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The local carrier (Air Niugini) is the best way to get to Rabaul. It's about 1.5 hours from Port Moresby, and about 20 minutes from Kimbe Bay area.Flights are scheduled daily, but you should try to book in advance - or at the very least, be aware of the time tables.
I thought it was hysterical to refer to these things as "river trucks" but the more we used them, the more I came to appreciate the name.These flatbeds were motorized and offered the most room at the fastest speeds, affording us visitors a quick and easy (not to mention relatively dry) way to get around between villages. They were a bit noisy so if you have any kind of earplugs, bring them along for the ride!
It always amazed me to see how well the locals can balance as they stand up in these narrow, carved out canoes. Here two women are floating down the river, probably returning from another village.Standard mode of transporation among the villages, where the canoes don't actually belong to any specific person, they're considered communal property of the village itself.
Don't expect any real landing strips or even an airport for that matter. When you're heading in and out of the Sepik Region, just be glad you're boarding a plane with two wings.Note: rough landings ahead!!!!
The best way to get around the Highlands is by jeep. When I was in PNG, there were no rental operations in the Highlands as it was still quite undeveloped. Ambua Lodge supplied the jeep (and the guide) courtesy of Trans-Niugini Tours, which we gladly accepted. When you're not hiking or exploring on foot, the way to go is by jeep (or Land Rover).
One way to get around Port Moresby is by PMV. These are mini buses. Many are extremely unroadworthy. This is the main transportation used by the locals to get around. They are very cheap and shouldn't cost any more then maybe 50 Toia to get to a location within Port Moresby. When you need to get off, just call out for the driver to stop.Something you must be aware of is that on occasion, PMV's are held up by armed raskals. This happens everywhere around Port Moresby but be particularly mindfull of this when travelling through the 2 Mile area. Also remember you're going to stand out on these buses and if you have valuables you risk loosing them. You probably won't see many (if any) foreigners getting about on PMV's.I wouldn't use PMV's due to the high crime rate and the possibility of being held up. That's my personal choice. I don't believe it's worth the risk.If you decide to travel on...
We were initially booked on an Airlink flight later on this morning, but there has been some sort of mess-up, so Bob, the owner of Trans Niugini, is flying in with his little Baron six-seater aircraft to take us to Mount Hagen.
Flight from Port Moresby to Tari:We have a baggage allowance of 10 kg each, but the hotel did not have any scales we could check out our bags on this morning. We needn’t have worried though; they are only 15 kg between them. We are certainly getting better at travelling light. There is some confusion at the gate, as two flights are leaving at the same time from the same gate. They probably only have one door leading to the planes. Nobody is there to directs or greet us at the aircraft once we are out on the tarmac; we just have to guess that the plane with the door open is the one we are going on. It is a 40-seater Dash 8 and most of the passengers are locals. Personal hygiene seems to be rather lacking and a very unpleasant aroma is wafting through the aircraft. Still, it doesn’t stop me from sleeping.
We flew in direct from Honolulu (12 hours in the air), or from Australia and from Singapore on one occassion. It was strange when leaving Port Moresby for Hawaii - because of the International Date Line, leaving PNG at 10:30 PM on Friday night and arriving in Honolulu at 10:30 AM on Friday morning! Air Niugini or Quantas were the usual airlines. I also took a lot of internal flights, some by F-28 jets, most by F-27 or Dash-7 turboprops and the odd small charter Twin Otter, etc. Photo taken of the Markam Valley as we approach a landing in Lae.
Although regular cars and trucks were OK for getting about - some parts of the highway system in the central part of the country required 4WD. There were several river fords when trying to drive overland to Madang. Photo of an Elcom Land Cruiser in the early morning hours - Kundiawa area of the Highlands. PS - we are on the correct side of the road, driving in PNG is on the left side in the British tradition and just like in Australia!
Airways Hotel Port Moresby
1 Review and 54 Opinions 4 star: swimming pool and restaurant with great view over airport and surrounding hills. Lively bar...
Flag Hotel Coast Watchers Madang
3 Opinions
Kimbe Bay Hotel Kimbe
1 Opinions
Reviews and photos of Papua New Guinea attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Papua New Guinea sightseeing.
Q: HI THERE, I'M ON THE HUNT FOR THE BEST RESTAURANT (NOT PART OF A HOTEL) IN PNG. IDEALLY IT'S HARD TO GET TO, A REAL SURPRISE FIND,...
A: Hi, Me again. What a coincidence as I have lived both in the Congo and PNG. In Port Moresby, the best place to hang around is at the Port Moresby Yacht Club....
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