trip review - where to go, accomodation, transport

I’d like to share some information about my recent trip to PNG.

General information:
I had a 1-way ticket from Brisbane to Port Moresby and Quantas which operates the AirNiugini flights made me buy a refundable return ticket (90A$ fee). The man in charge was a real pain. It’s probably advisable to fly from Cairns where they have Airniugini staff.
I traveld alone, I am a woman and it has been ok. Apart from places like Port Moresby I felt safe and people were extremely friendly and welcoming
my budget was around 100US$/day (not Nusa Lodge) not inculding transport or airfares. Value for money is very bad and the standard of accomodation and service are basic.

Most places only accept cash. I got it from the ATM in Port Moresby, but there are ATMs in the bigger towns
apart from the Highlands where I had a guide and we took local PMV, I only used flights as this seemed safer. But looking back it would have been ok to use PMV.
the best way to contact the accomodation is to call as email is not available to most people
my trip in the Highlands has been organized by Steven Wari - email: warililodge@gmail.com, Tel.: +675/71598104
Steven Wari has a lot of experience in tourism and is happy to organize birdwatching, adventure and cultural tours. He can help as well to organize tours to the Sepik region. He offers a 2 day/1 night trek from South Hela Border to Lake Kutubu.
Warili Lodge is not operating anymore (it might open again), but Steven Wari plans to open a new guesthouse in 2017 close to South Hela Border (Tambile Hideaway Guesthouse)

This it my 1-month itinerary:

flight from Port Moresby to Kavieng, New Irland Province- Nusa Island
- duration: 3 nights
accomodation: Nusa Lodge (340 Kina/night, not incuding food)
high standard of accomodation in beautiful bungalows
- excursions: it’s mainly a surf lodge
I did snorckeling, walk around the island to local craftmarket; trips to Kavieng and down the highway can be organized
- other nearby accomodation: Lissenung Island Resort

1. flight from Kavieng to Kokopo/Rabaul, East New Britain Province
   duration: 2 nights
   accomodation: Rabaul Hotel (cheapest room 160Kina/night)
   transfer: by car from Rabaul Hotel (99 Kina/1 way) or by local PMV (around 7 Kina). For the retrun to the airport I took the PMV, it’s very safe. You have to change PMV (nr. 7A from Rabaul Hotel to Rabaul market, nr. 1B from Rabaul market to Kokopo market, nr 9 from Kokopo market to airport), it take about 1.5 hrs.
   excursions: I got a guide from Rabaul Hotel (Isak), for 50 Kina he walked with my up to Mt Tavuvur and to the Megapode colonies. Take enough water!; Yamamoto Bunker + Rabaul Museum it very close to Rabaul Hotel

2. flight from Kokopo to Port Moresby
   duration: 1 night
   accomodation: Wellness Lodge (cheapest room 299 Kina/night), they have a good trestaurant (ask for the healthy/diet menu)
   transfer: transfer from and to the airport is free (10 minutes drive, 20 minutes to downtown)

3. flight from Port Moresby to Tari (Hela Province)
   duration: 5 nights
   guide, accomodation and activities organizied by Steven Wari ( warililodge@gmail.com, Tel.: +675/71598104); activities were cultural encounters with bachelor boys, wigman, sing sing, spirit dance, trekking, bird watching.
   accomodation: 3 nights near Tari in Taparava Village - Hendore Hama Guest House (also called Istap G.H.), 200 Kina/night including food, owner: Alben Bosco Tel. 71405549 or Mapsi Tel. 70104741 - they can organize birdwatching, Sings Sings etc. Especially interesting seemed a tour to a still very traditional village in Hela Province towards Sepik region: Purani + Gentemlai Village. I have been toled that there people still wear their traditional cloths and live like before Indipendence. But these places from what I have seen tend to disapear. I have not been to these villages as I had no time left.
   accomodation: 2 nights in South Hela Guesthouse in Tuan Village, 1.5-2 hrs. from Tari/2 hrs. from Mendi by PMV. Owner: Ben Boli, Tel. 70160787. The guesthouse is very basic. excursions from here: birdwatching (bird of paradise), trekking. I visited a Sing Sing in a village 2 hrs. walking distance. The Opena tribes here are very different than Tari’s Huli tribes.

4. flight from Tari to Moro - Lake Kutubu (Southern Highlands Province)
   duration: 5 nights
   accomodation: Tubo Lodge (contact directly manager at the Lodge Jessie: Tel. 73157283/70298134; 170 Kina/night (not including food: breakfast 25 Kina, lunch 40 Kina, dinner 50 Kina)
   it’s a very peacful and beautiful place in the middle of Lake Kutubu
   transfer: jessie picks you up in Moro, 15 min. by car, 45 min. by motorised dhingie, price 135 Kina 1-way + 50Kina for the car
   excursions (10-30 Kina + fuel cost depending on distance): birdwatching (take your own binoculars),Sago making, walk to waterfall, Jubo Village with traditional longhouse, scull cave, bush tracking, school visit; traditional Sing Sing (500 Kina)
   advice: take a lot of mosquito repellent

5. flight from Moro to Port Moresby (over Mount Hagen)
   duration: 1 night
   accomodation: Wellness Lodge

6. flight from Port Moresby to Wewak
   duration: 1 night
   accomodation: Wewak Inn Boutique Hotel
   price: 300Kina/night
   transfer from airport: 20UKina/way

7. flight from Wewak to Sepik
   I have mixed feelings about that places. It is beautiful, no doubt, but my trip was more like a nightmare (my only bad experience in PGN), nothing was as promissed and I have no idea where all the money went. If you get a guide be sure that you get what has been promised.

read my full review: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g294115-d309642-r376282165-Sepik_River-Papua_New_Guinea.html#REVIEWS

transport: with MAF from Wewak to Ambunti (410Kina 1-way), then continue by boat
Tel. MAF in Port Moresby: 73029642; Wewak office: 735016443
my trip starting from Ambunti has been organized by Matthew Kaku
duration: I wanted to stay 6 nights, but I stayed only 3
accomodation: Mathew Kaku has a guesthouse in Wagu Lake from where it’s possible to do sidetrips to the Sepik.
excursions: spirithouses, hunting, visiting villages, watching bird of paradise

1. flight Wewak to Vanimo
   duration: 1 night
   accomodation: Vanimo Beach Hotel (275 Kina standard room)
   get Indonesian Visa (1 day, open 9am-4pm) and cross the indonesian border (closes 5pm), from there to Yayapura the same day.
   border crossing: PMV from Vanimo to border (10 Kina), from indonesian side only taxi available (500000 Rupia)

great trip - thanks for the report and details - shame the sepik didnt work out - to be sick on a canoe with a broken motor at night must have been pretty scary

mathew from wagu lodge used to have a good guest house and tour service - we stayed with him 2 years ago - last year however we bumped into him in ambunti and he was very despondent about business and prospects - perhaps he had money troubles and took advantage of you - a big loss for his reputation

we see the same thing happen often however - someone has a good business one year but the next it has gone - often money troubles are not personal but brought on by other members of family or tribe (wantok)

ingreen, thank you for your very complete report.

My father served in Hollandia now called Jayapura during WW2.

I have worked in Port Moresby and I found it to be a very dangerous place, for both men and women.

Did you manage to stay within your $US100 a day budget?

Hi gary

In Port Moresby I only stayed in the hotel, yes, it's a dangerous place. But the other places I went were ok. I spent a bit more than 100$ in Port Moresby as the accomodation in expensive there and in the Sepik it was much more than 100$, but for the rest I managed with 100$ including esxursions, food etc.

Cheers

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