Papua New Guinea [email protected] www.packyabags.com Lorengau Thanks and acknowledgements: Front Cover, Wabag Girl (Trevor Cole), other beautiful Manus Island photos by David Kirkland, the Papua New Guinea Kavieng Tourism Promotions Authority, the Pack Ya Bags photo Vanimo library, resorts, tour companies, and all products and services used by Pack Ya Bags. All very much appreciated. Sandaum New Ireland (West Sepik) Werak We would like to thank and acknowledge all individuals and companies for their help, and the contributions to any Rabaul East Sepik articles within this publication. Momase Region Islands Region Our Note: We have tried to be a little different with this Madang brochure, as we have included many interesting facts Enga Madang Buka about Papua New Guinea (PNG) hopefully to give you a Kimbe East New Britain Jiwaka picture of the country. Pack Ya Bags has many tours for all Hela Western Highlands West New Britain your interests, to places throughout PNG. Chimbu Autonomous Region Southern Highlands Eastern Highlands of Bougainville Prices can be viewed on a separate booklet by print and is Highlands Region downloadable. Please request from Pack Ya Bags. Lae This brochure is also downloadable from Pack Ya Bags site. Morobe Western Gulf Southern Region Kerema Fly River what’s inside Trobriand Island Kokoda 2 Map Central Tufi Oro 4 Need to know Port Moresby 5 Useful information 6 Western Highlands Milne Bay 8 Chimbu (Simbu) 10 Eastern Highlands Map of 12 Enga 13 Hela 14 Jiwaka Papua New Guinea Not to Scale 16 Southern Highlands 18 Central and Port Moresby 20 Milne Bay Highlands Region Momase Region 22 Western (Fly River) 24 Oro (Northern) Chimbu East Sepik 26 Gulf Eastern Highlands Madang 28 Bougainville Hela Morobe Enga Sandum (West Sepik) 29 Manus Jiwaka 30 East New Britain Southern Highlands 32 West New Britain Western Highlands - Mt Hagen 34 New Ireland 36 Madang 38 East Sepik 41 Morobe Southern Region Islands Region 42 Sandaun (West Sepik) Central Autonomous Region Bougainville 44 Diving Gulf East New Britain - Rabaul 46 Walking Milne Bay Manu 48 Surfing and Adventures Oro (Northern) New Ireland 50 Festivals Western (Fly River) West New Britain National Capital- Port Moresby 2 3 What you need to know Please read About Papua New Guinea Getting Around By far the best and safest way to get around Papua New Guinea is by plane, Papua New Guinea is a country of adventure, where you can enjoy experiences as they have 21 paved runways and 562 airports!. That is a huge amount for a found in no other place on earth. The country has more than 800 individual country this size. Jackson International Airport, located in Port Moresby, languages and many species of flora and fauna with some yet to be discovered. provides air connections from major cities in the world, with many direct flights. Incredible adventures to satisfy all budgets and tastes are on offer to give you an Air Niugini, PNG Air, MAF and TropicAir, offer flights to provincial capitals, and experience you will cherish forever. many regional towns and villages. Driving by road is limited and many roads are not suitable to drive on for a The mainland of Papua New Guinea is divided by the rugged Owen Stanley number of reasons, including safety. Range with peaks over 13,000 feet high. The Head waters of the great rivers start Your safety is paramount and travelling with an organised tour with local hosts here, flowing down through rainforests onto the coastal plains, and beaches. The and guides is the most recommended way to explore the country. Pack Ya Bags country has more than 600 main islands and many thousands of cays. offers many tours for you to get the best safe experience possible. Papua New Guinea is known for it’s adventure, sometimes frontier experiences. These include, for the water enthusiast, diving, snorkeling, fishing, and canoeing and land adventure such as trekking, birding, culture, art, and festivals. If you want to experience something different then give Papua New Guinea a go. You will be well rewarded. Languages The official language is Tok Pisin, English and Hiri Motu but with around 832 living languages PNG is the most linguistically diverse place on earth. As the Author can testify the people are extremely friendly and accommodating. How to say it Currency The official language is Tok Pisin, English and The unit of currency in PNG is the kina. Most international currency travelers Hiri Motu but with around 832 living languages checks are accepted and banks can be found in all the major centers. Major credit PNG is the most linguistically diverse place on cards are also accepted at most hotels, restaurants and travel agencies. However earth. when staying in the highlands and out of the way places cash is the best. A few suggestions...Have a go! Useful Airport Codes Welcome - Welkam. Hello (General greeting) - Gude, Hi or Hai. Port Moresby (POM) Madang (MAG) What is your name? - Wanem nem bilong yu? Lae (LAE) My name is (Ray) - Nem bilong mi (Ray). Rabaul/Kokopo (RAB) Thank you very much - tenk yu tru(e). Goroka (GKA) No thank you - sori nogut. Buka (BUA) How are you? - yu orait ? (you alright) Kavieng (KVG) I’m fine - mi orait tasol. Alotau/Milne Bay (GUR) How much is that? - em hamas? Hoskins/Kimbe Bay (HKN) How much is this? - dispela em hamas? Mount Hagen (HGU) I’d like one please - mi laikim wanpela plis. Tufi (TFI) I would like to go to the (Airport) - mi laik go Wewak (WWK) long Airport. Vanimo (VAI) Please, can you help me with this? - plis, inap ya Popondetta (PNP) halivim mi wantaim dispela samting? Lake Murray (LMY) Kokoda (KKD) What is that? - em wanem? Balimo (OPU) That is/was very good - em i gutpela stret! Kundiawa/Simbu (CMU) Where are you from? - yu bilong wanem hap? Lorengau (MAS) Thank you David Kirkland for the magnificent collection of I’m from (your country) - mi bilong. Bulolo (BUL) photographs made available for the completion of this brochure. please - plis. Fane (FNE) You can see a huge portfolio of David’s work at: drink/drinking - dring. Dara (DAU) https://www.kirklandphotos.com/home see you later - ketch. Goodbye - Gutba. 4 5 Highlands Regions Western Highlands and Mt Hagen About: Mt Hagen Show: Getting there: One of the last frontiers to visit, the Western 5 days of fantastic performances at the Domestic flights arrive directly into Mt Hagen Highlands is similar to the other highland annual show in Mt Hagen. More than 70 Airport from Port Moresby. From the airport areas in that it is renowned for the coffee cultural groups attend to show their culture, it’s a 30-minute ride into the city. The Okuk and tea plantations. All this has bought rapid dance, dress and lots of singsing, during a full Highway connects Mt Hagen to Goroka and change to the traditional lifestyle, including week of the festival calendar, Maybe watch other Highlands centres. the capital city of Mt Hagen, rehearsals on a mini show the day before! At Rondon Ridge, try the delicious See some of these performances prior to the Suggestions: Pack Ya Bags has many tours from 5 to 17 strawberries, which can be bought at the actual show. This is a festival you must attend or more days that include the Mt Hagen busy and colourful Saturday markets. if you can make it in August. Festival. Take a trip to the Western Highlands Cultural Try this 10 day tour. Centre, featuring a reconstructed village hut The Wahgi Valley area is the home of the 1 night Port Moresby - Stanley Hotel. and exhibits of artefacts and curios. Melpa people and this area was not 3 nights Mount Hagen – Highlander Hotel. The archaeological sites at Kuk Valley, are discovered by the outside world until 1934. It 2 nights Sepik Region – Karawari Lodge. the first place on earth, to cultivate land for is said these people were among the world’s 2 nights Western Fly - Lake Murray. gardening. first horticulturists, perhaps going back 9000 1 night Mount Hagen - Rondon Ridge Lodge. years. 6 7 Highlands Regions Chimbu (Simbu) Mount Wilhelm is the highest mountain in About: Getting There: Known as the heart of the Highlands, the Papua New Guinea and Oceania, at 4,509 Take a domestic flight from Port Moresby to Simbu or Chimbu with the capital city of metres. It is part of the Bismarck Range and Goroka then drive on the Highlands Kundiawa is a spectacular scenic province. the peak is the point where three provinces, Highway through Daulo pass to Kundiawa. Wait till you see the airstrip! Built on a sloping Simbu, Jiwaka and Madang, meet. The peak Our tours will do this for you. ridge with mountains either side. Most of the is also known as Enduwa Kombuglu, or Kombugl’o Dimbin, in the local Kuman. Suggestions: tribes live 2500 metres up in the mountains. Pack Ya Bags have many tours to include Maybe a day (or overnight) at Betty’s Lodge, Mount Wilhelm with treks and climbs and a trout and rabbit farm at the base of Mount The Chimbu Skeleton Tribe dressed in their meeting with the local people. Wilhelm. traditional Skeleton painting, originally to 4 day tour can combine with many other Visit the rock paintings and the Keu Caves intimidate their enemies. Nowadays it is for tours to get you to many places in PNG. at the Nambaiyufa Amphitheatre close to show and festivals but to a certain extent, Airport Transfers to Mindima Village. Chuave. the tribes origins do remain somewhat of a Land transfers Mt Wilhelm.