Papua New Guinea tourist information with details
about travel to and around the country. Where to stay and what to see is made easier with
insider tips and hand-selected Papua New Guinea links, by dedicated editors and visitors
to TravelNotes.org - The Online Guide to Travel.
Tha capital of Papua New Guinea is Port
Moresby.
New Guinea lies North of Cape York, Australia;
across the Torres Strait.
Papua New Guinea is the eastern half of New Guinea; the western
portion is the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya.
Papua New Guinea's rough terrain means that there are no railways and
very limited paved roads.
Air Niuguini provides air connections to much of the country and its
outlying islands.
PNG
Flight Schedule:
Online flight schedule listing all major airlines in Papua New Guinea.
The island was first sighted by the Portuguese navigator,
Antonio d'Abreu, in 1511, although the first known European to land there was the Spanish
explorer Jorge de Menezes, in 1526.
The Spanish named the island Novo Guinea, after the country in West
Africa, and claimed it for Spain.
The East India Company claimed the entire island for Great
Britain in 1793, but the Netherlands disputed the claim and the Dutch East India
Company took possession of the western half of New Guinea in 1828.
Germany then annexed the north-eastern part of New Guinea, that was
not under the control of the other two European nations, in 1884.
The British region was transferred to Australia in 1906, and during
the First World War the Australians had governance of the German region as well.
The Japanese invaded the island during World war II, but Australia
become the administering power again in 1946.
The Dutch gave up control of the western part part of New Guinea in
1962, and on September 6th, 1975 the eastern section became independent as a part of Papua
New Guinea.
Although Bougaineville and Buka are part of the North Solomons
geographically, they are actually controlled by Papua New Guinea; for the time being.
Papua New Guinea has ongoing problems with the secessionist
revolutionaries in Bougaineville, who forced the closure of the copper mines that were
destroying the environment.
Papua New Guinea Island Groups
The most significant of Papua New Guinea's island groups are the
Bismarck Archipelago, the Louisiade Archipelago, the Trobriand Islands, the
D'Entrecasteaux Islands, and Woodlark Island.
Papua New Guinea Travel and Tourism
Papua New Guinea is serviced internationally by one carrier only, Air
Nuigini (which has a code share arrangement with Qantas). Air Nuigini has direct flights
into Papua New Guinea from Australia, Japan, Singapore and The Philippines.
All International flights arrive at Jacksons International Airport,
Port Moresby.
From Port Moresby, the rest of the country is serviced by air only, as
there are no road or rail systems linking Port Moresby to other centres.
Papua New
Guinea - Smart Traveller:
Advice for Australian nationals intending to visit Papua New Guinea.
PNG Tourism:
Website of the Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority.
Travel and Tourism in Papua New
Guinea:
Part of the Papua New Guinea Business Directory, there's a lot of good tourism information
on Papua New Guinea here.
Papua New Guinea Travellers
Photographs
From Papua New Guinea:
Carole-Anne Fooks, of Adelaide, has always had an interest in other cultures and presents
her pictures of village life in Papua New Guinea to the world.
The
Islands of Love:
We knew from our lecture on board Oceanic Princess that the Trobriand Islands possessed
the fabled reputation as the 'Islands of Love', but what was taking place on the pearl
white sands as we approached struck us as something much more forthright!
Goroka is the capital of Papua New Guinea's Eastern Highlands.
Goroka is famous for its Highland Show. There's no road between Port
Moresby and Goroka, so you'll need to fly to get there.
Highland
Tribes of Papua New Guinea:
Pictures of the ceremonial dress of 26 Highland and Madang Villages, as displayed at the
Goroka Highland Show.
Hiking Out of Goroka
You're best advised to get yourself a guide if you plan on hiking out
of Goroka. It can take up to two days to get to the next village and you probably won't
see anyone else in the jungle.
Accommodation in Goroka
Mount Hagen is the provincial capital of the Western Highlands.
Be sure to catch the Saturday market in Mount Hagen. The Mount Hagen
Cultural Show, usually around August, is also worth making the extra effort to be around
for.
Hagen Cultural
Show:
Samson Komati Yuimb has a few colourful tribal pictures to give you an idea of what the
Mount Hagen Cultural Show is all about.
Originally used by gold miners during the 1890s and later the
scene of much fighting during World War II, the 96km Kokoda Trail is one of the most
popular hikes in Papua New Guinea.
Day trippers from Port Moresby may prefer to do the one hour walk
along the trail, towards the Goldie River. For those who continue, the trail starts to get
steep as it climbs up the 'Golden Stairs' and over the Imita Ridge.
Walking from south to north is the preferred choice and August to
September the best time to get your hiking boots on. At a moderate pace, tours along the
length of the Kokoda Trail take around eleven days.
Kokoda Track Authority
Under the Kokoda Track Trek Permit Law 2005 of both the Kokoda and
Koiari Local-level Governments, persons, whether as individuals or part of a group, who
wish to walk the Kokoda Track, are required to obtain a Trek Permit. Trek Permits are
available upon application from the Kokoda Track Authority or through recognised Tour
Operators registered with the Authority.
Kokoda Trekking:
The unspoilt villages throughout the Kokoda Track will welcome you and the Koiari and
Orokaiva people will greet you with smiles and tempt you with seasonal fruit and
vegetables.
Madang is one of the most popular locations in Papua New Guinea for
divers, with its reef-fringed lowlands and offshore volcanic islands backed by some of the
most rugged mountains in Papua New Guinea.
Getting to Madang
Madang is a 1 hour flight from Port Moresby - serviced by Air Nuigini
with good daily connections.
Madang Diving
Madang
Wrecks:
A database of photographs, descriptions and locations of W.W.II wreckage remaining in
Madang Province.
Madang Accommodation
Budget Accommodation in Madang
Jais
Aben Resort: (From $37)
PO Box 105, Madang.
Jais Aben Resort has 20 timber bungalows spread along the water's edge, 15km north of
Madang Town. All have private bathrooms with hot water. Some rooms have air conditioning,
others are fan only. There is sea access for swimming, snorkelling, shore diving and there
are tea and coffee making facilities are in all the rooms.
Papua New Guinea Provinces (and Provincial Capitals).
Central Province (Port Moresby); East Sepik (Wewak); Eastern Highlands (Goroka); Enga (Wabag); Gulf (Kerema); Madang (Madang); Manus (Lorengau); Milne Bay (Alotau); Morobe (Lae); National Capital District (Port Moresby);
New Ireland (Kavieng); North Solomons (Buka); Oro (Popondetta); Simbu (Kundiawa); Southern Highlands (Mendi); Western Province (Daru); Western Highlands (Mount Hagen); Sandaun (Vanimo); East New Britain (Rabaul); West New Britain (Kimbe).
Deadly
Twist to PNG's Tribal Feuds:
In Papua New Guinea tribes gather peacefully to celebrate their ancestral traditions with
singing and dancing. Mock battles are also staged but, as Nick Squires reports, in real
life there has been a bloody resurgence in tribal fighting.
Kentiga Tribe of
Papua New Guinea:
This document is aimed at better informing potential international guests planning on
visiting Papua New Guinea and may choose to spend a night or more at Kokop Village, home of the Kentiga
Tribe.
The Mudmen
of Papua New Guinea:
Visit the Highlands of Papua New Guinea to see the Mudmen of the Mat Tribe. While the
proud Mudmen of Asaro now perform regularly for busloads of tourists, this is a narrative
from some twenty years ago. No photos.
Tribal Tattoos
of Papua New Guinea:
As far back as the old men and women can remember, tattooing has been a tribal custom of
the coastal peoples of Papua New Guinea. Among the Motu, Waima, Aroma, Hula, Mekeo, Mailu
and other related south-western groups, women were heavily tattooed from head to toe,
while men displayed chest markings related to their exploits in the headhunt. By World War
II, however, tattooing traditions largely disappeared in these areas and today only the
Maisin and a few neighbouring peoples of Collingwood Bay, in south-eastern Papua, remain
as the last coastal people to continue tattooing itself.
There are many nice diving sites in Papua New Guinea as well as trips
to the villages. However, please be careful in the capital town as there are problems with
rascals and robbers, especially at night time. People living in the city are very security
conscious of this.
Sent in by: PNG Business
Directory.
Books
on Papua New Guinea Travel:
Browse Amazon's best-selling list of books on travel in Papua New Guinea.
|
