Papua New Guinea > Papua New Guinea Experience

Advantages: Stunningly beautiful, friendly English speaking people
Disadvantages: Dangerous, unless you follow stringent rules.

I made five one month trips to PNG through 2007. Apart from the small isolated patch of jungle where I worked, my main impression from a visitor's point of view was in Port Moresby, the capital, and Lalouta Island (Dive Centre) about 5kms away. Generally the people are wonderfully friendly. Bad people are referred to throughout PNG by the charming name of "rascals." Their economic woes have of course caused painful unemployent and a dispossessed ...
...reviews have stated, it isn't safe to walk the streets day or night. Taxis are safe if you order them through your hotel and are not expensive, but you always need to have your eyes looking behind you. ATM cash points are fairly well distributed, but some banks don't take some cards and some don't take others. If you can calculate what cash you will need in total, it is best to take out as much as you need in total rather than making frequent trips. ... Read review

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

...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 four houses on the main island had telephones. The majority of people cannot speak English or even Pidgin (the language used in most major cities), and it ...
...people stopped wearing grass skirts and took to cheap t-shirts instead (though a lot of women still go around topless). The main diet includes yams, bananas, coconuts and freshly caught fish. As experiences of different cultures go, I have to say this definitely topped my list. Sadly though, I have to say that my time spent in Port Moresby (the capital of Papua New Guinea) did not affect me in the same way. It is a very ugly, over-populated city, ... Read review

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 ...
...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 wouldnt do that tourists were unaware of. This led to a lot of tourists becoming victims. As a tourist spot, ... Read review