Important: Wikitravel is exploring a license upgrade to CC by-sa 3.0, please give your consent or refusal here.

From Wikitravel

Sunset view from Tugubaga hill Port Moresby

Port Moresby (Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin) is the capital of Papua New Guinea.

[edit] Understand

Port Moresby is quite spread out. The original settlement was by the sea and this is still the port area, as well as the main business and banking district. On the hills above are upmarket residences. The area is served by the Crowne Plaza hotel. Closer to the airport, separated from the original town by hills, is Waigani, a 1970s development built to house the Government offices of the newly Independent country of Papua New Guinea. Nearby are the housing areas of Boroko and Gordons, which also contain most of the large stores.

[edit] Get in

Port Moresby is the main point of entry for all air-traffic and most of the boat-traffic. The main local airline is called Air Niugini and flies mainly to and from Australian cities in codeshare with Qantas, but also Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, and the Philippines. Virgin Blue also flies to Cairns and Brisbane.

Airfares from Australia are quite cheap, especially if you book online and seek one of the special fares. From other countries fares are fairly expensive and it may be cheaper to fly to Cairns and pick up a flight to Port Moresby from there..

[edit] Get around

Getting around in and around Port Moresby is somewhat of a problem because visitors do not generally use (or understand) public transport. Walking is not advisable to foreigners at night-time but in most parts of town is fine during the day.

[edit] By car

Car rental agencies are available close to Jacksons International airport but driving in Port Moresby might not be what most people are used to. In some areas of POM the locals throw stones at the car, usually just for amusement but in some cases they manage to crack your windshield. There are cases of people standing in the middle of a stretch of road they have mended and demanding compensation from people driving by, and as soon as you get outside of the city the roads deteriorate to muddy trails that only a 4x4 with an experienced driver should attempt.

[edit] By taxi

There are actually taxis in Port Moresby, which is quite unusual for PNG, but they are in the majority of cases not safe for foreigners to ride in. The locals usually travel in PMV's (Personal Motor Vehicles) which are minibusses that take you to your destination if it is in the general direction they are headed. The adventurous traveller could probably get around by using that service but there are incidences of PMV's getting pulled over by Raskols (a word deriving from English rascal, currently in use to refer to gang members or criminals in general). and everybody on board being robbed, so a warning is in order.

The best alternative for transport around Port Moresby is to get the hotel to set it up. They usually have a shuttle service from the airport and can organize excursions of different kinds if you ask them nicely. This of course depends on the hotel.

[edit][add listing] See

• The Botanical Gardens A must for the visitor. Has some amazing examples of PNG wildlife such as birds of paradise, a couple of casowaris, and several other native birds. If you are lucky you might catch a wedding while you are there as some locals like to conduct the ceremony in the gardens.
• Port Moresby Golf Club A nice golf course located right across from the government building. The prices are quite acceptable for visitors. Be careful, crocodiles inhabit the water holes of the golf course. The local caddies sometimes sneak in at night and eat a few of them so they don't overpopulate though. The main building has a nice restaurant where one can have lunch and have a few SP beers (South Pacific beers) after a round of golf.
• The Ela Beach Craft Market Run by the Ela Murray International School and held on the last Saturday of each month, this market brings together local artifacts from all over Papua New Guinea. An easy way to get some beautiful carvings, handwoven baskets, or any of a number of other things to bring home as souvenirs.
• Touaguba Hill Perhaps not so much to see, but this is where the ambassadorial residences are located and is also where many of the well-to-do expats and locals live. There is a nice view from the top of the hill overlooking the centre of the city and the ocean.

• Moitaka Wildlife Sanctuary, Sir Hubert Murray Highway. Numerous crocodiles, some very large, as well as birds and other animals.  edit

[edit] Itineraries

[edit][add listing] Do

Scuba Diving A number of reefs and wrecks are within close proximity to Port Moresby and diving can be arranged through day vessels or on nearby Loloata Island (which has its own dive shop). There are a variety of sites and depths for all experience levels.

[edit][add listing] Eat

[edit] Groceries

There are basically four stores to buy groceries if you are a foreigner in Port Moresby: Andersons Foodland, Stop and Shop in Hohola, and Boroko Foodworld in Boroko and Gordons. Andersons is located right next to the Royal Papua Yacht club and usually suffices. Otherwise there is Foodworld which is larger and located over the hill in Boroko. An even larger and newer Boroko Foodworld is further east in Gordons. What one should bear in mind though is that everything imported might not always be there. Often if you see something you like you have to buy a lot of it because there is no telling when the next shipment is coming. This doesn't apply to basic foodstuffs but rather to things that might not be in high demand such as herring.

[edit] Restaurants

• Asia Aromas, ☎ 321 4780. Chinese Restaurant serving great food located inside the Steamships Plaza on Champion Parade in the downtown area. Is popular with the local expatriate community.  edit
• Daikoku Located inside the Andersons Foodland area, it offers great Japanese cuisine cooked directly at your table (teppanyaki). Don't forget to try the "Puk Puk" which is Tok Pisin for crocodile.
• Royal Papua Yacht Club Serves good Australian cuisine with some Papua New Guinean touches. Has á la carte menu and a buffet that varies according to the day of the week. An invitation from a member might be required to enter.
• Crowne Plaza Has a wonderful mediterranean restaurant which is probably the most expensive on the island. But if you feel like splurging this is definitely the place to go, it'll still be a good bargain.
• Port Moresby Golf Club Has a nice little lunch restaurant which serves á la carte or a buffet during lunch hours.
• Jepello's Great italian food, and keyboardist who plays pop tunes. Off Waigani Drive, across the street from Big Rooster.
• Seoul House Decent korean food. Next to 5 Mile service station.
• Fu Gui Assortment of asian style cuisine. Try the Nasi Lemak chicken. In Gordon's, down the road form RH and Brian Bell.

[edit][add listing] Drink

The drink of choice in Port Moresby as in the rest of Papua New Guinea is South Pacific lager: "SP beer". To buy alcohol you have to go to one of the characteristic yellow and green coloured shops that are usually integrated into the supermarkets. You don't want to go to the ones that aren't. They have a relatively limited selection of wines, mostly Australian or New Zealand brands. The prices are higher than you would expect because of the taxation of alcohol. The locals tend to get quite rowdy when they drink (as everywhere else) so its best to avoid anyone that seems to be under the influence.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

One should be aware that hotels are generally quite expensive in Papua New Guinea.

• Airways Hotel, Jacksons Parade (Located close to the airport), ☎ (675) 324 5200 (reservations@airways.com.pg, fax: (675) 324 5300), [1]. Has both hotel rooms and apartments for long-stay guests. Has a nice pool and a great breakfast buffet. PNG's only delicatessen and an Indonesian spa are also located on the premises.  edit

• The Crowne Plaza, (In the centre of the business district of Port Moresby and close to Tugubaga Hill.), ☎ (675) 309 3000 (fax: (675) 309 3333), [2]. checkin: 1PM; checkout: 11AM. Amenities include a nice pool, an international class restaurant, a fitness centre, and a business lounge  edit

• Holiday Inn, (Waigani Road & Wards Road), ☎ (675) 303 2000 (reservations@holidayinnportmoresby.com.pg, fax: (675) 325 0837), [3]. Located a bit off from the centre this hotel has very nice rooms, some sports facilities, and a great pizza restaurant (with live music at times).  edit

• Loloata Island Resort, ☎ (675) 325 8590 (loloata@loloata.com, fax: (675) 325 8933), [4]. Doubles: $225.  edit

[edit] Stay safe

Port Moresby has a well-deserved reputation of being very dangerous. Car jackings, muggings and worse are common. There is a great deal of concern about the level of crime and civil disorder and the ability and willingness of the police to cope. Police officers have been found to be complicit in major crime and police brutality against minor offenders, complainants and witnesses has been the subject of criticism from the international group, Human Rights Watch.

It is possible to minimise the chances of becoming a victim of crime by being aware of your surroundings, avoiding places where large groups are gathered and avoiding places where offences are prevalent. The Waigani area, and in particular the area around the traffic lights and the Port Moresby Golf Club, have experienced numbers of car jackings.

It is always wise to seek the advice of a person familiar with Port Moresby before venturing into unknown areas.

Saltwater Crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) are still common throughout all of Papua New Guinea. However, you are extremely unlikely to run into one.

[edit] Get Out

• Sogeri Plateau. Fifty km from Port Moresby and, at 800m, an escape from the heat. Sogeri marks the end of the Kokoda Trail, which was the route through the jungle taken by Japanese soldiers in 1942 in an attempt to capture Port Moresby.