A little more
Papua New Guinea.
A lot less roaming.

Travelling to Papua New Guinea: what to know before you go

Papua New Guinea covers the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and hundreds of islands, with rugged highlands, rainforest, coral reefs and an extraordinary diversity of cultures and languages. Tourism infrastructure is limited and travel takes planning, but for divers, trekkers, birdwatchers and travellers interested in living traditions, it is unlike anywhere else.

Where to go

• Kokoda Track. A 96-kilometre trail across the Owen Stanley Range, the scene of fierce fighting between Australian and Japanese forces in 1942.
• Highland cultural shows. The Goroka Show and the Mount Hagen Show bring together groups from across the highlands in elaborate costumes, feathers and body paint for singing and dancing (sing-sing).
• Sepik River. One of the great rivers of the Pacific, winding through swamps and forest.
• Rabaul and East New Britain. A harbour town ringed by volcanoes, partly buried by the eruption of Tavurvur and Vulcan in 1994.

Best time to visit

Papua New Guinea is hot and humid on the coast and cooler in the highlands, with rain possible at any time. The drier season, roughly May to October, is generally best for trekking the Kokoda Track and travelling in the highlands, and it includes the main cultural shows.

Staying online in Papua New Guinea

Mobile coverage is available in Port Moresby, Lae, Mount Hagen and other main towns, with 4G in some urban areas. Outside towns it becomes patchy, and much of the highlands, the Sepik, the Kokoda Track and many islands have little or no signal. Wi-Fi is offered by larger hotels but can be slow, and power cuts happen. For remote trips, tell people when you expect to be out of contact and download maps offline. Install an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land, to have data in town.