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From
the lowland rainforest, to alpine grasslands, to the shrouded misty peaks,
Western Highlands Province is a land of colour and vibrancy. The capital city,
Mt Hagen, is a bustling commercial centre where wealth from coffee and tea
plantations has brought rapid change to traditional life style. Old and new ways
live curiously together, not always harmoniously. Mt Hagen has a reputation as
the wild frontier of the Highlands.
The Saturday market in Mt Hagen is a
focal point of local life and provides a meeting place for traders from all over
the province. It is a kaleidoscope of fruit and vegetables, birds, animals,
people in bright shirts and skirts, some wearing flowers or grass in their hair.
The men traditionally wear a long beard and the women wear an array of brilliant
scarves and carry their brightly coloured string bags. These bags, called
bilums, are used to carry everthing from babies to firewood and are made by
treading an entire length of string through each loop. Traditionally the string
is made from tree bark, although these days many women buy synthetic yarn from
the local stores for their bilums. Handicrafts can also be found at the Western
Highlands Cultural Centre in Mt Hagen. It features a reconstructed village hut
and has a museum with exhibits of artefacts and curios.
Singsings are held regularly throughout the
province.The Mt Hagen market is an opportune place to purchase tradionally made
bilums. These are gatherings of clans in traditional costume where ritualistic dancing and singing
is perfomed for ceremonial reasons. However there are many opportunities throughout the year to watch
a ceremonial singsing. The most popular time to visit Mt Hagen
is August when the annual show is held. Hundreds of different Highland tribes are
represented, each wearing their distinctive tribal head dresses of feathers and flowers
and body paint. It is a wonderful opportunity to se a glimpse of the
richness of traditional Highlands social structure.
Things to see
Mount Hagen: Set in the large Wahgi Valley, with its neat villages, gardens, coffee plantations and groves of casuarinas, this busy town has a wild-west feel about it. All main banks and airlines have offices here. The market, located at the corner of Wahgi Parade and Kum Road, is the place to see colourfully attired locals, particularly on Saturdays, as well as fresh produce, pigs, feathers, and maybe cassowaries. The men traditionally grow a long beard and the women wear an array of brilliant scarves and carry their brightly coloured string bags, or bilums. Bilums are used to carry everything from babies to firewood.Mount Hagen Show: Held the third weekend in August, this amazing show is the place to see the fantastic traditional costumes and headdresses decorated with bird of paradise plumes and the cuscus fur that Wahgi people wear.
Art & Craft: Traditional weapons, bilums and Highlands hats, decorated with cuscus fur, are available from the larger hotels and around the town. The Cultural Centre has a reconstructed village hut and a museum with artefacts.
Archeological Sites: The Kuk Valley is a site where land was first cultivated for gardening. Check with the Cultural Centre or hotels for permission to visit.
Things to do
Walking/trekking: Walks of various lengths can be done from Haus Poroman Lodge, phone (675) 542 2722, through forest or to villages and plantations. Longer and more strenuous hikes can be taken from the city to the towering peaks of Mount Hagen (3791m), Mount Ongo, Mount Kubor, Mount Kini Kaino Ku, and Mount Giluwe (4368m). Trans Niugini Tours, on Kongin Street behind the hospital, can also organise tours and treks, as well asParadise Adventure Tours (675) 542 1696.
Birdwatching: Baiyer River Wildlife Sanctuary north of Mount Hagen is one of the best places to see Papua New Guinea’s colourful birds of paradise.
Click here to view accommodation listing in the Western Highlands Province
Air Niugini andother third level airlines provide flights to Kagamuga Airport from Port Moresby. They also provide connections to Mt Hagen from other centres in PNG.
