Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# Mt Hagen Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea
iaos 04:55 UTC 07 Jun 2011 | Hi, I am required to go to Mt Hagen in July for about 10 days work. I was wondering what the current social climate is like in Mt Hagen. I am planning on flying into Mt Hagen and hiring a vehicle and meeting up the the locals that I will be working with and travelling into Hagen. I was looking at staying at either the Highlander or Poroman. We will be working in the city itself. So there will only be a need to travel between our accommodation and our worksite. I won't have a need to travel or be outside after dark. How safe does all of this sound? Are there any other precautions I should be taking? Cheers Ian |
kruegs 00:53 UTC 10 Jun 2011 | Ian, I would ask the people you are working with if they can send a car and person they can trust to meet you on arrival at the airport, as opposed to trying to hire a car (expensive and problematic if you have an incident) and taxi's don't generally exist in Hagen. This is nornal practice, and you will probably find that when you ask, they assumed that they would be picking you up at the airport anyway. The airport (Kagamuga) is about 10-15km from the centre of Hagen. The Poromon or Highlander Hotel are both reasonable hotels and quite safe, centrally located in Hagen. Generally no probs walking around centre of town during the day if you keep alert, avoid disturbances or crowds and don't engage in lengthy conversations with the number of con-artists who may approach you. Best to walk with someone if that is an option. On the whole though, both locals and expats in Hagen are friendly and helpful and you'll meet some good people. Don't walk around after dark anywhere in Hagen, and avoid night driving if possible. Always lock and don't leave any possessions in your car overnight. Be security conscious in your room too... lock away or remove valuables and also lock your room at night. However, don't be paranoid... just take some precautions and heed the advice of the locals. You will enjoy the experience of working in the Hagen. Cheers kruegs | 1
iaos 03:00 UTC 14 Jun 2011 | Thanks Kruegs, That's pretty much what I assumed but its always nice to be reassured. Cheers Edited by: iaos | 2