Papua New Guinea Travel Information

Rich with nature, it has rugged razor-backed mountains, lush vegetation including rainforests, reef and mangrove swamps as well as palm-fringed beaches. The coral reefs support a huge variety of fish of which there are 1200 different species. This also allows for excellent scuba diving on Papua New Guinea tours. For water sport enthusiasts, Papua New Guinea also offers canoeing, kayaking and fishing.

Best time to visit Papua New Guinea

The climate of Papua New Guinea is tropical and pleasant but is not divided into traditional seasons. Instead, months can be split into the rainy season (December to March) and the dry season (May to October). The rainy season can expect heavier rainfalls courtesy of the northwest monsoon, while the dry season sees trade winds from the southeast that bring dry, cooler weather. 

Papua New Guinea experiences two distinct climates – the highlands and coastal/lowland areas. Coastal and lowland areas such as the Sepik are hot and humid with temperatures ranging from 24 to 35° Celsius (75-95 Fahrenheit). The Highland regions are cooler with temperatures ranging from 12 to 28° Celsius (54-82 Fahrenheit), with much less humidity – a very comfortable and constant temperature. In general, the days are fine and sunny with cloud buildups in the afternoon over the mountain ranges and rainfall in the evenings.

Top cities or places to visit on a Papua New Guinea vacation Port Moresby

Port Moresby is the capital a major port, and the business centre of Papua New Guinea. On travel to Papua New Guinea, you will no doubt see The Parliament House, Papua New Guinea’s most impressive building. One can also spend time at the Botanical Gardens with its collection of wildlife and tropical birds, the National Orchid Garden, the monthly Ela Beach Craft Market to purchase carvings and handwoven baskets and Touaguba Hill for a great panoramic view of the city. 

For more information on Port Moresby, click here

A visit to the Countryside

The real charm of Papua New Guinea is in its more remote countryside. It is here that you can experience a return to nature not only because of the scenery but also because of the native people you are going to meet. The people are Melanesian, similar to the Fijians. A number of Papua New Guinea tours take the form of a cruise on the lengthy Sepik River on a small floating “wilderness lodge”. These cruises pass through remote villages, bringing you face-to-face with the locals and giving you a chance to experience customs and lifestyles extremely foreign to our way of thinking. You can tour the same area and stay in houses in different villages, bringing you even closer to the locals.

For more information on the Sepik River, click here

Diving Sites

Scuba diving in Papua New Guinea is excellent because the country is an integral part of the Coral Triangle, generally considered by marine biologists as the global epicentre of marine species diversity. The Coral Triangle encompasses the countries of Indonesia, East Malaysia (Sabah), the Philippines & Papua New Guinea. It is the richest area of marine biodiversity in the world. Some of the major sites include Coral Gardens with its panoramic array of colourful hard corals, Cyclone Wall, which is more appropriate for experienced divers but quite spectacular due to its depth, and Albatross Passage with its Eagle Rays, Mobula Rays, big Dogtooth Tunas, Barracudas, plenty of Grey Reef Sharks and tons of other fish which can be seen here on almost every dive.

Sing Sing

It is not unusual for visitors to Papua New Guinea to encounter a Sing Sing - a gathering of tribes or villages to show their distinct culture through decorative body paint, dance and music. 

Each year there are two main tribal gatherings and cultural events in the country. Perhaps the most famous is the Mount Hagen show where various regional, provincial and even national tribal dance groups gather to celebrate their cultural heritage in the form of Sing Sing. It is held in August. The other important gathering is the Goroka show which is held in September. Both events are spectacular. The people come in Bilas (full traditional costumes) with stunning face tattoos, body paint, elaborate headdresses featuring birds of paradise plumes, shell breastplates and cuscus fur.

For more information on Mount Hagen, click here

It may not be for everyone but if you want a true “experience”, you will be rewarded by trying one of our Papua New Guinea tours and vacations.

"Globetrotting with Goway" blog articles

For some additional reading, the following articles are from our blog “Globetrotting with Goway”….. a great source of information for those people who are, or who want to be, world travellers!

Unique Islands of the South Pacific

Enjoy Cruising in Australia and the South Pacific

True North Adventure Cruise in the South Pacific: “That’s The Best Holiday I Ever Had!”

Discover Tribal Culture in Papua New Guinea

Explore Papua New Guinea on Our Holiday of a Lifetime

Discover Papua New Guinea

Tribesmen from Papua New Guinea Take NYC

Our Papua New Guinea Tours and Vacations

At Goway we believe that a well-informed traveller is a safer traveller. With this in mind, we have compiled an easy-to-navigate travel information section dedicated to Papua New Guinea tours. 

Learn about the history and culture of Papua New Guinea, the must-try food and drink, and what to pack in your suitcase. Read about Papua New Guinea's nature and wildlife, weather and geography, along with 'Country Quickfacts' compiled by our travel experts. Our globetrotting tips, as well as our visa and health information,  will help ensure you're properly prepared for a safe and enjoyable trip. The only way you could possibly learn more is by embarking on your journey and discovering Papua New Guinea for yourself. Start exploring...book one of our Papua New Guinea tours today!

Extend Your Stay

Consider an additional stopover to your Papua New Guinea tours at one of Goway's other South Pacific destinations. You can choose from our selection of Australian vacations, New Zealand vacation packages, Tahiti vacation packages, stay at one of our Fiji resorts or perhaps take a Cook Island vacation. This can be done stopping over en route to or from New Zealand.

• For trip, ideas see the left sidebar
• 50 plus reasons to go Downunder with Goway
• General Travel information for Papua New Guinea