Adventure Walks
Bougainville offers unparalleled trekking and walking for the keen visitor. Trekking is a great way to experience our wilderness and visit the more remote villages.
There are some undemanding trails just outside of Buka town but be sure to take a local guide with you. For more of a challenge, Central Bougainville boasts some of the best and intrepid trekking in the region. The Numanuma Track traverses rivers and volcanoes through thick jungle. Other challenges include trekking Mt. Balbi and Mt Bagana, and visiting their craters and lakes.
Be sure to prepare well as some treks can be very challenging. Contact one of our tour operators and service providers to arrange a trip.
Cultural Experiences
For those seeking to experience a bit of tradition and culture, Bougainville offers some great opportunities.
Festivals showcase Bougainville’s unique and diverse cultural backgrounds, displaying traditional dances, costumes cuisine and canoes, they really are a must see! Check out our events calendar to find when the next festival is.
Bougainville offers many beautiful traditional weavings, carvings and pottery. The Siwai and Telei people of mountainous Southwest Bougainville are considered by many to be the South Pacific’s best basket weavers, creating baskets with delightful colours and intricate patterns. Many products are for sale at local markets, but for those wishing to see the traditional process get in contact with one of our tour operators.
World War II Relics
Both of Bougainville’s main islands played a part in the War in the Pacific during World War II.
Japanese, American, Australian and New Zealand forces spent time serving in Bougainville. The relics left behind from the war are scattered all over the island from east to west, north to south, and even on some of its offshore islands.
The Admiral Yamamoto Crash Site in Buin is possibly the most renowned of our WWII relics. Little Tokyo in Tonolei is another interesting site. Tanks, ships, battlegrounds, bunkers, and aircraft can be found in most areas around Bougainville and are just waiting to be discovered by the adventurous traveller!
Bird Watching
Bougainville is world renowned for its bird-watching, and boasts more bird species than mainland Papua New Guinea. Bougainville has a staggering 98 non-marine bird species, just waiting to be seen in their natural environment.
The moustached kingfisher (Actenoides bougainvillei) is endemic to Bougainville Island and extremely rare, with less than a thousand individuals left. Bougainville island is a great place to see many beautiful species of birds like the moustached kingfisher. For an extensive list of the birds species found in Bouaginville , check out Birds and Bird Lore of Bougainville and the North Solomons by Don Hadden.
Though many of these bird species are identified, there are some that still thwart the avid researcher’s attempt to identify them, including one bird that the locals call ‘Odidi.’ The name comes from its song which can be heard sometimes in the morning.
Island Visits
Bougainville hosts numerous off-shore islands perfect for a day trip or overnight stay. Offering undisturbed white sandy beaches and crystal-clear water, an island visit is perfect for snorkelling, fishing or just relaxing under a coconut tree with a book.
Your island is waiting to be discovered!