Why Not a New Guinea Safari?

Under existing circumstances. New Guinea is not every tourist's cup of tea but with some organisation some parts of it could become an attractive travel proposition for the adventurous. With reasonably simple equipment. South and East Africa have capitalised on the "safari" tour, which is basically comfortable camping, for half a century; put a new twist to it and the same sort of thing could be done in New Guinea. Africa has certain advantages—a drier climate, better road access and wild animals. New Guinea's wild animals are limited to bush pigs and crocodiles, it rains a lot and roads are inadequate. Against that it has some of the most accessible primitive natives remaining in the world, good air services and friendly people. One of the most enthusiastic believers in the tourist potential of P-NG is an American, Miss Lillian Schoedler, who went there in 1959 for a couple of weeks and ended up spending two years in West New Guinea and P-NG. She chooses the big Sepik District as most favoured for the discerning traveller, and although we don't go all the way with her and feel that one Schoedler doesn't make a tourist industry, we are publishing these notes she has made on the District. They may inspire some other traveller to tread this largely unbeaten track; or it may encourage some resident of the Sepik to or ganise his own small-sized tourist industry. It could be done with the necessary imagination, patience and capital.