Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# Just came back from a solo backpack holiday in Papua New Guinea Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Papua New Guinea
juraldo2107 12:16 UTC 15 Jan 2010 | Dear All, I just came back from a 1 month backpack solo trip in PNG. I will try to do my best to give best information for all travellers. I`m from Europe........ 1.Air niugini>has the best routes but book early !!! (Sin-Pom-Sin) 2.Don`t fly in PNG, go by PMV because when you will fly you will miss out on the landscape (and that`s one of the best parts of Png) 3.Lonely Planet PNG/Solomon Islands 8th Ed. is they worst LP that i used in years....my god (and i can tell you thats not nice when you are travelling alone in a country like this.) 4.Take a mobile phone with you, when you arrive in Port Moresby you go to the Digicel Desk and get a FlexCard & Simcard (25K) You will need it to call guesthouse & call your new Png friends that you meet in the Pmv 5.You can use Credit card only to get Cash from BSP bank and ANZ bank ( normal bank card didn`t work Cirus for exmpl.) 6.Use a moneybelt !!!!!!!! (I travel a lot and i never use a moneybelt, but now for the first time i realy felt save with my moneybelt) 7.Don`t bring a Tent and so.....just bring loads of Deet (care Plus) From Singapore I went to Port Moresby and then the same day to Goroka I booked that ticket via the website in Europe before i left for PNG. Goroka: *Stay in Luthern Guesthouse , Clean,Cheap,Nice food,Good location *Lp says it is save to go to Mt.Kiss lookout......Don`t it is NOT save at all, I went there because the LP says it is Ok, but when I went after 200mtr all locals went crazy and told me that it was not save and send me back. *Don`t stay in Bird of Paradice hotel , expencive,dirty and noisy,no airco *Mud men Tour 1pers 100Kina ( contact Samuel Lulu > Stan.gareke@goroka.acil.com.pg)(very nice,good service,and CHEAP!!!!!!!!!) PMV Goroka - Mt Hagen (20Kina) ( around 4hrs but leave at 6am and you will be there around 3pm) Mt.Hagen: *The worst city in whole PNG, very unsafe,dirty, not a good vibe *stay in Luthern guesthouse, dirty, expencive,security needs to walk with you when you go out (to get food or so or go to the bank) *Never walk alone with 2 backpacks in Mt.Hagen they will get you.............ALWAYS walk with security. (Luthern guesthouse can help you) Mt.Hagen - Tari PMV ( 12hrs via Mendi) ( leave Mt.Hagen at 6am and you will be there around 4pm) (DON`T LEAVE MT.HAGEN LATER THEN 6AM) (40Kina) Tari: *DON`T stay at Warili Lodge, it`s very Run Down , dirty, and felt unsafe , and all contact numbers in LP are NOT correct!!!!! Steven: 00.657.715.98.104 (it took me a week to get this no. all other telno. are NOT correct!!!!!!) *There is not other option then staying at the Ambua Lodge.....after many calls I get a 2Night Package rate for locals it cost 1412Kina / euro 315 it was crazy but there is no other option then this.......The lodge is Ok, but not great the bird watch is next to a busy road with road workers and they will not take you into the forest....... The wigman school is one Tourist Show and it is all crazy expencive, they dress you up as a wigmen nice for taking photo`s but thats all........ You really need to mention extra that you want to see they Facepainting ass well. You are not allowed to leave they lodge alone , only to go the wigman and see the birds,you will NOT see the famouse Bird (also on the air niugini airplane) |
juraldo2107 13:03 UTC 15 Jan 2010 | There is now other place to stay in Tari then Ambua Lodge, unless you fancy a cheap and rundow lodge and a owner that you almost can not contact. The road from Mt.Hagen to Tari was ssssssssooooooo beautiful but please check with locals if it is safe to travel there because it is a very dificult part of PNG (road,people,safety etc etc) I also want to mention: MR WET (manager ambua lodge) he is the most unfriendly person in whole PNG!!!! my god i never met a men like that ever during my travels around the world......my god!!!!!! You can use Credit card to make Reservation Ambua lodge (air niugini tours NOT direct at Ambua Lodge Mr.Wet will kill you) Tari - Madang ( via Mt.Hagen & Goroka, book all guesthouses before yoy leave Tari !!!! )(you can NOT bay a flex card at Ambua Lodge so get many Flex cards before you leave for Tari) (and because the Ambuda lodge will not let you out there lodge you can not bay any flex card anymore) Madang: *Stay at the Madang Lodge > ask for Fiona from the Reception staff *stay in budget room and ask if fiona can spray you room before you go to sleep due to animals !!!! (geko`s) *Restaurant staff is verry un-friendly and it is expencive...there pizza is OK *You can use Credit card *LP says that you have nice beaches in Madang and you can snorkel......Well I think LP went to a different Madang maybe but NO beaches no snorkel...nothing!!!! *There are NO boats to Siar Island !!!!!! you need to ask a local to bring you around 20Kina!!!!!!!! *Siar Island is ok, but not as nice as LP tell`s us *Around 2Kina from madag lodge to Siar village *Nice coral just infront off Siar village, NO coral at siar island !!!!! Madang - Lae (PMV around 4 hrs , but also leave at 6am and you will be there around 4pm) (50Kina) Lae: *very nice city,clean , felt very Safe , friendly people, just don`t walk alone always go with security!!!!!! *THERE IS NO BOAT FROM LAE TO KIME/RABAUL ANYMORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *THIS IS VERRY VERRY IMPORTANT " AS A TOURIST YOU CAN NOT GO BY BOAT TO KIME AND RABAUL ANYMORE!!!!!!!!!!!! *FOR NOW ONLY ON RABAUL SHIPPING/STAR SHIPPING,you can try luthern shipping *Stay at Mahomi guesthouse (telno:00.657.71126057)(kwinaambang@yahoo.com) -verry verry nice peole (Kwina & jack) -you can work in there Kai-bar so you can meet the locals it is very nice - Food is the best (ask for the chicken) -Please Please bring medicine (Paracetamol or so) for the staff !!!!!!!! and give it to: Veron -Veron> is the lade from Reception and housekeeping she is the best woman in PNG!!! she has back problems so bring some medicine for her, and she has a eye problem so also bring a old sunglass that will save here life!!!! *Kwina will bring you to the city , airport, everything that you want she will do *there is internet, the girl that is working there is not that friendly but ok..... *other people there: Kwina,Jack,Veron,Cook,Buffy etc etc etc *Please stay here,you will love it!!!! Lae - Kimbe (direckt flight it`s crazy expencive)(520Kina) Kimbe: *Stay at Walindi Plantation Resort *Ask for special price from Cat Stinson and she will help you. (250K incl 3meals and laundry) *Diving is the best here, ask for STEVEN J to be your buddy....he is the best *Junior is also ok and a very nice person!!!! *It`s expencive to dive, but it is the best place on the planet to dive so it is worth it *ask for shark dive (without a cage) it is the best!!! *Cecile&max are so friendly and they work so hard......... *You can pay by credit card *transport from airport to resort and V.V is NOT free!!!! *There is also a japanese speaker and she dives also.... *stay at Plantation house, very nice, ask for housekeeping lady Helen!!!! she is the best!!!!! *there are a lot of frogs near the plantation house, I saw one as big as a watercooker....it`s crazy!!!!!! Kimbe - Port Moresby ( Direckt flight ) (kina 330) *stay in Ponderosa Family hotel ( phone: 00.657.71666062)(you can also book via e-mail)(they reply within one hour) *Stay at budget room, with TV,Cooker,Shower,Clean towels,only the bed is rock hard *Ask for Teresa or Marie from the Reception. *Marie can bay PNG umbrellas for you (BIG 13Kina) it`s a realy nice souvenier, but don`t cary it on board, check it in but please rap and pack it verry verry good....Teresa can help you with that.... *I was not allowed to go out in Port Moresby alone,and I didn`t i just wanted to get out asap! Airport *port moresby airport is Ok *small,clean,NO internet,No phone *BSP bank is good *nice restaurant on 2nd floor *no duty free shopping before 4pm, after imigration there is a small duty free shop. General information: *Luthern guesthouse Goroka: 00.657.732.1171 *Luthern guesthouse mt hagen: 00.657.54.22137 (Stephanie) *Steven Warili Lodge: 00.657.715.98104 *Samuel Mudmen Tour 100Kina : 00.657.732.1682 (not easy to get him to 100Kina for the tour....do your best *Madang Lodge: 00.657.4223922 (ask for Fiona) *Ponderosa port moresby: 00.657.71666062 (ask for Marie & Teresa) *Air niugini tol free from land line only: 180.3444 *good travel agency in goroka:00657.71294245 (ask for jesepha)(make sure she swipe your credit card) *Ambua reservation ask for local price 2night package incl tours : 00.657.5421438 *Walindi resort> Cat Stinson 00.657.9835441 *Legal help needed as a tourist call: 00.657.71400624 Before you leave send a scan of your passpoort to your embassy* Take cash,credit card Don`t bring to many expecive looking things with you* *you can travel alone, and you will love it don`t bring LP 8th Ed. it is NOT good ** **bring many book, you can not go out after 7pm alone, and there will be NO local to walk with you to dangerous!!!! ) people are ssssssoooooo friendly *don`t fly but use PMV See mudmen,wigman,birds,go diving,use local transport **Bring MONEY, it is crazy expecive....BUT apart from Ambua lodge & Walindi Resort , I spend 190Kina / Euro 50 per day on a verry tight budget, no souveniers,no drinking etc etc etc **Don`t use Betelnut , if you want to bay betulnut contact Duale: 00.657.722.61201 ** becarful with your camera in the Goroka market ,Mt.Hagen city.Pmv travel But go to PNG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 | 1
donbrisbane 09:49 UTC 17 Jan 2010 | for a person in a panic 1 week before going,you have done ok,at least you have your humour left!!it is a very tough country to travel for the first time,with all your experience now,you should do another visit in the coming years,you will find you will accept the culture much easier than this trip.your post opens up a great question..the top 5 most unfriendly hosts in the world?.......wow...where do we start? | 2
avantikook 11:56 UTC 18 Jan 2010 | There are beaches in madang, they just don't have sand. I didn't go snorkelling in the beaches in Madang town, but I did around Krangket island and in the water around Jais Aben resort (around 20kms from Madang) and the snorkelling there was amazing. I really recommend jais Aben to anyone visiting Madang. Unfortunately the food is terrible, but the room was the nicest we had in PNG and reasonably priced by PNG standards (cheaper than madang lodge). | 3
globaltourist 23:30 UTC 18 Jan 2010 | Pig Island off Madang - you can go there for a beach Beautiful | 4
chalokbankhao 10:40 UTC 16 Jun 2011 | Hi, Im currently looking for fun and exciting destinations to backpack for a month and Papua New Guinea popped into my head. Do any of you know what the situation is there for girls travelling on their own? Would say that's a terrible idea or is it comparable to indonesia or thailand and cambodia? id be greatful for any advice or input have fun and stay safe P. | 5