Use Indopacificimages’ Complete Papua New Guinea Survival Guide to make sense of this wild and adventurous country. PNG has so much to offer both divers and travelers who want to go somewhere different!
Papua New Guinea suffers from a pretty bad reputation for corruption, violence and a general lack of safety. Yet dig deeper and you will find a truly interesting and rewarding location.
By peeling that onion you will understand the country much better. And you will be able to make an informed decision as to whether the country is for you.
Because, let’s be honest, Papua New Guinea really is not for everybody!
The starting point on that journey is quite simple. PNG is one of the world’s most diverse and contrasting countries.
The country has a population of just under 8 million people. But they speak more than 850 languages. And they belong to almost 1000 traditional tribes, clans and indigenous ethnic groups.
In addition the country only became independent in 1975. Furthermore, independence was a rushed move by the former colonial ruler Australia. And it created far more problems than it solved… Then consider the incredible topography and geography of the country. The sheer difficulty of establishing and maintaining core infrastructure. And you start to get the big picture and the need for the Papua New Guinea survival guide.
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Papua New Guinea 101
Papua New Guinea is truly one of the last frontiers and is a wild, adventurous, exotic and yet welcoming country.
The country offers tremendous scuba diving. In addition to many unique and fascinating things to see above the water – Read more…
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Is PNG Safe?
That’s a question I have been asked a lot, but generally only from those people who have not yet been to PNG.
The honest answer is no it’s not 100% safe. Yet the risks are manageable and are outweighed by the overall experience. – Read more…
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Transit in Moresby
Port Moresby is the only international gateway. Hence transit there is something you will just have to do when travelling to PNG.
Transferring between the international and domestic terminals for those internal flights can be stressful – Read more…
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Where to Stay?
Where to stay in Port Moresby used to be a a really tough question. The options were quite limited and very expensive.
While things have improved significantly. Yet all accommodation is generally expensive and sometimes unbelievably so – Read more…
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What to do in Moresby
Contrary to what its reputation may suggest… There are actually quite a few good things to do in Moresby during a stay-over there.
The National Parliament and Museum, and the Botanic Gardens are well worth a visit. As are some of the local markets – Read more…
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The Wantok System
An appreciation of the Wantok system is an important step in understanding Papua New Guinea and its people.
While Wantokism is the glue that binds PNG together. It is also significantly impedes the country’s development – Read more…
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First Contact in PNG
Another intriguing aspect of PNG is that first contact with the the highland people only happened just over 80 years ago.
Furthermore that contact was made by the Australian prospector Michael Leahy who fully documented his experiences – Read more…
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PNG and WWII
Papua New Guinea became a major theater in the battle for the Pacific when the Japanese forces invaded the country.
The Japanese landed first in Kavieng, New Ireland on the 21st January 1941. And soon after at Rabaul in New Britain – Read more…
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Expect the Unexpected
When X-Ray magazine published an extensive section on scuba diving in Papua New Guinea a couple of years ago.
So the editor approached me to write an article providing an overview of the country, its people and its recent history – Read more…
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Back To: The Complete Papua New Guinea Scuba Diving Guide