Chris with Trubert and Smith, our lovely hosts at Deidei Guesthouse
Deidei Guesthouse: Everything you need to know
Not only is Deidei Guesthouse less than 30-minutes from the otherworldly Deidei Hot Springs, but it’s also a fantastic place to experience traditional life and culture in this little visited corner of Papua New Guinea (PNG), as Chris Shorrock explains.
Our accommodation at Deidei was in this half-finished house
Where is Deidei Guesthouse?
Located in Deidei village on Fergusson Island in the D’Entrecasteaux Islands, the guesthouse looks out across the picturesque Dobu Passage to the jungle-clad mountains of Normanby Island.
How to get to Deidei Guesthouse?
Fergusson Island is accessed from East Cape, at the easternmost tip of the PNG mainland. It’s not far from the provincial capital, Alotau, which can be reached by plane daily from PNG’s sprawling capital, Port Moresby.
PMVs (public motor vehicles – minibuses and open-backed trucks) travel the 1-2 hour route between Alotau and East Cape throughout the day. Be aware PMVs are sometimes held up and robbed by raskols along this route, although we travelled without a hitch.
From East Cape, public dinghies run to Deidei, taking two to four hours, depending on conditions. There is no schedule, so ask around at the beach or jetty in East Cape, or organise a booking on a dinghy with Deidei Guesthouse in advance if possible.
Deidei Guesthouse sits on the shores of the Dobu Passage
The dinghies generally come to the mainland at the start of the week and go back towards the end. As such, it’s best to travel to Deidei on a Thursday or Friday and back on a Monday if possible.
If you can’t find a dinghy going direct to Deidei, the larger villages of Salamo or Esa’ala are good alternatives. It’s easy to get a boat from either settlement onwards to Deidei.
The journey on a public dinghy cost about 150 kina per person when we travelled in January 2023.
Deidei Guesthouse is a rustic village stay
If you can contact the family before your stay, that’s ideal. We, however, turned up unannounced and were graciously accommodated in a half-finished stilt house in the family compound. With walls made of tarp, and a roof of sago leaves, the hut was spacious inside, split (again with a tarp) into a living area and two separate bedrooms. A small covered landing at the top of the stairs provided a shady spot to catch the hint of a breeze that occasionally stirred the sultry air. Yes, it’s hot!
The toilet at Deidei is basic but picturesque
Meals mainly consisted of fish, tinned meat, and fresh vegetables served in our private quarters. The toilet was picturesque but bare-bones, a long drop over the ocean at the end of a wobbly boardwalk. And the family kept a bucket shower well supplied with fresh water. Unlike most village guesthouses we stayed at, Deidei had a generator that was turned on in the evenings…pure luxury!
We got a deal because the house we stayed in was unfinished, and for two of us for two nights, including food and excursions, we paid 600 kina.
One of the Deidei Guesthouse rooms
Where breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the room
Breakfast at Deidei Guesthouse was always delicious
What to do at Deidei Guesthouse
Deidei is a 30-minute walk from the nearby Deidei Hot Springs. Here, you can cook in the thermal pools, ogle at the colourful mineral deposits, and wash off the day’s grime with a soak in the hot river.
Traditional culture is also alive and well here, and this area of Fergusson Island is part of the kula exchange. It is a foundational part of the culture here, and a trip to see the intricately carved sailing canoes and meet some of the participants while they display their treasures is a privilege not to be missed.
The best thing about Deidei Guesthouse
The family that runs Deidei makes this an exceptional place to stay. Their stories of life in this remote corner, of what is already a remote country, fleshed out the things we saw and did during our stay. Welcoming, apologetic to a fault, and full of humour, they make a visit here unforgettable.
Visited: January 2023