Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# PNG Tourism rip off Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Papua New Guinea
frangy 06:57 UTC 23 Mar 2008 | It is now 2 years since we and several Americans,Italians lost a lot of money to a fraudster running PNGTours. the site was closed down and the tourism chief Peter Vincent promised we would all get our money back(thousands of dollars each). I have met peter Vincent in Brisbane and he personally promised the operator Benjamin would be deported to PNG. We are still waiting Peter. His wife was being funded to train as a tourism operator!! OUR SECOND VISIT LEFT US ANOTHER $2000 OUT OF POCKET DUE TO CANCELLATION HALF WAY THROUGH THE TOUR AND NO REFUND GIVEN!!!NOT IMPRESSED PNG tOURSIM. So we have just returned from a visit to Indonesia. PEOPLE- TRAVEL TO PNG FROM INDONESIA THROUGH BALI. THE COUNTRY IS FABULOUS , YOU WILL SEE MUCH MORE CULTURAL EVENTS AND WHAS MORE YOU WILL NOT BE RIPPED OFF AND IT IS ABOUT A FIFTH OF THE PRICE.TRY ADVENTURE INDONESIA.COM EXCELLENT We spent two weeks trecking in Toraja and visiting locals with funeral wedding and bullfighting thrown in! Fantastic. Will never go to PNG again until they get their act together |
Laszlo 23:28 UTC 23 Mar 2008 | I can't see why you'd travel with a tour-operator who already ripped you off the first time one more time. I never used any tour-operator in PNG, so never been ripped off there. Others however have posted some raving reports of certain organized tours in the country. That said, Indonesia is certainly a cheaper, and probably a more diverse country to visit. Depending on where in PNG one wants to go and from where, going via Indonesia can also be the cheapest route. | 1
torremans 10:14 UTC 24 Mar 2008 | Have been traveling through PNG completely independent last august, visiting Mount Hagen and Enga sing sing shows. Spend a night in Port Moresby and walked (with a local) to the so called dangerous stilt village of Hanuabada. Stayed at the best available accomodation everywhere that I paid locally AFTER the actual overnight stay, and had a fantastic time. I would never even think about having things organised. I met an Italian couple who had a very expensive pre-arranged trip with private chauffeur. They did nothing but complaining since one of their domestic flights was cancelled and their entire program was disrupted. Going to the Land of the Unexpected, I advice you to travel with 100% flexibility -thus forget any operator- and book all things on the spot. I changed domestic flights without any hassle. Met a Lonely Planet author at the Trobriand Islands who was there for the 2008 PNG edition and spent great days together. I have to include that the promised Milaa Malaa festival was cancelled on the spot at the Trobriands but still the locals managed to set up a fantastic performance for this handfull of foreign visitors. Apart from that, I had some minor rip-off experience at the Kumul Lodge. I would return to PNG however in a minute -without an organisation, nor paying anything up front- it is a fantastic destination. But I agree, lots of tourism-related things need to be improved. This being said, I feel very sorry for your situation and wish you a happy ending. A extensive trip story + hundreds of pictures from PNG and the Trobriands can be seen at my non-commercial website . Eddy | 2
northmelbournedn 10:50 UTC 24 Mar 2008 | Frangy, I am very sorry that you have had two bad experiences in PNG. Fortunately for me, my experience in PNG over almost two years have been much happier. For a start I have done all my travel independently (with one exception) and then hooked up with locals who have provided accomodation and acted as guides. I agree with Torremans - PNG is a great place to travel as long as you build in some flexibility for inevitable cancellations and delays in transport. It must be remembered that PNG is a rugged and remote country sometimes with very challenging weather so transport can be difficult. I know expats who have used reputable local tour operators and have been very happy with their service. There are a number of recommendations on TT. I encourage others not to be put off travelling to PNG by frangy's bad experiences. You will be greatly rewarded if you make the effort to come to The Land of the Unexpected (man, I hate that phrase, but it does sum things up!). | 3
gavuano 08:20 UTC 25 Mar 2008 | very sorry to hear your story, I guess there are scam artists everywhere... my own experience of PNG over four trips travelling in groups, independently and with tour companies has only left me with one experience of being ripped off - for TWENTY KINA!!!! We were enraged. But then we tried to put it into perspective - we had just been for a trip to the markets where our guide from a tour we had recently been on met us and bought 17 kina worth of carvings as a gift for us - he and his family had already given us a beautiful basket and a carved stool. I have too many other stories of people's generosity to tell here - of being given a discount for a bus ride just cause I'm a rich white tourist (shouldn't it be the other way round?), or of being given a completely free bus ride just for being a friendly white guy with an interest in the country... I could go on and on. The people of PNG have had to put up with so much crap because of the poor governance of those in positions of power and privilege - I think it's a shame if people decide not to enjoy a beautiful country with many beautiful people simply because you had a bad experience with those same priveleged people. | 4
hauteboy0 21:44 UTC 01 Apr 2008 | Where did you stay when you went to Hagen show last year? We are trying to go independently this year but having trouble finding hotel availability. | 5
doryblue 08:15 UTC 17 May 2008 | I was living and working in the tourism industry in PNG and was made aware of the problems your group had with this tour operator - he has been blacklisted on the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority website. I am dissappointed that you have not received the action you were promised from the TPA. Having said that, I would still encourage people to visit PNG, but as others have said you do need to allow for delays and changes to plans, I know this is difficult to accept when having paid a tour operator but it is envitable that problems will arrise - it is the nature of the countrys infrastructure or lack thereof. PNG is the most amazing country and has so much to offer - the culture, diversity in landscapes - coastal, highland and everything in between, the people, the artifacts, there is so much. I am sorry that your experiences were less than what you should have experienced. | 6
frangy 06:32 UTC 01 Jun 2008 | We travelled with three different companies and got ripped off by them all. | 7
kokodaenthusiast 00:16 UTC 02 Jun 2008 | Who are the companies? It'd be nice to know for future reference. | 8
frangy 13:40 UTC 02 Jun 2008 | travel companies that were recomended by PNG airlines | 9
schmuck 06:01 UTC 19 Oct 2008 | You were asked a pertinent question, yet you replied: "travel companies that were recomended by PNG airlines frangy " As a much travelled entrepreneur, I would read your reply as being from an armchair explorer, who never experienced what you wrote. | 10
frangy 06:24 UTC 18 Dec 2008 | Actually i have just got back on site as been travelling in Iran and indonesia so i am no arm chair explorer!! the fact i did not mention is because I did not want to start bringing up the individuals we used as there were three and we are carrrying our further investigations. I m just so fed up with it all. I have now got other people contacting me and they are owed many thousands more than I. I would never go back again. Even the Airline charged a full fare back to Australia as they could not work out how to re issue the tkt!! Flight Centre my tour operator tried as well but no luck. was just referred back to the travel insurance!! I am over it. Just a warning to other travellers | 11
schmuck 21:59 UTC 18 Dec 2008 | I think I am confused. In your first post you say "Will never go to PNG again until they get their act together " - Referring I think to the country P.N.G.?? Then in the latest post today: " i did not mention is because I did not want to start bringing up the individuals we used as there were three and we are carrrying our further investigations." and then you go on to say: "I am over it." and then you go on and say: "Just a warning to other travellers " Please, what is it that you are warning me about?? You posted {#7} "We travelled with three different companies and got ripped off by them all. " Yet you will not say who they are?? What is your point?? | 12
Laszlo 06:13 UTC 19 Dec 2008 | It seems that the other, new post (at least the 3rd about the same issue) by this sad poster has now been deleted, I guess because the only supportive reply to it came from OP himself. | 13
frangy 05:08 UTC 20 Dec 2008 | The point I am trying to make is this There have been many people who have travelled to PNG using this PNG Tours company.They have not had a response to the loss of their money. of course if it is not your money it does not matter. the point is Tourism PNG are not interested. | 14
schmuck 06:04 UTC 20 Dec 2008 | Duh! Am I understanding that you got ripped off by some two bit tour company { PNG Tours } that took you to the cleaners twice, and somehow you expect the Government { Tourism PNG } has not been able, to your satisfaction, get your money back, or even better still pay you your scammed money?? | 15