Papua New Guinea Travel Guide

Papua New Guinea Travel Guide- General Overview

A destination unforgettable for sure, still not the classical country demanded by the majority of people from a tour operator. Three quarters of the territory are shadowed by tropical forest, some spots untouched by humans, the rest representing green fields, swamps or the deltas of Fly, Sepik and Ramu Rivers. This country lost in the Pacific Ocean, has been blessed with a wonderful nature. The main islands New Ireland, Bougainville and New Britain are surrounded by coral reefs.

Scuba diving and snorkeling can also be practiced in the many lakes of Madang Region. In the center of this province, you will find the city with the same name, one of the most posh cities in the Pacific zone. Mountain climbers will certainly enjoy the steep slopes of Rabaul and Sepik regions. The highest density of inhabitants is to be found in the Highlands, in cities like Kainantu, Mt Hagen and Mendi, where in the 1930s people were still living like in the Stone Age, but now the harmony between old and modern is the main feature of the area.

Papua New Guinea Travel Guide - Administrative Data

Port Moresby is the capital city of the country. It is the main point of entrance for tourists, a mixture of skyscrapers and poor neighborhoods. In the surroundings of the capital there are Varirata National Park, Rouna waterfall and Brown River, a place for swimming and rafting. As the country is part of the Commonwealth, with Queen Victoria II as the ruler, Port Moresby is the residence of the general governor, the prime minister and of the Parliament.

The national currency is the Kina, not very valuable and unstable, a normal thing for states where agriculture is the main part of the economy. Help from The International Monetary Fund and World Bank was obtained in order to support mining, tourism facilities and gaining the trust of foreign investors. An important problem in Papua New Guinea is that of land owning, as only around 3% belongs to the people. The land cannot be the object of transactions, only of inheritance and of use.

Papua New Guinea Travel Guide – A Heaven for All Living Creatures

The country shelters all kinds of uncommon animals like marsupials (kangaroos and possums), salt water crocodiles or birds. But the greatest satisfaction of zoologists is the continuous discovery of new species. Recently, they have found over 50 species: almost transparent jumping spiders, singing frogs or stripped lizards. The locals have learnt to live in harmony with all the scary fauna. At some tribes, the crocodile is considered an ancestor. There are rituals turning young boys into crocodile men by injuring their skin as if they were bitten by crocodiles in order to test their endurance and self discipline. Some visitors might also be afraid of cannibalism, but don’t worry it was given up some time ago. Still you must not imagine it was a mere act of cruelty. In case of attacks and if the enemies were killed, cannibalism was practiced as a form of protection against the spirit of the foes.

Papua New Guinea Travel Guide - Things to Take Care Of

The most recommendable period for visiting is probably during the dry season, between June and September. It is difficult to give prognosis for a tropical climate, with the monsoon blowing, producing changes in humidity and temperature. If the climate is not the most suitable for humans, it is for mosquitoes, representing vectors for malaria and dengue fever. Other diseases to avoid (by eating and drinking safely) are diarrhea, hepatitis, typhoid fever. Besides infections, the criminality rate in the capital city is very high.