Tourism in Papua New Guinea

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Tourism in Papua New Guinea is fledgling but there are many attractions for the potential visitor. These include Culture, Markets, Festivals, Diving, Surfing, Hiking, Fishing, Adventure Sports and the unique Flora and Fauna.

Contents 1 Attractions 1.1 Culture 1.2 Festivals 1.3 Markets 1.4 Diving 1.5 Surfing 1.6 Hiking/Trekking 2 Security 3 External links

[edit] Attractions

[edit] Culture

Main article: Culture of Papua New Guinea

The culture of Papua New Guinea is highly diverse, as implied by the existence of over 800 languages in the country. Styles of cultural expression - carving, dance, singing, ornamentation, architecture, and more - vary greatly across the nation.

[edit] Festivals

Public festivals which are open to tourists include the Hiri Moale, held in Port Moresby every September, the Mount Hagen show, held annually in August, the Tumbuna Show outside of Mt. Hagen in May, and the Goroka Show in September.

[edit] Markets

The markets are a great drawcard for tourists. Along with local foods, arts and crafts are often on display and can be purchased for reasonable prices. Some of the items on display are traditional carvings and beadwork, traditional and contemporary paintings on canvas and traditionally woven baskets and serving trays. The larger more tourist oriented markets are usually held once a month in the larger towns.

[edit] Diving

PNG is said to have some of the best diving in the world. Not only are there many coral reefs to explore, there are also numerous wrecked World War II boats and aircraft to be found on the ocean floor. Some of the best dive spots are at Kavieng, Madang, Alotau and Rabaul.

Many of PNG's coral reefs are located within easy swimming distance from the shore, while some others require boat access.

[edit] Surfing

Surfing can be enjoyed all year round. The southern side of PNG includes places such as Hula Beach (100km from Port Moresby), Milne Bay, Bougainville, and East New Britain which can be surfed from June through to September. In the north of PNG surfing season is mid October to late April. There are great surfing locations which include Madang, Wewak and Kavieng, with the better and more consistent waves found in Vanimo.

[edit] Hiking/Trekking

The most famous walking trail in Papua New Guinea is the Kokoda Track, the site of a famous World War II battle between Australia and Japan. Another popular hike is climbing Mount Wilhelm, the highest mountain in Papua New Guinea. There are many more walking tracks, including the Black Cat Track between Wau and Salamaua.

[edit] Security

Travellers to PNG should be aware of high level of violence and crime in some areas. For example, lone foreign females are usually advised not to travel unescorted in Port Moresby and in parts of the Highlands region. Travellers should seek up-to-date information about the current situation before travelling and travel with arrangements with an experienced tour operator with years of PNG experience.

[edit] External links

• Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority