Travel To Papua New Guinea
FIND HOTELS IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA
GENERAL INFO
Papua New Guinea is a vast country of seven million people which occupies the eastern half of the vast island of New Guinea. The island is situated in an area of the South Pacific which is known as Melanesia.
Situated just 150 kilometers north of Australia's Cape York Peninsula, Papua New Guinea has a coastline of 5,152 kilometers which is situated on six bodies of water - the South Pacific Ocean, the Bismarck Sea, the Solomon Sea, the Torres Strait, the Gulf of Papua and the Coral Sea.
Papua New Guinea covers an area of 178,704 square kilometers and has an 829 kilometer land border with Indonesia's, province of West Papua.
Papua New Guinea also controls several offshore islands, the largest of which are the islands of Bougainville, Manus Island, New Britain and New Ireland.
The country, which is a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elisabeth II as it's head of state, is renowned for being one of the world's most ethnically and geographically diverse places on the planet.
When considering travelling to Papua New Guinea it would be wise to book passage as part of an organised party or cruise package and to stay in designated tourist locations and when booking local excursions always travel with a designated local guide.
The predominant religion of Papua New Guinea is Christianity.
Papua New Guinea is home to over eight hundred societies or tribes, leading to the country having the highest number of national languages anywhere in the world at eight hundred and forty one. Luckily English is one of the country's three official languages.
The currency used on Papua New Guinea is the Kina.
Papua New Guinea is situated on time zone UTC + 10.
NOTE - Those wishing to visit ancient tombs or burial sites within Papua New Guinea must first ask permission of either a village or tribal elder in order that they can arrange a tour guide, as it is considered taboo for strangers to visit without a local being present.
LOCAL TRAVEL
Papua New Guinea and it's islands are renowned for their poor roads so inter city travel is generally done by air.
The larger towns and cities are all served by public buses which tend to be in the form of mini buses.
The country is served by several air and sea ports although most visitors will enter the country by way of either the large port at Port Moresby's or the Jackson's International Airport which accepts regular flights from Australia, Fiji, Hong Kong, Japan, the Philippine Islands, the Solomon Islands and Singapore.
Car hire is plentiful in Port Moresby but please be aware that the roads in Papua New Guinea are not good and that Port Moresby is not linked by road to all parts of the country.
A driving licence issued in your own country will secure any vehicle hire.
PORT MORESBY
The capital of Papua New Guinea is Port Moresby, a city of 400,000 people which covers an area of 240 square kilometers.
Port Moresby has a reputation for being a violent city and is therefore not really a tourist destination although it does have a few attractions of note, including it's unusual Parliament Building, it's National Botanic Gardens, National Museum, the Varirala National Park and an original tribal village at Hanuabada.
The city is served by a vast port, harbour and docks, a reliable, local bus network and the Jackson's International Airport.
LOCAL ATTRACTIONS
Papua New Guinea has a mostly mountainous terrain interspersed with great swathes of tropical rain forests, remote villages, several terrestrial eco-regions, vast areas of wetlands and several coastal reefs.
Due to it's outstanding natural beauty the list of attractions within Papua New Guinea is endless, from it's high mountains, vast lakes, rivers and fine beaches to it's ethnically diverese cultural monuments and architecture.
Must see locations around Papua New Guinea include it's offshore islands and reefs, local villages, it's Southern and Eastern Highlands, the Tari Basin, the Keu Caves, Lakes Kulubar and Pinduande and the cities of Lae, Mount Hagen and Madang.
Papua New Guinea can offer visitors a vast selection of mountain or jungle trekking excursions, scuba diving, sailing, bird watching, golf and eco friendly holiday packages.
WEATHER / NATURAL PHENONEMA
Papua New Guinea lies just a few miles south of the Equator giving the country a tropical climate of hot steamy Summers and warm, wet Winters.
The country has separate wet and dry seasons with the wet season occurring between December and May.
Average annual temperatures in Papua New Guinea range from between 28 degrees centigrade to 32 degrees centigrade.
Papua New Guinea is located along the Pacific Ocean rim, an area which is also known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, making the whole of the country susceptible to erratic tectonic activity. Therefore Papua New Guinea is at very high risk from both volcanic eruptions and earthquakes and subsequent tsunamis.
CRIME
Crime, particularly violent robbery, can be a problem in Papua New Guinea, particularly in the larger cities.
Violence can also be witnessed in rural areas owing to local tribal conflicts.
Papua New Guinea's offshore islands, once considered veritable havens for visitors, have also seen a rise in violent attacks on both locals and tourists.
Few tourists have found themselves mixed up in anything nasty, but caution should be taken, especially when in cities and at night. Some of the island's ports of entry have also seen a rise in hostilities towards visiting yachts and cruisers.
Crime is high due to the lack of policing. Papua New Guinea has only a very small police force but a very large tribal population, all of whom prefer to take judicial matters into their own hands.
This, coupled with widespread poverty, has led to an increase in lawlessness within the country.
However the country's fine, purpose built tourist resorts are relatively crime free.
Homosexuality is illegal in Papua New Guinea and is punishable by prison terms of up to fourteen years. Therefore please exercise caution when in public places, both in urban and rural locations, if you are in a same sex relationship,
The emergency telephone number for Fire, Police & Ambulance in Papua New Guinea is 000.
HEALTH
Before travelling to Papua New Guinea it's wise to undertake a full vaccination program for Hepatitis A and Typhoid and to begin a course of anti malarial medication.
Papua New Guinea is served by several hospitals, medical centres and dental surgeries, although the service of care can vary greatly from area to area.
Prescriptions can be obtained from well stocked local pharmacy's.
There are two hospitals in Port Moresby, both of which provide good medical, surgical, orthopaedic and emergency services.
PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL HOSPITAL, Spores Road, Four Mile, Port Moresby. TEL - 675 323 4400
PORT MORESBY GENERAL HOSPITAL, Port Moresby 111. TEL - 675 324 8200
FOREIGN CONSULATES
Port Moresby is served by twenty seven foreign Embassies / Consulates / High Commissions.
The countries which are covered by consular services are - Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Fiji, Finland, France, Greece, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom and the United States of America.
VISA INFO
Visas are not necessary when visiting Papua New Guinea but a passport with at least six months before expiry will be needed, proof of onward travel documentation and proof of sufficient funds to last the duration of your stay.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
January 1 - New Year's Day
Good Friday
Easter Saturday
Easter Sunday
Easter Monday
May 1 - May Day
June 10 - Queen's Birthday (Elisabeth II)
July 23 - National Remembrance Day
August 26 - National Day of Repentance
September 16 - Independence Day
December 25 - Christmas Day
December 26 - Boxing Day
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Papua New Guinea's official tourist body is - www.papuanewguinea.travel
Papua New Guinea's flag carrier airline is - www.apng.com
The Papua New Guinea government website is - www.pm.gov.pg
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