- Important points
- Choosing wings
- Roof over your head
- Transport subtleties
- Nightingales are not fed with fables
- Useful details
- The perfect trip to Papua New Guinea
The island of New Guinea resembles the outlines of a dinosaur lurking in the waters of the Pacific Ocean just north of Australia and preparing to eat some of the land of the neighboring Philippines for breakfast. The eastern half of the island belongs to the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, whose head, despite its independence in 1974, is still headed by Her Majesty the British Queen. To travel to Papua New Guinea, a Russian tourist will need a visa, the mechanism for obtaining which is somewhat unusual.
Important points
There is no embassy or consulate of Papua New Guinea in the Russian Federation, and therefore a potential tourist will have to apply for a visa to this country either at the consulate in Brussels or London, being there on business, or at the Australian Embassy in Moscow, authorized to consider such applications. The consular fee is about $ 35. It is paid at the border if you applied for a visa at the Australian Consulate. The documents submitted for a visa must contain proof of the tourist's financial solvency - at least $ 500 for each week of stay in the country.
It is strictly forbidden to export any items found in the sea from Papua New Guinea.
Do not count on the possibility of using credit cards anywhere other than large department stores and expensive hotels in the capital. In other places, have cash with you for payments.
It is highly advisable to get vaccinated against hepatitis B, tetanus and diphtheria before traveling to Papua New Guinea.
Do not buy items made from bird feathers as souvenirs. They can carry pathogens of infectious diseases!
Choosing wings
Nobody will offer a Russian tourist to get directly from Moscow to Mount Hagen International Airport in Papua New Guinea. You can fly with connections by several airlines. The shortest route is offered by Philippine Airlines via Manila, Virgin Australia via the Australian city of Brisbane and the local Papua New Guinea lines Air Niugini, which fly home from Hong Kong, Manila, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo.
In any case, the road will take at least a day, at least three transit connections have to be made, and the cost of the flight will approach a couple of thousand dollars.
The trip to Papua New Guinea can also start from the territory of Indonesia, with the inhabitants of which the Papuans share the island.
Roof over your head
The country's hotel fund is represented by both expensive hotels and guest houses with a small set of amenities, but also low fees for using them. A night in the "five" Crown Plaza and similar world-famous hotels will cost from $ 120, and per day in a bungalow with a swimming pool, built by Australian businessmen, you will have to pay $ 200.
The most budget-friendly "just overnight" options look like country guesthouses offered by locals at prices ranging from $ 15 to $ 25 per night. The guest is guaranteed in such places a shower (not always with hot water) and breakfast in a national style with lots of coffee and fruits. Among backpackers, it is popular to stop at local churches, where a mattress is provided to the traveler for a small donation or even free of charge. For such independent travel in Papua New Guinea, it is advisable to have a strong mosquito net in your backpack. Mosquitoes carrying malaria and Dengue fever pathogens are a serious problem for tourists.
Transport subtleties
The state of Papua New Guinea is not the most suitable place to use a rented car in the hinterland. Tropical conditions and the lack of financial resources for the government to build new roads and repair old ones make the existing routes practically unsuitable for a European unaccustomed to such realities. If you nevertheless decide to use the services of a rental car, choose a four-wheel drive and carefully study the technical condition of the equipment offered for rent.
For sightseeing of the island, it is best to use the services of local travel companies and book an excursion on their transport.
Nightingales are not fed with fables
The local cuisine is rich in fruits, vegetables, rice and fish. Papuans do not use spices too actively, but when ordering a dish in a cafe, it is advisable to ask about its spiciness.
The most popular alcoholic drinks in the country are Australian and Filipino beer.
Useful details
When traveling in the provinces, try to carry as many small bills in local currency with you as possible. In such places, one cannot count on change from large ones.
Don't risk your health by ordering iced drinks or buying peeled fruit from street vendors. It is best to use bottled water even for brushing your teeth.
Stock up on disinfectants before travel and antibiotic ointment. Even minor scratches and wounds in the equatorial climate take a long time and painfully to heal.
Don't forget sunscreen - cream, glasses, and hats. Too active sun instantly roasts Europeans who are not accustomed to the climate in such latitudes.
The best selection of souvenirs for tourists is offered by the market in the capital opposite the Ela beach. There are handicrafts made by local craftsmen in different parts of the country.
The perfect trip to Papua New Guinea
The subequatorial climate and the proximity of the ocean guarantee the island hot and humid weather throughout the calendar year. Changes in temperature in summer and winter are almost imperceptible and the seasons differ only in the amount of rainfall. However, it rains here almost every day, but the greatest amount of moisture goes to the island during the period from November to March. The driest in the capital of the country, Port Moresby.
Average annual temperatures are + 26 ° C - + 28 ° C, but in mountainous areas it is much cooler.
For divers, the best time to travel begins in April. Until December, coastal waters remain the cleanest and visibility can be 50 meters or more. The sea temperature reaches + 28 ° С. December is the peak of the rainy season and visibility is reduced and the sea is often stormy.
One of the brightest national holidays of the Papuans is the Sing-Sing dance festival, held annually in September in the city of Goroka and timed to coincide with the Independence Day. About a hundred Papuan tribes come to the festival to perform the national dance. Ritual celebrations attract thousands of tourists and explorers of the Papuan ethnic group to the island. Tours during this period should be booked well in advance.
