Wonderful 2 month visit to PNG!

Papua New Guinea (PNG)

PNG is a wonderful travel adventure. Backpackers are few - you will likely not see any - and packaged tour-groups are few. The people of PNG people are subsistence farmers living in villages. In the villages you are quite safe and the people are extremely friendly and happy to see you. It is in the villages, not the cities, that you will experience the language, music, culture, and day-to-day living in all its colorful diversity. The cities of PNG (more aptly described as airstrip stations) are like cities anywhere else in the world - full of petty theft and people that have learned to be less friendly. That said, other than Lae and Port Moresby, I found the people in the small cities of PNG to be quite friendly and helpful. By carrying my small bag in front of me and keeping my pants pockets empty, as the locals do, I experienced no theft.

I spent two months in PNG.

General Tips

• When flying in and out of Port Moresby, plan your departure flight from Port Moresby the day of your arrival. There are no budget accomodations in Port Moresby and no attractions of the quality found in the highlands and north coast of PNG.
• Avoid Lae and Port Moresby as they are dodgy colonial towns lacking the charm of ancient settlement. Mt. Hagen, Wewak, Madang, Mendi, and Goroka are airstrips surrounded by a few trade stores and, most importantly, many vibrant villages with long histories and the opportunity for a stay in a village guesthouse.
• The airport for Lae is an expensive (50 to 75 Kina) and long (1 hour) bus ride from Lae itself.
• Goroka, Mendi, and Tari have the best budget accommodations (30 to 50 Kina/night) with electricity and water. I am not aware of budget accomodations in Mt. Hagen.
• Wewak has some budget accomodations. I am not aware of budget accomodations in Madang.
• There are no hostels in PNG. There are high-end and low-end guesthouses (60 - 100 Kina the former, 30 - 50 Kina for the latter). Low-end will be roughing it a bit more. Guesthouses are better than hotels because they have kitchens and a chance to meet locals.
• Water. Guesthouses collect rain water from their tin roofs. It can be assumed to be potable. I never boiled or treated it and I had no problems.
• Hot showers are from solar hot water heaters.
• 80 percent of PNG people live in villages. Staying in villages for several days is the best (and cheapest) way to learn and enjoy PNG culture. Many villages are building bush guesthouses to attract tourists. Conditions in villages are basic - no showers beyond jumping in the river, standing under a waterfall in a cold creek, or taking a bucket bath using water heated on an open fire. Electricity, if there is any, will be from an expensive petrol-powered generator for a few hours at night. Light may be nothing more than firelight and battery powered lamps.
• Language. English is taught in the schools and the similiarity between English and Pidgin means that you will always find people able to communicate with you in English. It is a good idea to try and learn some Pidgin. Some places, due to their isolation, will speak little English. Tari Basin and the Sepik River are good examples.
• Wewak, Madang, Goroka, Lae, Port Moresby, Mt. Hagen are the places I know that have ATMs. The ATM in Tari is a rich businessman charging a steep transaction fee to advance you money at one of the local trade stores.
• Internet: Was slow, expensive, unavailable, and/or at limited business hours in Madang, Wewak, Mt. Hagen, and Goroka. However, one of the cell phone providers, Digicel, now offers internet if you have internet capabilities on your phone. At the moment, the service is quite cheap and fast. You can buy an internet enabled phone (Samsung) for 250 Kina. Usage rates on the phone I had was approximately 1 Kina for 2 hours of browsing/email (i.e. low amount of data transfer). You may be able to connect the service to your laptop through the cellphone using bluetooth...
• PMV (Public Motor Vehicle): There are three types of PMVs. Dyna's are flatbed cargo trucks that have been fitted with wooden benches. They are the cheapest option, plentiful, and sure to give you a sore backside. Cruiser's are 25 seater buses that are roomy and comfortable. You won't get charged extra for your backpack like you will if you take the small, not-so-roomy, minivan - a 15 seater. Befriend people on the PMV and ask them the rate for where you are going - otherwise you will get overcharged. PMV travel is best done as early in the day as possible (7 AM is a good starting time) because PMVs only leave when full and PNG locals start and end their days with the sunrise and sunset. Be patient and enjoy the free city tour as the PMV circles around the city looking for passengers.

Guesthouses that I stayed at:

• Tari:
Take a PMV to Warilli Guesthouse on the edge of Tari basin (and a 30 minute walk from Ambua Lodge.) 40 Kina per night. No electricity. Good for birdwatching (BBC filmed here); Steven Wari, 71598104; warililodge@yahoo.com

• Wewak: SIL Guesthouse; 55 Kina per night. Electricity, Hot Shower, Clean Water, Kitchen.

• Madang: CWA Guesthouse 110 Kina per night for two, 85 Kina per night for one; there are some village guesthouses nearby for 30 Kina per night. Contact Madang Vistor & Cultural Bureau at 852-3302. Talk with Peter Imbal.

• Wagume Junction (Ialibu): Take a PMV to Ialibu and ask to be let off at Wagume Junction. Stay in the Ponegama Lutheran Guesthouse and Cultural Center. Wagume Junction is the turnoff from the Highlands Highway to Ialibu. There is no longer a cultural center in Ialibu - the owner moved to Port Moresby. The guesthouse in Ponegama village - a 30 minute walk (2 km) from Wagume Junction is an old SIL Guesthouse. It has a hot shower, kitchen, 6 beds, and electricity by generator. There are small trade stores and markets. 40 Kina per night. The villagers can organize cultural experiences. Best if you call ahead so that they can prepare for you and meet you at Wagume junction. Contact: Pastor Tande Tumbo: 72777144 or Kerry Tapondol: 71852075; email: tandetumbo@yahoo.com.

• Goroka: Sports Institute.

• Kegsugl: There is a cheap guesthouse by the airstrip. 40 Kina per night. Or you can have a wonderful stay in a village like I did: 30 Kina per night. Mr. Tora Thomas; Waimabuno Village (in Kegsugl); 71400597;

• Maprik: Guesthouse in New Town; 50 Kina per night; no kitchen; has electricity and showers; Contact: Brian Lurukwe; 76553935.

Good stuff.
Nice to see that Warili remains as cheap for backpacklers as it was years ago - there has been some very confusing info spread about it on this forum.