Destinations
Regions
The country can be divided into 9 regions:
| Southern Papua New Guinea This region covers the National Capital District of Port Moresby and the Central and Northern provinces. The starting point for all visits to Papua New Guinea. |
| Western Papua New Guinea The Western and Gulf provinces. Fascinating but little visited provinces. Birdwatchers' paradise. |
| Madang-Morobe Madang has volcanic islands and good diving, while Morobe is beginning of the Highlands Highway and an original Gold Rush area |
| Highlands Consist of Enga Province, Chimbu Province and the Southern, Western and Eastern Highlands, amazing culture and the rare tribal fight |
| Sepik The Sandaun (West Sepik) and East Sepik provinces and the mighty Sepik river. |
| Milne Bay The eastern region with many fascinating islands. |
| New Britain New Britain still has many visible ruins from World War II, above and below water. |
| New Ireland and Manus Land of the country's first human settlements. Fishing, diving, sailing and surfing, plus interesting culture. |
| Bougainville An autonomous island region, culturally and geographically more akin to the Solomon Islands |
Cities
- Port Moresby — the capital city with its interesting Zoological gardens, the Parliament building, the museum, and general Melanesian atmosphere
- Alotau — laid-back capital of Milne Bay province and gateway to some fascinating but remote islands
- Goroka — an attractive highland town with pleasant climate and the annual Goroka Show, centre of the country's coffee industry
- Lae — the country's second city, main commercial centre and gateway to the highlands
- Madang — a beautiful city with breathtaking flights of bats in the evening (it is illegal to hurt them), and even more breathtaking diving
- Mount Hagen — the 'wild-west' frontier town in the Highlands, which will introduce you to the cool, crisp Highlands weather and Highlands culture
- Rabaul — the city at the foot of an active volcano which was evacuated and severely damaged by a major eruption in 1994
- Vanimo — the border town if you want to make you way to or from the province of Papua in neighbouring Indonesia; popular surfing destination
- Wewak — the gateway to the Sepik river, where you can experience Sepik culture, the river itself, and the elaborate carvings typical of the region
Other destinations
- Kokoda Track — an ancient trail across the Owen Stanley Range which became especially famous for its part in World War II
- Louisiade Archipelago — beautiful island group well off-the-beaten-path; world-class diving and yachting heaven
- Trobriand Islands — referred to by the anthropologist, Malinowski, as the "Islands of Love"
- Tufi — the Fjordland of Papua New Guinea with fascinating scenery, great diving, and tapa cloth made from mulberry bark
