Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea: Not for Every Traveller, Ideal for the Right One

Papua New Guinea has more languages than any other country, over 800 distinct languages, nearly a third of the world’s total, spoken across a population of about 9 million people. That linguistic diversity reflects the island’s geography: mountains and valleys and island chains that kept communities isolated from each other for millennia. It also means the cultural diversity is real rather than constructed for tourism. The Mount Hagen Cultural Show in August, which brings over 100 tribal groups together in traditional dress, is not a performance for outsiders; it emerged from the communities’ own interest in seeing each other and comparing traditions from across the highlands.

Papua New Guinea asks something of its visitors before it gives anything back. The infrastructure is limited, the roads outside Port Moresby range from rough to impassable, and parts of the country have genuine security concerns. That said, for divers, birdwatchers, trekkers, and people interested in cultures that have largely operated outside Western influence, PNG remains one of the most extraordinary destinations on the planet.

Port Moresby

The capital divides opinions sharply. Its reputation for petty crime means most package tourists move through quickly, staying in the secure compound of a hotel like the Airways Hotel near the airport (doubles from K450). That’s a shame, because the National Museum and Art Gallery is excellent, the Paga Hill viewpoint over Fairfax Harbour is genuinely beautiful at dusk, and the Hanuabada stilt village gives context for how Port Moresby developed before Western contact. Don’t walk around alone at night; that applies to the city centre specifically. Day trips with a local guide or driver are fine.

The Highlands

Mount Hagen, in the Western Highlands Province, is the staging point for experiencing PNG’s extraordinary cultural diversity. The Mount Hagen Cultural Show happens annually in August and brings together over 100 tribal groups in traditional dress. Tickets are around 100 PGK for foreigners. The show is genuinely massive and has no obvious equivalent anywhere else.

Coffee from the Highland regions (SL-28 and Arusha varieties) is among the best in the world and largely unknown outside specialty circles. Stop at a plantation near Goroka and the owners will often show you the full processing operation for nothing.

Diving

Kimbe Bay in West New Britain Province has some of the highest marine biodiversity recorded anywhere. Walindi Plantation Resort is the primary dive operation here, with diving from K250 per two-tank dive. Milne Bay Province, on the southeastern tip, is another world-class dive region. Tufi on the north coast is smaller but excellent, particularly for muck diving and macro photography.

Kokoda Track

The 96km Kokoda Track through the Owen Stanley Ranges connects Port Moresby to the northern town of Kokoda and follows the route of the brutal WWII campaign in 1942. The trek takes 8-12 days through dense jungle and steep terrain and requires a licensed PNG operator by law. Expect to pay K2,500-4,000 per person including guide. The track is genuinely hard and genuinely moving in equal measure.

What to Eat

Mumu is the definitive PNG dish: pork, sweet potato, and vegetables wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked over hot stones in a ground oven. It’s prepared for celebrations rather than restaurants, but some guesthouses in the Highlands will organise it for groups. The staple otherwise is kaukau (sweet potato), cooked in multiple ways. Fresh seafood along the coasts is exceptional and cheap; a whole grilled fish at a Port Moresby market costs 10-15 PGK.

Practicalities

Visas are available on arrival for most nationalities, K100. Air Niugini and PNG Air connect the major towns. Internal flights are expensive and sometimes unreliable; factor in delays. Malaria prophylaxis is essential outside Port Moresby. The dry season (May to October) is the better time to visit, particularly for trekking.

PNG is not a destination to approach without research and preparation. Done properly, it justifies every bit of the effort.