"By the Mangrove Swamps" Daru by Bwana_Brown

Daru Travel Guide: 9 reviews and 10 photos

Located almost 270-miles westward from Port Moresby, as the crow flies, directly over the Gulf of Papua the whole way, Daru is the small capital of Western Province. This is one of the most isolated areas of Papua New Guinea, with the great arc of shoreline along the Gulf almost entirely made up of mangrove swamps with very little settlement. A number of large rivers drain the Highland Mountains by pouring out into deltas along this coast - most notably the Fly River which rises next-door in the Indonesian part of the island. Daru itself is actually located on a small island just off the coast, at the top end of the Torres Straight which separates PNG from Australia (please see my 'General' tip for a map of Daru's location).

Surrounded by water and with large rivers nearby, it is not surprising that fishing plays a big role in the daily life of Daru. In my case, I made a single trip to this island via a twin-engine turbo-prop Fokker F-27 airplane from Port Moresby. Troubles at the diesel power station required the cavalry riding to the rescue!

Pros and Cons

Pros:It was interesting to visit this remote part of PNG
Cons:Not much to do on the Island
In a nutshell:Once was enough!

Last visit to Daru: Aug 1980
Intro Updated Sep 5, 2005
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Reviews (9)

Daru is located Here Favorites (1)

Daru is located in the southwest corner of Papua New Guinea, not too far from the border with Indonesia's province of... more travel advice

Hotel Fare Restaurants (1)

The food selection was fairly simple in hotels like this. There were no really fancy dishes, but you could get the... more travel advice

Sea-Going Out-rigger Canoe Local Customs (2)

I managed to catch one photo of an out-rigger canoe heading out to see what he can find. Barramundi was a very popular... more travel advice

Living off the Land Things to Do (2)

Housing in parts of Daru was of more traditional design. Here, I came across a few villager huts using the standard... more travel advice

Hotels (1)
Simple but Expensive
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Comments (8)

richiecdisc Oct 12, 2009 at 4:00 PM Report Abuse

Found this chapter of your PNG adventure to tide me over while waiting for Madrid. You make work sound like fun and certainly anything but everyday. I had were barramundi while in Oz and loved it.
lynnehamman May 27, 2009 at 2:07 AM Report Abuse

How good it is that you have seen these exotic places, Glenn. PNG is somewhat of a mystery to me-but it looks so scenic.The Daru hotel looks inviting, and a Barramundi meal & cold beer just the ticket!Love Barra.
evaanna Mar 16, 2008 at 2:25 PM Report Abuse

Another of your exotic locations. I wouldn't mind seeing a banana or a palm tree outside my window either. We only have one (artificial) palm tree in the centre of Warsaw! No chance to taste the barracundi fish either.
tiabunna Jul 28, 2006 at 6:32 AM Report Abuse

Keep coming back for more of your 'out of the past and out of the way' pages, Glenn! PNG must have been fascinating in those days. The fresh barra must have been great too I reckon.
LoriPori Jul 11, 2005 at 6:12 AM Report Abuse

I found the tip on the Sago Palm tree interesting. That's a whole lotta starch. The fresh perch sounds yummy.
matcrazy1 Jul 3, 2005 at 4:51 AM Report Abuse

Next interesting page... I wonder how things work there now. Are you going to revisit PNG? It would be fascinating to read your comparisons...
ATXtraveler Jun 15, 2005 at 5:10 AM Report Abuse

Interesting page...do you think the region has grown any since your last trip?
freya_heaven May 30, 2005 at 6:10 AM Report Abuse

Interesting to learn about the Sago Palm, looks a relaxing little place if your not having to work . I imagine the Mozzies were a nightmare ther with it being surrounded by so much water. Nice page Glenn (~_~)