Expedia Expert: 5 things to do in Papua New Guinea

Expedia’s Pacific Islands Associate Market Manager Charlotte Le Den shares her tips for the must-dos on a trip to Papua New Guinea. 

1. Culture

With over 800 different languages, PNG is a land rich in vibrant and diverse cultures. The best way to experience these are during the festivals that take place throughout the year around the country, when different tribes come together to celebrate. Their masks and traditional costumes made out of bird of paradise feathers, boar tusks and brilliantly coloured paint are an amazing sight.

The best known festivals are the National Mask Festival in Rabaul (July – check out the volcano there as well!), the Goroka Cultural Show (September) and Mt Hagan Cultural Show (August) in the Highlands and the National Canoe & Kundu Festival in Alotau (November).

2. Historical Relicts

Papua New Guinea was a German and British colony in the nineteenth century and the scene of major military campaigns during WWII, with Japanese, Australian and American forces fighting in the country. The country is rich in historical relicts from those periods. Japanese barge tunnels are cut into the mountainside – the barges are still in situ in East New Britain, and there are beautifully kept cemeteries honouring the soldiers who died in these conflicts across the country.

3. Kokoda Trail

A series of battles were fought along this famous 96km track between the Japanese and Australian (helped by the locals known as the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels) forces in WWII. It’s one the world’s most spectacular and challenging tracks, taking you through mountains and the jungle. Villages are dotted along the way so you get a change to immerse in the local culture and community.

4. Diving

The coast of PNG is home to some of the world’s most spectacular diving, with twice as many marine species as the waters of the Red Seas and five times as many as the Caribbean. There’s a huge diversity of dive sites including barrier reefs, coral walls, coral gardens, patch reefs, fringing reefs, sea grass beds and coral atolls. You’ll also find wreck dive sites, with a collection of ships, aircrafts and submarine wrecks from WWII.

The water temperature sits around 25 to 29 degrees Celsius, and you can dive all year round.

If you don’t dive, snorkelling is a must. The 17,000km of coastline on the mainland and in the islands offers plenty of opportunities.

5. Bird Watching

Papua New Guinea is home to a large number of endemic species, including the famous birds of paradise. Other species include the megapodes who lay their eggs in warm volcano ash instead of sitting on them. You can bird watch throughout the country, from the coast and the islands all the way up to the highlands, giving you the chance to experience the local culture and the unique flora and fauna.

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