Kavieng

Introduction

Kavieng is the capital of the Papua New Guinean province of New Ireland and the largest town on the island of the same name. The town is located at Balgai Bay, on the northern tip of the island and has about 18,000 inhabitants. Kavieng is the main port for New Ireland, and is both a trading and tourist destination.

Sights and Activities

Several dive companies operate from the town, as the area is known for its diving, both for natural sites and wrecks dating from the Second World War. There are plane and shipwrecks in Kavieng Harbour itself, as well as several more nearby.

Getting There

By Plane

Kavieng Airport (KVG) offers flights with Air Niugini to/from Lorengau, Port Moresby and Rabaul.

By Car

It lies at one end of the Boluminski Highway which runs 293 kilometres of sealed road to Namatanai.

Getting Around

By Foot

The town of Kavieng is small and can be safely visited on foot. Even the airport is only one mile from the center.

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet usage among the people is relatively low. You can find internet cafes in major cities, towns and other tourist centers. Wifi coverage is still very low, but is growing.

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Papua New Guinea's international country code is 675.

Digicel is by far the better telecom provider. A new prepaid sim card is easy to purchase and can be used in any unlocked phone. Calls cost from 0.60-1.00 kina and SMS from 0.25 kina. Topup is available anywhere where there is network and also online (credit card or PayPal). Mobile Internet costs 0.35 kina per MB but it's possible to buy hourly (30 MB for 1 kina), daily (60 MB for 2.5 kina), weekly (150 MB for 10 kina) or monthly (900 MB for 65 kina) packages. There are also promotions and packages for calls and sms.

Post

Post PNG offers postal service in the country. It is only recommended to use for sending postcards, as it is not very reliable nor fast. To send packages overseas, use international courier companies like FedEx, DHL or UPS.

External Links