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| Madang Lighthouse |
Hello everyone,
If you’re planning to visit Papua New Guinea for business, holidays, or other purposes I hope this travel guide can help.
Papua New Guinea is a great place to visit whether you are going for business or pleasure.
Firstly I recommend any one who is planning to visit go online and visit their government website to see if there are any travel warnings advising against travelling to PNG or certain parts of the country.
Next Papua New Guinea’s Tourism Promotion Authority recommends you check whether your travel insurance covers PNG and that you are fully covered under your policy if you plan on doing any adventurous activities such as scuba diving or travelling in remote rural areas. Please remember to bring your insurance policy details when you travel.
Once that is done, check out Papua New Guinea’s Tourism Authority website www.papuanewguinea.travel to see the latest travel requirements for those travelling into PNG from abroad.
The website has the latest travel alerts, travel agents for those arranging their own trips, visa information, Covid 19 regulations and protocols, safety and health advice etc. It will guide you and save you a lot of time and frustration.
I will cover in some of these topics briefly in this guide.
TRAVEL VISAS
There is no visa-on-arrival facility in Papua New Guinea. PNG travel visas, especially Visitor Visas, must be applied for online via: www.ica.gov.pg/visa
If you require assistance with your visa, you can contact the nearest Papua New Guinean Overseas Mission or Post check out the website: www.ica.gov.pg/overseas-mission-and-posts to find out where they are located.
VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS
All persons travelling into PNG need to be fully vaccinated against COVID - 19.
No person, except citizens or permanent residences, are permitted to board an aircraft or vessel bound for Papua New Guinea or enter PNG, unless they have been fully vaccinated.
They are required to be vaccinated using one of the ten, COVID-19 vaccine listed below, unless they are under the age of 18.
A person is considered fully vaccinated if they have received:
• a single dose vaccine of one of the vaccines listed in Schedule 1;
• a second dose of an accepted 2-dose vaccination as listed in Schedule 1; and
• received 2 doses of any “mix-and-match” combination of accepted COVID-19 vaccines as listed in Schedule 1.
Schedule 1 – APPROVED VACCINES | |
Vaccine Name | No. of Doses to be Fully Vaccinated |
Oxford-AstraZenica COVID-19 Vaccine | 2 |
AstraZenica COVID-19 Vaccine (COVISHIELD/SII) | 2 |
Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine | 2 |
Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine | 2 |
Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine | 1 |
Sinopharm-BBIBP | 2 |
CoronaVac Sinovac | 2 |
Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine | 2 |
Covaxin (Bharat Biotech)\ | 2 |
Covovax (SIINVX-CoV2373) | 2 |
If your travel is being organized by a travel agent or a private organization, they are required to check at check-in or before departure, for Proof of Vaccination which is a Vaccination Certificate.
A person must not be allowed to board an aircraft, vessel or vehicle bound for PNG without these documents, except for Citizens, Permanent Residents or persons under the age of 18.
These Measures came into effect on 05 August 2022 and shall apply until the end of the Declaration of the PNG Pandemic Act, or is varied or revoked by the PNG’s Controller.
If you want more information the link is in the description below you can go to the website to read more www.papuanewguinea.travel
Now all travelers over one year old are required to be vaccinated against yellow fever or cholera if they are coming from or through infected countries.
Also the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported Vaccine-Derived Polio Virus (Type 1) cases in parts of PNG. So being vaccinated against polio is something you should seriously consider.
Now you must declared on arrival any medicine brought into Papua New Guinea for personal use because they are subject to controls measures.
PNGTA recommends you bring a prescription or letter from your doctor outlining your medical condition and the medicine you are carrying. If you need to obtain prescription medicine while you are here, a doctor in Papua New Guinea must write the prescription.
Accommodation
I recommend you check out the website Trip Advisor as most of you know, Trip Advisor is an excellent website to check out good hotels,motels, lodges to stay in, so you can check out each of Papua New Guinea’s provinces and other travelers recommendations on each place by people who have stayed there as well as accommodation that suits your budget.
The link for Trip Advisor is https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g294115-Papua_New_Guinea-Hotels.html.
TRAVEL TIPS
Languages
If you are worried about being understood.
English is spoken through PNG although if you planning travel into rural areas I do recommend getting a guide who is from that area or engaging a tour operator who is fluent in the language spoken in area so they can help with logistics, and deal with any issues that arise etc.
Weather
PNG has two seasons, wet and dry. The dry season usually falls between December up until April and the rainy season during May and November. If you are coming in the dry season please bring sunscreen, and a hat because Papua New Guinea’s sun is quite strong.
Health
Since Malaria is a serious health risk in Papua New Guinea, PNGTA recommends that you consult your GP/ local doctor or tropical disease clinic and follow their recommendations before departing for PNG. Pack insect repellents during your stay and please use them. If you are going to stay in rural areas when you get in country I recommend you buy a treated mosquito net to sleep in just in case where you will be staying does not have one.
It is always better to be safe then sorry.
All towns have hospitals and rural areas have health centers., however dental services and doctors are usually operate in the towns.
In town areas, Covid 19 protocols are still in place so most shops will insist you wear a mask before entering the shop. You can buy masks and hand sanitizers in most towns.
All towns have pharmacies if you want to buy a first aid kit, band aids, insect repellents etc.
If you worried about clean water, rest assured the water quality is within WHO standards in most towns also bottled water is available and in rural areas the PNG Tourism Authority recommends to boil your drinking water at all times.
Law and Order
PNG is a developing country and while I would like to state otherwise it is best to be careful with your personal items and electronic equipment.
You’ll find most places are safe and like every other country you visit please use common sense and unless you are staying with friends who live in PNG please note that walking by yourself at night in most towns in and around PNG is not advisable.
Don’t leave your luggage, equipment or personal items lying around outside of your room.
Safety and Accessories
If you are traveling with valuables, a small padlock is essential. So you can have some peace of mind that your things will be safe during your stay and while in transit.
You could also invest in a waist bag or back pack to keep your money and documents safe.
Most hotel/motels or lodges in towns have a safe in the room which you can store your valuables.
Culture
PNG has so many different cultures to experience and most of their traditional customs and practices have changed very little over the years.
Please note that in most of Papua New Guinea’s cultures, women and men will perform traditional dances in various stages on nudity depending on which part of the country you are visiting. This is a norm in PNG.
But this can make visitors uncomfortable so if it makes you feel uncomfortable please just leave and do not offend the locals by making a scene.
Transportation
Most types of accommodation will pick you up at the airport if you will be staying with them so advise them that you need to be picked up and on what day.
Whether you will be charged or not depends on each place.
I recommend getting an airport transfer when arriving unless you are on a personal trip and a friend or relative is going to pick you up.
When you check in, ask your hotel staff if they offer bus shuttling services in and around town. Some places charge, others don’t, so please ask.
Also they might recommend rental cars that you can hire.
A company which operates throughout PNG is Nambawan hire cars. They have offices in most provinces in PNG so you can check out their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/No.1hirecar/
Most towns have taxi services ask your hotel staff for recommendations for the best ones and see if they can arrange it for you if you want to move freely without waiting on the hotel bus and don’t have money to hire a car.
There is public transportation if that is what you want to experience the local lifestyle..
I would recommend you have a guide if you want to go sightseeing.
Ask your hotel for the phone number to the Provincial Tourism Bureau or sign up for the hotel’s tours.
Money
Papua New Guinea currency is in Kina and Toea, go online to find out the exchange rate if you want to know.
Most businesses and services in towns in Papua New Guinea take credit or debit cards however in rural areas this is not the case so all transactions are in cash. It is best to ask your tour guide to let you know how much is needed and carry only a bit more in case something pops up.
Please this is important use a tour Guide that has been recommended.
Attire
The climate in PNG is tropical so it can get hot and humid so clothes made with natural fibers like cotton shorts, singlets, t-shirts are ideal and quickly dry in wet conditions.
There are no dress codes in hotels. But restaurants and clubs usually have dress code so a decent polo shirt, or dress shirt with jeans or slacks and shoes should suffice and jeans or a dress with sandals or shoes for ladies will do.
In some PNG cultures, what women wear can become an issue such as bikini’s on the beach, micro mini skirts, short shorts, tank tops and see through clothing. So please be mindful of this if you plan on visiting these areas, ask your hotel staff if you are not sure.
If you are supposed to attend a church service then your Sunday best is recommended, but if you are going to a funeral most Papua New Guinean’s who are not immediate family members of the deceased wear white tops and black bottoms.
Electricity
If you are wondering about your electronic gadgets.
PNGTA websites states that wall outlets in Papua New Guinea are Australian Type I (AS/NZS 3112) and supply electricity at 240 volts AC / 50 Hz frequency. Travelers from Australia, New Zealand, and some Pacific Islands should have no problems.
If you are visiting from other regions, PNGTA recommends bringing a multi adaptor, voltage plug converter, and/or surge protectors to protect your devices from power fluctuations, especially in rural areas and during rainy season.
It will also save you time from having to hunt for them when you get in country.
Most rural tourism establishments use petrol or diesel-powered generators for power generation while some use solar so I recommend using a surge protector power strip to avoid blowing up your gadgets.
This will also come in handy if you have many electronic devices since you may not be able charge everything overnight if there is only one power outlet in your room, or if there is power rationing (in some remote places, power may be switched off at night).
Communication
Mobile Phones can be purchased in most shops. I would advise purchasing a sim card in country. Digicel and Bi mobile have coverage in most provincial towns including Papua New Guinea’s capital city Port Moresby.
But from my experience only Digicel has coverage in rural areas although it can be spotty at times. I usually ask villagers when out of town where I can pick up a signal and they direct me to the best spots.
Both mobile phone carriers have cheap data and voice plans.
Please note that Wi-Fi (especially free Wi-Fi) is not readily available throughout the country.
Laptops
Its okay to bring your laptop as electricity is mostly in the town areas but If you are going to any area which has a generator than a surge protector should help protect your electronic equipment.
Power banks
Power banks are handy if you are travelling to rural areas and not sure if electricity will be provided. I usually take more than one if I am going to a place which might not have electricity mostly to charge my phone.
Remember to carry a plastic bag or two to protect your delicate electronics or purchase black wrap and wrap your equipment of you are going to travel by boat or dinghy.
Toiletries
Most town stores will stock your basic toiletries however they might not be the brands that you are familiar with.
All 5 star hotels have a store and also stock single use items in the rooms this might not be the case for small motels and lodges.
My experience is they usually have soap available the rest you will need to bring so it is best to find out before your arrival to make your stay more comfortable.
Please note that Tipping in PNG is not encouraged but it is entirely up to you.
If I missed out anything else just leave a comment below and I will get back to you.
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