We asked a local to show us how to chew betel nut, enjoyed and spat out by people everywhere in Papua New Guinea. The experience was little more intense than we expected.

In one of the least-traveled islands of Papua New Guinea, you can find virginal beaches, expert-grade diving and surfing, back-flip into an emerald river, and feed a class of friendly eels.

Papua New Guinea boasts 3,000 species of orchids. At the Avi Tourism and Cultural Centre near Mt. Hagen, you can see 300 of them.

But also sleep in a traditional village hut and watch tribal performances by the enigmatic Skeleton Men.

See full article for a photo gallery.

A raw, challenging bush hike that (almost) anyone can do.

The Highlands of PNG is the farming heartland of the country, where produce is grown and flown to the coastal zones.

Here’s a quick look at how Highlanders grow and prepare their food.

Papua New Guinea’s capital can be stressful and intimidating. Here’s what you need to know.

And so life ordained that our stay in the inhospitable city of Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea would be associated (and spiced up) by a host without peer: Rob Sajko.

Budget travel in Papua New Guinea was, as far as we could tell, not an option. The PNG Tourism Promotion Authority changed all that.

We had cone to PNG on a whim, eager to see a nation unspoiled by mass tourism. But we didn’t have a clue where to start. Most travel literature focuses on high-end tours and resorts, catering to those willing to pay top dollar for great diving, surfing, and trekking.

As a developing country, Papua New Guinea has its share of social problems. But here, no one ever goes hungry.

Street food in PNG is depressingly bland, reminding visitors that the country was colonized by the British. You can find grilled beef sausages whose flavour and texture make you think of unspeakable offals. A popular snack is bread flour: a deep-fried ball of dough with a bread centre.

Wherever we went in PNG, we were the only backpackers there and the first ones that locals ever saw. And for a good reason. There is no infrastructure to accommodate budget travelers.

But that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. You can stay several weeks in the country without spending a lot of money. You just have to work a little harder for it.