Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# Wise to travel with cash in PNG? Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Papua New Guinea
iker_vit 15:36 UTC 02 Aug 2014 | Hi, due to the raskol issue in certain areas of teh country, is it wise to intend to travel the whole way with cash taken from home and exchange for kinas as you go? I don't like using my credit card when travelling, no extra business for banks from my side if possible. Thanks and kind regards, Iker |
majordom 10:28 UTC 03 Aug 2014 | as a tourist people will know you have money and thus a potential target - the real problem is if they know you have a lot of money and thus a special target - take all the usual travellers precautions in POM there are ATM and you can change most major currencies, in the larger cities (garoka wewak etc) there are ATM and you can change AUD or USD - outside this there is nowhere to get cash or change money | 1
Laszlo 21:38 UTC 03 Aug 2014 | In the past ATMs were even more scarce so I always carried all the cash for the whole 1-2 months long trip, and was fine with it. Obviously, you don't want to keep showing it all off, and take the usual safety precautions anyway. | 2
jinga 04:04 UTC 06 Aug 2014 | Great tip. Thanks. | 3
calemc 01:59 UTC 08 Aug 2014 | I've found the ATM fees the highest of any country I've ever been. 15K at BSP bank, 18 and 20 Kina at westpac and anz, and that's before your bank at home takes any! Lucky my citibank account is completely fee free. Still makes you wanna limit the amount of withdrawals you go for, I've taken out two lots of 1000k so far this trip, the max BSP would allow. | 4
iker_vit 08:20 UTC 08 Aug 2014 | Hi calemc, thanks a lot for your answer, :-) About your Citibank account, you say it's completely fee free, are you referring to fees at Papuan banks, fees at your bank at home or both? What kind of account do you have? I have a Citibank visa and I am sure they do charge me fees for withdrawals. Thanks and best regards, Iker | 5
calemc 08:48 UTC 08 Aug 2014 | Sorry, yes I meant that it was fee free on my end! The Png banks charge you what they like, no way around it. Except when I first arrived at the airport, upon seeing the crazy anz ATM fee I went and asked the money exchange booth why it was so bloody high (thought it might've just been airport ATM sting - wrong!) she said that's just the way it is, but offered me to withdrawal cash through her BSP eftpos unit. Think that ended up being free, and because my card is the Australian citibank visa debit card, there was no fee on my banks end. Not sure that would work with a normal visa bank card, your bank would prob take a usual 1.5% surcharge or so, as eftpos is like a purchase. Heck your bank might even class it as a cash advance? they sting$$$ | 6
iker_vit 08:57 UTC 08 Aug 2014 | And what about exchange, do you know if the same fee applies in banks in POM airport than in banks in the city? I plan to exchange most of my money in the airport before flying to Alotau... Thanks a lot always | 7
born2travell 09:25 UTC 02 Sep 2014 | i m planning to change all the money of our 10 days trip in POM airport what would u suggest in the end? better change euro in kina in airport or withdraw from atm after landing? | 8