Papua New Guinea Revealed

Notes

Essentials

Visas
Visitors from most countries, including UK, EU and US visitors require a visa for entering Papua New Guinea. Currently this can be obtained upon arrival for many nationalities including UK, US, Australia and many European countries. This must however be paid for in the local currency, which cannot be obtained until after you have gone through immigration – foreign currency will not be accepted. If you intend to purchase a visa upon arrival you should ensure that you have sufficient local currency before you arrive in Papua New Guinea – the current fee is K100. Visa regulations can however frequently change. Therefore we recommend that you check with your nearest embassy for the most up to date details.

Airport Tax
There is currently a departure tax of 30 Kina to be paid at the airport when leaving PNG.

Health and Immunisations
As with travel to most parts of Asia, we strongly recommend that you contact your doctor’s surgery or a specialist travel clinic for up-to-date information, advice and the necessary vaccinations. For a visit of less than one month, almost certainly you will be advised to have immunisations against the following: Diphtheria and Tetanus, Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Meningitis. You will need to display a Yellow Fever vaccination certificate only if you are arriving from an infected area.

You should also seek advice about anti-malaria medicines.

Insurance

• What should my travel insurance policy cover?
• medical and health cover for an injury or sudden illness abroad
• 24 hour emergency service and assistance
• personal liability cover in case you’re sued for causing injury or damaging property
• lost and stolen possessions cover
• cancellation and curtailment (cutting short your trip) cover
• Extra cover for activities that are commonly excluded from standard policies, such as certain sports

The policy should cover the whole time that you are away.

Your policy may also have:

• personal accident cover
• legal expenses cover

Common travel insurance policy exclusions
Always check the conditions and exclusions of your policy:

• most policies will not cover drink or drug-related incidents

You must take reasonable care of your possessions or your policy will not cover you.

Practical information

Local Currency
The local currency in Papua New Guinea is the kina. For current exchange rates visit www.xe.com.

Where currency can be exchanged
We recommend that if possible you obtain your local currency before departing for Papua New Guinea. You can often exchange foreign currency into kina at exchange desks in the airports from where you fly to PNG, but this cannot be guaranteed and it is better to order it from your local bank. There is an exchange counter at Port Moresby airport, but if you are arriving outside of normal banking hours it may not be open. Once you have left Port Moresby it will be more difficult to exchange cash, although the lodges that we use do carry limited amounts. You should bring either US or Australian dollars for exchange purposes.

Credit cards and travellers cheques
It is not possible to cash traveller’s cheques in Papua New Guinea. The lodges that we use do accept credit cards, although they attract a fee of 5%.

Best time to go
Generally speaking, the absolute best time to visit Papua New Guinea is between June and September but it is a year round destination that can be comfortably visited at any time.

Main Language
There are an estimated 800 different languages in Papua New Guinea. The official national language is English but pidgin, or Tok Pisin as it is known locally, tends to be more common, especially in the villages.

Main Religion
Most of the population is at least nominally Christian, although in most cases this is intertwined with age old beliefs and customs that incorporate animistic practices and ancestor worship.

Food and drink
Papua New Guinea is not renowned for its food – staples such as sago, sweet potato and pork tend to make up the mainstay of local diets. However when on tour and staying in the lodges, you will be served international cuisine, sometimes with a local vegetable to try.

While in the lodges all meals are included. Drinks however are reasonably expensive – expect to pay $3-5 for a beer, and around $20-25 for a bottle of wine.

As most food served at the lodges is buffet style, it is not usually possible to cater for special dietary requirements apart from vegetarians.

Transport
Our tour in Papua New Guinea uses a mixture of 4wd vehicles for the land transfers, and planes for longer journeys. The flights to and from Port Moresby are scheduled services with Air Niugini, while the flights from Ambua Lodge to Karawari, and from Karawari to Mount Hagen are in small aircraft.

Local conditions
Travelling in the destinations that we visit requires a good deal of understanding that often standards simply won’t be as they are at home. While we aim to make your trip as comfortable as possible, please be aware that we are often visiting remote or less developed regions that may have little infrastructure. While we aim to make your trip run as smoothly as possible there may be times when we need to ask for your patience while we rectify any problems. In particular, in poor weather conditions this trip may suffer from flight delays.

What to take with you

First Aid Kit
The first thing on your list should be a first aid kit. Whilst there is no undue cause for alarm, travellers are best advised to travel well-prepared: adequately immunized, with sufficient supplies of prescription drugs, along with a medical kit.

Clothing
While the lowlands of the Sepik region are tropical, humid and steamy, in the highlands it can get quite cool at night. We therefore recommend that you bring both light clothing, as well as at least one jumper / sweater. You should also bring a sun hat.

Footwear
Footwear is a main priority on this tour. Comfortable walking shoes/boots are recommended, as well as a pair of sandals.

Luggage
Your main luggage should not exceed 10kgs (22 lbs) – this is due to weight regulations on the small aircraft that we use. You can also bring a small camera bag or day bag. In addition, large hard or soft-sided suitcases are not permitted on these aircraft.

Other
Suncream/sunblock is a must. Insect repellent, including a bite spray will also be useful to have.

Fitness
This tour does not require any special degree of fitness but you will find it more enjoyable if you are reasonably fit.

Cultural and environmental guidelines
You may come across beggars while on tour. Every traveller has different perspectives on this and ultimately the choice is up to you. Many sources recommend that you watch to see if local people give, and then follow their lead with genuine beggars. We do not recommend giving money, sweets, pens etc to children as this can encourage a begging mentality and can lead to children choosing to beg rather than go to school.

Unlike many other places in the world, haggling is not common in Papua New Guinea. The vendor will usually set a price that he or she thinks is a fair representation of the value of the item on sale, and it is considered impolite to enter into discussions about the cost.

You will be spending some time in environments that have very little trace of human presence or development on our tours in Papua New Guinea. It is important to ensure that they stay this way. Please make sure that you take any rubbish back to the lodges with you where they can be properly disposed of – this includes cigarette butts as well.

Please do not buy any products made from endangered species – this is not sustainable and hastens the species’ decline. It is illegal to take feather from birds of paradise out of the country.

Photography
You should always ask permission before taking anyone's photograph and respect their decision if they say no. In more remote areas women and older people often do not want to be photographed. Some people may also ask for some money – sometimes a little, sometimes a lot - in return for a photo. Taking photos of military installations, state buildings, and airports can lead to problems with local authorities. If you are unsure about whether it is acceptable to take a photo, please ask your tour leader or guide.

Tipping
Tipping is commonly recognised as a way of rewarding guides and drivers for good service. If you are happy with your guide and driver, please consider leaving a tip for them. Please do not hand out any tips in villages that you visit – if you would like to give gifts it is better to discuss this with the guide or lodge manager so that they can work out an appropriate way to do this.

Foreign Office Advice
We constantly monitor the advice posted by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). In particular we will always advise clients of any travel warnings. At present there are no warnings against travel to Papua New Guinea. Please feel free to contact us should you have any specific concerns or would like to know in detail what measures are being taken to ensure visits remain trouble free and without incident.

It should be noted that this information applies to British citizens. Other nationals are asked to check the current position of their respective government.

Further Information

Public Holidays in Papua New Guinea:

1 Jan New Year
7 Jun Queen’s Birthday
19 Jul Remembrance Day
13 Sep Independence Day
25 Dec Christmas Day
26 Dec Boxing Day

Other holidays such as Easter Good Friday and Monday vary annually.

Dates are for guidance only and may vary year to year

Electrical Supply
Electrical supply is 240V/50 Hz and plugs have two angled flat pins as in Australia.

Recommended Reading

Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands - The Lonely Planet Guide
Rowan McKinnon, Dean Starnes, and Jean-Bernard Carillet

Throwim Way Leg
Tim Flannery

Beyond the Coral Sea
Michael Moran

Into the Crocodile’s Nest
Benedict Allen

IMPORTANT NOTES – PLEASE READ

Please note that the information provided is correct at the time of writing but may change. It is intended as a guide only. Further information regarding vaccinations and travel health visit www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk or contact your local healthcare provider.

In addition we strongly advise you to check the information and any travel advice provided by your government. For British citizens you should visit the Foreign Office website www.fco.gov.uk.

Furthermore, you should be aware that any travel warnings or advisories may affect the validity of your travel insurance. Therefore, at the time of booking your tour it is essential you check any restrictions on cover with your insurance provider.

Issue Date – 13/01/10. For possible changes to this dossier please visit www.undiscovered-destinations.com or call +44 (0)191 296 2674

Historical Background

Papua New Guinea has a unique reputation, where stories of cannibals and remote tribes abound, a land untamed by colonists and with an incredible cultural heritage. But for all that anyone may know about it, it receives very few visitors, most deterred by its lack of infrastructure and inaccessibility. Those who take the plunge and dive into this incredible country will find a place that surpasses even their wildest imaginations. Its tribal groups adhere fiercely to age old customs that have changed little over millennia, offering the visitors a fascinating snapshot of indigenous life that can seldom be found elsewhere. Many have only been in contact with the outside world for a couple of generations, and have borrowed little from it, keeping their diverse and complex cultures largely intact. To put it simply, Papua New Guinea is one of the most enchanting countries on earth.

With so many different ethnic groups in Papua New Guinea – it has an estimated 800 different languages - it is difficult to summarise its history before the arrival of colonists. Added to this is the fact that indigenous cultures did not possess a written form of language, meaning that stories of the ancestors were passed down orally. However we do know that around 40,000 years ago the greater Australian landmass was colonised by migrants from Asia. Amazingly, this colonisation could only have happened through the use of boats. It was not until about 30,000 years later in the Mediterranean that there is strong evidence of boats anywhere else.

At the end of the last ice age, 10,000 years ago, New Guinea was cut off from the Australian landmass by the Torres Strait. This triggered a very different development in terms of climate, with Australia being generally dry and arid, in striking contrast to New Guinea, which is one of the wettest and most fertile places on Earth.

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries Europeans began to interact with the coastal people of New Guinea. It is thought that kaukau (sweet potato) - a staple in New Guinea - was introduced to the country by the Portuguese about four or five hundred years ago. It was not, however until the nineteenth century that colonial powers took control of New Guinea.

The island of New Guinea was initially divided into three sections under colonial rule, these three being Dutch New Guinea (now a province of Indonesia, and referred to as West Irian, Irian Jaya or West Papua), British New Guinea (the southern half of what is now Papua New Guinea) and German New Guinea (now the Northern half of Papua New Guinea as well as the major islands of New Britain, New Ireland and Bougainville).

Dutch New Guinea was administered by Holland from 1821 until 1962, in which for a brief time it was controlled by the United Nations until it was handed over to Indonesia in 1963, where it still remains. After being taken over by Indonesia it was known as Irian Jaya, but recently its name has been changed to Papua.

British New Guinea was designated a protectorate in 1884, but later changed to the status of a colony in 1888. In 1906 full responsibility for British New Guinea was handed over to the Commonwealth of Australia and it then became known as the Territory of Papua. It was believed at the time that Papua's future prosperity would be based on agricultural production.

Official German interest in New Guinea began in 1884, although some German traders and others had been active in the area prior to this. At first the Germans attempted to govern the colony through The New Guinea Company (based on the model of the East India companies of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries). However, in 1895 The New Guinea Company handed over responsibility for the administration of the colony to the Imperial Judge, who was appointed by Berlin. Little development happened in the colony for a number of years. However in 1910 Rabaul became the capital and investment led to good wharves, a botanic garden and well-planned streets.

About six weeks after the outbreak of WWI in 1914, an Australian expeditionary force captured German New Guinea. Between 1914 and 1921 the Australian military administered the captured colony. The Australian government was given a mandate from the League of Nations in 1921 to administer the territory. At this point civil administration began in what was known as the Mandated Territory of New Guinea.

During the period between the World Wars, Australia administered both of the territories separately. This marked a period of patrol expansion into the interior in which white explorers ventured into what was thought of as the uninhabited highlands, often to find that they were in fact home to large populations of people – the Leahy brothers’ expedition to the Wahgi Valley being perhaps the most celebrated of these. With a concerted effort by Australia to explore the interior, during this time many tribal groups had their first contact with western visitors.

The outbreak of the Second World War again saw the region in conflict. The northern territory of New Guinea was occupied by Japanese forces from 1941 to 1945, with devastating effects for the local population. Forced labour and executions were widespread as the Japanese sought to establish a stronghold for themselves. The territory saw vicious fighting between Australian, American and Japanese forces before eventually falling to the allies in the final months of the war.

After the war a Provisional Civilian Administration was created to administer the two territories until the newly formed United Nations entered into a trusteeship agreement with Australia to administer the Trust Territory of New Guinea. The two territories still had a separate legal status but were administered together. In 1949 the Papua and New Guinea Act was passed by the Australian parliament. This transferred some legislative and executive powers to Indigenous Papua New Guineans. Even though there was a legislative council (with just over half being "official representatives"), the executive power resided in the Australian Governor-General and the Minister for Territories. This form of legislature lasted for eleven years until 1960.

Between 1961 and independence in 1975 there was a gradual transfer of responsibility to indigenous Papua New Guineans. When the reformist Whitlam Labor Government of Australia came to power they pushed for early independence and this was granted on the 16th of September 1975.

Since then Papua New Guinea has had full independence. Its enormous natural resources are the major driver of the national economy. However its economy remains similar to that of many developing countries, with the majority of exported goods being raw materials with little to no value adding done on-shore. The major exports of Papua New Guinea are gold, copper, gas, oil, timber, coffee, tea, copra, cocoa and vanilla. The majority of the population still lives a subsistence or semi-subsistence lifestyle in the rural areas and people who do live in urban centres often retain strong family and social connections to their villages.

It is that adherence to traditional lifestyles that makes Papua New Guinea such a special place to visit. There are few other places in the world where visitors can see such adherence to ancient customs, and see a way of life that has hardly been influenced by the western world at all. To travel here is to step back in time – the scenes that you will see are largely unchanged from those that would have been witnessed by the first explorers to set foot on this magical land. Papua New Guinea is not the easiest country to travel in, but it is certainly one of the most spellbinding and an utter delight for anyone with an interest in different cultures.