Our Company

Tselo Backpackers & Tours is a 100% nationally owned registered Tour Business Operator that is operating from within Rabaul Township.

We specialize in planning and organizing Shore Tour Excursion such as the Rabaul Volcanic Tours, WWII & Colonial Historic Tours, Cultural Celebration Tours, and many more you can pick from in the day tour packages on offer.

We are very flexible and can tailor our day tour packages to meet your tour needs.

Our guides are savvy in the tourism and hospitality industry to best serve guests from abroad.

With Tselo Backpackers and Tours, your Satisfaction is Guaranteed.

Rabaul In-Brief

Rabaul is the name of the township of East New Britain Province in Papua New Guinea.  It is located on the Island of New Britain.  The New Britain island was discovered in 1616 by the Dutch navigator Jakob Le Maire, who believed it was part of a landmass including New Guinea and New Ireland. His theory was later disproved in 1699-1700 by the Englishman William Dampier who named the island, and Philip Carteret who found St. George’s Channel in 1767.

Rabaul is said to be on a shield volcano formed from deposits left from earlier eruptions. The historic volcano produced major explosions during its era including large eruptions in 1878 and 1994. The 1994 eruption produced simultaneous activity from the Vulcan and Tavurvur Volcanoes.

In May 1937 Rabaul had developed from its early German origins into a pleasant colonial town with shady streets, shops, sport facilities and commerce which was dominated by island trading companies of W.R Carpenters and Burns Philips.

Occupied by the Japanese from 1942-1945, Rabaul was destroyed by Allied bombing and was rebuilt after 1950. Another twin volcanic eruption in 1994 then buried the town under volcanic ashes.

Out of the dust and ashes, Rabaul emerged as a popular south pacific tourist destination hub offering its volcano remains, scuba diving and snorkelling sites, spectacular harbour and other scenery, WWII history and relics, and the unique cultural life of the TOLAI people.

People

The indigenous people of New Britain fall into two main groups: the Papuans, who have inhabited the island for thousands of years, and the Austronesians, who arrived around three thousand years ago.  The current inhabitants of Rabaul are the TOLAI.  They are generally peaceful, and full of laughter and respect.

Language 

There are sixteen Austronesian languages spoken in the Province of which the TOLAI people speak the KUANUA language that is most widely spoken by the Tolais in the Gazelle Peninsula.  Papuan languages are also spoken in the province, including the Bainings, Taulil, Ata, Kol, Makolkol and the Sulka languages. ENB is comprised of 4 districts, namely Rabaul, Kokopo, Gazelle, and Pomio.

Culture

Rabaul with its Tolai people still host diverse and complex traditional cultures that are still remain today such as the Dukduk secret society (also known as Tubuan) in the Tolai area. Famed for its unique cultures (over 800 different tribal groups) and stunning birds of Paradise, this mesmerising country (PNG) is one of the world’s last frontiers.

Climate

Rabaul has a warm climate with tropical rainforest.