in local sediments is small, but the process itself is entertaining ).

Lake Murray (Murray), located in the very center of the district, is the largest floodplain lake in Papua New Guinea and in the rainy season increases its area five times, filling more than 400 square meters. km of meadows and valleys. Now a crocodile research station has been opened on the lake, offering tourists other environmental services.

Sepik District
The Sepik River, the valley of which forms the northwestern district of the country of the same name, is one of the largest river systems in the region (the length of the river itself is about 1126 km). This vast region north of the Bismarck Ridge is almost entirely occupied by a huge river basin, marshy lowlands and tropical forests, turning into mountain slopes, whose peaks are often crowned with snow caps (at the equator!). With its buttery brown rivers, dozens of tribes, many of them barely above the Stone Age, and their myths, magic and rituals, this secluded corner of the planet is the perfect place for fans extreme tourism. Along the banks of the rivers there are a series of colorful local villages with their stilt houses, long canoes with noses like crocodile heads, lakes overgrown with exotic flowers, and the local misty sunrises and stunning sunsets are said to have no analogues on the planet.

Good beaches for relaxation and diving are located in the area of ​​​​Cape Moem, in the Mapik region you can get acquainted with the amazing culture of the Abalem tribes, around Madang - the capital of the region of the same name - with the art of local potters, in the village of Timbunke - with local construction methods. Near the capital of East Sepik - the city of Wewak - you can visit Cape Vom (Uom) - the place of the latter’s surrender Japanese garrison on the island (here Lieutenant General Adachi signed the instrument of surrender and presented his sword to General Robertson on September 13, 1945) with its war memorial and old airfield, around which silent evidence of that war is scattered in abundance (Wewak itself also has a Japanese war cemetery and Peace Park).

The Chambri Lakes, a vast expanse of shallow water located in East Sepik, are widely known for their vibrant bird community, crocodiles and many villages home to renowned artists and craftsmen. The village of Aibom is famous for its potters, who use ancient techniques not only to make ordinary kitchenware, but also to produce fireplaces and tiles. The village of Kanganaman is famous for its recently restored “house of spirits” (the local house tambaran is considered a monument of national importance), and Korhogo is famous for its “mei” masks (local tribes have been using totemic symbols from the world of insects since ancient times), and Waskuska also has a beautiful “house of spirits” , in Yigei they make traditional tom-toms "garamut" (when rafting down the river, their sound can be heard everywhere), and in the village of Svagap (Suagap) they make simple and elegant pottery in folk style.

The excellent coastline west of Vanimo (West Sepik, 30 km from the Indonesian border) forms a small peninsula, literally abutting limestone cliffs on which a Japanese landing barge rusts (the waters here are excellent for diving). From September to January the 260-kilometer coastline near Wutung attracts hundreds of surfers, and strong northwest winds between December and March create excellent conditions for windsurfing. A short distance from the town of Aitape (founded by the Germans in 1905) lie several small islands. There were also bloody battles in this area, so in the waters around the islands and the old Taji airfield you can find several dozen crashed planes and warships (there is a war memorial near Taji).

Morobe District
In the very northeast of the island of New Guinea, on the Huon Peninsula around the bay of the same name, Morobe District is located. Here the densely forested Saruwaged Mountains, the northern spur of the Owen Stanley Range, open directly onto the coast, forming a chain of small volcanic islands in the sea, while the southwestern part of the district lies within the fertile Markham Valley, sandwiched between high ridges. Such a diverse topography is also responsible for the rich natural world of the region - the interior and coast of Morobe abound with unique representatives of flora and fauna and are cut through by numerous excursion trails, especially frequent in the Wau Bulolo region.

Lae
The second largest city in Papua New Guinea, Lae was a tiny mission station until the 1920s, developing rapidly after the discovery of gold veins in the Wau region. Over the next twenty years he grew into main port and the industrial center of the northeast of the country. During World War II, Lae became the main base for Japanese troops in New Guinea, and Mount Lunaman, located in the center of the city, was used as an observation post (and now offers magnificent views of Huon Bay and the Markham Valley). The fighting that broke out in the Lae region (primarily airborne) cost the warring sides tens of thousands of lives, so the historical center of this attractive tropical city is still the Lae Military Cemetery, located within the Botanical Gardens.

Now Lae is enough modern city with numerous banks, international hotels, department stores, colorful local markets and street workshops where local decorative crafts are produced and sold right in front of guests. A good collection of local crafts, including colorful sand "paintings" (practically the hallmark of the crafts here), can be found at the Melanesian Arts Center and the Morobe Arts and Crafts Centre. The Lae University of Technology has a rather interesting collection of rare and highly valuable folk artefacts, including Sepik ritual carved pillars, as well as a small coffee shop in the traditional house tambaran style.

But the main decoration of Lae is its famous Botanical Gardens, considered one of the best in the country. The huge exhibition of gardens (an area of ​​about 3000 square meters) contains more than 15 thousand representatives of local plants, 21 species of birds, including the magnificent bird of paradise Raggiana, several species of reptiles, as well as about 70 species of butterflies, 6 species of turtles and several dozen species of frogs and fish (there are several lakes and many ecological zones characteristic of different regions of the island).

Near Lae lies the town of Wau, which was previously a major gold mining center and now houses the Wau Institute of Ecology with a small museum and zoo. Near the city are McAdam National Park and Mount Kaindi, the pretty coastal town of Finschhafen (founded by German colonists in 1885, today it is the center of the island's Lutheran community), the Vatut (Watut) River with its beautiful raft sites, as well as the Thami Islands, whose population is widely known for its carved wooden balls, considered true works of art.

To the south of Lae lie the attractive Sialum coastline with coral terraces, the excellent Salamaua beach with good conditions for swimming, diving, windsurfing and trekking to WWII battle sites, picturesque lakes Labu in the Markham Valley (an interesting population of lake crocodiles here), the Siassi Islands with beautiful coral reefs, as well as the long ocean shores of Maus Buang and Labu Tali are nesting places for the leatherback turtle, some of which weigh up to 500 kg and reach a length of up to two meters.

Milne Bay District
The very east of Papua New Guinea, together with the groups of Trobriand Islands, Murua (Woodlark), Lachlan, D'Entrecasteaux, Louisiada, Conflict and Samarai, is part of the Milne Bay district. Formerly one huge naval base, the district is literally full of various traces of those events. It also includes 160 small islands and 500 reefs, scattered over an area of ​​more than 250 thousand square kilometers, which turns it into a real Mecca for divers and fans of water sports.

The county capital, Alotau, spectacularly located on the edge of Milne Bay, is an excellent place to start exploring this extraordinary region. From here, numerous ships depart to the island of Fergusson with its hot volcanic springs, mud fumaroles, geysers and volcanoes, to the picturesque island of Mishima with its reefs and gold mines, to the island of Murua (Woodlark) with its wood carving masters, to the Trobriand Islands with their unique social system (local chiefs have enormous power and influence, but inheritance is through the female line) and the colorful harvest festival of Milamala, to the island of Kiriwina with its freshwater caves ( amazing phenomenon for small islands in the region) and ritual caves near the village of Matava, on the island of Goodenau, in the center of which rises big Stone with mysterious writings, as well as to numerous shallow reefs, the waters around which contain the ruins of hundreds of sunken ships and warplanes from the Second World War.

New Britain
The island of New Britain (area 37.8 thousand sq. km), lying 30 km northeast of the coast of New Guinea, forms two administrative regions - Western and Eastern. This is the most big Island Bismarck Archipelago - from east to west it stretches for almost 475 km, and from north to south - from 35 to 85 km. Its northern shores are washed by the waters of the Bismarck Sea, and its southern shores by the Solomon Sea. Despite its age (about 10 million years), the island is mountainous and active - a low mountain range runs along its entire length, replete with volcanic peaks, fumaroles and green valleys. There are especially many volcanoes in the northern part of the island - here they stretch in an almost continuous series high peaks active volcanoes Langila (Cape Gloucester, 1330 meters), Bamus (2248 meters), Ulavun (the highest volcano in the Bismarck Archipelago, 2334 meters), and many of them have extensive calderas. The southern slopes of the mountains are composed of limestone, and therefore abound in caves, grottoes and picturesque outlier rocks.

Rabaul
The city of Rabaul is the official capital of the island and one of its most tragic monuments. Once the richest and beautiful city country, which became the scene of fierce fighting during the Second World War, the city of flowering gardens and a rich port was almost completely destroyed in September 1994 by the eruption of the Tavurvur volcano, and its inhabitants were evacuated to other parts of the island. All that remains of its former appearance are the neighborhoods around the Simpson Bay harbor half-buried with black volcanic ash, some port buildings (the port is still operational!) and numerous underground structures of a huge (total length of almost 576 km) tunnel system dug by the Japanese during the war.

Moving from the airport, which is now located in Tokua (approximately 50 km from Rabaul), you can visit the picturesque peninsula of Gazelle Peninsula, bordering the beautiful bay from the sea with the cone of Tavurvura rising above it, drive through coconut groves and lush forests of the foothills and enter the lunar zone landscape at the foot of the volcano. Having driven through the black streets of the city, most similar to the scenery of some apocalyptic film, you can exit through the relatively undamaged Mango Avenue to a real oasis of miraculously surviving (and carefully restored) tourist hotels. If you have some courage, you can dive in the harbor of Rabaul, which stores in its depths tens and hundreds of warplanes and ships of the Second World War. Then drive east to the town of Kokopo with its Military History Museum and the ruins of Gunantambu Mansion, built in the 1880s by the legendary "Queen Emma".

Duke of York Island is a 45-minute boat ride from Kokopo, renowned for its excellent diving and snorkelling conditions, while the surrounding lagoons offer canoeing, windsurfing, waterskiing and yachting. Or you can head north to Kabakada, where the extreme popular resort Kulau Lodge, built right on the beach in traditional local style.

The western part of the island of New Britain is virtually untouched by tourism. The only exception is the Valindi plantation area, where one of the best dive resorts in the Pacific region is located. The resort is located on a private palm plantation stretching along the shores of Kimbe Bay and is surrounded by a wall of volcanic peaks. Volcanic caves, thick coral forests and the clear blue waters of the bay are home to a huge variety of marine life. There is also a popular dive site known as "The Cathedral" - a vast horseshoe of coral reef with a large cave at one end. The inner side is formed by an extended strip white sand, and the outer one - with the richest coral “gardens”.

Muruk Cave in the Nakanai region is believed to be the deepest underground system in the southern hemisphere (French cavers recently traversed part of the tunnels to a depth of 1,200 meters below the entrance level, but did not reach the end of the tunnels). The small town of Talasea is located on the shores of the Williams Peninsula, the adjacent bay is widely known for its “necklace” of small islands, the ruins of American bombers from World War II and active volcanism.

Talasea is the center for the production of traditional local "money" from cowrie shells, and obsidian (volcanic glass) mined in these parts has been found in excavations in many areas of Oceania, with many of these samples dating back to the third millennium BC. And on the island of Pangula, the Vabua Valley (Valley of Hot Water) with several dozen geysers and fumaroles deserves attention.

The best surfing spots - www.surfingpapuanewguinea.org.pg - are located along the coast of Vanimo (West Sepik, 30 km from the Indonesian border), on the sandy beaches in the Kavieng area (New Ireland Island).

Published Fly Hunt Tue, 22/10/2013 - 01:46

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Perhaps one of the best places in the world to relax: Papua New Guinea

A small state in Oceania, Papua New Guinea, is located in the eastern part of the island of the same name, New Guinea. In addition to the main – island – part, the country also has its possessions on smaller, neighboring islands. These islands in particular include, for example, New Britain or New Ireland, as well as some other territories. The Pacific Ocean and its seas (Arafura Sea and Coral Sea) wash Papua New Guinea from different directions of the world.

The name of the state comes from the Malay word "Papua", which translated means "people with curly hair" The fact is that the Malays have mostly straight hair, while the locals of Papua have really curly hair. The second part of the country’s name is “New Guinea“- arose thanks to Europeans, or rather Portuguese sailors, who found the skin color of the local aborigines similar to the skin color of the inhabitants of Guinea in Africa.

The country has changed its official name many times. So, for example, from 1884 to 1906 it was called British New Guinea, and later - from 1906 to 1949 - it was called simply "Papua"as part of Australia.

In addition, the country was divided into southern and northern: from 1884 to 1920, there was a so-called German New Guinea . Only since 1949, the Australian colony "Papua" and colony " New Guinea» merged into one province, now known as Papua and New Guinea, and starting in 1975, Papua New Guinea became a new independent state.

Photos of Papua New Guinea

Tourism in Papua New Guinea

Holidays in Papua New Guinea are quite new not only for Russians, but also for many people from other countries of the world. However, the country offers a huge number of attractions, as well as types of recreation. Here you can enjoy the local culture or visit a variety of markets and festivals, and popular sports include diving and surfing, as well as nature walks. Even fishing in Papua New Guinea is distinguished by its diverse and often unique flora and fauna.

Every year more than 70,000 tourists from all over the world come to Papua. The cultural traditions of Papua New Guinea are very diverse: the fact that there are more than 800 languages ​​in the country speaks volumes. Among the local cultural traditions, local carvings and national dances stand out. You can also enjoy folk singing, as well as all sorts of decorations and architecture of Papua - and all of the above will vary greatly throughout the country.

Festivals and public celebrations are regularly held in Papua New Guinea. In May, tourists can visit the Coffee Festival or " Festival in Goroka", the National Mask Festival, which takes place in July, various shows and festival programs in August and September, and the Canoe Festival in October and November.

The most famous walking trail in Papua New Guinea it is considered Kokoda ( Kokoda), which goes through the sites of the Second World War, where battles took place between Australia and Japan. Another popular trail is climbing Mount Wilhelm - the most high mountain in Papua New Guinea. There are many other hiking routes in the country, including very difficult ones.

Diving and surfing in Papua New Guinea

Papua is perhaps one of the best diving destinations in the whole world! This is where some of the best coral reefs on the planet are located. In addition to the huge variety of places with reefs, there are also numerous places with ships and even planes destroyed in the Second World War. Papua New Guinea can rightfully provide diving for every taste. Some of the best places for diving in the west of the country are: Kimbie Bay ( Kimbe Bay), Caving ( Kavieng) and Madang ( Madang), Alotau ( Alotau) and Tufi ( Tufi), as well as Rabaul. The capital Port Moresby also offers excellent diving opportunities. It is especially worth noting that many diving sites are very easy to reach.

You can enjoy surfing in Papua New Guinea all year round! In the south of the country there are places such as: Hula Beach (about 100 kilometers from Port Moresby) and Milne Bay, as well as Bougainville ( Bougainville) and some others. Here you can surf from June to September, but in the north of the country the surfing season begins in mid-October and lasts until the very end of April. In the north it is worth noting such places as: Madang ( Madang) and Caving ( Kavieng), as well as a place with perhaps the best wave - Vanimo ( Vanimo).