Do I need a Passport or Visa?
A valid passport (at least 6 months!) is required for each entry. A tourist visa will be issued to the following nationalities upon arrival in Papua New Guinea for stays less than 60 days :

• United Kingdom
• Australia
• Switzerland
• Japan
• United States
• New Zealand
• Canada
• European Community

The cost is 100 Kina (PNG currency). If you wish, you can still pre-arrange your own visa prior to departure through the Papua New Guinea High Commission in your home country. If your Nationality does not appear above check with your nearest PNG or Australian Embassy. For stays longer than 60 days you will have to apply for a Visa at the nearest PNG Embassy prior to departing your Country.

Important: Some of our passengers travelling to Port Moresby have been challenged when they tried to board flights to PNG in Europe or the USA. They have been told they require a PNG Visa or they can not board the plane. That requirement has been changed. The travel information manual of June 1996 specifies that Visas are issued on arrival for tourist visits of less than 60 days.

In addition, if you plan to spend more than four hours in Australia and plan to leave the airport a Visa for Australia is required. We highly recommend having a visa issued if transiting through to avoid possible problems due to flight delays. This must be issued before you leave the country of residence. The Australian Visa can be issued in most countries electronically on the spot by your travel agent where you buy your air ticket.

When is the best weather to visit and dive in PNG?
Weather differs from region to region in PNG. Mostly it's hot with high humidity all year round. Local climate zones vary due to the high mountain ranges in the centre of the country. The rainy season generally goes from December through to March; dry season is May through October. This does not mean that it is constantly raining as the Southern Coasts of the mainland & New Britain experience different weather patterns at that time of the year. The live aboard operators offer great dive expeditions in a variety of locations at different times of the year throughout PNG. They chose their locations according to the best prevailing weather conditions at the time, so you can be assured of great diving any time .

Air temperatures along the coast are fairly constant and range between 28C (84F) and 32C (92F). Water temperatures are ranging between a low of 23C (75F) (July-August) and 27C (82F) (December/January). Temperatures in the highlands are ranging around 20C (66F), with relatively low humidity.

• Madang: November - May: Showers with occ. Thunderstorms
• New Ireland: November - April: Rainy Season in the North of the Islands
• New Britain: November - April: Rainy Season in the North of the Islands May - October: Rainy Season in the South
• Milne Bay: Very unpredictable February to March and September are usually the best months for diving
• Sepik: July - November Dry season, wet month December to April
• Highlands: November - April: Rainy season, but very comfortable. Usually on 3000 to 8000 ft temperatures are very moderate to cold at night.
• Port Moresby: May - October: dry, windy and dusty Port Moresby, the capital, is situated on a narrow dry belt. 20 km further inland the climate is already much more humid again.

Do I need vaccinations before I travel to PNG?
With all travels into tropical climate you should have an active immunisation against tetanus and a current polio protection.

What do I need to know about the currency?
The PNG currency is the KINA, named after a big shell, which was used for trading in earlier days. One Kina = 100 Toea. In January 2002, one Kina was roughly valued at USD 0.28 . The currency has been subject to some devaluation, so check with your local bank for the latest rate. If you travel to the villages it is important to carry a lot of small change (Toea coins and 2 Kina notes). In towns major credit cards (MasterCard and Visa) are widely accepted in shops, hotels and restaurants. AMEX and Diners cards are not accepted in some places. Traveller cheques are the next best things. The best places to change them into local money are the banks, which open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There is a bank in the international arrival hall of the Port Moresby airport.

Will my electrical appliances/computer/chargers etc. work in PNG?
Voltage in PNG is 240/250Volt. 220V appliances usually work without problems. You have to bring a special adapter for the 3-pronged sockets used in PNG. This adapter works in Australia and PNG. Some operators provide special 110 Volt facilities for American clients. Please check with us for details

Can I use my drivers licence to hire a car?
PNG's drive their cars on the left hand side of the road. If you are used to driving on the right hand side then exercising a little caution at the beginning should get used to the left hand side quickly. To hire a car a valid national car drivers licence (in English) or a international drivers licence is needed. Car hire is relatively expensive in PNG. In most cases you will be better advised to find a local guide to take you around and show you places, rather than driving yourself.

Should I bring any special clothing?
Bring casual, light and comfortable clothes. The evenings can get relatively cool with a sea breeze so something warm for the evening is recommended. Bring some very light clothing which offers sun protection for trips ashore to some of the villages. If you plan to stay overnight in Port Moresby dress is relaxed and casual, with a shirt with collar, long pants and shoes (not runners) for men and the women dress equally tasteful. It will get you admission to just about everywhere. Bring:

• Slacks or other informal dress
• Long sleeved shirt
• Sweatshirt or jacket or windbreaker
• Walking shoes or sandals
• T-shirts
• Shorts
• Swim suits
• Sun hat

How much tips do I need to give?
No one in PNG expects tips for services. Tips have never been part of the culture. This is not to say that people don't like to be rewarded for very good service. Give as much or little as you feel fit. On live aboard vessels it is customary to give the tip to the Skipper and ask it be distributed amongst the crew.

What is the time difference to Papua New Guinea?
On the top right corner of this webpage you see the time in Cairns, Queensland/Australia at the moment. Cairns and PNG are in the same time zone. Just calculate the difference to your local time.