Papua New Guinea Travel Guide

Social Conventions

Papua New Guinea’s culture still includes elements of a primitive lifestyle. There are universities at Lae (which is a University of Technology with a liberal infusion of Europeans and North Americans) and at Port Moresby. Casual clothes are recommended. Informality is the order of the day and although shorts are quite acceptable, beachwear is usually best confined to the beach. In the evenings some hotels expect men to wear long trousers but ties are rare. A long dress is appropriate for women on formal occasions.

International Travel

Getting There By Air

The national airline is Air Niugini (PX) (www.airniugini.com.pg).

Departure Tax

K30 is levied on international flights (usually included in the price of a ticket). Children under two years of age and passengers not leaving the airport are exempt.

Main Airports

Port Moresby (POM) (Jacksons) is 11km (7 miles) from the city. There are direct flights to Australia and Singapore. To/from the airport: Buses and taxis are available to the city (journey time – 20 minutes to 1 hour). Facilities: Duty-free and banking facilities are available at the airport.

Getting There By Water

Main ports: Alotau, Kieta (North Solomons), Lae, Madang, Momote (Manus), Port Moresby, Rabaul (New Britain) and Wewak (Sepik).

Several passenger/cruise lines and cargo lines run regular services to Papua New Guinea.

Duty Free

Overview

The following may be imported into Papua New Guinea by persons over 18 years of age without incurring customs duty:

• 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g tobacco.
• 2L of alcoholic beverages.
• A reasonable quantity of perfume.
• New goods up to a value of K250 (K100 for persons under 18 years of age) excluding radios, television sets, video cameras and tapes, music players and associated equipment.

Prohibited Imports

Drugs, pornography, firearms and weapons. Food items, seeds, spices, live or dry plants, animals, animal products and biological specimens need special import approval.

Prohibited Exports

Items made before 1960 require an export permit. Bird of paradise feathers and stone artifacts.

Internal Travel

Getting Around By Air

Services are run by Air Niugini (PX) (www.airniugini.com.pg) and Airlines PNG (www.apng.com) to all main centers. Charter services are also in operation.

Getting Around By Water

Cruises and excursions are available lasting three to 16 days. These go mainly to the islands and some otherwise inaccessible places on the coast. Cargo/passenger services between Lae and Madang are run by Lutheran Shipping with facilities including passenger cabins, accommodation and meals.

For the local people in some regions of the country, rivers, particularly the Sepik, provide the main thoroughfares. In these areas it is possible to hire motorized canoes or obtain passage on a trading boat; however, apart from cruises, there are no regular public transport operators on the rivers.

Getting Around By Road

Driving is on the left and is not recommended. Owing to the rugged terrain of Papua New Guinea, road development of the interior has been slow. There is a network of roads connecting the northern coast towns of Madang and Lae with the major urban centers in the Highlands region. There are few roads connecting the various provinces, however.

Bus: PMVs (public motor vehicles) operate in the main centers from bus shelters or they can be hailed.

Taxi: Available in district centers but expensive. Although operated on a metered basis, fares can be negotiated.

Car hire: Available in principal towns.

Documentation: A national driving license is sufficient.