4 weeks in PNG - looking for tips!

Hey fellow travelers and PNG experts - Looking for your help!

We are planning a month long trip in PNG and looking for advice on places to stay, things to check out and general info. (we arrive June 17- July 19) We are willing to spend the money on a really nice place, but also don't mind the basic village hut, packed PMV etc.. Can't wait to get underwater - so any dive tips appreciated as we plan to dive almost every day except in the highlands...

our ambitious itinerary at present -

Tufi (by air) Dive!

Goroka or Tari - or both? (Ive been to Mt. Hagen.) places to stay? great hikes?
Hike from Kegsugl to Madang - any tips on guides - is Betty's the place to go? worth doing?
Madang a few days - thinking Madang Lodge - but any other places that are cool?
Kavieng - Nusa Island Retreat looks really awesome - though pricey..
Kokopo/Rabaul for the mask festival - kokopo beach bungalows look super nice..

We'd love to stay in a couple villages as well --- (spent three months in PNG over a decade ago mostly in the villages and a stint in Irian Jira as well a few years ago)

Thanks for you help -- cant wait to get back to my favorite place on the planet!

Best,
Sara

Goroka and Tari are very different.
Tari is much more rural, with more traditional culture, but Goroka is on the way between Chimbu and Madang, and is easily the nicest town in the highlands in its own right.

Betty's is somewhat overpriced (though this may not bother you) so i always stayed at the cheaper and very friendly East Kege Guest House in Kegsegul.
I am pretty sure you can get a guide and porters through either place.

The tourism office in Madang has good info on locally-run village guest houses in their province.

I thought Nusa Island was nice, rather than awsome, but only visited on a day-trip. It is right in front of town.

Thanks for the good info - I will defintely check out East Kege Guest House. Where did you stay in Goroka if you mind my asking?

Also did you stay in any other places around Kavieng? New Britain?

best
s

I stayed at the Sports Center in Goroka - though it has rooms, not dorms, it still feels like a hostel, so probably not your thing! :-)

In New Ireland, I visited Tatau in the Tabar Islands - not really a place to fit into a rushing trip, but there are also other villages with guest houses on "mainland" New Ireland that would feel more "remote" than Nusa Island.

In New Britain I stayed at Kabaira but can't really recommend it.
Somewhat inconveniently located, and then not even in a really nice spot.

Kabaira is the best place I stayed in PNG - not so much in terms of facilities, but in terms of the people running it. I was there 6 weeks ago.

In terms of diving it was what I wanted to do - so every wreck I wanted I got. Even took me out to the Duke of Yorks for a day.

Laundry all free. I never ate alone - although I was travelling on my own - had a brilliant time there. They also run a day tour into Rabaul - K200 - very worth it & Stephen will also take you to play golf - the course is about 10 minutes drive away.

I can't recommend it enough.

Edited by: globaltourist

Sweet! Thanks all - anything else you can think of welcome!

From these posts I feel better about figuring it all out there which I prefer - I booked Tufi as almost full with dive groups, but were any of these other places mentioned busy? Were the planes full? Last time, used the "wantok" system to go village to village by boat and missionary plane as my friend lived there and had contacts about - folks were so friendly! is that still the case?

Love to stay in Villages - best part! I had a light sleeping bag and thermarest- Would i need or can sheet work? Also before gave them t-shirts/food.. How much would you recommend we pay per night?

Best and Thanks again!
s

The wantok system will never die in PNG! :-)
I have always found people there among the very friendliest in the World.
Kind of hard to give a figure as to how much to pay for village hosts in places without fixed-price accommodation, it could depend on various factors, but maybe 50 Kina or so per person/night if they also feed you?
I also carry a light sleeping bag and a foam mat - most useful in the Highlands.
None of the places I stayed at were busy.

You could head to Wau and do the Black Cat Track? You can do it with out camping, sleeping in villages the whole way, well except one night. And considering that less than 40 people done it last year - its still pretty untouched unlike, say the kokoda.

am planning to do the Blackcat next month, what do you know about getting a guide.

David