Beautiful Madang, as referred to by locals, has been called the "prettiest town in the South Pacific".
Only recently, it was continuously hitting daily news for losing its worth for the name beautiful Madang.
But all hope is not lost, with the Men’s and Women’s Longboard World Championship Tour now taking place at Tupira Surf Club from March 18-25.
The surf club is approximately 180 kilometres north of Madang Town and about a 2 hour scenic drive from Madang Airport by sealed road along the beautiful north coast of Madang.
As stated in the World Surfaris website:
Friendly locals will shower you with fantastic hospitality. Great culture... awesome food. Enjoy surfing this new frontier with a select few. The breaks are user-friendly in this region with limestone bottoms.
This is the perfect opportunity for Madang to reclaim its worth as remembered by many for its beauty and peacefulness.
What to expect when in Madang:
Flying Fox Roosts (Wildlife reserve in Madang)
You can’t miss Madang’s bats, they’re everywhere; wheeling overhead all day, constantly disturbed by the town noises below. Locals say these kwandi (spectacled flying foxes) moved into town in the mid-1970s.
Market (Market in Madang)
The market has fruit and vegetables as well as some clothing, bilums (locally woven string bag) and local shell jewellery.
Local food
Foods eaten include those grown in fertile coastal gardens, shellfish and fish, fruit, green vegetables, bananas, taro, sweet potato and yams which relish dry soils. Sago is a staple of the Ramu river people especially in its lower reaches. The mountain people have very good gardens with excellent produce.
Coastwatchers’ Memorial Beacon
The 30m-high Coastwatchers Memorial Beacon, visible 25km out to sea, is a reminder of those who stayed behind enemy lines during WWII to report on Japanese troop and ship movements. The 3km beachfront road south of the memorial is the most pleasant walk in Madang, with views across Astrolabe Bay.
Madang Museum (Museum in Madang)
In the same building as the Madang Visitors & Cultural Bureau, this small but fascinating museum is worth visiting. Learn about the 1660 eruption of Long Island. Look for the ceremonial headdress from Bosmum village on the Lower Ramu River. These are worn during the ‘cleansing of the blood’, the time in which blood is drawn from a boy’s tongue and penis during initiation to manhood.
Among other possible activities to do while in Madang, note that its magnificent coast is world famous for its coral gardens and superb visibility. Also, Madang was the centre of heavy fighting during World War II, and there are 34 sunken ship dive sites to explore at Hansa Bay, near Bogia.