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Province · Islands Region
Manus
Manus is the country’s smallest province: the Admiralty Islands, Lorengau, reefs and the history of the Seeadler Harbour base in World War II.
In the photo: Sandbank in Manus
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
The province
Get to know Manus
The province of Manus includes Manus Island and the other Admiralty Islands, in northern Papua New Guinea, in the Bismarck Sea. It is the country’s smallest province by area and population. The capital, Lorengau, is on the northeast coast of the main island.
Manus Island is covered in forest and surrounded by reefs, lagoons and islets. Coastal communities live by fishing and inter-island trade, and many villages are built on stilts or on small islets.
In World War II, Seeadler Harbour, on the island’s northeast, was a major Allied naval base. Remains from that time can be found on land and underwater, and the nearby island of Los Negros has Momote Airport.
Manus’s forest shelters species found nowhere else, such as the green tree snail of Manus, with a bright green shell.
When to go
The climate is hot and humid year-round, near the Equator, with frequent rain. May to October usually brings calmer seas along parts of the coast; check conditions with local operators.
Getting there
Momote Airport (MAS), on Los Negros Island, which is connected to Manus by a bridge, has flights from Port Moresby and other towns. From Momote to Lorengau you travel by road. Between the islands, transport is by boat.
Your questions
Frequently asked questions about Manus
How to get to Manus?
By plane, via Momote Airport on Los Negros Island, with flights from Port Moresby. From there a road leads to Lorengau, the capital, on Manus Island.
What was the Seeadler Harbour base?
It was a major Allied naval base established in Seeadler Harbour, in northeast Manus, during World War II. Remains from that period are visible on land and underwater.
Is Manus good for diving?
The island is surrounded by reefs, lagoons and islets, with diving and snorkeling organized by lodges and local operators. Book trips in advance, as availability is limited.
What is the green tree snail of Manus?
It is a snail that lives in Manus’s forests, with a bright green shell, and is found only in the Admiralty Islands. Seeing the snail depends on local guides who know the forest areas where it lives.