Indigenous Kokoda Adventures is a locally-owned and operated company in Papua New Guinea. Owner Jesse Leta and his team provide guided treks along PNG’s Kokoda Track, a 60 mile hike through untouched rainforests and mountains. Jesse grew up along this track and fully understands the challenges his community faces and the delicate balance of maintaining traditions while developing for the future. He also understands business and the importance of providing an exceptional experience for the customer. You may be able to find well-known adventure companies offering trips here, but this is the company to choose for a deeper connection to the land and people of Papua New Guinea.
Review of Indigenous Kokoda Adventures Website
Indigenous Kokoda Adventures (IKA) has designed an excellent site — polished, easy to navigate and informative. They do an excellent job introducing the Kokoda Track’s history and the story behind the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels. For many of us, this is a culture and history we know very little about so I’m glad they took the time to incorporate this information in an easily digestible format.
Need to know about Kokoda Track
IKA is clear about what to expect in terms of lodging, physical fitness prep and trail conditions. This is a challenging trail and they acknowledge that. You will be living with local families, sharing their meals, sleeping in village huts and bathing in the river or in rudimentary structures. The villages have outhouses and efforts are being made to improve them. There are local clinics but in an emergency you will be evacuated by helicopter to Port Moresby. The welcome packet you receive when you book a trip with IKA covers this and includes the following:
- Confidential medical questions
- Training guidelines
- Packing list
- Details about visas, insects, currency, climate and more
- Wishlist of items for village schools
- Medical insurance acknowledgement — evacuation insurance must be included
Things to like about Indigenous Kokoda Adventures
- Offers a depth of generational knowledge and connection to the land that only an indigenous-owned company can provide
- Operates the IKA Foundation which directly supports education for children living along the Kokoda Track
- Provides 1 porter per client and all porters and guides are fairly compensated
- All-inclusive, including airport transfers, porters, guides, historians and all meals and permits
- Listed as Top Ethical Ecotour Provider 2021 on Terra Incognita Travel and member of Adventure Travel Trade Association and Planeterra
- Can arrange additional tours/activities before or after the trek to gain a broader experience of the island
- Offers a once-in-a-lifetime transformative experience
Route Type
- Trekking
Destinations include
- Papua New Guinea
Great choice for
- Adventure seekers who want to hike challenging trails that haven’t been overwhelmed by mass-tourism
- Hikers seeking to book directly with an indigenous-owned tour operator that actively supports the communities where they operate
Established in 2018
For an in-depth story about founder Jesse Leta and his vision for IKA, read Elisa’s story on Traveller Storyteller.
