A Welcoming Community

The people of the Louisiades are Melanesian.The locals look similar to the folk of the rest of Papua New Guinea (and for that matter the Solomons, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and to some extent Fiji). 

They are exceptionally welcoming to yachts and will paddle out to say a welcoming hello and of course to trade their local produce and crafts for other items not readily available in the Louisiades. As soon as you first arrive you realise that this is a very simple life, without great material possessions. Many folk live “self sufficiently” and have little need for cash, on many islands their economy isn’t based on cash and to spend to purchase anything would be a long trip by sailing canoe to a trade store. Having said that, people do need to do more than eat and house themselves, with school fees needing to be paid and any medical costs met.

Most people live in villages with from one family to hundreds. There is no formal traditional chiefly system but it seems every island has a councillor who sits on the local government. Councillors are elected so they do change each five years or so. Many folk are Christian and there are a range of missions throughout the islands. Many villages have a church.

Unlike many areas of the Pacific where the outboard powered long boat (or banana boat) is the main means of travel, in the Louisiades the sailing canoe is the main way of getting around.

Most cruising yachties report only great experiences although some petty theft has occurred. PNG does have some areas where tourism is constrained owing to perceived threats to personal security… not in the Louisiades, life does not seem to involve violent behaviour to visitors.
Most folk live in villages, which are home to any number of families from a few to a few hundred. The villages have no formal or traditional chiefly system, but every island has a Councilor, who forms part of the local government. Most villages have a church where the locals practice Christianity.
The sailing canoe is the main form of transport for locals to get around the Louisiades. The sailing canoes are hand crafted from trees growing on Paneati.