Tips for traveling PNG (January 2019)

Hello,
My boyfriend and I just came back from 3 amazing weeks in PNG, a most recommended destination! Here are a few tips:
- Try to avoid December - February as this is the rainy season (I did not find this very clear in the LP nor online) and might limit your travels: roads might flood, boats/flights canceled, less birds to find, too slippery and wet to do bigger hikes, less visibility for diving. It is still very possible to go and if you have time on your hands it shouldn't be a big deal. Diving is possible all year round but the sea might be (very) choppy and visibility less perfect than other months.
- Overland travel is surely possible: in the highlands you can travel by car/PMV from West to East (check safety with locals). We traveled from Mt. Hagen to Lea and wished we could have traveled up to Madang and further. Take time for traveling as the roads are very rough.
- In Goroka the tours seem very overpriced but still recommended: we did a village tour, singsing and coffee plantation visit with Samuel Lulu (see LP for details). Be prepared for a lot of 'socializing', the coffee plantation visit is highly recommended!
- Rabaul/Kokopo: the airport is called Rabaul but located just outside Kokopo which is a nicer town than Rabaul (40 minute drive). Kokopo Beach Bungalow Resort & Rabaul Dive Adventures: recommended location for the view, comfort and great/professional diving.
- Recommended hotel in Lae: Miles Hotel. Good option if you only flight in and out as this hotel is just 25 minutes from the airport, which otherwise takes 50-60 minutes on a very bumpy road to get to town.

Enjoy your visit to this beautiful part of the world!

Looks like you didn't do a great deal of research before you left. Dec-Feb is the rainy season, data is readily available online.
Rabaul was destroyed by a volcano and as such they had to rebuild the town. It was the jewel of the Sth Pacific before being destroyed.
If you traveled from Mt Hagen to Lae via PMV, consider yourself lucky to have reached your destination unscathed. You were quite naive to even thing about doing that journey via road.

If you traveled from Mt Hagen to Lae via PMV, consider yourself lucky to have reached your destination unscathed. You were quite naive to even thing about doing that journey via road.

And why is that? I did the same in August last year and it's not worse than any other PMV ride in the country. You could argue it's more prone to armed robberies than elsewhere - but that's a risk you take when visiting PNG as it might as well happen in any other province.

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