Tribesofpapuanewguinea Reviews 

I joined this photography tour of Papua New Guinea expecting expert photographic guidance and professional tour leadership. Unfortunately, the experience fell well short of what was advertised.

The biggest issue was that our guide (David Dennis) did not inform the group that he would be unable to lead the tour until we had already arrived in Papua New Guinea, despite knowing well in advance that his illness was likely serious enough to prevent him from attending. We later learned that he had already told some members of the group about his condition before the trip, making the lack of communication to everyone else particularly disappointing. Clients should have been informed before travelling and given the opportunity to decide whether they still wanted to continue under those circumstances.

Equally concerning was that no professional photographer was brought in to replace him. Photography expertise was a major reason we booked and paid for this tour, yet that key component was simply missing.

The replacement tour leader worked hard and did his best, but he had not even visited all of the locations on the itinerary. Through no fault of his own, he could not provide the level of guidance, local knowledge, or photography instruction that was promised and expected on a tour of this calibre.

Other issues reinforced the impression that the tour had not been properly organised. Team members admitted they had never visited parts of the itinerary before, one scheduled activity was disrupted by payment issues, and local staff told us they had not yet been paid for escorting our group. While Papua New Guinea is naturally a rustic destination, the overall organisation and value for money did not reflect the premium price we had paid.

Our request for reasonable compensation was never about David becoming ill. It was about receiving a tour that was fundamentally different from the one that had been advertised and sold. No refund was offered—only a discount on a future trip, which did little to restore confidence. Equally disappointing was that David never contacted the group during or after the tour to ask how we were managing with the unexpected changes or how we had experienced the trip.

Papua New Guinea itself was incredible, with welcoming people and spectacular cultural festivals. However, the tour did not deliver the core photography expertise and leadership that were the primary reasons for booking it.

I rarely write negative reviews, but I believe future customers deserve to know what happened.

Unexpected circumstances can happen to any travel company, and this review is not about someone becoming ill. It is about how that situation was handled. Throughout the entire process, I experienced a lack of transparency, poor communication, broken promises and a refusal to take responsibility afterwards. Those are the reasons I no longer trust this company.

Communication before departure was almost non-existent. Questions often went unanswered, leaving several participants wondering whether the company was even legitimate. Only a few days before departure, a WhatsApp group was created to share some basic information. Even then, my partner and I were never added and only discovered it existed after another traveler invited us once we had arrived.

We only learned that David would not be guiding the tour after everyone had already arrived in Papua New Guinea. We later discovered that he had been seriously ill, but clients should have been informed before travelling and given the opportunity to decide whether they still wanted to continue under those circumstances. That choice was taken away from us.

This tour was sold as a premium photography tour, and we paid a premium price because professional photography guidance was a key part of what was being offered. No equivalent replacement was arranged. Instead, the replacement guide had no photography expertise, limited cultural knowledge and very little leadership experience. It quickly became clear that he had not been properly prepared for the role.

Other problems only reinforced the impression that the trip had not been properly organized. Team members admitted they had never visited parts of the itinerary before. An activity could not take place because of payment disputes. Local staff told us they still had not been paid for escorting our tour. One lodge had an existing rat problem that had not been addressed. Given the overall standard of accommodation, food and organization, we felt the tour was significantly overpriced.

After we raised our complaints, we discovered that the website’s terms and conditions had been changed to include several of the issues we had raised. The changes were not dated, which gave us the impression that the rules were being rewritten after the fact rather than reflecting the conditions under which we had booked.

Our request for a refund was never about David’s illness. It was about receiving a tour that was fundamentally different from the one we had paid for. No refund was offered. The only proposal was a discount on a future trip, subject to availability—an offer none of us had any confidence in accepting.

From the moment we arrived until well after the tour had ended, David never contacted any of us to ask how we were coping with the unexpected changes or how we had experienced the tour. That absence of communication spoke volumes.

Papua New Guinea itself is an extraordinary destination, and the local people we met were warm, welcoming and one of the highlights of our journey. My criticism is not directed at the country or its people, but entirely at the way this tour was managed.

Trust is the foundation of any travel company. In my experience, that trust was broken long before the tour ended, and nothing that happened afterwards restored it. For that reason, I cannot recommend this company.

I was part of a group tour of 14 international travelers who signed up for a PHOTOGRAPHY tour of Papua New Guinea. David Dennis, who is the tour leader, owner, and photography expert told most of us after we have arrived in country that, due to an illness of at least one month duration, he was not coming. He assigned an employee to take on photography and tour leadership as well as his other responsibilities. The tour included the advertised lodging, food, transportation, 3 festivals, and some events. The tour failed to offered a substitute photographer ad qualified leader, The tour lacked information on history and culture that is an essential part of a tour at this caliber and price point. NO Photography expertise, which accounts for about 30% of the value of such trip.
Our group is in contact with David Dennis to receive compensation for failure to deliver advertised and promised photography expertise and leadership. The appointed employee had to go off site, on one occasion for 8 hours, leaving us without the tour leader. Dennis was not in contact with us while we were on the tour to provide info or assure how the trip was going.
The lodging was rustic as expected in 4 lodges. We were assured that internet was available, but no internet even with digicel sim. One of the lodges had several rats on the roof and in 2 of our rooms. Food was good, and safe, based on chicken preparations, pasta, fruit, rice, and vegetables. Beer available for purchase. A guide and some workers asked us for tips.
Dennis has offered a voucher for a future trip, but I advise against taking the trip that lacks the biggest advertised element of photography expertise. Our group is due a refund for undelivered services.
The people of PNG are friendly, courteous, and some of the warmest people I have ever met. We saw amazing tribal events and costumes. I really wanted to learn more about the background of the rituals and tribes, but we received none.
I have many photos of my trip but they could be so much better for this amazing trip