Geelong’s favourite physio tours The Best Ever Food Review Show around Papua New Guinea

Travis McCombe – voted Geelong’s best physio earlier this year – has returned from an adventure in Papua New Guinea with a YouTuber who has more than 10m subscribers.

The Best Ever Food Review Show team: producer Dau Xuan Vu, cameraman Dinh Tuan Anh, host Sonny Side, Geelong’s Travis McCombe from PNG Experience, cameraman Tran Quang Dao, and editor Nguyen Van Qui in Papua New Guinea.

From crocodiles to volcanoes, Geelong physio Travis McCombe has been able to showcase his knowledge of Papua New Guinea as a tour co-ordinator for a popular YouTuber.

Mr McCombe grew up in Papua New Guinea when his father was working there on a four-year contract, but loved it enough to stay for 15 years.

The Best Ever Food Review Show, which has almost 11m subscribers on YouTube and more than 600,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram, asked Mr McCombe to guide them on their latest food venture.

Mr McCombe said he thought it was a joke when the team first emailed him.

“It was a bit of a surprise because I have loosely followed their channel myself over the years,” he said.

“I think what drew them to me was the history of having grown up there, being able to speak the language, so I would be able to interpret.

”We had a two month process and numerous meetings to come up with a plan of where we would go, where they would film, and we settled on four very different locations.”

Across 16 days, filming for four episodes to air in December, Mr McCombe took host Will Sonbuchner – known as Sonny Side – and his team to Port Moresby, Tari, Parimbei and East New Britain.

Dinh Tuan Anh films Best Ever Food Review Show host Sonny while he speaks to Judas and Clayon from Parimbei Village about the process of hunting and capturing saltwater crocodiles.

The culinary experiences ranged from street food, to traditional village cooking with crocodile, and cassowary and island food.

Mr McCombe, who runs tours through his PNG Experience that he established in 2013, said one scene was filmed at the foot of a live volcano and he even had the chance to get in front of the camera.

“It was a big job and it was hectic,” he said.

“When you go away on something like that it’s very different to a regular tour because the sole objective is to capture great content.”

Mr McCombe said he felt lucky to have experienced the country in a new way with a focus on the “weird and wonderful” foods.

“I was amazed at how many people in New Guinea knew Sonny, multiple people every day would come up and want selfies,” he said.

“It made me realise the power of social media.”

Mr McCombe said he travels with tours three to four times a year to the country and next year was hoping to take another group of Instagram and YouTube stars to showcase the unique beauty of Papua New Guinea to more people.

“Papua New Guinea is so unique and raw, it's a beautiful place, the people are great and its untouched so you know you’re getting the genuine article,” he said.

Originally published as Geelong’s favourite physio tours The Best Ever Food Review Show around Papua New Guinea