Where to go for a week in late November?

Hi,
I am thinking about extending a conference in Brisbane with a week in PNG, from around November 20.
Basically: where should I go? From the LP guide it seems that Milne Bay is the only part with nice weather
in late November. Any recommendations highly appreciated. (I will be traveling alone; late 40ies; don't scuba/dive; "culture/experience" prefered.)

From reading the guide it also seems that Rabaul is a highlight; what about New Ireland?
If one goes to Milne Bay, what is there to do? Is it possible/worthwhile to go to the Trobriands?

Thanks!
Peter

for one week in one location i would definitely say rabaul - there is much more to do than milne bay especially if you dont dive - the volcano, beaches, snorkelling, diving, WW2 sites and relics, the buried town - inland there are forest treks, birding and traditional villages - off the coast there are the duke of york islands with fishing villages

you can fly to the trobriands from alotau - check the schedule as flights were only resumed recently

visiting the trobriands is very hit and miss - hard to organise anything except the flights - you just have to arrive and ask around - if there is a festival/wedding/funeral/cricket then you could be lucky otherwise it can be a bit low key

as with milne bay i think rabaul has more in one location than new ireland

lots more info here and on the tripadvisor forum on all these places

when in moresby make sure you visit parliament and the national museum - really the only highlights of the city
save the nature park

Thank you very much @majordom . Last question: will the weather suck in Rabaul in late November?
Otherwise that seems to be place to go, I understand.

on the north coast and islands the seasons are wet and wetter - there is no dry season

supposedly dec-mar is the rainier season in rabaul but nobody forecasts the weather anywhere in png - just prepare for some rain especially in the late afternoon

supposedly dec-mar is the less wet season in alotau but same applies

Following advice here (thanks @majordom)I bought a ticket to Rabaul. 6 days in November.

After reading TripAdvisor it seems that Rabaul Hotel and Kabaira Beach Hideaway are the places to stay.
I would like would like to see some "real" PNG life (I don't fly from the other side of the world to relax
and read that long novel ...), but also appreciate some good snorkeling. No diving. KBH gets rave reviews, but is it
more of a resort where I will not experience PNG?

Is it easier to experience something from Rabaul Hotel? Any tips for 6 days in Rabaul/Kokopo area?
Thanks!

Hi csabao,

I have been to Rabaul area a few weeks ago also for 6 days in beginning of September and saw both places, Rabaul Hotel + Kabaira Beach Hideaway. However, I did not stay in either as I was staying at my relatives place in Vunapope missionary centre.

To Kabaira:
It´s the place where my uncle was living for a long time and when you are there on church and school ground you will still see his name on the wall of the "Von der Haar"-Building. The area is certainly beautiful and there are some great reefs to do snorkling. It is a small village where I think you will experience what you call "real" PNG life. However, that means that there is not so much to do around. Besides the water activities perhaps some walks and visits to small local markets. The KBH is not a resort but rather a guesthouse (were you can also have a bungalow for yourself) in a beautiful setting on the water front. Kabaira can be reached by PMV or by private car. I drove there with my relatives and it took us 2-3 hours from Kokopo via Rabaul.

To Rabaul:
There are way more things to do in Rabaul.
A must is a visit to the hot springs and climb on the Tavuruvur. You can continue with a walk around the vulcano to a place where local people dig for megapode eggs in deep holes in the vulcanic ash. There are several war relicts (bunkers, tunnels, air guns, etc.), the ash-covered ruins of old-town Rabaul and great lookouts around the bay.
You can do a kayak trip to the bee-hive rocks in the bay and should visit the vulcano observatory on the hill north-west of Rabaul overlooking the city and the bay, thus providing a great view! You can also climb some other (non-active) vulcanos around Rabaul to have great views.
Rabaul itself is not very nice, however, there is a big central market which is interesting to visit.
Rabaul hotel is located in Rabaul itself. It looks ok from the outside, but nothing special. As a base in Rabaul, I think it is decent.

In general, I think there are more things to do close to Rabaul than to Kabaira.

One hour drive away along the coast there is Kokopo which is the new center. They have a big and nice local market.
From Kokopo you can do some great snorkling trips e.g. with Kokopo dive to small and big pigeon island. Close to small pigeon you can also snokle to a wreck called Atun. I liked it a lot (I did diving, but 2 others were snorkling)!
I also strongly recommend to do the dolphin swim near Kokopo in the morning. With mask and snorkle, you will hang outside the boat , which slowly drags you through the water and you can see plenty of dolphins (groups up to 50+ animals) jumping and swimming in front of you and the boat.
Or you take a banana boat to Duke of York Islands e.g. for an overnight stay.

For some pics of my trip to PNG you can have a look here. The album is not complete, as I am still sorting out my pictures.

Best, Alex

Thank you so much Alex (@Echti). This was super useful. Lots of things to do, I see in Rabaul/Kokopo.
Would you also have such a "real PNG life" village close to Rabaul/Kokopo?

Thanks again for your super helpful reply!
PS! Stunning photos!

Well, I put it in "..." as it is difficult to say, what it actually means. PNG is super diverse and there is not one real PNG life. There are not many tourists in PNG especially outside the time of the festival season (perhaps while you are in Rabaul/Kokopo there will be 20-30 others in that area max.), hence you will not be ending up in an artificial world made for foreigners. Still, Rabaul/Kokopo are far more developed than most of the other parts of PNG, but whatever you see in Rabaul/Kokopo is real PNG life (just specific for that region).
If you are looking for villages in the jungle with palm-leaf-covered huts, you may find them in the Baining mountains.
Some other village can be visited on Matupi island after climbing Mt. Tavurvur. On the Duke of York Islands, you will find laid back island village life...
So yes: plenty of opportunities to experience real PNG life everywhere :-) !

PS: Thanks!

Thanks again, @Echti I did the "villages in the jungle with palm-leaf-covered huts" thing in an obscure village in Vanuatu, so that's done. Excellent tips, which will be very useful.

Thanks again, also for the useful trip reports!

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