Things to Do in Papua New Guinea in May

May's shoulder season leaves the muck-diving sites at Samarai empty, the visibility stays crystal at 30 m (98 ft) without the crowds. Mandarin fish stage their sunset mating dances every evening at 6 PM sharp, and local dive masters know exactly which volcanic sand patches hide the blue-ringed octopus.

This isn't the tourist-heavy September show, May's regional gatherings at Lufa and Asaro villages draw maybe 200 warriors instead of thousands, and they're the real deal. You'll smell the sing-sing smoke from cooking fires before you hear the bamboo flutes, and the mud masks of the Asaro Mudmen drip real grey clay, not theatrical paint.

May's 70% humidity beats the 90% nightmare of February, and the track stays mostly firm until mid-afternoon. You'll walk past moss-covered artillery from WWII sitting exactly where Australians left it in 1942 while butterflies the size of dinner plates drift through shafts of sunlight.

Water levels drop just enough in May for motorized canoes to reach the remote latmul villages. Yet not enough to strand you on sandbars. You'll sleep in stilt houses where crocodile totems carved into every doorway have guarded families for 200 years, and the night air carries the smell of sago palms being processed into flour.

Perfect rainy-day fallback, the museum's air-conditioning works in May, and the 3-story high spirit house (haus tambaran) replica doesn't reek of mildew like it does in wet season. WWII artifacts include actual Zero plane parts salvaged from the harbor, and bird-of-great destination specimens keep their colors because humidity isn't destroying the taxidermy.

May's trade winds push volcanic gas away from the township, so you can see the Vulcan cone without your eyes watering. The hot springs at Matupit Island bubble at a perfect 38°C (100°F) soaking temperature, and you'll share the pools with locals who've been coming here since Japanese soldiers used these same springs during WWII.