How dangerous is Port Moresby?

I plan to spend 2 days in Port Moresby just to have a good look. Heard about how dangerous the place is. I have been to notorious places such as Nairobi, Caracas, Port-au-Prince and Sao Paulo; but how dangerous is POM compared to these places? I am a little concerned about carjacks and stuff I read about. If POM is too dangerous even for someone to walk around the main streets in day time, then it might be very unpleasant to even to have a quick visit to the city.

Any suggestions on where to stay in POM? A quick scan online seems to reveal only places that cost A$200-300 a night. Are there safe places that cost A$40-80?

Given the danger, I may want to engage a driver/guide for POM, instead of taking public transport. Is there a reliable driver or guide that I should check out?

Thanks for any advice.

Hi - I went to have a look over 4 days last year - everything was fine. I was diving mostly - so didn't see as much of the city as I would like.

I stayed at Ela Beach Lodge which is safe & cheap - that's all I'm going to say about it, because what I find OK may not be what you find as OK ;-)

I would really suggest you time your trip for a Friday / Saturday because most of the top end hotels like Ela Beach Hotel - Holiday Inn - cut their rates by 50% at weekends to make it affordable.

The first thing I would ask is "What are you actually intending to DO when you get there?" What is it you want to see?

I would totally agree with Don about Port Moresby, especially the negative image in the Aussie press. A lot of the ex-pats seem to live apart from ordinary people, avoiding them as much as possible. We spent 6 days there, just before Xmas, staying at the Comfort Inn, which isn't luxurious, but does good dinners each night(so you won't have to go out at night if you don't want to). It isn't cheap, but it's the same picture over most of PNG, as there isn't the type of backpacker scene found in Indonesia, etc.It cost us a fortune, as we stayed 5 weeks in PNG, but it was worth it.
Firstly, the people are marvellous. Most people look you in the eye and pleasantly wish you 'good morning/apinoon'etc.You CAN go out during the day, but wear cheap clothes(a lot of them can't afford shoes..)and keep your camera out of sight. Get a bilum bag, everyone has one, and wear it across your body, in front of you(like they do). Use the PMV(public bus) and people will talk to you, help you get the right bus etc.Most people are good and friendly, and will go out of their way to wait with you at the bus stop, and so on. The staff at Comfort Inn will get you a taxi if you want to go to another hotel for a drink at night. They often know the drivers(they are 'wantoks' which means they come from the same area/tribe/family, so they aren't supposed to cheat each other. Get the doorman to fix the price for you) By far the biggest nuisance to us was horrible taxi drivers, who stop in the middle of the journey demanding more money. During the day you can avoid all this by taking the PMV, where no-one tries to charge you the wrong price, and get someone to get you a taxi home(finding out the price).
Nothing awful happened to us, nothing was stolen, and we felt we got a real insight into how the poor are coping in Moresby. There are plenty of places you can go without a guide, such as museums and parliament house, or the town centre. Just don't go off to the 'settlements' as it could feel uncomfortable, and you may not feel welcome.
Another good place to visit is Madang, where it is safe to go almost everywhere in town, and people are really nice. Goroka is also a friendly place, and a bit cheaper. It isn't as cold as people make out, we took too many clothes. We went by PMV, leaving spare money, credit cards, i pod, etc, with a hotel in Madang. Off course, nothing actually happened to us! In fact, the further you get from cities, the lovelier thee people, and the more beautiful the scenery.
We are definitely going back to PNG, when we can afford it(the most difficult aspect of travelling there was cost)
Good luck, Linda.

If danger is your reason for choosinga destination then I would suggest Disneyland in Orlando. Danger...maybe not. Port Moresby, probably not......good luck...homesteader

NG is a violent society.
With all that it brings.
Exercise caution.