Things to do in Port Moresby… While I have to say that Papua New Guinea’s capital is not one of my favourite places, it’s also not the near-death experience it is often painted as.
Provided, that is, you understand the risks and use common sense…
To be honest, the first few times that I overnighted there, I never went out of the hotel and was very cautious even inside the hotel!
But gradually I came to the conclusion that it was wrong to lock myself away like that. And so I ventured out of my hotel at Ela Beach and went for an evening stroll.
To my great surprise I saw lots of local people carrying yoga mats.
They were all heading in the same direction, so I tagged along to what turned out to be the nightly free yoga session by the beach. Everybody was relaxed and happy and not a single Raskol was to be seen!
Things to do in Port Moresby – Waigini
Parliament Haus (National Parliament) and the National Museum are both located in the Waigani area.
While the Botanic Gardens are are in nearby Gerehu.
All three are well worth a visit and offer a very pleasant way to while away a few hours.
Most of the hotels run escorted tours to all three places. And, it’s best to use a tour so that somebody is accompanying you – just in case…
But my experience is that all three are safe to visit and I have never experienced any problems at any of them.
Personally I really like the National Parliament. It is modeled in the style of a Sepik spirit house – “haus tambaran”. And is set in some beautiful and very carefully landscaped gardens.
Things to do in Port Moresby – Local Markets
On the way back stop at one of the local markets such as the one at Four Mile, which is quite safe if you have a guide.
You will be able to wander around and check out some of the local crafts.
Such as the hand-made string bags called bilums that are one of the most common features of Papua New Guinea.
Bilums are used by both men and women for carrying everything from personal belongings and food, through to young babies…
Traditionally made using woven plant reeds, a practice still widely utilized in the rural areas across PNG.
Many villagers now use wool-based yarns to make their bilums so they are much more colorful.
You will see many of these displayed at Four Mile.
You will also see what has become the traditional dress of choice for the majority of PNG women (particularly so in rural areas) – the “Meri Blouse“…
Introduced in the early days of the intense missionary activity in Papua New Guinea.
The Meri Blouse was the missionaries way of dealing with an over-abundance of female flesh on display with the traditional way of dressing – bare breasts and all.
Styles vary slightly and there appears to be a long and short version. The shorter one being more of a blouse and worn with a long sarong-type wrap around skirt. While the longer one is the more all-encompassing version. Not exactly the most flattering of attire. But that was presumably the missionaries underlying motivation and their overall objective has been achieved.
The term Meri Blouse comes from the pidgin (tok pisin) word for a woman, which is Meri as in Mary…
Things to do in Port Moresby – Other Must See Places
There are also a number of other “must-see” places around Port Moresby, starting with PNG Arts which is something of an institution and a really interesting place to visit.
Hanuabada stilt village is one of the last remnants of the old Port Moresby and should not be missed. Plus a quick skirmish around Koki Village should also be on the agenda.
All together, there is more than enough to fill at least one day and possibly two. Much better than barricading yourself in your hotel room!
Back To: The Complete Guide to Port Moresby