Home › Travel Guides › Oceania Travel Guide › Papua New Guinea › Things to see and do in Papua New Guinea
Image gallery

Port Moresby Yacht Club in Papua New Guinea

© Creative Commons / sarnil

Things to see and do in Papua New Guinea

Baiyer River Wildlife Sanctuary

Witness the beauty of the famous birds of paradise at Baiyer River Wildlife Sanctuary, 55km (34 miles) north of Mount Hagen. Possums, tree kangaroos, parrots and cassowaries are also part of the natural habitat.

Eastern Highlands

Browse traditional crafts in the Eastern Highlands. Bena Bena Village, near Goroka, is the region's largest handweaving organisation. Also nearby is Asaro, where men coat themselves with mud to re-enact their historic revenge on a neighbouring village, whose inhabitants supposedly scarpered thinking the mud-caked locals were ghosts.

Explore the deep

Make the most of spectacular swimming and snorkelling opportunities off the beaches and coral reefs around Papua New Guinea.

Explore the scenery

Take one of the many backpacking and hiking tours on offer, ranging from simple bush walks to extended tours through the rugged interior.

Fit in some fishing

Game fish are plentiful in Lae, Madang, Port Moresby, Rabaul and Wewak. Information is available from Port Moresby Game Fishing Club (www.pmgfc.org.pg).

Go birdwatching

Head to the Chambri Lakes, which are home to myriad species from brahminee kites to kingfishers. Go on an early morning jungle excursion to experience the unique cacophony of birds preparing for the day's hunting.

Go diving

Madang, Port Moresby and Rabaul offer a wide variety of dives from wrecks to reefs. Diving holidays can also be arranged at Loloaka and off the island of New Britain, the latter being considered one of the best diving areas in the region.

Go sailing

Sail off Papua New Guinea's beautiful shores. The Royal Papua Yacht Club (www.rpyc.com.pg) makes its extensive sailing facilities available to visitors; the season begins in late April.

Jungle tour

Take a river or jungle tour in the Chambri region, stopping at remote villages where houses are built on stilts, and the dugout canoe is still the main means of transport. Hear Upper Sepik-style Garamut Drums ('Slit Gongs'), and see dramatic local carvings here too.

Kanganaman

Visit Kanganaman, where a haus tambaran (spirit house) of national cultural importance has been rebuilt, providing an excellent example of the carvings on the immense Haus Posts. Also see local clans' elaborately carved masks, insect totems, canoe prows and stepladders.

Kokoda Trail and Sogeri

Outside Port Moresby, visit the Kokoda Trail and Sogeri, which offers magnificent views and winds through rubber plantations. Other nearby places of interest include the Wairiata National Park, Moitaka Crocodile Farm, Loloata Island and the Sea Park Oceanarium.

Lae Botanical Gardens

Stroll the beautiful Botanical Gardens in Lae, capital of Morobe province. Mount Lunaman in the town centre was used by the Germans and Japanese as a WWII lookout because of its magnificent views over the Huon Gulf and the Markham Valley.

Mendi Valley

Soak up some spectacular scenery views in the Mendi Valley of the Southern Highlands, also known for its limestone caves. It is home to the Huli Wigmen who wear red and yellow face-paint and elaborately decorated wigs made of human hair.

Milne Bay

Enjoy the white sandy beaches of Milne Bay, the islands offshore from Bougainville. Swimming and snorkelling enthusiasts are well catered for here. The harvesting of yams from May to September is also accompanied by ritual and celebration.

New Britain underground tunnels

Visit part of a 576km (360-mile) underground tunnel system left by the Japanese on the island of New Britain, which suffered extensive damage from volcanic activity in 1994.

Port Moresby

The capital is situated on the magnificent Fairfax Harbour and is home to the National Parliament, the National Museum, the Botanical Gardens and the Catholic Cathedral, built in the haus tambaran (spirit house) style.

River tour

Take a tour round the islands and up the Sepik River from the capital of Madang Province, Madang. It has a variety of shops and markets, where storyboards depicting myths and legends can be bought. In nearby Bilbils and Yabobs, traditional pottery-making can be seen.

Take to the water

Take advantage of some of the many sporting facilities in Port Moresby, including scuba-diving, windsurfing, sailing, game fishing, waterskiing, golf, tennis and squash.

Wau Ecology Institute

Go to Wau, near Lae, where the Wau Ecology Institute has a small museum and zoo. Visitors can see cassowaries, tree kangaroos, crocodiles, birds of paradise, native butterflies and rhododendrons.

White-water rafting

If you're adventurous, take a white-water rafting trip on the Watut River; the Wahgi and Purari rapids are also exciting.

Travel Deals

Recommended Sites:

Protect yourself from malaria
Before you travel, find out if your holiday destination is in a malaria zone.
(An educational initiative organised and funded by GlaxoSmithKline Travel Health. UK/MARK/0173/10 September 2010)
Africa, the way it should be seen
We´re cutting the cost of Africa overland trips by up to a whopping 40%. 25% off many trips departing by 30/6/12.
Travel insurance
For residents of over 150 countries. High levels of medical, evacuation, emergency & most adventure activities covered.