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This blog post is going to answer all your burning questions about how exactly you can visit Papua New Guinea as an Independent or Independent-ish traveler.
When I first decided that I was interested in going to Papua New Guinea, I embarked on my usual search of online blogs, Reddit threads, and even a cursory glance at material on Instagram. And I found pretty much ZERO information for travelers looking to visit anywhere besides Port Moresby independently. Essentially, there was nada when it comes to helpful trip planning tips and advice from someone who had done anything other than book the first tour that seemed good for them.
This blog post doesn’t cover all the “how-to” info for traveling in Papua New Guinea without a tour. That’s this post. (*coming soon*) But it covers everything you need to know to effectively plan your trip, whether you choose a tour, go independently, or a little of both.
Best Time of Year to Visit Papua New Guinea: Does It Matter?
While locals swear you *can* easily visit PNG year-round, the rainy season is quite volatile. I’m talking downpours that cause minor floods, cyclones, landslides, etc. I personally wouldn’t risk this trip during the off-season, particularly because the prices don’t change all that much either.
The best time of year to visit Papua New Guinea is May to October. It doesn’t matter if you’re aiming to dive or visit the Highlands.
The one exception to this is festival season, but I’ll get to that in a moment.
Should You Visit During Festival Season?
You’ll notice that many group trips online center around a local tribal festival. There are two well-established, famous ones: The Goroka Show and the Mount Hagen Show. But there is also a slew of other smaller festivals that are in farther-flung regions of the country and focused on different tribal communities. Here are the four most prominent and worth visiting.
- Mount Hagen Show in August.
- Goroka Show in September. This also coincides with PNG Independence Day, typically.
- Rubaul Mask Festival held in New Britain each July.
- Sepik Crocodile Festival in September.
But the question is, SHOULD you plan your trip around one of these festivals? After visiting in May/June and not being able to attend a festival (which at the time, I took as a good thing because it would be “less touristy”), I say yes.
These festivals are local traditions where tribal communities proudly dress up in their best ceremonial attire, send their best carvers, best masks, and perform in front of all the other tribes, regardless of how many foreigners are in attendance. If you want to see tribes NOT during the festival, you essentially pay them to dress up for you. Additionally, the cost of the festival is only $80 or so for the two days, which is a bargain when it comes to cultural performances. You would pay nearly $100 per visit to a tribe otherwise.
If you’re looking for the most authentic (and affordable) way to see a lot of tribal culture, visiting during the Goroka or Mount Hagen show is highly recommended. If you’re foregoing the tour, you should know that hotels in the Highlands inflate their prices 2-3X the going rate during the show dates and book out super far in advance. Still a bargain when it comes to bang for your buck, but it’s something you should plan ahead for.
Booking Domestic Flights
I’ve written a whole blog post on this endeavor.
In short, you will require domestic flights to connect different regions of the country, as there are no roads. There are two companies. Check prices on both. Book as far in advance as you can. They are sticklers on baggage, so make sure you book the correct fare. Be very flexible when it comes to planning because 50% of flights get delayed or canceled. Always give yourself a buffer day in Port Moresby when planning connecting flights.
Which Destinations Are Worth Visiting in Papua New Guinea?
This is entirely a preference thing.
I have a tendency to try to pack a whole country into one neatly organized trip. Don’t do this for Papua New Guinea. First of all, it will be repetitive. Secondly, you should really stop and consider what exactly makes you want to visit PNG in the first place.
Personally, I would have liked to visit the Highlands for a festival, follow the Highlands Highway all the way around to the Madang area, stopping off for history and wildlife. Then I would visit the Sepik River area and possibly Manus Island for more culture and wildlife. There are tons of things to do in Papua New Guinea.
I’m not a diver, however. That would change my trajectory entirely. You can peruse my various 1, 2, and 3-week itineraries in Papua New Guinea to see which one speaks to you.
If you really want my personal rankings of places I visited, I would prioritize the Sepik River, have a quick stop in the Highlands, and then choose somewhere like Manus for wildlife-specific attractions. There’s no getting out of Port Moresby, though.
Applying for Your Papua New Guinea Visa
Unless you hold a passport from Japan, Indonesia, China, or various other Pacific Island Nations, you’ll need to apply in advance for an E-Visa to PNG. For the most part, the E-Visa process is straightforward and costs $50 for a 30 or 60-day stay, depending on your nationality. The one little hiccup is that the application requires a cover letter requesting permission to visit, where you’ll be visiting, what your accommodation is, contact details, all addressed to the CMO. I just popped all that into a vile AI program of your choosing and made up an exact itinerary (because I didn’t know it) and put in one of my hotels. I had no problems submitting identical letters for my husband and me.
While I got my E-Visa granted immediately, his took about a week, so I would be sure to apply a little in advance. Also, my husband’s application didn’t email him his approval; we had to physically log onto the site and check.
Can You Visit Papua Independently?
Absolutely. Just because there isn’t much information online about traveling without a tour, doesn’t mean it’s not possible. But if you’ve been reading this blog post, you already know this. Here are a few blog posts to help you independently travel on a budget in Papua New Guinea.
(*coming soon*)
What is the Deal With the Crazy Expensive Tour Operators & How Much Does Travel in PNG Actually Cost?
$10,000+ for a 10-day trip is insane in a country where the average resident makes under a dollar a day.
I’m just going to come out and say it. PNG is wildly overpriced. For food, for transport, for tribal performances. All of it. Tour operators (especially foreign ones) make it worse by marking up the prices 2X. Determining exactly where the scam is in the payment process is a challenge, though.
An adequately priced tour is $6,000 per person for 2 weeks. Anything far above that and you’re getting ripped off. Someone is making a lot of money off of you, and it probably isn’t anyone living in PNG.
I wrote a full blog post detailing how much I spent in Papua New Guinea and how much to plan for if you decide to travel independently in PNG. (*coming soon*) For full transparency. Although I totally understand why people opt for guided packaged tours here.
Tour Operators That I Recommend…
I wrote a full blog post detailing some of my favorite budget-friendly tours in PNG.
8 Random Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting Papua New Guinea For the First Time
Here are a few random things that I wish I knew before I started planning my trip to Papua New Guinea.
1. Joining a Group Tour is Actually the Best Thing You Can Do For Yourself
I know that sucks to hear. Especially as you look at the high price tags.
But the truth is, if you want to visit alllllll the tribes and participate in all the activities of PNG while maintaining a 1 to 2 week schedule in the country, a group tour is the most economical way to go. You split transportation costs, food costs, guide costs, performance costs, everything. If you’ve taken a look at my budget breakdown linked above, you’ll see that these are the bulk of the expenses. Add to that, you’ll have a fun group of people to travel with (because you certainly won’t meet a single other traveler otherwise), and the benefits are plain to see.
However, if you are willing to skip some of the tribes and only see a region or two (and have a flexible time frame), then independent travel could work out cheaper for you.
2. All Tribal Experiences Will Require a Guide
You can’t just rock up to the tribal communities and happen upon experiences. Everything in PNG is arranged through guides. Even if you travel independently, you’ll require a guide for each region at least when it comes to tribal areas.
You won’t use the same guide country-wide. Each region will require you to hire a new local guide. Before you go jump on the cheapest offer you get, I highly recommend reading this blog post about guides in PNG.
3. Getting Around is By Far the Most Challenging Task for Independent Travelers
Unless you’re willing to shell out $200 for a car ride, that is.
Otherwise, you’ll be hitching a ride on PMV’s, aka the buses or shared transport of Papua New Guinea. They follow no schedule but cost only $1-2 typically. They are super easy to use in the Highland region, which is why the Highlands are the easiest place to travel independently in Papua New Guinea.
4. The Safety Concerns in Papua New Guinea Are Overblown, But There Are Some Real Problems
I wrote about the real problems in this blog post.
But no, you are not going to be eaten or subjected to tribal violence. The problems are much more mundane.
5. PNG is Among the Most Expensive Travel Destinations in the World
Shocking, I know.
I know I’ve spoken a lot about the costs of things already in this blog post, but I was super skeptical of the price tags I was seeing before I went to PNG. I don’t want you thinking that you can bop off to the country and get by on a $50/day budget just by being adventurous. The attractions you want to do and the places you want to visit cost a considerable amount to get to.
6. Visiting More Regions Does Not Equal More Experiences in Papua New Guinea, Also You Shouldn’t Stay Too Long in the Country
I regret visiting three different regions in three weeks. It was a lot of flying domestically. I would rather have focused on two and had a slightly shorter stay instead.
Eventually, the effort required to travel independently in the country wears you down, and there is no place to really rest and relax. Not without spending a lot of money in Port Moresby, that is.
In my opinion, 3 weeks is a little too long in PNG. Each destination was not too different from the last. It could have partially just been the places we chose, but I think that, unless you are a diver, you will feel the same.
7. English Is Widely Spoken
English is actually one of the three national languages of Papua New Guinea.
Tok Pisin, English, and Hiri Motu. This means that even in the most remote areas of the country, usually someone can still speak English.
8. Tribal Experiences May Not Always Be As Authentic As You Want Them To Be
This is the kicker for many people.
If you don’t visit the tribes during the festival season, you will end up essentially paying them to perform for you in costume. Yes, it creates some beautiful photos and helps to preserve a slowly dying culture (or dead, depending on how you look at it), but it is very curated. If you’re hoping to witness some real tribal rituals that are still practiced without tourists, Sepik is a great place to go. I also wrote a guide to the Highland Tribes that details which tribes I found the most interesting and worth the money to visit.
Just keep in mind that what is portrayed on social media without context is not the reality. Most Papua New Guineans are converts to Christianity or Catholicism, rarely (if ever) wear tribal attire, and showcase their ancient indigenous culture for financial gain.
I hope this blog answers some of your burning questions about Papua New Guinea and helps you feel more ready to traverse the country on your own or with a tour. At the very least, it helps you to plan the perfect trip to the island nation. Feel free to drop your further questions in the comments, and I’m happy to answer to the best of my knowledge!
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