Kimbe, West New Britain

Kimbe is the provincial capital of West New Britain in the islands region North of Papua New Guinea. There wasn't much happening here until the time when oil palm became a major cash crop and everyone started planting oil palm all over the place. This is evident as soon as you land at the airport as you'd see the plantations from up above.



Kimbe



The city itself does not have much to offer. KBSA is the most prominent business group here and you would see their stores all over the place. The economy is seasonal due to the harvesting periods for the oil palm as well as the market demand and price. There was a time when the export market was so bad operating a business in Kimbe got really tough with a lot of Koreans going bust. And yes, I did say Koreans. Papua New Guinea's Korean population either resides in the highlands such as Mount Hagen's Dae Won or in Kimbe. There are more of them in Kimbe as most highlands Koreans have migrated to Australia.

There are a couple of places to stay at here and tourists come to do snorkeling. The beaches I'd have to say aren't fantastic but the snorkeling is. I would have tried it out myself if not for the fact that yours truly isn't waterproof and I would sink to the bottom of the sea faster than a ship's anchor.

The countryside is quite scenic with oil palm plantations and an exciting road. I'm talking about the snake road which is a tough mountain pass that goes down to a river just before you reach Bialla, a town 3 hours from Kimbe. Before you reach the snake road though, you would pass some volcanic hot springs. West New Britain is also known for its volcanic activity.

Here are some photos I have taken during my drive to Bialla. I never reached my destination during this trip as the torrential rains made the river overflow and the road got washed out.

the road from the airport is smooth. the city is about an hour away.

here you have little oil palm trees waiting to be planted.

when you travel through the countryside, prepare yourself to see old bridges that have stood the test of time.

check the overflowing river.

on your way from Kimbe to Bialla, you'll pass several hot springs that are on the right side if you come from Port Moresby.

yes sir! they are indeed burning.

the road after snake road. all the pavement is gone.

you can see how the river has just overflowed.

Kimbe's coastline isn't really full of beaches.

i found this sitting right on the water's edge!

Please do visit Kimbe. It's a great place! Perfect for adventure on land and snorkeling in sea!