Travel Tips on Papua New Guinea
PNG is one of the world’s most interesting tourist destinations owing to its history, diverse cultures and languages, pristine underwater world, dense tropical rainforests, unique and exotic plants, flowers, trees, birds and wildlife. PNG is truly “last frontier” territory and nowhere is this description more fitting than in its rugged interior with its dense tropical jungles, high intervening mountains, deep valleys and gorges and fast flowing rivers and a people whose lives have not been heavily impacted by civilization.
Much of PNG’s land mass of approximately 470,000 square kilometers is pristine, untouched territory, isolated by history and geography and providing the perfect playground for culture, adventure and nature enthusiasts. From the PNG Highlands, to the Islands, to the Sepik and the Coast, there is a unique adventure, an attraction of event waiting to be experienced, whatever your travel needs may be.
In Papua New Guinea, you can walk down memory lane and honor the courage and bravery of world war heroes when you visit cemeteries and war relics in the form of wreck planes, ships, ammunitions, intricate tunnel systems, bunkers and monuments. For the cultural enthusiasts, some of PNG’s major and unique cultural extravaganzas include the Goroka, Mt Hagen, Wabag, Hiri Moale Shows and Mask Festivals which provide a sample of PNG’s 800 unique cultures and 700 languages which are showcased in songs, dances and rituals.
Appropriate Clothing and Footwear
PNG and can be hot and humid at the coast and pleasantly cool to quite cold in the highlands. You are best advised to wear light clothing, preferably long sleeved shirts. You will need to pack extra shorts, t shirts, socks and a second pair of strong walking shoes apart from your other necessities. For female walkers, tight or revealing clothing is not advisable as it may be frowned upon by locals and guides. It’s always advisable to bring along malaria medication, insect repellent, a sun hat, screen lotion, rain jacket, a torch, camera, plenty of film and a positive attitude. A full list of important items and equipment will be provided in your pre-departure brief. All trek equipment must always be tested prior to trek departure.
Climate Conditions
There are two seasons in PNG. It’s either wet or dry all throughout the country at different times of the year. Coastal areas experience temperatures that range between 24-35 degrees C (75-95 F) with high humidity. In the cooler Highlands, you can expect anything between 12-28 degrees (54-82F) and with less humidity. PNG does not experience devastating cyclones, typhoons and hurricanes. The wet season is normally from November to March although different areas will see a variation.
Cultural Dos and Don'ts
It’s important to understand that when as you are trekking, you are walking through “someone’s backyard” and everything is either communally owned or owned by a family or tribe. Always remember, there are certain cultural taboos that must be observed. Always ask your local guide if you are not sure if a certain request will or will not offend the local people and their custom. Please do not hand out gifts as this may encourage a dependent mentality among the local people. If you are being asked to pay to take a photograph, it is best not to take the photo as paying will encourage a dependent mentality and other demands. For a truly rewarding cultural experience, ask you local guides as many questions as you can. They are nearly always shy and it’s up to you to ask simple questions about the local culture, history, flora, fauna and local issues.
Currency and Valuables
The unit of currency is the Kina, pronounced "kee-nah", and sub-units of 100 are called Toea, pronounced "toy-ya". Note denominations are available in K2, K5, K10, K20 and K50. To pay for other goods and services before and after the trek, travelers cheques and international credit cards are accepted at most major hotels and retailers including American Express, Diners Club, Master Cars and Visa credit cards. Before leaving your country, we ask that you buy Kina cash at the travelers’ exchanges of the international departure ports of Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, Singapore, Manila and Narita (Tokyo). If you are connecting on a domestic flight on the same day, you may not have the time to do your bank transactions in PNG. Banks operate between 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Monday to Friday. On the trek itself, you are best advised not to carry valuables including large amounts of cash. Before you depart for the trek, be sure to leave your valuable items with the hotel or tour operations office in Port Moresby for safekeeping. Only small change is required for buying local fruits, vegetables, artifacts and other local souvenir items.
Health and Safety Issues
Consult your doctor for any medical condition that you have before departing for PNG. Also, prior pre-departure training is highly recommended. Malaria medications are strongly recommended. Also, it is advisable to keep your tetanus, typhoid, hepatitis, and polio inoculations current. Diarrhea and dysentery are not severe in PNG as is the case in Asian countries. You are required to provide a copy of your medical declaration before the commencement of the trek. A copy should be given to the trek tour operator for file.
Insurance and Medical Issues
You are strongly advised to purchase travelers Insurance in your home country to cover for unexpected trip cancellation and delays, loss and damage to baggage, and for illness, accident and medical evacuation. By signing the Client Trek Contract, you are making an undertaking that you understand the risks involved and possible dangers. Government and church-run aid posts are not found along the trek and trekkers are recommended to pack their own basic first aid medical kit. In case of emergencies, HF radio telephones are situated along some villages along the trail for emergencies.
Language and Communication
PNG has about 800 languages and most Papua New Guineans speak at least two languages. The official national language is English and the two other most commonly used languages are Hiri Motu and Tok Pisin. Most guides will speak English apart from Motu and one other local language. Always ask if you do no understand what’s being said.
Passport, Visa and Immigration
All visitors to PNG including tourists are required to have a visa to enter PNG. Currently a 30-day tourist visa is available upon arrival for nationals of many countries including Australia, Japan, New Zealand, UK, USA and most western European countries at Port Moresby’s Jackson’s International Airport. This visa is non-extendable and the fee is currently K25. To acquire a visa upon arrival, you will need a valid passport, proof of sufficient funds for your stay, an onward airline ticket with confirmed bookings and Kina cash. Alternatively, you may acquire your visa prior to leaving your home country with either the nearest PNG Embassy or in some cases at the Australian Embassy in your country. Always check with these embassies for current visa requirements prior to leaving home. It’s now normal practice for airport departure taxes to be built into the price of your international air ticket. On top of this, and upon departure from PNG, you will be required to pay a further K30 as airport facilities tax. Remember, this is a separate tax.
Security
PNG has its share of security problems just like everywhere else in the world. Most negative stories that are published in the media are mainly occurrences in the capital, Port Moresby. Even then, not all parts of Port Moresby are troublesome. There are numerous places that you can visit which are totally free of incidents. What’s important to know is the fact that the rest of Papua New Guinea is safe for travel by tourists and residents alike. Unfortunately, most people overseas and visitors alike never get the chance to know the good, positive and interesting features about PNG people, culture and places because everyone hears and dwell only on the negative new that PNG receives from bad press overseas. A positive advice to everyone everywhere is to apply commonsense in everything that you do and do not render yourself into a vulnerable situation that could cause your distress. Take precautions at all times and always ask your guide for advice.
Time
PNG is 10 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time and is on the same time as winter time in Sydney, Australia, or Eastern Standard Time in Australia.
Tipping
Tipping is not encouraged in PNG. But if you would like to show your appreciation to a particular guide for a job well done, do so at your own discretion. Also, remember to mention the good service provided to a member of the tour operations management to be used as an example to encourage better staff performance and excellence.
