Travel & Holidays in Papua New Guinea

The independent nation of Papua New Guinea gained independence from Australia on December 2nd 1973 and from that time has been a parliamentary democracy and a member of the British Commonwealth. It is a nation of inedible cultural differences and there are more totally different languages here than in any other country in the world. Different tribes, separated from others by a mountain range or a river have had no contact with each other over generations creating a country of many small individual groups. Racial differences between regions indicate that the population of the country migrated here from both the Asian regions, Indonesia and from the Pacific Islands. In different parts of the country, the visible difference between the people is striking.

Papua New Guinea is now striving to enter the modern world and a fledgling tourist industry is now starting to emerge. There is a growing curiosity around the world and tourists interested in visiting one of the most remote and different tourist destinations are starting to explore the possibilities of visiting this beautiful country. Many Australian have a deep desire to visit the regions where relatives fought and died during the second world war. It was in Papua New Guinea that the tide finally turned against the Japanese invaders and Australian armed forces where at the forefront of this engagement. The battles fought along the Kokoda track are now legend in Australian military history and thousands of trekkers now come here to follow in the footsteps of the men who fought so hard to keep Australia free. There were many sacrifices made by Australian who fought in the Papua New Guinea theatre and they will always be remembered.

Entry into Papua New Guinea is via the capital city of Port Moresby on the southern side of the island. Due to the incredibly rugged terrain of the country, there are no roads from Port Moresby to inland or northern regions, so flights are required to visit the highlands region and the north coast. In the Highlands region the towns of Goroka and Mount Hagen are the largest. In this region are some special events that are unique in the world. The Mount Hagen show is one of these and tribesmen from surrounding regions gather here in their national dress and entertain visitors with dances and cultural displays. The native costumes are spectacular with Bird of Paradise feathers decorating their headdresses and the warriors carrying stone axes, spears and shields perform sensational dances.

The major north coast towns are Lae and Madang with smaller towns like Wewak, Buna and Tufi also providing fantastic holiday destinations. The islands to the north include New Britain and the Trobriand Islands. The largest town on New Britain is Rabaul which is an extremely active volcanic area and recent eruptions have left the town devastated by falling ash. The north coast region is a divers and fisherman’s paradise. Incredible water clarity combine with fantastic corals and sunken debris from the war has created a holiday destination without equal. Sports fishermen from around the world have been coming here to try to catch one of the massive Papuan Black Bass that grow in the rivers and streams here and there is a fishing lodge in the Milne Bay district at Alatau that caters for these visitors.

For those who want to see this region is total comfort, there are luxury cruises that visit these regions. Companies such as Orion Cruises have itineraries that include the magnificent Trobriand islands, Milne Bay, Kitava Island, the Duke of Yorke Islands and Rabaul.

There are many things to do in Papua New Guinea, the country can be accessed by air from Brisbane and Pacific Blue operates four flights per week. You will require a 60 day tourist visa. The local currency is the Kina, which is divided into 100 Toea. The climate is tropical and the wet season runs from November through to March. Papua New Guinea is your chance to visit one of the worlds newest nations with one of the worlds longest histories.

» Things to do in Papua New Guinea
» Map Of Papua New Guinea