Questions on travel to Papua New Guinea (on QF)

[Austman]

I'll be taking my first trip to Papua New Guinea soon.

If anyone can answer my questions below or give some other tips it would be very welcome.

I'm travelling all on Qantas MEL-CBR, CBR-BNE-TSV, TSV-CNS-POM with stopovers in Canberra and Townsville (my first time ever there) and back POM-CNS-SYD-MEL. In PNG, I'll stay in POM for 2 nights and travel to Tufi Resort for 5 nights.

Q1. Qantas international at Cairns
I know the international Qantas Club is closed, but Jetstar give Starclass passengers access to the Reef Lounge. Does Qantas now do the same for gold/platinum/QC passengers?

Q2. Visa on arrival at POM
Costs PGK100.00. Is it possible to pay in AUD or credit card? Are there ATMs or a bank before the VOA process? Do you need a passport photo for the VOA?

Q3. ATMs at POM airport
Are there any/many? Is it risky to arrive without PGK? Are there banks in case the ATMs don't work?

Q4. Port Moresby
Is it really that dangerous? I'm at the Holiday Inn for 2 nights (on points stays that I needed to align my international and PNG domestic flights), but I plan to at least see the place.

Thanks again for any advice or tips!

[Happy Dude]

Hi Austman,

There are a few members here that are based there or travel frequently so hopefully they'll see your thread. Until then, here's my recollections from a work trip there 18 months ago:

POM was dangerous then, apparently. So much so, I was not allowed out of the hotel grounds (Holiday Inn) without a driver. Although that may just have been the over-zealous OH&S policy of the oil company, I didn't see any whiteys walking around. Other than the fabulous Parliament House, there's not a lot to see but a drive around was interesting. There's a yacht club, golf club, and my driver took me to a few art/craft-type markets.

I used kina to pay for my business visa on arrival (as directed by my employer) and I don't recall seeing an ATM in arrivals. I flew direct from BNE, but via CNS on return, using the domestic QP there after clearing C&I.

[pyffii]

POM is really the most dangerous place on this planet and dont underestimate the danger...we were there a few years ago to hike kokoda and we stayed in a prison type fortress complete with rolled razor wire, armed guards ( machine guns ) and bared windows...No place for "whiteys"...You can obtain a visa on arrival and can pay in either AUD or Kina...I think there is an ATM but cant quite remember as had no need to use one...The yacht club is great but you would need to be escorted in...Good luck and stay safe

[Fifa]

Q2. Visa on arrival at POM

I went over to visit a friend's family in April this year - You can only pay for the visa in Kina and there is an ATM which they allow you to use after immigration (but within sight of the immigration officers). I am sure we did not require passport photos.

Q3. ATMs at POM airport

As mentioned there is at least one ATM after immigration. I also used ATMs at the Holiday Inn, the Yacht Club and a shopping centre next to the Yacht Club. It would save a lot of time if you had at least 100 Kina for your visa on arrival. We arrived on an Air Nuigini flight at the same time as a Virgin flight and the queue was enormous and was processed extremely slowly.

Q4. Port Moresby

Yes, Port Moresby is dangerous. We didn't walk anywhere and were driven around in cars which locked automatically. At all times our friends carried radios and mobile phones in case of emergency.

[Boris spatsky]

Q4. I agree with the sentiment here. POM is wild, especially after dark. I normally stay at Airways, across the road from the airport. Never been into town without an 'armed' escort, and no ambition to either to be honest. Moresby IMHO is a place to do business, and not a place to sight see.

Google 'raskals' and you can read about it yourself. I don't like machetes enough to want to run the gauntlet!

[tuapekastar]

A friend of mine works there and some of his stories...

An extreme level of awareness of personal security is warranted from what I hear.

[Jacques Vert]

Unfortunately while there are a lot of lovely people in PNG, POM is very dangerous.

My son who works there managed to survive an attempted carjacking a few weeks ago. When we visited, we were awoken by gunshots two nights in a row.

You need to be very careful. Never catch a taxi, arrange for someone trustworthy to collect you from the airport and drop you back. Don't go anywhere unless in a group. Try not to go anywhere at night unless you are with an expat who knows the area very well. Keep your eyes open at all times.

The Yacht Club will let you in if you ask nicely but it's quite a drive from the Holiday Inn. The ATM there is one of the safest places to withdraw money. Airways is very nice but also a considerable distance from the Holiday Inn.

Good Luck,

JV

[Austman]

Thanks for the replys so far.

Q2. I'm on QF197 (a DHC-8 400) CNS-POM which arrrives late in the afternoon. This seems usually to be a quiet time at POM for 737/757/767 international arrivals. Except on Tuesdays when PX4, a 767 from Brisbane arrives 10 mins before QF197. Guess which day I'm flying in

I'll get some PGK in Cairns before I fly.

Q4. Oh dear the 'raskols'. Raskol gangs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia I think if I do go to downtown Port Moresby, it'll be in daylight hours only.

[Dr Bob]

Am contemplating a trip to the north coast of PNG next year for some diving etc. with overnighting in POM. So is all of PNG a problem for security or just POM?
What about the outer island provinces?

[Nigelinoz]

Travel Advice for Papua New Guinea - Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade