Papua New Guinea

Introduction

Png Face

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Papua New Guinea has a remarkably wide appeal, perhaps wider than any other country: its diving rivals the best of the Caribbean; its wild, unobstructed inland wilderness is perfect hiking ground for any intrepid adventurer; ecotourists are astounded by the wealth of plant life, numbered at some 9,000 species; bird lovers are equally astounded by the 700 species of birds; and linguists could find no better source of inspiration than Papua New Guinea, a country with more than 750 languages.

Why, then, has Papua New Guinea not rocked to the fore of the tourist world? A bad reputation earned through violent clashes in sun-blessed Bougainville is accented by the rampant crime so prevalant in Port Moresby. Nature hasn't exactly lent its helping hand in recent years either, first burying Rabaul in the volcanic outpourings of Tuvurvur in 1994 and then hitting hard again in 1998 with a triad of hurricanes destroying villages along the northwest coast.

Brief History

Human remains have been found which have been dated to about 50,000 years ago. These ancient inhabitants probably had their origins in Southeast Asia, themselves originating in Africa 50,000 to 70,000 years ago. New Guinea was one of the first landmasses after Africa and Eurasia to be populated by modern humans, with the first migration at approximately the same time as that of Australia. Little was known in the West about the island until the nineteenth century, although traders from Southeast Asia had been visiting New Guinea as long as 5,000 years ago collecting bird of paradise plumes, and Spanish and Portuguese explorers had encountered it as early as the sixteenth century (1526 and 1527 Dom Jorge de Meneses). The northern half of the country came into German hands in 1884 as German New Guinea.

During World War I, it was occupied by Australia, which had begun administering British New Guinea, the southern part, as the re-named Papua in 1904. After World War I, Australia was given a mandate to administer the former German New Guinea by the League of Nations. Papua, by contrast, was deemed to be an External Territory of the Australian Commonwealth, though as a matter of law it remained a British possession, an issue which had significance for the country's post-Independence legal system after 1975. Peaceful independence from Australia, the de facto metropolitan power, occurred on September 16, 1975, and close ties remain (Australia remains the largest bilateral aid donor to Papua New Guinea).

A secessionist revolt in 1975-76 on Bougainville Island resulted in an eleventh-hour modification of the draft Constitution of Papua New Guinea to allow for Bougainville and the other eighteen districts of pre-Independence Papua New Guinea to have quasi-federal status as provinces. The revolt recurred and claimed 20,000 lives from 1988 until it was resolved in 1997. Following the revolt, Autonomous Bougainville elected Joseph Kabui as president, but he was succeeded by deputy John Tabinaman. Tabinaman remained leader until a new popular election occurred in December 2008, with James Tanis emerging as the winner. Anti-Chinese rioting, involving tens of thousands of people, broke out in May 2009.

Geography

Regions

• Highlands Region
• Islands Region
• Momase Region
• Papua Region

Cities

• Port Moresby - The capital
• Daru
• Wewak
• Madang
• Rabaul
• Kieta
• Lae
• Kavieng
• Mount Hagen

Sights and Activities

Isolated Cultures

The Dance

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Papua New Guinea is one of the most heterogeneous countries in the world. Due to the geography of the island with high isolated mountain valleys led to the formation of hundreds of individually distinct cultures. As an example on this island there are over 820 indigenous languages, representing 12% of the world's total. The only country with a greater density of languages is Vanuatu. In order to see some of these remote peoples takes time and resources and well worth it.

Bird Watching

There is over 781 species of birds on Papua New Guinea that are amazing to spot. The most famous birds in Papua New Guinea are the stunning birds-of-paradise. These birds are known for their striking plumages possessed by the males. In the majority of this species the males have extremely elaborate feathers extending from the tail, wings and even head. The plumes are used to court female that have much more mundane feathers. On top of this many of the males actually build extremely elaborate nests also. Of the 44 species of birds-of-paradise 35 can be found in Papua New Guinea.

Hiking

Dense forests and mountains cover most of Papua New Guinea. The Ekuti Mountain range is one of the most remote places in the world and is truly amazing. These stunning mountains cut through the clouds and slowly descend to the ocean where the woods turn into dense rain forest and jungle. Exploring this country by hiking is very difficult although possible and rewarding.

Surfing

If planned properly surfing can be enjoyed year round in Papua New Guinea. The southern side of island has some great surfing from June to September especially at Hula Beach about 100 km from Port Moresby, Milne Bay, Bougianville and East New Britain. On the north side of the island one can enjoy surfing from mid October to lat April at Madang, Wewak and Kavieng. There is also good consistent waves can be found in Vanimo.

Other Sights and Activities

• Diving - Explore the underwater world with some of the best diving the world espicially around Kavieng, Madang, Alotau and Rabaul.
• Markets - Go shopping at traditional markets for food and traditional arts and crafts

Events and Festivals

• Hire Moale Festival - Is held in Port Moresby every September and features large boats.
• Mount Hagen Show - Is held annually in August.
• Tumbuna Show - Is held outside of Mt. Hagen in May.
• Goroka Show - Is held every September.

Weather

Most of Papua New Guinea has a hot and humid tropical climate. Average daytime temperatures in the lowlying areas hoover around 30 degrees Celcius during the day and 23 or 24 at night. Temperatures and humidity are about the same in most areas at sea level, including the outer islands. There is however much more variation regarding rain. While Port Moresby, the capital, has a distinct wet season from December to April, some places more to the east like Kieta on Bougainville don't have a wetter (or drier) season. In fact, the driest months here are still wetter than the wettest in Port Moresby and there is almost no variation with 200 to 300 mm each month.
At higher altitudes temperatures can drop significantly and there are often cloudy and rainy conditions throughout the year. There is even a bit of permanent snow on the highest peaks, right at the equator.

Getting there

Plane

Most flights arrive at Jacksons International Airport near the capital Port Moresby. The national airlines is Air Niugini, which has connections to many international destinations including Hongkong, Manila, Tokyo and Singapore in Asia, Sydney, Cairns and Brisbane in Australia and Nadi and Honiara in the Pacific.
From the same Australian cities there are flights to Port Moresby with Qantas as well.

By Boat

If you are coming the Solomon Islands, it is possible to make your way by boat from the Western Province to Bougainville in Papua New Guinea.
Plenty of cargoships, cruiseliners and yachts go to and from Papua New Guinea, but it's a more expensive option compared to getting here by plane.

Getting Around

By Plane

Air Niugini and Airlines PNG operate an extensive network of domestic flights. Destinations include Port Moresby, Lae, Madang and Mount Hagen, as well as some more remote islands.

By Train

There are no trains in Papua New Guinea.

By Car

Apart from some roads around Port Moresby, there is a network of roads connecting the northern coast towns of Madang and Lae with the major urban centres in the Highlands region. However, links between several provinces in the interior are missing and many roads are in bad condition, if they do exist at all. Traffic drives on the left and you can rent cars in several major cities and towns (Avis, Hertz and Budget have offices), although it is not recommended and costs are high. Your national driver's licence will be sufficient. Be careful when you have an accident, as it has happened that relatives of the local victim killed the driver.

By Bus

Public Motor Vehicles (PMV) are your main option if travelling overland between several cities and towns. From Lae, Madang, Goroka and Mount Hagen can easily be reached.

By Boat

Passenger ships, freighters, charters, outboard dingies and canoes all offer links between several ports and islands. It is cheap, though sometimes can be uncomfortable. On the rivers, you might be able to hire a motorised canoe, but regular passenger services don't exist on rivers.

The main operators along the north coast and to the islands are Lutheran Shipping (luship.madang@global.net.pg) and Rabaul Shipping (rabship@starships.com.pg). Lutheran Shipping is based in Lae and operates most passenger ships along the north coast. The ships usually run at least weekly from Lae to Oro Bay, Finschhafen, Madang, Kimbe and Rabaul. From Rabaul there are regular boats to Kavieng and Manus. Be very flexible, as departures are usually only known about one month before and not entirely sure still. Some boats carry both cargo and passengers. There is tourist class air-conditioned seating and berths and deck class which usually include air-vented seats and berths. Bring as much drinks and food as possible, as supplies are usually scarce and not very diverse. Opt for tourist class if you can spare the extra buck, as deck class gets crowded sometimes. Be prepared for long journeys and sometimes rough seas.

Red Tape

Citizens of the following countries can get 60-day visa for about $10:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Portugal, Switzerland, Sweden, United States and United Kingdom.

Money

See also Money Matters

Work

Study

Language

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

See also Travel Health

There are no vaccinations legally required to travel to Papua New Guinea. There is one exception though. You need a yellow fever vaccination if you have travelled to a country (7 days or less before entering Papua New Guinea) where that disease is widely prevalent.

It's a good thing to get your vaccinations in order before travelling to Papua New Guinea. The general vaccination against Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio (DTP) is recommended. Also a hepatitis A vaccination is recommended and when travelling longer than 2 weeks also typhoid. Vaccination against hepatitis B and tuberculosis are also sometimes recommended for stays longer than 3 months. In rare cases, vaccinations against Japanese Encephalitis is recommended. Contact your doctor before travelling.

Malaria is widely prevalent in the country, so take the appropriate malaria pills, sleep under a mosquito net, use insect repellent and wear long sleeves after dark. Dengue sometimes occurs as well, but there is no vaccination.

Finally, other possible health issues include diarrhea and other general travellers' diseases like motion sickness. Watch what you eat and drink and in case you get it, drink plenty of fluids (to prevent dehydration) and bring ORS.

Safety

See also Travel Safety

Port Moresby is not considered a safe city. It is not safe to walk around after dark or explore some of the poorer areas during the day time. There are also several active volcanos on the islands that occasionally have dangerous eruptions. Tropical storms can also cause massive damage to the islands coastline every few years.

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

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