Asaro Mudmen Tribe, near Goroka in Papua New Guinea. Many cultural activities etc.
“Knowledge is only rumour until it is in the muscle”
Visiting the Asaro Mudmen–Goroka, Papua New Guinea
The highland jungle is eerily quiet. A shroud of dense fog rolls over the lush mountains, not even a bird of paradise can be heard. Its as if the jungle knew that the warrior spirits of the Asaro were looming in the distance. As they draw closer, the fables come true. Fear takes hold, and your consciousness becomes a haze. That’s when the first Asaro Mudman breaks through the fog. Equipped with a club, his movements conjure up the feelings that he really could be a spirit from long ago. Fixating closer on the haunting movements of the Mudmen you realize that he was only a distraction, as now there are over a dozen Mudmen around you. Luckily for me, these Asaro Mudmen were just displaying their warrior feats and had no intentions of taking me to the spirit world. Papua New Guinea could not be more enthralling.
Asaro-Mudmen
Who are the Asaro Mudmen?
If there is one thing that the tribes of Papua New Guinea can agree on, it is their fear of spirits and ghosts. The tribes are very superstitious and perform rituals of cannibalism and sacrifice to fend of these pesky spirits.
Asaro-Ethnic Photography
Legend has it, the Asaro were defeated in battle by another highland tribe and were forced to flee to the Asaro River. Falling into the river, the Asaro warriors were covered in thick white mud. When crawling out from the mud, the highland warriors that were chasing them believed that the spirits of the fallen Asaro had come back to fight them. The highland tribe ran for their lives back to their village to perform special ceremonies.
Asaro-Body Painting Photography
After this, the Asaro began to create terrifying masks of mud and created movements that spirits are said to have. Whenever enemy tribes would come, the Asaro would adorn their spooky outfits and scare off any threat once again.
Getting to Goroka, Papua New Guinea
Goroka is one of Papua New Guinea’s most pleasant towns. Situated in a lush green valley in the center of the Papuan Highlands, Goroka makes for a great stop for any would-be traveler to Papua New Guinea.
Goroka can be reached in a few different ways depending on the direction you’re coming from.
From Indonesia – coming from west Papua [Indonesia] your first port will be Vanimo. Here you can take the long overland boat and bus trip to Madang, or you can get a flight to Goroka. Most of the flights stop over in Wewak or Madang, but you can easily get to Goroka the same day.
The road from Lae and Madang – The sealed paved road from Lae or Madang is a very pleasant way to get to Goroka. You can hop on any of the Bus/truck transports heading this way. The journey varies but takes around 5 – 6 hours depending on weather, and the type of transport you get on.
Flight from Port Moresby – There are no roads from the capital city Port Moresby to Goroka. Your only option is to take a very pricey flight. There are deals, however, so make sure you check Papua New Guineas Airlines Air Niugini and PNG Airlines. PNG Airlines tends to be quite a bit cheaper.
“Knowledge is only rumour until it is in the muscle”
The road from Mount Hagen – This stunning road snakes through the highlands and passes by some of Papua New Guineas most stunning scenery. If you’re lucky you can ride on top of the bus to get the best photos!
Goroka Guide
Goroka is one of Papua New Guineas safest and most pretty communities. The leafy streets are full of colorful markets, and plenty of accommodation opportunities. There are even a few tourist shops that sell unique handicrafts from tribes around the area. Here’s a quick guide for Goroka, Papua New Guinea.
Where to Stay in Goroka
When my bus first arrived into Goroka the accommodations looked bleak. Papua New Guineas tourism infrastructure is lacking, to say the least, but the budget travel is almost nonexistent. After exploring the town for a bit, I found that Goroka was one of the first places in Papua New Guinea, that did happen to have a few budget places.
I stayed at the Good Samaritan Lodge, I do believe its also known as the GK Lodge. Regardless the area around here had a few other options as well. I had to wake up the owner in order to get a room, but hey, five of us shared a 50 USD room!
If you want luxury there are a few lodges and hotels near to the center. I checked out the Bird of Paradise Hotel as it had a pizza restaurant, and the rooms looked great. They did start at over a 100 USD though.
Food Options in Goroka
Like almost everywhere in Papua New Guinea, the food options are not great. Most travelers opt for buying food in the supermarkets and self-catering. This is great when you have a kitchen, but you’ll have to get creative as the supermarkets don’t have great options either. One night I whipped up a masterpiece of instant noodles and corned beef.
Goroka has the standard fried chicken and fish restaurants, but it’s also the only place in Papua New Guinea that had Pizza! The Birds of Paradise Hotels serves classic flatbread pizza at an overpriced (yet totally worth it) comfortable restaurant.
Who are the Asaro Mudmen?
If there is one thing that the tribes of Papua New Guinea can agree on, it is their fear of spirits and ghosts. The tribes are very superstitious and perform rituals of cannibalism and sacrifice to fend of these pesky spirits. Legend has it, the Asaro were defeated in battle by another highland tribe and were forced to flee to the Asaro River. Falling into the river, the Asaro warriors were covered in thick white mud. When crawling out from the mud, the highland warriors that were chasing them believed that the spirits of the fallen Asaro had come back to fight them. The highland tribe ran for their lives back to their village to perform special ceremonies. After this, the Asaro began to create terrifying masks of mud and created movements that spirits are said to have. Whenever enemy tribes would come, the Asaro would adorn their spooky outfits and scare off any threat once again.
Keeping safe in Goroka
There is no way around it, Papua New Guinea does suffer from a high crime rate. The reputation it has been given by the travel community is somewhat unfair though. As long as you practice the obvious measures like not going out at night, not flaunting your wealth, and being respectful, you should not run into any issues.
Goroka has had violent muggings in the past, but these situations can be avoided as long as you play it smart. If you must go out at night, ask the hotel to send one of their staff with you, and be wary of any unofficial guides as they may ask for more money when you least expect it.
Goroka is safer than other cities in PNG. Do remember though that this is still PNG and tourism here is not commonplace unless the Goroka Festiva is in town.
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