A travel guide to Papua New Guinea.

What the guide covers

The Papua New Guinea guide is being prepared by destinations across the country’s four regions. In the Papua Region the list ranges from Port Moresby to the Kokoda Track, Tufi and Milne Bay, including the Trobriand Islands. In the Islands Region it includes Rabaul and Kokopo, Kimbe Bay and Kavieng in New Ireland. In Momase, Madang and the Sepik River; in the Highlands, Goroka.

Each destination brings together the towns of the region, what to do in each, attractions with their own pages, when to go and how to get there. Destinations are added to the country page as they are published: while a destination is in preparation it does not appear in the list.

Provinces and regions

Papua New Guinea is divided into 20 provinces, the Autonomous Region of Bougainville and the National Capital District, where Port Moresby is located. It is by these 22 divisions that the guide organizes towns. To make travel easier, they are shown in the four regions used by the country itself: Papua Region, Highlands Region, Momase Region and Islands Region.

Province and place names appear as they are used in the country, in English or in Tok Pisin, such as Sandaun and Oro. When there is an established Portuguese form, it is used, as with New Britain, New Ireland and Milne Bay.

How to travel around Papua New Guinea

Almost all international flights arrive in Port Moresby, and travel between regions is done by plane, because the capital has no road connection to Lae or the Highlands. From Port Moresby Airport there are flights to Alotau, Kokopo, Hoskins (near Kimbe), Kavieng, Madang, Wewak and Goroka. In islands and on rivers transport is by boat, and many trips, walks and village visits are done with local guides and operators.

The time zone is UTC+10 year-round, with no daylight saving; Bougainville is one hour ahead. The country lies just south of the Equator: the climate is warm and humid on the coast and cooler in the Highlands, and the months from June to September are usually the driest across much of the territory.

Languages and cultures

With more than 800 languages, Papua New Guinea has one of the largest cultural varieties in the world. Tok Pisin is the common language across much of the country, alongside English and Hiri Motu. Festivals, called shows or sing-sing, bring together dance groups with feather headdresses, body paint and kundu drums, generally from July to November. Village visits and visits to ceremonial houses are usually arranged with the community.

Why there are no prices

In Papua New Guinea, the guide does not show prices for tours or tickets, because they change frequently. When a fee, permit or mandatory booking is required, as with the Kokoda Track, the text warns of it, and the amount should be checked before traveling.

How the content is made

Information for each place is researched from official sources, such as Papua New Guinea tourism, the country’s immigration service, the Kokoda Track Authority, conservation agencies and UNESCO, and is checked before going live.

The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it. Photos sent by travelers appear separately, as travelers' photos.

If you find any information that differs, write to us: fixing it is quicker than it seems.

All of Cidade Turismo

The guide started in Brazil and now also covers other countries, always with the same organization: routes, destinations and cities.

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