Send my parents to Papua or Fiji?

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping you might be able to help me. It's my dad's 60th birthday coming up and I'd really like to do something special for him. I have some frequent flyer points that I am thinking about using to send my parents on a trip somewhere, and from the Qantas site it looks like I could get them both to Port Moresby and back which in theory sounds perfect, particularly as I'm not terribly flush with cash.

My father's parents lived in Rabaul for many years when my dad was young, and he used to fly out from boarding school in Australia to join them on school holidays. I know he has a lot of fantastic memories from Rabaul, and has always wanted to go back. However, I've been doing some research into Papua New Guinea and it all sounds a bit scary. My mum isn't the most adventurous traveller, and I would hate to think I'd be sending my parents to a place where they might constantly be stressed about their safety. I guess I'm also worried that it might be worse for my dad to return to Rabaul now, and leave with a bad impression if things have changed that much for the worse.

Alternatively, it seems I could also get them to Nida, Nouemea or Port Villa. None of these places obviously have the sentimentality attached to them for my dad, but hey, it would still be a trip away! And my dad need never know that Papua New Guinea was ever on the agenda.

So, I was really looking for some advice from the forum. Do you think I should go with the PNG option? Or go with the safe (but not overly "special") option of Fiji etc? Your opinions would truly be valuable in making my decision, and I look forward to hearing from you all...

Thanks in advance for your help!

By reputation, and from friends who have been there, Rabaul is quite different and much safer than Port Moresby. However, you ould have to organise internal flights.
When you say Nida, do you mean Nadi (Fiji)? - it is one of the cheapest places to get to from Australia with Frequent Flyer points.

OK, despite being a big fan of PNG, I was automatically going to recommend Fiji for 60 yo parents.

However, after reading on... I must say that the islands are the safest and generally most trouble-free part of PNG, so if Rabaul (rather than Port Moresby!) is where you'd be sending them, not to mention the fact that your father "has always wanted to go back", I really think you should just send them right there!
Just try and make sure they don't get stuck in Moresby.
You might also want to arrange accomodation (preferably not in Rabaul proper but in Kokopo) and an air-port pick-up for them in advance.

Rabaul has obviously changed quite bit due to the volcanic eruption that has pretty much wiped out part of the town, but I'd imagine the surrounding region has changed very little.

If you are still unsure, you could contact some locals for advice - this place is run by friendly "Australians" who have lived there for decades.

If you still decide against PNG after all, I'd recommend Vanuatu.
Of all the places in the Pacific, it has the most similar atmosphere to PNG - without the safety issues associated with the cities there.

Thanks for the advice thus far, it is really helpful.

Ozzie, sorry I did mean Nadi!! As you say, it is one of the cheapest places to get to from Australia, and somehow Fiji just doesn't really excite me for some reason...

Laszlo, thanks for the feedback. Do you know how much it might cost me to get them from Port Moresby to Rabaul? I've had a quick look on the Air Niguini website, and it looks like the return ticket is around $250AU...is that the cheapest going or could I do better?

I had heard that Rabaul is quite different since the eruption, and I know dad was disappointed he didn't get back there before that happened. But I still think he would enjoy the opportunity to use his Pidgin English!

I have also read about the Mask Festival. Is it worthwhile trying to schedule a trip around this?

Interesting about Vanuatu! Would you say it would be less expensive for them in Vanuata than Papua?

Thanks again for the advice, it really is invaluable!

That fare you've found for Rabaul actually sounds very reasonable to me.
However one thing to keep in mind is that tourists who fly to PNG with Air Niugini can often get a 50% discount on Air Niugini's domestic flights. But I am not sure if you can get this when booking outside PNG - you could ask an Air Niugini office in AU, rather than a travel agent. But as I've said, I actually find 250 for a RT quite reasonable by PNG standards.

Mask Festival... well, you can always try, but in general, I wouldn't really count on it happening on time, if at all. Consider it a possible bonus, not the major factor to plan around.

Vanuatu can in some ways be even more expensive than PNG.
However as it's smaller, transport costs could be lower - if they stick to Vila and around.
Note though that Vila itself is quite touristy, and while it also has that "PNG-like feel" I've mentioned, it also feels a lot less "unspoilt".

you can connect on air new guinea flights on same day from brisbane all the way to rabaul(tokua)for example the monday flight from brisbane arrives into moresby at 1pm,then the direct flight to tokua leaves at 3pm,arriving at 20 past 4.you can also do the connection on way back(fridays)talk to air new guinea staff for prices/discounts brisbane phone number07 32211544,ask for tony oy laudi.good luck

A few tour companies including our own are offering a small group tour to Rabaul for the Mask festival next year.

Im wondering how long ago your father was in Rabaul. We lived in there for many years before the eruption, then went back recently, it was very sad, couldnt find our house, everything was gone, its not the same, like a moonscape, however Im glad we went. Have also just returned from Fiji, was good, but nothing like PNG. Im thinking, go with the Rabaul idea. Why not ask him what he wants? Also Fiji is a lot cheaper (and better accommodation, food, transport, tourist friendly, etc than PNG) aaah maybe not Rabaul!!!
ps we are in our late 50s