Papua New Guinea Travel Guide — Visas, Climate & Attractions

Papua New Guinea Travel GuideOne of the last great frontiers of adventure travel — where over 800 languages echo through highland valleys, tribal sing-sings paint faces in the colours of birds of paradise, the Sepik River winds through impenetrable jungle, volcanic islands rise from coral seas, and cultures untouched by modernity survive in the world's most biodiverse tropical wilderness.Key Facts

Capital: Port Moresby

Currency: PGK (Kina)

Language: Tok Pisin, English

Time Zone: UTC+10/+11

Top Places to Visit

Goroka & Highland Festivals — The famous Goroka Show brings together hundreds of tribal groups in full ceremonial regalia with elaborate face paint and bird of paradise feathers.

Sepik River — One of the world's great river systems with carved spirit houses, elaborate masks, and crocodile cult ceremonies.

Rabaul — A dramatic town set inside an active volcanic caldera with Japanese WWII tunnels and excellent diving.

Kimbe Bay — Over 860 species of reef fish and 400 species of coral — consistently ranked among the world's top dive destinations.

Kokoda Track — A gruelling 96km trek across the Owen Stanley Range following the route of the 1942 WWII campaign.

Local Food

Mumu — PNG's signature earth oven feast — pork, sweet potato, taro, and greens wrapped in banana leaves and steamed underground.

Kaukau — The staple sweet potato of the PNG highlands, boiled, roasted, or cooked in the mumu.

Fresh Seafood — Reef fish, lobster, and crab caught daily by local fishermen and grilled over coconut husks.

Highland Coffee — PNG produces some of the world's finest arabica coffee — shade-cultivated and full-bodied.

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