Papua New Guinea is a raw land, remarkably untamed and as variegated as swamp and jagged limestone; mud and moss forest; suffocating heat and Highland chill; plumed, pearl-shelled villagers and prosaic hill people; tiny tree kangaroos and enormous Queen Alexandra Birdwing butterflies.

When To Go
You'll probably want to avoid rainy seasons (although a good tropical downpour is a sight to be seen) but they vary across the country. In most places the wet season is December to March, the dry season from May to October. During April and November the weather can't make up its mind which way to go and tends to be unpleasantly still and sticky. The most notable variations on this pattern are Lae and Alotau where May to October is the wet (and we mean wet) season. The months from June to September are cooler, drier and better to visit PNG.



There are no real high and low seasons in PNG. At Christmas, Easter and other major holidays, hotels and transport can fill up, and booking ahead is advised if you're in a town during one of the cultural shows. It's worth scheduling your trip around a festival or event, such as one of the unforgettable cultural shows that are held between July and October. If you plan on trekking, diving or looking for that elusive bird, you'll need to research the best times to go.



General Safety - No-go Zone
Papua New Guinea is troubled by a high level of serious crime, particularly in the urban centres of Port Moresby, Lae and Mt Hagen. Travellers should use common sense to avoid any trouble - don't travel at night and respect any local advice regarding safety. All travel to the Highlands region, except on essential business, should be reconsidered because of high levels of crime and inter-tribal violence. This includes the Southern Highlands, Enga, Western Highlands, Chimbu and Eastern Highlands provinces. Travellers should stay away from the no-go zone around the former Panguna mine in Bougainville.

Check travel advisories and news services before travelling. See Safe Travel for updated government warnings

Papua New Guinea (PNG)
The Highlands
Parts of the Highlands remain untouched just as they were when first 'discovered' in 1933. In fact, some remote villagers have yet to see a white man.

The people are hardy and village life depends on subsistence farming. Visitors will be fascinated by the bright ochre colours and two metre high head-dresses swathed in plumes of the Bird of Paradise worn by the tribal elders. Dancing is proud and fierce at traditional sing-sings, with drums beating long into the night.

The Eastern Highland Province is a one hour flight north from Port Moresby or half an hour from Lae or Mt Hagen. Once there, you are surrounded by steep, rugged mountains covered in dense rainforest graduating to subalpine vegetation.

The valleys are blanketed in grass and the panoramic views contain every imaginable shade of green. Altitude varies from 600 metres in the south to Mt Michael's 2,750 metre summit.

Goroka, the largest town and capital lies at 1,600 metres or 5,000 feet above sea level.

Papua New Guinea
New Guinea (Mainland)

New Guinea is the second largest island in the world, after Greenland. The western half of the island consists of the province of Irian Jaya of Indonesia, and the eastern portion contains the bulk of the independent state of Papua New Guinea.
The island is generally long and narrow and is crossed by a long mountain range. The coasts are swampy, and much of the interior is covered with dense rainforests. The plains in the interior are fertile, and minerals such as gold, silver, platinum, and copper are found there, but transport is difficult. The island also has petroleum and natural-gas deposits.

Lying immediately south of the Equator, New Guinea has a tropical, humid climate. The fauna is similar to that of Australia, with only a few varieties of mammals, but the island is notable for the many varieties of magnificently coloured birds, particularly birds of paradise. The indigenous people belong to three principal groups: the Negritos, Melanesians, and Papuans.

The great majority of people subsist by hunting, fishing, and cultivating bananas, maize, cassava, sago, yams, and other crops.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA
The eastern half of the island of New Guinea - second largest in the world - was divided between Germany (north) and the UK (south) in 1885. The latter area was transferred to Australia in 1902, which occupied the northern portion during World War I and continued to administer the combined areas until independence in 1975. A nine-year secessionist revolt on the island of Bougainville ended in 1997, after claiming some 20,000 lives.PEOPLEThe indigenous population of Papua New Guinea is one of the most heterogeneous in the world. Papua New Guinea has several thousand separate communities, most with only a few hundred people. Divided by language, customs, and tradition, some of these communities have engaged in tribal warfare with their neighbors for centuries. ECONOMYPapua New Guinea is rich in natural resources, including minerals, timber, and fish, and produces a variety of commercial agricultural products. The economy generally can be separated into subsistence and market sectors, although the distinction is blurred by smallholder cash cropping of coffee, cocoa, and copra.HISTORYArcheological evidence indicates that humans arrived on New Guinea at least 60,000 years ago, probably by sea from Southeast Asia during an Ice Age period when the sea was lower and distances between islands shorter. Although the first arrivals were hunters and gatherers, early evidence shows that people managed the forest environment to provide food. There also are indications of gardening having been practiced at the same time that agriculture was developing in Mesopotamia and Egypt. Early garden crops--many of which are indigenous--included sugarcane, Pacific bananas, yams, and taros, while sago and pandanus were two commonly exploited native forest crops. U.S.-PAPUA NEW GUINEA RELATIONSThe United States and Papua New Guinea established diplomatic relations upon the latter's independence on September 16, 1975. The two nations belong to a variety of regional organizations, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum; the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF); the South Pacific Commission; and the South Pacific Regional Environmental Program (SPREP). Full country name: The Independent State of Papua New GuineaArea: 462,840 sq kmPopulation: 5.29 millionPeople: 95% Melanesian, 5% Polynesian, Micronesian, ChineseLanguage: EnglishReligion: 44% Protestant, 22% Catholic and 34% pantheistic beliefsGovernment: democracyHead of Government: Prime Minister Sir Michael SomareGDP: US$11.6 billion GDP per capita: US$2,650Major Industries: Coffee, copper, gold, silver, copra crushing, palm oil processing, loggingMajor Trading Partners: Australia, Japan, USa

Special Events in Papua New Guinea for 2007
National Surfing TitlesThe Surfing Association PNG will be hosting the National Surfing Titles in Vanimo on the14th - 18th February 2007. The Titles will attract a host of competitors to the small township which will be a boost to the area. The Surfing Association of Papua New Guinea are excited that the event will take place and are gearing up to showcase some raw talent surfers PNG has to showcase.

National Game Fishing TitlesThe 32nd National Game Fishing Titles will be hosted in Port Moresby in the Nation's Capital. The Tournament which will take place on the 1st - 4th April 2007, will attract a host of competitors locally and internationally. The weekend will give a test of the spectacular fishing surrounding Port Moresby has to offer. The dramatic topography on land will continue beneath the surface of the blue waters and tournament organisers are in preparation of the biggest Fishing Tournament in PNG.

PNG Tourism ExpoThe PNG Tourism Expo will be held on the 9th - 11th September 2007 . This year's event promises to be bigger and better and will showcase various Tourism Operators and agencies showcase their products and services. The Tourism Expo is aimed at bringing togather the Tourism Industry within Papua New Guinea, and Wholesalers abroad to encourage a proactive Tourism future.

National Tourism ConferenceThe Nationak Tourism Conference will be held straight after the Lukim PNG NAU expo, on the 12th September 2007 . The Conference will feature invited speakers and international guests to present their papers on issues surrounding the Tourism sector and how better improve vibrant Tourism presence that exist in Papua New Guinea.

International Orchid SpectacularPort Moresby is beatified on August 5th & 6th 2007 when the International Orchid Show unveils some of the rare species of Orchids found around the world. Set within the Parliament vicinity, the show displays a number of Orchids of Papua New Guinea that capture the hearts of Orchid followers in PNG and around the world.

What to see and do
Papua New Guinea is full of interesting attractions, magnificent natural scenery, and diverse cultural heritage. It offers a range of holiday features and activities, from trekking remote jungle tracks, cruising the mighty Sepik river, surfing the waves of New Ireland, fishing around the fiords of Tufi and diving amongst the coral reef coastline.





Ideal Cruising Experience

The wonders of Papua New Guinea never cease to impress even the well traverse. Offering a muti-tude of ideal cruising experiences, the surprises and its facinating people, there are no better way to explore a country where little has changed over centuries.Cruising Papua New Guinea is particularly relaxing since island life is slow-paced and informal. Rich in culture and ethnic diversity, PNG promises to reward cruise enthusiastics with unforgettable sights and sounds.