Popondetta to Lae

daley16:15 UTC12 Feb 2007

Hey, first id like to congratulate the L.P team for their great site and books!!!
I personally dont have the kahoonas to jump on a plane, fly into a foreign place, with a foreign language in the middle of nowhere without a little background information. You guys are a great guide into the unknown.

Anyway 2 friends and i will be heading over to Papua New Guinea for our first time and want to work our way up from Popondetta to Lae then onto Goroka for the highland Singsing.
Ive read there are PMV's from Lae to Goroka, but would like a rough estimate on how long the trip takes?
We still dont know how to do the Popondetta to Lae leg, catch a boat(s), hire a boat ourselves, PMV (if possible)? Not even sure if there is a road that links the two?

We dont have a huge budget and are prepared to rough it a bit, also considering that we need to make it to the Singsing in Goroka on time, any idea on how much time the trip will take (give or take a couple days) will be really helpfull.

Cheers.

Laszlo16:49 UTC12 Feb 2007

Poor as the current LP guide to PNG is, it still contains all the info you are asking for here.

With all your fears about travelling into the unknown without a guide, shouldn't you just buy that book?

Anyway, there is no road from Popondetta to Lae, you must go by boat - which ran weekly when I was there.
From Lae to Goroka, the PMVs only take 4 hours.
If you are in a rush, flying from Moresby to Lae or Goroka is better - you'd most likely need to fly to Popondetta anyway.

daley13:58 UTC16 Feb 2007

I actually do have the LP to PNG and i cant find any info on how much time it takes for the trip from Popondetta to Lae.
The main concern is getting up to Goroka on time.

Laszlo14:09 UTC16 Feb 2007

Your main concern should not be how long the actual journey from Popondetta/Oro Bay to Lae takes (it's on page 72 in the LP), but how long you will have to wait for it - something you can only find out once there, as schedules change all the time.
You could try trusting LP's info that it runs on Sundays, but that's a gamble - they are often wrong.

As said above, just fly to Lae or Goroka.

Popondetta to Lae Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Papua New Guinea
daley16:15 UTC12 Feb 2007	Hey, first id like to congratulate the L.P team for their great site and books!!! I personally dont have the kahoonas to jump on a plane, fly into a foreign place, with a foreign language in the middle of nowhere without a little background information. You guys are a great guide into the unknown. Anyway 2 friends and i will be heading over to Papua New Guinea for our first time and want to work our way up from Popondetta to Lae then onto Goroka for the highland Singsing. Ive read there are PMV's from Lae to Goroka, but would like a rough estimate on how long the trip takes? We still dont know how to do the Popondetta to Lae leg, catch a boat(s), hire a boat ourselves, PMV (if possible)? Not even sure if there is a road that links the two? We dont have a huge budget and are prepared to rough it a bit, also considering that we need to make it to the Singsing in Goroka on time, any idea on how much time the trip will take (give or take a couple days) will be really helpfull. Cheers.
Laszlo16:49 UTC12 Feb 2007	Poor as the current LP guide to PNG is, it still contains all the info you are asking for here. With all your fears about travelling into the unknown without a guide, shouldn't you just buy that book? Anyway, there is no road from Popondetta to Lae, you must go by boat - which ran weekly when I was there. From Lae to Goroka, the PMVs only take 4 hours. If you are in a rush, flying from Moresby to Lae or Goroka is better - you'd most likely need to fly to Popondetta anyway.	1
daley13:58 UTC16 Feb 2007	I actually do have the LP to PNG and i cant find any info on how much time it takes for the trip from Popondetta to Lae. The main concern is getting up to Goroka on time.	2
Laszlo14:09 UTC16 Feb 2007	Your main concern should not be how long the actual journey from Popondetta/Oro Bay to Lae takes (it's on page 72 in the LP), but how long you will have to wait for it - something you can only find out once there, as schedules change all the time. You could try trusting LP's info that it runs on Sundays, but that's a gamble - they are often wrong. As said above, just fly to Lae or Goroka.	3