Things to do in Papua New Guinea
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Daikoku
In a feed-off between Ichizen and Daikoku, we narrowly chose this to be the best Japanese restaurant in Moresby - outstanding! The sushi, sashimi and other Japanese favourites are very good. At dinner, chefs will prepare your meal on a hotplate at your table with great skill and showmanship. Also serves lunchtime bento boxes.
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PNG High Country Tours
Samuel Lulu runs tours and treks around the jungles and caves of the Eastern Highlands and out towards Simbu. He offers village accommodation in the Namasaro Unggai district west of Goroka.
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Phoenix Bar
Attached to the Bluff Inn Motel, the Phoenix Bar is the best place to stop for lunch.
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Parliament Haus
The impressive Parliament Haus was officially opened in 1984 with Prince Charles on hand. The main building is in the style of a Maprik, or Sepik-style, haus tambaran, while the attached, circular cafeteria building follows Highland design principles. The façade is quite stunning, with a mosaic featuring unmistakably PNG motifs. Photographers with wide-angle lenses will be rewarded with great shots in the late afternoon light.
The cavernous lobby is entered through doors whose handles are stylised kundu drums (an hourglass-shaped drum with lizard skin). Inside, huge Sepik masks share space with several display cases full of fantastic butterflies, including the native Que…
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Royal Papua Yacht Club
This large airy place is the last bastion of post-colonial white elitism - you won't see any grassroots here. Pity because it's a nice place with a pleasant deck for sitting, drinking cold beer and watching the harbour. The food is good and reasonably priced, and the club is decorated with lots of interesting WWII photos and maritime memorabilia.
There's sometimes live music, but otherwise it's a steady diet of easy-listening 'yacht rock' through the speakers, such as Eagles, Toto, Christopher Cross. You're supposed to have a member sign you in, but a little charm (and white skin) should see you in.
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Sohano Island
You can also take a boat ride to explore the idyllic islands near the southern mouth of the passage and beyond. Good swimming spots are on these islands. The most easily accessible is Sohano Island, a few minutes by boat from Buka. It was the provincial capital from WWII until 1960. It's a beautiful place with lawns and gardens, a Japanese monument, and war relics, steep craggy cliffs and panoramic views over town, the passage and Bougainville Island. There are some colonial-period buildings.
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PNG Diabetic Centre
Laugh all your want, but PNG Diabetic Centre is a treasure trove for artefact-hunters, with masks, necklaces, shells, carvings and other souvenirs aplenty. It's run by Paul Schwartz, who also works as a 'diabetes counciller', policeman and, should you need to boost your morale, a psychotherapist.
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Gold Club
This club has live music a couple of nights a week, but otherwise it's given over to DJs and dancing. The open-air dance floor surrounded by layers of bars gives the impression that this could, actually, be in New York City. The music is good and there's no riff-raff. A top spot.
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Ang's Restaurant
Ang's is locked up like Fort Knox; this part of Gordons is unsavoury after dark. But it's worth the trip for excellent Chinese food at reasonable prices. The tôm yam soup is just right.
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Australian War Memorial
The recently commissioned Australian War Memorial has a detailed description of the Battle of Milne Bay. There's a service here on 26 August every year, commemorating the beginning of the Battle of Milne Bay.
In 1942, at 23:30 on 25 August the Japanese Imperial Army started invading Milne Bay. In just two landings a few days apart, the Japanese established a 2,400-strong army near Ahioma. Unlike Kokoda, the battle of Milne Bay was not to be a protracted affair; it would be over in just 12 days.
The Japanese fought skirmishes with the Allies and their base suffered early casualties under a fierce RAAF aircraft-led barrage. On the moonlit nights of 26-27 August the Japanese …
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Ok Tedi Mine
The open-cut Ok Tedi mine has been yielding gold and copper from Mt Fubilan, just beyond Tabubil, since 1984. For a time it was the largest gold mine outside South Africa, and if you can persuade Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) to let you visit (having done the mandatory two-hour safety course), the immense size of the operation won't fail to impress.
The logistics are extraordinary: to get the ore to ships off the PNG coast, a copper/gold slurry is sent 140km through a pipeline to Kiunga, where it's loaded on to barges for the 800km trip down the Fly River.
The mine has not been without controversy. In 1984 a tailings dam collapsed allowing 80,000 tons of pollution per day …
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Haus Tambarans
There are numerous villages around Maprik, many with a striking, forward-leaning haus tambaran, an architectural style echoed in such modern buildings as Parliament House in Port Moresby. The front façade of the Maprik haus tambarans are brightly painted in browns, ochres, whites and blacks and in some cases reach 30m high.
Without your own vehicle getting to the various villages can be problematic. Speak to the owner of the Maprik Wakin Hotel to arrange an impromptu tour. Traditionally haus tambarans were exclusively an initiated-man's domain, but these days the rules are usually bent for Western travellers. Locals usually charge to enter and a photography fee. There is…
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Mt Hagen Show
It's not as big as the Goroka Show, but the Mt Hagen Show is definitely a must-see. It's held annually, on the third weekend of August. The cheap 'general admission' won't allow you access to the singsing groups until much later, and then, only from the surrounding banks.
The two-day pass allows you to arrive early and see the groups dressing and donning their feathered headdresses. Vigorous impromptu performances at this time can be more powerful, even ribald, compared to the formal stuff dished up in the arena. Contrary to what you might fear, there's no general bird of paradise slaughter just before show time - the feather headdresses and costumes are extremely valuabl…
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Buna and Gona
The villages of Buna and Gona became Japanese bases during WWII and were the scene of some of the most desperate fighting of the war. At Giropa Plantation, on the Buna Rd, a Japanese plaque commemorates the country's dead.
Most of what remains of the bases is covered with overgrowth and a guide is necessary to work out what went on where. Basil Tindeba, from Buna, knows his way around the area pretty well; ask for him at the Oro Guesthouse and try to give a few days' notice. Another recommended guide is Maclaren Hiari MBE, who runs the Kokoda Buna Historical Foundation (tel: 329 7627). He lives two doors east of the Oro Guesthouse. These guys charge for their guiding and …
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cemetery
It's worth poking around the cemetery amid the recently restored headstones for the grave of M Bourgade, one of France's top WWI air aces, who died here of malaria while working as a mission worker.
Later, the island became a government headquarters and base for explorations. Today the district local government headquarters is on the mainland at Bereina and the island has been in serious economic decline since. An airstrip that is more bush than strip and derelict buildings are the only reminders that at one stage Siria village once boasted a fisheries industry, wharfs, a bank and guesthouse.
In 1972 local seventeen-year-old schoolgirl, Susan Karike (now Mrs Huhume), surpr…
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Kwato Island
China Strait and the surrounding islands have a reputation for witchcraft and, despite the influence of missionaries, superstitions linger. Strange lights, ghost ships and sirens (the singing kind) all crop up. Just 3km west of Samarai, Kwato Island was once an educational centre and home to a thriving boat building industry. The remnants of the old machinery lie where they were discarded in the tall grass and today the island can be eerily quiet.
The Reverend Charles Abel and his wife, Beatrice, founded a non-hierarchical church in 1891. Even though they 'belted' the Bible pretty hard, it wasn't until the 1930s that the last of the nearby cannibal tribes was 'saved'.
If …
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Pindaunde Lakes
The climb goes up to the Pindaunde Lakes from the high school and disused airstrip at Kegsugl. The lakes sit at 3500m and the views are incredible. The National Parks Board huts are a four- to five-hour walk from Kegsugl. It is customary to spend at least one night here before tackling the summit the next morning. Some say it's better to spend another day acclimatising and exploring the area before the final push.
From the Pindaunde Lakes, it's a long, hard walk to the summit - anything from five to eight hours. It can get cold, wet, windy and foggy at the top, so bring warm clothes and a change of socks as your legs will be wet from rain or just brushing past wet plants.…
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Rainforest Habitat
Visiting the Rainforest Habitat is like stepping into a microcosm of PNG's most exotic flora and fauna. It comprises about 3000 sq metres of reconstructed rainforest inside a covered shade house. It incorporates a lake, raised walkways and an abundance of plants and birds. Planting began in 1994 when 10,000, mostly native, plants were placed into the habitat. The guesthouse here has bunk beds, shared bathrooms and kitchen, which will appeal to those wanting to be near to nature, and far from everything else. Ring first.
Most people come to see the bird of paradise collection and orchid garden although the real star is 'Argo', the huge and largely inactive saltwater crocod…
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Lake Kutubu
The Lake Kutubu area has one of just five national parks in PNG. South of Mendi, Lake Kutubu has some of the Highlands' most beautiful scenery. According to legend, the lake was formed when a fig tree was cut down by a woman looking for water. The story goes that whatever the tree touched turned to water - hence the lake.
The lake is beautiful, and the surrounding country is home to friendly people living a largely traditional life. Butterflies and birds of paradise are common. You can swim in the lake and visit local villages or walk and appreciate the beauty and peace. Kutubu is the Highlands' second-largest lake, and, at 800m (2600ft) above sea level, PNG's highest sub…
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Kavieng Surf Club
Calling all surfers! Kavieng has an up-and-coming surf scene (luckily it's still a fairly secret surfing Nirvana), with a good range of reef breaks, both lefts and rights, that are easily accessible. They vary in difficulty, depending on the size and direction of the swell. From November to late April, swells of up to 2.4m are not unheard of. What makes surfing here so unique is the lack of crowds - utter bliss if you come from, say, Bali.
Even if it's growing in popularity, the Kavieng Surf Club ensures that the number of surfers is kept at a sustainable level thanks to a surf quota system. Among the most thrilling spots are Pikinini, Karanas, Nago Island, Edmago Island,…
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Kabaira Dive Rabaul
It's almost too good to be true: Simpson Harbour offers several first-class wreck dives, while the reefs off the western tip of Gazelle Peninsula are totally unspoiled and positively festooned with healthy, hard and soft corals, sponges, gorgonians and a dizzying array of tropical fish: a perfect combination. Run by the capable Stephen Woolcott, Kabaira Dive Rabaul is based at Kabaira Beach Hideaway, a few finstrokes from splendid reefs.
The main drawback is the location; if you're based in Rabaul, you'll have to fork out about A$40 for transfers, or take a PMV (40 minutes). If you're a keen diver, it's best to base yourself at the Kabaira Beach Hideaway. Good snorkelling…
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Omarakana
Going north from Losuia is 'inland' to the locals. This area has most of the island's roads and villages. Omarakana, about halfway between Losuia and Kaibola, is where the island's paramount chief resides. You'll know you're there by the large, intricate, painted yam house and the couple of cars outside his western-style bungalow built on stilts.
He can often be found sitting on a chair under his house, surrounded by his clansmen. The paramount chief presides over the island's oral traditions and magic and strictly maintains his political and economic power. He also oversees the important yam festival and kula rituals. As a sign of respect, keep your head lower than his a…
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Goroka Show
The Goroka Show, is held over the Independence Day weekend (mid-September) at the National Sports Institute. It attracts more singsing groups than Mt Hagen's show and there are also bands and other cultural activities, as well as some elements of an agricultural show. The show is the glamour event on the social calendar for many performers and it is extraordinary how many feathers one person can squeeze onto a headdress.
Performers all receive a payment from the proceeds and you are neither expected nor encouraged to tip individuals. Make accommodation arrangements early as many places (especially top-end hotels) are booked out months in advance. Prices, like a Highland h…
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Manta Ray Cleaning Station
Not far west of Doini Island is Gona Bara Bara Island, and just off the northwest shore is a dive site known as the Manta Ray Cleaning Station. Just a few metres below the surface, there is an isolated bommie (a natural spire, covered in coral, rising from the sea floor). Around the bommie giant, graceful mantas (some with wing spans of up to 5m) are cleaned by tiny wrasses; it is one of the best places on earth to see this happening.
Snorkelling is also possible, though high winds make it (and diving) difficult between June and September. Unfortunately only dive charters are visiting here although it may be possible to arrange a snorkelling trip with local boat operators…
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Varirata National Park
Right after the small store at Laloki River Gorge is the turn-off to Varirata National Park which, at 1000 hectares and over 800m high, is the highlight of the Sogeri Rd. It's 8km from the turn-off and you'll find six clearly marked walking trails ranging from 45 minutes to three hours long, and some excellent lookouts back to Port Moresby and the coast. The bird-watching here can be rewarding, with an array of kingfishers and Raggiana birds of paradise as highlights.
It's possible to camp here, but unless you're in a large group, it's potentially unsafe. The best place is on the grass outside the derelict huts. There are pit toilets. Speak to the ranger-in-charge (if you…
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