Hutu Caves

Destination: Hutu Caves, Pangia via Ialibu, Southern Highlands.
Closest town: Mt Hagen
Cost: Coming soon
Travel: 4WD (5 hours return from Hagen)
Difficulty: Outer caves are easily accessed by walking and some climbing up slopes.  The guides will cut footholds with their bush knife as you go. I didn't go in the "inner" caves but proper caving equipment is needed for these.
Contact: Joel +675 7280 5795 (Tok Pisin) or Patricia +675  7214 7881 (English)

After getting my tyre repaired Siobhian and I set off just after 8am, with Joel to the Southern Highlands.     Parts of the highway are great and others are rather bumpy.  There is a police checkpoint at the boarder crossing into Southern Highlands but we must have been too early for them and so didn't get stopped.  Turn off the highway at the market and take the road to Ialibu.  This is the area of Prime Minster, Peter O'Neill.  Needless to say the road was great once we turned off the highway.  Not a pothole to be seen!  

At the T-junction in Ialibu turn left and follow the road.  It is a smart bitumen road that has some twists and turns.  We did hear a story of the PMV missing a bridge in the dark and coming a cropper.  There is a small market where you turn into the village.  There are no signs so you will need to pick up someone from the area in Hagen who can show you the way.  It took us about 2 and 1/2 hours drive, one way.

The track into the village was somewhat different to the other roads.  We were grateful that it was dry season.  The road would need serious 4WD in the wet season.  High clearance is needed in the dry too.  At times I wondered if we were on a road or a walking track but the car fitted and we drove through some small villages to reach Pangia.  Watch out for children as you drive near homes.

The mountain wasn't far from where we parked the car and Joel (one of my security guards) had organised his mates to even make a nice entrance for us.  Papua New Guineas are masters at using nature to create decorations or bilas as it is called here.  So after a short walk (10-15min) we arrived at the caves.  The boys had built some rather flash steps, complete with had rails.

The caves had many entries.  Large chambers were easily accessible and we weren't well equipped enough to venture into the depths of the smaller tunnels.  Which suited us just fine.  We could walk through a few different large chambers and hear stories of the tribal fight time when locals hid in the caves, being dubbed "flying foxes" as they stood on the entrances keeping watch.

There is water under the caves and children catch fish by putting leaves from a tree into the water to stun the fish.  There are eels in the water too that locals catch with an ingenious trap and a poor frog.  

 

            

Guides can organise a picnic "local" lunch for you if you wish.  You will need to negotiate the price and what you want days before going.  

As with all adventures in PNG.  You go at your own risk.  There will be no insurance and little risk assessment or work place health and safety.  Although locals will judge your ability pretty quickly and not take you where they think you can't cope.  When climbing down slopes a brave man will stand between you and the cavern to catch you.

There are some guesthouses out that way but none at Pangia yet.  

You can probably negotiate for your primary age kids and under to be free. I recommend that teenagers wanting to explore the inner caves do so with a parent.

We also heard stories of tourists removing bones etc from the caves.  Please show respect and don't ask to take things.  Even asking is not appropriate.  People will say 'yes' because it is rude to say no, even though they don't want you to take things.  How would you feel if someone tool your grandmother's bones from her grave?

A fantastic day trip from Hagen.