Ambua Lodge: Luxury in Papua New Guinea

Luxury and Papua New Guinea are probably not terms often put together, but the option of 5-star comfort in remote Papua New Guinea does exist.

Ambua Lodge

Located at over 2000m in the remote southern highlands of Papua New Guinea you will find the secluded Ambua Lodge. The luxury lodge includes 180-degree views from your individual hut, with a panorama of dense green forest, cascading down the hillside into the mist.

Ambua is so remote that the only way into the lodge is by plane from Mount Hagen or Port Moresby. It was only in the 1930’s that gold prospectors made first contact with the local Huli tribesmen who still wear elaborate headpieces of human hair, feathers and flowers. The prospectors recorded the first encounter on a cine-camera and guests can view the historic footage in Ambua’s library.

Ambua Lodge: Room

The forty sophisticated huts at Ambua are made from bush materials with thatched roofs but come with all modern comforts. Well except for TV’s and hairdryers but you don’t come this far to such a location to watch Nuigini TV! The beds do have electric blankets, a nice touch in the often cool and damp highlands. What you will notice is the incredible silence of the nights, the only noise is the gentle rain and the occasional forest rustle. The lodge generates its own electricity from a small hydro-electric generator.

The lodge features Highlands architecture with a main building housing the lounge, bar, dining room, and a cosy centre fireplace. Separate are the video room, heated spa and sauna.

Ambua Lodge’s environment is spectacular enough to impress no less a wildlife expert as David Attenborough who is a return guest. Highlights include the area’s orchids, birdlife and up to 13 species of birds of paradise. A number of nature trails give guests access to dense rain forest and secluded waterfalls surrounded by rhododendrons, orchids and spectacular butterflies.

Huli Tribesmen

The other attraction of the are is of course the local tribe, the Huli Wigmen of the Tari Valley. Tours included in Ambua Lodge’s package include culturally sensitive tours to local villages and sing-sing ceremonies where men and women still wear local traditional dress. When wearing traditional dress, the men decorate their bodies with colored clay and wear elaborate headdresses for ceremonies. The Huli are skilled subsidence farmers, hunters and gatherers who have adapted to growing newly introduced crops such as sweet potatoes. The Hulli still live their traditional polygamous lifestyle, but have also become enthusiastic local business owners.

PNG is an unusual destination: a dramatic and exotic country which is still barely a generation out of the stone age and there are almost certainly tribes which have not yet been in contact with the outside world. The country boasts over 800 languages but Tok Pisin (Melanasian Pidgin English) is the language of the country and English is spoken widely in the towns.

Ambua Lodge Panorama

A little Tok Pisin is a great language to learn: goodbye = “lukim yu behain” (look you behind) accident=bagarap (bugger up) – here is a hint; say it aloud phonetically. The language is deliberately simple to learn but some of the translations of well known texts are hilarious; my personal favourite has always been the emergency card on a light plane: “dispela balus (bird) go bagarap …” If you ever hear a white-man talk about having “gone finish” it means he’s worked in PNG and adopted the useful phrase which means “his contract is over and he is returning home (overseas)”