The country is situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, at the point of
collision of several tectonic plates. There are a number of active
volcanoes, and eruptions are frequent. Earthquakes are relatively
common, sometimes accompanied by tsunamis.
The country's geography is diverse and, in places, extremely
rugged. A spine of mountains, the New Guinea Highlands, runs the length
of the island of New Guinea, forming a populous highlands region mostly
covered with tropical rainforest. Dense rainforests can be found in the
lowland and coastal areas as well as very large wetland areas
surrounding the Sepik and Fly rivers. This terrain has made it difficult
for the country to develop transportation infrastructure. In some
areas, airplanes are the only mode of transport. The highest peak is
Mount Wilhelm at 4,509 metres (14,793 ft). Papua New Guinea is
surrounded by coral reefs which are under close watch to preserve them.
Climate
Papua New Guinea is just to the south of the equator and has a
tropical climate. In the highlands, though, temperatures are distinctly
cool. The (very) wet season runs from about December to March. The best
months for trekking are June to September.
Cities
- Port Moresby
— the capital city with its interesting Zoological gardens, the
Parliament building, the museum, and general Melanesian atmosphere.
- Alotau — laid-back capital of Milne Bay province and gateway to some fascinating but remote islands.
- Goroka — an attractive highland town with pleasant climate and the annual Goroka Show. Centre of the country's coffee industry.
- Lae — the country's second city, main commercial center and gateway to the Highlands.
- Mt. Hagen
— the 'wild-west' frontier town in the Highlands, which will introduce
you to the cool, crisp Highlands weather and Highlands culture.
- Madang
— a beautiful city with breathtaking flights of bats in the evening (it
is illegal to hurt them), and even more breathtaking diving.
- Rabaul — the city at the foot of an active volcano which was evacuated and severely damaged by a major eruption in 1994.
- Vanimo — the border town if you want to make you way to or from the province of Papua in neighbouring Indonesia. Popular surfing destination.
- Wewak —
the gateway to the Sepik river, where you can experience Sepik culture,
the river itself, and the elaborate carvings typical of the region.
Entry requirements
All foreign nationals who wish to enter Papua New Guinea are required to obtain a visa (either in advance or on arrival).
A visa (valid for 60 days, also known as 'Easy Visitor Permit') can be obtained
on arrival in PNG (fees for Tourist Visitor are zero for many countries -->
http://www.immigration.gov.pg/images/documents/Publication-Revised%20MSF2.pdf) if the applicant is
not
a national of one of the following countries: all African countries
(including North Africa), all Middle Eastern countries, all Central
American and Caribbean countries (except Mexico), all Central Asian
countries, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, China (not
including Hong Kong SAR and Taiwan), Cyprus, Georgia, India, Montenegro,
Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Serbia, Sri Lanka and
Vietnam (see
here for the full list of countries).
Alternatively, a visa (also known as an 'entry permit') can be obtained
in advance
at a PNG embassy, high commission or consulate. The application fee
(per person) is 75 kina (tourist/visitor), 200 kina (yachtsperson), 500
kina (businessperson/journalist) or 50 kina (sportsperson).
As of August 2014, 60 day tourist visas are issued by the PNG consulate in Jayapura free of charge. Processing time is five business days.
If you live in a country that does not have a Papua New Guinean
embassy or consulate, you may be able to apply for a PNG visa in advance
at an Australian or British embassy, high commission or consulate. For
example, the Australian Embassy in Copenhagen accepts applications for PNG visas from residents of Denmark, Iceland and Norway; the Australian Embassies in Budapest and Warsaw also issue PNG visas. The British Embassy in Minsk and Riyadh and the British Consulates in Al Khobar and Jeddah accept applications for PNG visas (this list is
not
exhaustive). British diplomatic posts charge £50 to process a PNG visa
application and an extra £70 if the PNG Department of Immigration and
Citizenship requires the visa application to be referred to them. The
PNG Department of Immigration and Citizenship can also decide to charge
an additional fee if they correspond with you directly.
More information about the PNG visas is available at the website of the
PNG Department of Immigration and Citizenship.
By plane
Jackson International Airport in Port Moresby is the nation's international airport.
- Air Niugini flies to and from Cairns, Sydney, and Brisbane, Australia; Honiara, Solomon Islands; Manila, Philippines; Tokyo (Narita), Japan; Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong.
- Airlines of Papua New Guinea flies to and from Cairns, and Brisbane.
- Pacific Blue connects Port Moresby to Brisbane four times a week.
- QANTASLINK flies to and from Cairns daily
By boat
The ports include Madang, Lae, and Port Moresby on the mainland, Kieta on Bougainville, and Rabaul and Kimbe on New Britain. However, they are only internal ferries. International ferries are unavailable.
There are also cruises such as the Coral Princess and ones from Aurora Expeditions .
Few travellers travel between Buin in Bougainville and Shortland
Island in the Solomon Islands by a banana boat. There are flights
between Shortland Island and Gizo or Chiusel in the Solomon Islands
(alternatively banana boats on very rough seas). This route has been
described on a few blogs and older editions of the Lonely Planet.
By land
The only land border is with Papua (Irian Jaya), Indonesia, and crossing it involves some preparations but is not that difficult as it might have been. In Jayapura, Indonesia,
there is a consulate to apply for a tourist visa. The consulate is
located in Mendi, a 10 min green bus ride away from Jayapura's capital.
As of August 2014 the tourist visas are free of charge. There's a
currency exchange office nearby with good rates to buy kina.
Depending on your Indonesian visa there are different options to
cross the border. If you have a visa on arrival, issued to you for
example at the Jakarta Airport, you can only cross the border using a
boat or by stamping out at customs in Jayapura and then immediately
traveling to the border 30km away. Western travelers attempting the
latter should expect to pay some miscellaneous fees and jump moderate
bureaucratic hoops before leaving.
Boats can be rented from Hamedi.
Any other type of visa you can rent a car, or an ojek and cross
the land border. If renting a vehicle for the crossing one should expect
to pay approximately 300,000 rupiah from Jayapura town and travelers
should expect to pay upwards of 500,000 rupiah to return from the border
to Jayapura. Shared taxis to the border leave early in the morning from
Pasar Youtefa, among other places. Alternatively, from the same place,
you can catch a bemo to the village Koya Timur (half way to the border,
9000 rp, frequent departures) from where you can hire an ojek to the
border for 70000 rp or try to hitchhike.
From the border to Vanimo a bus charges 10 kina. A few days a
week there is a market at Batas, immediately on the Indonesian side of
the border, that attracts many shoppers from PNG. IThe roads are busy on
those days.
In April 2014, following a shooting, the land border was closed
for any traffic. As of late July 2014 it seems to be back to normal.
Travel by sea in banana boats is always an option, although more
expensive.
See
South New Guinea
The Kokoda Trail
is a 60-mile trail, beginning in the Port Moresby area and leading up
into the Owen Stanley Range. This trail was first used by gold miners in
the 1890s and is most known as a historical World War II site as the
Japanese tried to reach Port Moresby along it. It takes about five days
to hike this track, which includes plenty of ups and downs between
mountain ridges and streams.
The Highlands
The Highland region is made of long string of fertile valleys, each
separated by mountains, that mean the Highlands are composed of many
distinct tribal regions.
In the Eastern Highlands is Mount Wilhelm,
Papua New Guinea's highest mountain (14,880 feet). Climbing Wilhelm is
relatively easy; but three or four days are recommended to allow for
sightseeing. There are views of both the north and south coasts of New
Guinea from the peak. The Wahgi River in this area is considered one of
the best whitewater rafting destinations in the world.
The Northern Coast
- Madang
is good for scuba diving of all levels,and the coral reefs are home to a
variety of rare species of colorful fish. There are also underwater
wrecks of Japanese fighter planes, with weapons and cargo intact. There
are still-active volcanoes for trekkers to hike up not far from Madang.
- Further west you come to Wewak. It is the gateway to the Sepik
River region with a fascinating culture distinct from that of the
Highlands. Take long canoe rides up the river and it's tributaries to
visit the impressive Haus Tambaran's.
The Crocodile Festival (Pukpuk Show) in early August in Ambunti on the
Sepik river is a good and less crowded alternative to the Goroka and
Hagen shows.
The Islands
- New Britain.
This island offers excellent swimming and snorkeling. Trails in the
area are perfect for day hikes and treks through the rainforest. There
are also hot thermal springs and bubbling mud holes in this region of
the island. The Baining people who inhabit the northeastern area of New
Britain are famous for creating ephemeral art-forms, perhaps no better
demonstrated than by their firedance. A dramatic and beautifully made
mask is constructed from bark for this ceremony and thrown away as
worthless immediately afterwards.
- Bougainville.
Well off-the-beaten-path in the far east of the country, with great
untapped tourism potential. World-class diving, dramatic treks and World
War II Japanese relics are the key attractions.
- Trobriand Islands. The so called Islands of Love are well known for their unique culture.
Do
Scuba Diving
Go
scuba diving, using one of more than a dozen local scuba diving operators. The national Scuba Diving industry body is a good starting point. Papua New Guinea has some of the very best tropical reef diving anywhere in the word.
Birdwatching
This a birdwatching mecca with over 700 species of birds including many birds of paradise.
Definitely bring a pair of decent binoculars and ask in the villages
for a volunteer to help you find the birds. An amazing experience!
Surfing
Information through the Surfing Association.
Trekking
Another popular attraction here is
trekking through the mountains, coastal lowlands and rolling foothills of the Kokoda and other trails. The Kokoda Track attracts many hundreds of walkers a year.
Festivals
The most popular activities for tourists here are
festivals
such as the The Sing-Sing performances at the annual Goroka and Mt.
Hagen shows. During these shows, there are usually more than fifty
ensembles that turn up. The festivals are competitive and the winning
ensemble is rewarded by being invited to give concerts at many
restaurants and hotels during the following year. This beauty and
colorfulness of New Guinea’s festivals is both pleasing to watch for
tourists and helps the locals financially.
Fishing
Fishing is becoming increasingly popular. Species include
Black Marlin, Blue Marlin, Sailfish, Yellow Fin, Skipjack and Dogtooth
Tuna and the Giant Trevally. Mahi Mahi (Dolphin Fish), Mackerel and
Wahoo. A particularly challenging fish is the black bass, which, pound
for pound, is considered to be the toughest fighting fish in the world.
Flightseeing
Flightseeing is a word that should have been coined here. If
you can afford it, just flying around some of the remote airstrips is an
adventure in itself. There are strips that seem impossibly short,
strips that seem to end with a mountain, strips where if you don't take
off in time you will plunge into a ravine, and airstrips surrounded on
three sides by water. From Port Moresby you don't have to fly far to get
the experience. There are flights to villages on the Kokoda trail and
others in the Owen Stanley mountain range in Central Province and you
can fly a scheduled circuit or "milk run" in one morning, although you
will have to be at the airport by 5:00 a.m. Check with
Airlines PNG for schedules. Fane, Ononge and Tapini strips are particularly scary. Remember your life insurance.
Stay safe
This has a reputation as a
risky destination in some circles (primarily Australian ones), predominantly because of the activities of
criminal gangs (known in Tok Pisin as
raskols) in major cities, especially in Port Moresby and Lae.
That is generally a result of unemployment stemming from
increased domestic migration from subsistence farming in the hills to
the nearest urban area.
There is
no history of heavy settlement in the Port
Moresby and Lae areas. Hence, they are colonial cities comprised of a
mix of tribal people which fosters instability. Madang, Wewak, Goroka,
Mt. Hagen, and Tari are much safer with longer periods of settlement and
a more stable tribal homogeneity.
The
villages are quite safe as the locals will "adopt" you
as one of their own. In many places, if you are alone, someone will
want to escort you to where you want to go even if they have to go out
of their way and you haven't asked for it. Most people are extremely
friendly, curious and helpful and it is easy to tell the bad guys from
everyone else.
Avoid conflicts at all costs and stay calm whatever the
situation. Many people are very temperamental and local conflicts (that
will normally have nothing to do with you) might quickly get out of
proportion. Superstition is very widespread. If you get mugged, stay
calm and hand over your cash. Fortunately few people have guns but most
people carry bush knives (they need them for their everyday business,
which includes self defense). Most crime is related to alcohol or
marijuana.
In case you get involved in any type of traffic accident,
continue driving and find the nearest police station. If anyone gets
hurt (a person, pig or chicken), no matter whose fault it is, there's a
risk that someone might decide to take immediate reciprocal measures
without much discussion.
If you are planning a trip to Papua New Guinea, avoid spending
time in the cities as they are boring and devoid of the culture to be
found in the villages.
If you must, the most important thing is to stay up to date on
the law and order situation in the locations you are planning to visit.
Most hotels in Port Moresby are secure and situated inside
compounds, generally with guards patrolling the perimeter. However,
actual gunfire in the capital is mercifully rare. If you plan on taking a
tour of any city, make inquiries with your hotel or accommodation
provider, as many will be able to either walk with you or drive you to
wherever you are planning to go, or just around the local area if that
is what you want to do.
Avoid going out after dark, but if you must, stay very alert.
Flying in small planes can be very risky. Hardly a year goes by
without at least one fatal accident (the most recent in August 2009 when
12 people were killed). While the planes are usually well-maintained
and the pilots technically proficient the problem is the mountainous
terrain. Many smaller airfields are situated in steep valleys. When
there is cloud cover planes have difficulty in finding them and
sometimes crash into a mountain. The national airline,
Air Niugini,
which flies internationally and to the major cities of the country has,
however, an unblemished safety record in 32 years of operation.
Saltwater Crocodiles (
Crocodylus porosus) are
common in Papua New Guinea and are capable of growing to immense lengths
of 7 m or more (although individuals over 6 m are rare). They
occasionally devour humans and should be shown respect at all times.
They are equally at home in coastal waters as they are in freshwater
lakes and rivers. Swimming is generally not advised except at higher
elevations and in hotel swimming pools. Papua New Guinea, along with
Australia, has the highest and healthiest population of large Saltwater
Crocodiles in the world.
Papua New Guinea is home to
many active volcanoes and
several of the most popular treks involve getting close or actually
climbing one or more of these. Always heed local advice and a regular
check of The Smithsonian Institute's Volcanic Activity Report would be wise.
Scams
There are some rogue travel operators in Papua New Guinea who have
taken people's money and then failed to provide the itinerary agreed or
even in some cases have not bought the flights that were paid for,
leaving travellers stranded or having to buy new tickets themselves. It
is wise to use a search engine and travel forums to investigate the
operator you are considering before paying any deposits. Be aware that
these operators will often change their names from time to time.
Although PNG is definitely not a place where bargaining is
expected or tolerated (many things might have a "second price" though,
especially souvenirs and art), there are some dishonest people who might
try to make a buck from the white man. Inform yourself beforehand or
ask other passengers about bus fares. Shop around before chartering
boats or canoes. Since there are some very rich tourists in PNG who pay
ridiculous amounts of money for certain services, it is easy to
understand why someone might think that Caucasian visitors have
bottomless pockets. When chartering boats always make sure if the fuel
is included.
Instead of bargaining beforehand, many guides, boat skippers etc.
might try to extract extra money at the end of your journey, no matter
what you agreed on beforehand. This is sometimes due to an honestly bad
calculation on their side, but most often it is simply a way to make
some extra money. If possible, be prepared to show that the previously
agreed amount is all the money you have on your person. Otherwise, just
stay firm but friendly!
Vava'u -- Whales, sailing, whale-watching, and caves
Nuku'alofa -- Humpback whales, whales and snorkeling
Tongatapu -- Home to the Royal Palace
Neiafu -- Harbors and humpback whales
Foa -- Beautiful beaches
Niuatoputapu -- Volcanoes
Vava'u -- Whales, sailing, whale-watching, and caves
Nuku'alofa -- Humpback whales, whales and snorkeling
Tongatapu -- Home to the Royal Palace 
Neiafu -- Harbors and humpback whales
Foa -- Beautiful beaches
Niuatoputapu -- Volcanoes
