Flag Hotel Coast Watchers, Madang, Papua New Guinea

Advantages: Breathtaking country!
Disadvantages: Rascals, unemployment, thieving

...I spent 16 years in one of the most beautiful countries of the world and although I loved living there I wouldnt recommend it as a tourist destination. Papua New Guinea is an island located north of Australia. Half of the island belongs to Indonesia and is called Irian Jaya. The other half is Papua New Guinea. Within PNG there are 2 distinct areas - the coast and the highlands. The coast is your typical island paradise. The highlands are a little more primative and saw their first white man less than 100 years ago. Having grown up in PNG I was well aware of the crime and how to deal with things. Only too often I saw tourists (or terrorists as we called them :) ) being ripped off, having passports, cameras and anything else of value stolen. Crime in PNG is rampant! As a resident, there are places that you wouldnt go and things that you... Read review

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Advantages: Brilliant experience, unforgettable taste of a culture very different from my own.
Disadvantages: High crime rate in the capital city.

...If you are looking for an intense cultural experience, a taste of a world very different from your own, you can't go past a visit to Papua New Guinea. From the dense tropical rain forests of the highlands to the beautiful palm fringed islands, it is a land whose natural beauty is only surpassed by the variety and colour of the people who live there. I lived in Papua New Guinea for about six months a few years ago, and I have to say out of all my travels this is the place that affected me the most. I mainly stayed in a little group of islands called the Trobriands, in the Milne Bay Province. 'The Trobes' (as they are affectionately known as) are gorgeous - picture the most idyllic island paradise you can think of and you'll be pretty close. Altogether they have a population of less than 30,000 people, and at the time I was there only... Read review

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Advantages: Close to airport, clean and secure, great restaurant, bar and pool on the roof
Disadvantages: Close to airport, little way out of town.

...I stayed at the Airways Hotel back in October 2004 having missed a flight up to the Tufi Dive Resort. Prior to arriving in PNG I had heard a few stories about Port Moresby, and the advice was not to stay too long in town, so to find I would have to make a unscheduled stop was a little worrying. Any worries I had soon went when we pulled up at the Airways, it is a modern, high quality, air-conditioned hotel located about 5 minutes drive from the airport, so a little way outside the main town. The rooms are very comfortable, the ones we stayed in had either double or twin beds, in-room safe, both had air-conditioning and one even had a kitchen! The front-desk staff were very helpful, allowing us to store some large items in their main safe On the roof terrace the Airways name becomes the theme. There is a DC3 (I think) forming part... Read review

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