It's probably just me, but here we go - again....

Kavieng, New Ireland:

Last week I decided I would give Tari a miss due to the crazy prices. I decided I'd go diving in Kavieng instead.
I looked at Scuba Ventures & followed their lovely well presented web site to the accommodation available from Nusa Island to guesthouses.

This was comprehensive - it's a lovely website - but the only price laid out on the site (for a fan cooled room at the Kavieng Club) was for K77 for a single person per night.
Now that - as pointed out on Scuba Ventures sight - is very good value.

So I asked for them to reserve the room - which they've done.
Only the cost of that room is now K132 - a hike of 71% over the price shown on the website.

Having said that I don't know when the web site was last updated - it was started in 2007, so it might not have been updated since then, in which case a 71% increase in cost might be understandable.

But what it does say is that no diver who has been with Scuba Ventures has stayed in the Kavieng Club since the website price of K77 was issued - or Kavieng Club stuck it up after I made the enquiry via Scuba Ventures last week. I'll probably never know ;-)

LP (2005 edition) has single rooms listed as K77 - K154 - so it's still within that range

Point of this? Do not trust listed prices until you've had some form of confirmation as to the rate you are actually paying.

Hi,

Not sure why you are posting this item. If you travel everything is subject to change until booked/confirmed and more importantly paid for. I would have thought you would be asking Scuba Ventures about bait advertising.............! If you have would love to know the response. Also the price may depend on room standard available, but not likely at the Kavieng Club. Scuba Ventures have probably booked the best room in the house for you to head off complaints, from you that is.

Even in PNG if it is booked and confirmed and paid for don't be surprised to also be hit up for an additional 10% GST. For your information the PNG IRC ruled a couple of years ago that if you pre pay for arrangements in full before you arrive in PNG then GST is not applicable.... might be a good idea to se if what you are paying for includes GST and if it does ask for a refund...... good luck.

Wonder if the GST thing is in the LP guide.......... hmmmmmmm !

The only point of posting it is just to get it off my chest ;-)

It;s just another thing in PNG where an update in prices isn't carried out on a regular basis - or - another example of a price going whoosh! the minute there'a an enquiry.

old mate,you have my utmost sympathy in your fiscal frustrations!!my solution in this style of bookings is to wing it and when you hit the ground at destination x...you do what most remote travellers do....suck it and see for yourself,it is a little time consuming but sort of fun...flexible,you often find a better option than what you have searched for hours to find,you are dealing in non competitve style market place.maybe forget png?and try a place like sabang above aceh in indonesia for diving/prices

No don mate - I'm going to PNG. It's PNG or bust.

The trouble is I'm self aware enough to know that -

1. I'm careful with money (tight as a duck's wotsit) & .....
2. A discerning traveller to boot (I expect the world to revolve around me, preferably for no money at all) ;-)

What I definitely don't have is time. So I can't really wing stuff. It's all got to be clockwork, & of course PNG is not like that, I know that, I accept that, but don't have to embrace that, & I will come a right cropper with this attitude - as illustrated.

I'm also a complete uptight Nazi when travelling - I'm not really a traveller - I'm a tourist, & because I run my own business, (hence my away time is limited), & times are hard - I expect the same ruthless efficiency as the Spanish Inquisition from everyone else.

It's not a holiday now - it's an obsession ;-)

ps - I really wish peiople who travel & tour PNG would post prices as they pay on here - because, as illustrated with Tari, the new editon LP is way out of touch, & there's a lot of assumption about what a price might be - in fact it turns out to be just that. An assumption.

If everyone posts prices as they go - word might get around the tour spots of PNG that we are savvy to what accommodation & food cost last month in X place - so they might be less inclined to whack the price up.

I also think it's worth bigging up the peple who are fantastic - booing the people who are crap - & alerting the PNG tourist authority to this branch, so they can take our rather wonderful hands-on customer experience, & up-to-date comments, & work out how to improve the travel 'industry' in their most fabulous country.

yes i agree with "tourists"updating costs after their travel,but as an indication that png (apart from kokoda track)is way off the world tourism radar,you only have to weigh up how many(or few posts)are posted here,say compared to indonesia....east timor faces similar lack of tourism as png.you are now the official fact finder for kavieng!!when do you plan to go?mi lukim yu

Wow,

What do you do when a flight is delayed of for that matter does not operate that day (not an unknown event in PNG) and your whole experience is totally ruined ?. The hours of planning and negotiating and decision making is totally ruined, take a Valium, lie down on the departure lounge floor and refuse to move. Or maybe you are like the irate tourist who was denied boarding in Rome airport telling the check in person "do you know who I am ?", whereupon the the check in clerk jumped up on the counter and announced over the PA system " Una momento, silencio, this a man is a gunna tel us who he is.....!". PNG is not called the "Land of the Unexpected" without reason and if you are going to do your thing you need to be prepared for this. Melanesian time is a way of life in PNG, not a figment of someone's imagination. PNG is one of the best places on earth for what some would describe as all the wrong reasons but many of those wrong reasons are why it is so great.

Reporting back costs after a trip is also a trap because it can lead to unrealistic expectations. Papua New Guineans are basically shy but very hospitable and will say yes, rather than say no. Joe Bloggs turns up on the spot demands an unrealistic price for a service and gets that price, then wonders why his wallet has disappeared. Joe reports back about the theft and the great accommodation deal he got. Next "tourist" turns up asks the price and starts disputing based on what was posted here - now I wonder why there are so many confrontational situations that arise out as a result of unstructured arrivals........... The on the spot deal works in countries that are geared to deal with it as a way of life - PNG is not one of them.

Have a good trip - just be prepared to deal with the unexpected..........

owend - hi

The whole point of my Tari Warili posts was that because of posts here I was forewarned that there might be problems with price.

I am incredibly grateful to the people who posted about Warili.

Therefore - as I've stated previously - I wasn't prepared to turn up & work out a price at a place where I had heard there were reports of trouble regarding a price & the final bill.

Whatever I am as far as a tourist - I am not prepared to have a blazing row with a local person over the price they want for the service - that sort of confrontation would ruin the whole experience.

My attitude - you have to appreciate I am slightly tongue-in-cheek - simply reflects my approach. I've asked for a price - it's more than I'm prepared to pay - I look elsewhere for another option - find it - ask for a price - I'm prepared to pay - therefore change my plans to suit.

I personally don't have a problem with that.

Of course the culture & attitude isn't going to change 1 iota based on my requests, but I'd rather ask soeone if they can do something & how much it would be - & risk feeling a fool for 10 minutes, than never ask & be a fool forever.

Nothing to do with any self importance - just a self awareness to see how much I can get out of a trip.

If the flight is delayed or cacelled I don't worry because there's nothing I personally can do about it - but because I've planned stuff I realise that I've got something else brilliant planned in 5 days time as a back up.

So no worries ;-)

Now... "So no worries" that is more like it, correct frame of mind for a trip to PNG. Would really like to hear back after the trip and how it all turned out. Kavieng is a great place. My personal preference would not be the Kavieng Club but that is me - not you and all experiences are subjective. I am also a diver but find 6 inches of muddy water on the side of the road just as interesting as a dive with endless vis.

Have fun.....

G'day mate,

As everyone has said before it's the Papua New Guinea Lonely Planet. There are many errors but in fairness to the authors it appears that things in PNG change at the drop of a hat.

Kavieng is an amazing place, spent six weeks there last year, you'll love the diving. Ditto for Scuba Ventures, they run a very good dive program I just hope for your sake that you can dive Albatross passage, unfortunately it was closed for us due to land rights. PNG again...

Most of the divers tended to stay on Nusa Resort, while we were there I don't think any divers stayed at the Kavieng Club. The resort is in my opinion much nicer but i'm also aware it's probably quite a bit more expensive. Kavieng Club is right in town and not too far from the market which is decent but not as good as somewhere like Madangs, don't bother on monday or tuesday.

I would have gone with Nusa Resort, even for the little extra cost, but that's just me. We stayed at the Peter Torot Center for six weeks spending most of our nights at the resort bar after paddling the dugout we bought across the passage from the hospital.

Have a great time, hope the divings as good for you as it was for me.

Jonno

Jonno - thanks for that - I'm looking into the Peter Torot option as I think it might be cheaper than the Kavieng Club.

I can't see my paddling across to Nusa - well I can see me paddling across to Nusa - I can't see me paddling back - not in a straight line ;-)

Global Tourist,

Peter Torot is a good option. The double rooms upstairs are the best, you share a bathroom with two other rooms which is better than downstairs. Real community spirit. Can self cater there as well although they may have only let us do that as we were there for six weeks!

The manager is not great with maths so make sure you are aware of the costs before you get there, and be prepared for a bit of a possible suprise.The other negative is cold showers only, but really that's common everywhere, we had no hot showers for two months and it doesn't matter until you hit the highlands!

If I was only going for a few weeks I would stay at Nusa, but it is more expensive. I just think it's worth it. Beaches were nicer over there.

Cheers,

Jonno

jonno - cheers

Apparently they have a convention happening when i am there so they may not have room - but I did think it would be a blinding experience to get in there.

So now I'm just going to turn up & see what is available - fan cooled room at the Torot is K40 as of 2 days ago

For anyone else passing this thread, there are budget rooms at teh Kavieng Hotel at K99, but Scuba Ventures in Kavieng a=said they thought the rooms were a bit grotty - which certainly was the case when I stayed there in 2002 - although possibly the best overnight view of a golf course I've ever had!

The budget rooms at the Kavieng Hotel are in the process of being rebuilt. I bet they are morphed into more-than-budget rooms. Hooe they're cleaner and better kept than the old ones, anyway.