Cheap Flights to Arawa

Not much is known about Arawa except that it is in Bougainville Province, Papua New Guinea. It is the largest settlement in the area that grew out of an old coconut plantation. It became the disputed capital of the province because of its nearness to the district headquarters of Kieta.

The nearby Crown Prince Mountain Range was a copper and gold mine site, and attracted outsiders and expatriates, and out of the former plantation grew neighborhoods, banks and commercial enterprises, schools and churches, and shopping centers and hospitals. In its heyday, it is considered as the second richest town in Papua New Guinea and had the trappings of a modern city with electricity and running water, good roads and a beautiful beach to boot. The weekends are alive with rugby games and motorbike rallies, and boats crisscrossing its pristine waters. However, the place was troubled by a secessionist uprising in 1988 and the widespread violence heralded its demise.

Today, Arawa is in a bad shape. Although the inhabitants are friendly and helpful, the decrepit buildings and bad roads do not encourage tourists and visitors. Nonetheless, the island offers a lot of potential as a tourist destination because of its wonderful coral reefs and rugged terrain. In fact, tourism is envisioned as a key factor in bringing the island back to its feet, indicated by the presence of a tourist information office in Buka in spite of the virtual absence of tourism. There are rushing rivers perfect for kayaking and the cave systems invite exploration. Scuba diving has the potential to be among the best in the world, and tour groups are beginning to discover excellent surfing sites. There is already a three day trek to the 2,685 meter Mount Balbi with guides from the village of Wakunai, the starting baser of the hike.

Not surprisingly, there are no cheap flights to Arawa. However, local airline Air Nugini has daily flights from Port Moresby to Buka Island north of the main island. Buka town became the government and business center during the civil war. So if you need cheap flights to Arawa land to Buka Island which is separated from Bougainvile by the Buka Passage, this also becomes a visitor attraction.

There are no hotels in Arawa, although there are a few inns, resorts, and guesthouses in the main island of Bougainville and Buka Island.