What You're Actually Getting Into
Papua New Guinea is the most linguistically diverse country on the planet: more than 840 living languages spoken across roughly 11 million people, a direct result of mountainous terrain that isolated communities from one another for thousands of years. That same terrain is why the country has no single road network connecting its regions, why most itineraries move by plane rather than by land, and why a trip here looks less like a driving holiday and more like a series of chapters: Port Moresby, then a flight to the Sepik, then a flight to Rabaul, each one a different world.
This is also a country where the US and Australian governments currently advise reconsidering travel, and where the Highlands outside two specific towns are under a formal do-not-travel warning. None of that makes PNG unvisitable: dive resorts, the Kokoda Track and Sepik River expeditions run every year through licensed operators without incident, and the reward, spirit houses that are still used rather than staged, reefs with fish densities that make experienced divers stop mid-sentence, sing-sing festivals where a thousand years of tradition shows up in ochre and bird-of-paradise feathers, is real. But this guide will not sand down the honest complications to sell you a brochure version of the country.
The honest complications
Independent backpacking, the kind that works in Southeast Asia or the Balkans, does not really work in PNG. Accommodation outside Port Moresby and a handful of resort towns is thin, domestic flights get delayed or cancelled with little notice, and crime, mostly opportunistic robbery and carjacking rather than anything targeted at tourists specifically, is a real and daily concern in Port Moresby in particular. Almost every worthwhile itinerary here, the Kokoda Track, a Sepik River expedition, the Highlands shows, a dive resort stay, is built around a licensed operator who handles logistics, security and the relationships with landowners that give you access to a village or trail in the first place. That structure costs real money: a guided Kokoda trek runs $2,500 to $4,000 per person. If the idea of a country that has to be visited on rails, with a guide, rather than freely wandered, doesn't appeal, PNG will frustrate you. If you go in accepting that structure as the price of admission, it delivers something genuinely rare.
A History Worth Knowing
Human settlement in New Guinea goes back at least 40,000 years, with some of the earliest agriculture on Earth practiced in the Highlands. European colonization split the island in 1884: Germany took the north-east as German New Guinea, Britain took the south-east as British New Guinea, transferred to Australia in 1906 and renamed Papua. Australia took the German north after WWI under a League of Nations mandate, then fought to keep both halves from Japan in one of WWII's most brutal campaigns, before independence arrived peacefully in 1975.
- 1884
The colonial split. Germany claims the north-east as German New Guinea; Britain claims the south-east as British New Guinea.
- 1906
Papua to Australia. British New Guinea is transferred to the newly federated Commonwealth of Australia and renamed the Territory of Papua.
- 1914-1921
The German north falls. Australian forces occupy German New Guinea in 1914; after WWI, Australia administers it under a League of Nations mandate.
- 1942-1945
The New Guinea campaign. Roughly 216,000 Japanese, Australian and American personnel die in the WWII campaign, including the fighting along the Kokoda Track as Japan tried and failed to take Port Moresby.
- 1949
One administration. Papua and New Guinea are unified under a single Australian administration based in Port Moresby.
- 1975
Independence. Papua New Guinea becomes independent from Australia on 16 September, with Michael Somare as first Prime Minister, remaining a Commonwealth realm.
Read more: Bougainville's path to independence, and PNG today
The most consequential unresolved story in PNG right now is Bougainville. A civil war over the Panguna copper mine and the terms of autonomy ran from 1988 to roughly 1998, and a 2019 referendum on independence returned a 97.7% yes vote on an 87% turnout. The referendum is non-binding, requiring ratification by PNG's national parliament, and progress had been slow for years. That changed in August 2026, when the referendum result was formally tabled in parliament for the first time, a real milestone after years of delay. The Autonomous Bougainville Government's stated roadmap targets greater self-government by 2027 and full independence by 2030, though the path from a parliamentary vote to an actual new country is neither short nor guaranteed. Bougainville is not currently part of a standard PNG tourist itinerary, but it's the story to watch if you're paying attention to the region.
Since 1975: PNG's economy runs heavily on resource extraction, gold, copper, oil and gas, alongside subsistence agriculture that still supports most of the rural population. Political life is genuinely pluralistic and often unstable, with frequent changes of government through parliamentary votes of no confidence, but the democratic system itself has held continuously since independence, an underappreciated achievement in the Pacific.
Top Destinations
PNG's regions aren't connected by road, so think of the country as a set of self-contained trips linked by domestic flights rather than a single loop. Most first-time visitors pick one or two of the zones below and go deep rather than trying to cover the whole country in one trip.
Port Moresby, the necessary gateway
Almost every trip to PNG begins and ends at Jacksons International Airport, and Port Moresby, the capital, is where most visitors spend at least one night on arrival or departure. It is not a conventionally pretty city, but the Port Moresby Nature Park, home to over 550 native animals including tree kangaroos, cassowaries and birds of paradise across two kilometres of rainforest walkways, and the National Museum and Art Gallery both reward a half-day. Ela Beach has a weekend craft market and the closest thing the city has to a relaxed public waterfront. About 20 minutes out, Bomana War Cemetery, where roughly 4,000 Australian and PNG WWII soldiers are buried, is quiet, well-tended and worth the trip for anyone who plans to walk the Kokoda Track. See the full Port Moresby city guide for neighbourhoods, hotels and restaurants.
The Kokoda Track
A 96-kilometre WWII battle trail across the Owen Stanley Range between the outskirts of Port Moresby and Popondetta, walked over 8 to 12 days depending on operator and fitness. Between July and November 1942, Australian militia and AIF troops fought a Japanese advance back along this exact route in appalling jungle conditions, and the trek today is walked largely as a pilgrimage, especially by Australians, as much as a physical challenge. It is genuinely hard: steep, humid, remote, with no road access and no realistic self-supported option. Every reputable trek is arranged through a licensed operator with local porters and guides, costing roughly $2,500 to $4,000 per person, and books out months ahead for the July to September peak.
The Sepik River
PNG's longest river and its most celebrated cultural landscape: villages along the Sepik still build Haus Tambaran spirit houses, elaborately carved structures that function as men's ceremonial houses rather than tourist sets, and produce some of the finest wood carving, masks and ceremonial art in the Pacific. Expeditions run 5 to 10 days by river boat, visiting a string of villages, and are booked through operators who maintain the standing relationships with village landowners that make a respectful visit possible at all. The dry season, May to October, brings more stable and navigable river levels; the wet season can make village access unpredictable.
Rabaul, Kokopo & the volcanoes
Rabaul was East New Britain's main town and once called the "Pearl of the Pacific" until the twin Vulcan and Tavurvur volcanoes buried it in ash in a 1994 eruption; most visitors now base themselves in Kokopo nearby and visit Rabaul's volcanic and wartime sites on guided day trips. Tavurvur's crater rim, ash fields and nearby hot springs are the main draw, alongside an extensive network of WWII Japanese barge tunnels carved into the hillsides to hide naval vessels from Allied air raids, and Admiral Yamamoto's underground command bunker. Always go with a licensed local guide and check current volcanic activity status before a crater visit; two to three days covers the area well.
Kimbe Bay & Milne Bay
PNG's diving is rated among the best on Earth by people who dive for a living. Kimbe Bay, on New Britain, holds over 400 coral species and 860 fish species in a single bay, with schooling barracuda, grey reef sharks and a remarkably intact WWII Japanese Zero fighter resting in 17 metres of water; Walindi Plantation Resort is the long-established operator running day boats out to the sites. Milne Bay, at the eastern tip of the mainland, is the country's wreck and muck-diving capital, centred on the B-17 bomber wreck known as the Blackjack, alongside blue ribbon eels, pygmy seahorses and other small critters that patient divers travel across the world for. Tufi, further north, adds fjord-like inlets carved by ancient volcanic activity, with a house reef minutes from Tufi Dive Resort. The dive season runs May to November for the calmest seas and best visibility.
Mount Hagen & Goroka, the Highlands shows
The Highlands region is currently under a do-not-travel warning from the US State Department because of civil unrest, with one specific exception: Mount Hagen and Goroka. These two towns host the Mount Hagen Show and the Goroka Show, typically in August or September, where dozens of Highland tribal groups gather in full ceremonial dress, ochre, bird-of-paradise plumes, shell decorations and hand-painted body art, for a competitive display of traditional song and dance that predates any tourist industry. These shows are visited by organized tour groups flying directly into each town rather than overlanding through the wider Highlands, and that's the only way to responsibly see them right now.
Beyond the main circuit
The zones above are where most organized trips go. With extra time and budget, these reward the detour.
Tufi's Fjords
Steep, cliff-lined inlets carved by ancient volcanic eruptions, nicknamed "Scandinavia in the tropics." A house reef sits minutes from shore and roughly 30 dive sites are a short boat ride away.
Trobriand Islands
Known to anthropologists since Bronisław Malinowski's early-20th-century fieldwork as the "Islands of Love," famous for yam harvest festivals and the Kula ring, a ceremonial trade network of shell valuables that still operates between island communities.
Mount Wilhelm
PNG's highest peak at 4,509 metres, climbed over several days through rainforest, cloud forest and alpine grassland. A serious trek arranged through a licensed guide, not a casual day hike.
Culture & Etiquette
PNG's cultural diversity is not a marketing phrase: over 800 distinct tribal and language groups, each with its own customs, live within one country, and what's respectful in one village may not translate to the next. Tok Pisin, an English-and-Melanesian creole, developed as the practical common language across this diversity and is the single most useful thing to pick up a few words of before you arrive.
Do
- Learn a little Tok Pisin. "Gude" (hello), "tenkyu" (thank you) and "plis" (please) go a long way and signal that you're engaging seriously rather than passing through.
- Ask before photographing people. This applies everywhere in PNG, and especially in villages and at cultural shows; a friendly request is nearly always met with a friendly answer.
- Dress modestly, particularly for village visits and church, which remains a major part of community life across the country.
- Travel with a licensed guide or operator for anything beyond Port Moresby's hotel districts. This is a cultural point as much as a safety one: guides hold the landowner relationships that make village access appropriate in the first place.
- Accept betel nut (buai) graciously if offered, or decline with a genuine thank-you; being offered it is a small act of social inclusion either way.
Don't
- Wander off on your own in Port Moresby or any unfamiliar town after dark, or into settlement areas at any time.
- Assume PNG is culturally uniform. A custom that's fine in one province can be a serious misstep in another; defer to your guide's specific, local knowledge.
- Skip travel insurance with medical evacuation cover. Healthcare outside Port Moresby is limited, and remote-area evacuation is a real possibility to plan for, not a formality.
- Point with a single finger in many PNG cultures; a nod of the head or an open hand is the safer default.
- Underestimate the logistics. Confirm every domestic flight and village visit a day ahead through your operator; schedules move.
Deeper culture: bilums, sing-sings, and the Kula ring
The bilum. A hand-woven string bag, made and used across the country for everything from carrying produce to carrying infants, and one of the most genuine, widely made craft souvenirs available.
Sing-sings. Large ceremonial gatherings where clan groups perform traditional song and dance in elaborate dress, ochre body paint, bird-of-paradise feather headdresses and shell decorations specific to each group. The Mount Hagen and Goroka Shows are the two best organized for visitors.
The Kula ring. A ceremonial exchange network among the Trobriand and neighbouring islands, where shell valuables, armbands travelling one direction, necklaces the other, circulate among trading partners across a wide network of islands, documented since the early 20th century and still active today.
Food & Drink
PNG's food culture centres on root vegetables and greens grown on subsistence gardens, supplemented by fish on the coast and pork reserved for ceremonial occasions. Restaurant dining is concentrated in Port Moresby and a handful of provincial towns; elsewhere, meals are typically whatever a guesthouse or village family prepares.
Mumu
The ceremonial earth oven: pork, sweet potato, greens and other vegetables wrapped in leaves and cooked for hours under hot stones buried in the ground. Served at feasts and celebrations rather than every day.
Kaukau & Greens
Kaukau, sweet potato, is the Highlands staple and a dietary backbone across the country, usually boiled or roasted and served with sag (a general term for cooked greens like aibika).
Fresh Fish
Coastal towns and the Sepik and Milne Bay regions serve grilled or coconut-milk-simmered fish, often the best meal available outside Port Moresby's restaurants.
When to Go & Itineraries
May to October is the dry season and the best window for nearly everything: firmer trail conditions on Kokoda, more stable Sepik River levels, clearer diving visibility, and fewer disruptions to the Highlands Highway and rural airstrips. November to April is wetter, with the Highlands and river regions the most affected; Port Moresby itself sits in a rain shadow and stays comparatively dry year-round.
Seasons compared, with what actually changes
| Season | Verdict | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| May-Oct (dry) | Best | Firmer Kokoda trail, stable Sepik levels, best dive visibility, Highlands shows in Aug-Sep |
| Nov-Apr (wet) | Harder going | Muddier trails, higher and less predictable river levels, more flight disruption |
| Port Moresby year-round | Consistently drier | Sits in a rain shadow; hot and humid but comparatively dry all year |
Itineraries
PNG's regions connect by air, not road, so treat these as modular routes rather than a single loop. Ten days covers one region combination well; three weeks allows the Kokoda Track plus a second region.
- Days 1-2
Port Moresby. Nature Park, National Museum, Bomana War Cemetery, arrival logistics and a night to adjust.
- Days 3-7
Sepik River expedition. Fly to Wewak, then 5 days by river boat visiting spirit houses and carving villages with a licensed operator.
- Days 8-10
Rabaul & Kokopo. Fly back via Port Moresby, then to Kokopo for the Tavurvur volcano and WWII tunnels before departure.
- Days 1-2
Port Moresby. City orientation, plus a day trip or overnight at Loloata Island Resort to ease in.
- Days 3-8
Kimbe Bay. Fly to Hoskins, six days based at a Kimbe Bay dive resort working the bay's reefs and the Zero fighter wreck.
- Days 9-13
Milne Bay or Tufi. Fly via Port Moresby to Alotau for wreck and muck diving, or to Tufi for the fjords and house reef.
- Day 14
Return to Port Moresby for departure, with a buffer day built in for flight schedule slippage.
- Days 1-2
Port Moresby. Orientation and Bomana War Cemetery, an important stop before Kokoda.
- Days 3-14
The Kokoda Track. 8-12 days across the Owen Stanley Range with a licensed trekking operator, porters and guides included.
- Days 15-16
Recovery in Port Moresby. A slow couple of days, or a stay at Loloata Island Resort, before the next leg.
- Days 17-21
Sepik River or the Highlands shows. A shorter Sepik expedition, or, if timed for August-September, a flight to Mount Hagen or Goroka for the sing-sing show.
Getting there & around
Jacksons International Airport (POM) in Port Moresby is PNG's only real international gateway, served by Air Niugini, the national carrier, alongside Qantas and other airlines from Brisbane, Cairns and Sydney, plus connections from Singapore, Manila and Nadi in Fiji. From the airport, arrange a hotel-provided transfer or a pre-booked pickup rather than an informal taxi. Domestic travel is dominated by air: Air Niugini and PNG Air together run most scheduled routes, and flying is genuinely the fastest and often the only realistic way to move between regions, since Port Moresby connects by road to only two neighbouring provinces and no road links the capital to the Highlands or Sepik.
Road travel, the Highlands Highway, and practical prep
The Okuk (Highlands) Highway connects Lae to the major Highland towns and the Tari gas fields, but it's unsealed in places and can close for days after landslides. Self-drive is not a typical or recommended option for visitors anywhere in the country; where road transport is needed, it's arranged through your operator with a local driver.
Practical prep: confirm every domestic flight and village visit a day ahead, since schedules shift; carry more cash than you think you'll need outside Port Moresby, since ATMs are scarce beyond the capital and major towns; and buy full travel insurance that explicitly covers medical evacuation, given how limited healthcare infrastructure is outside Port Moresby. An eSIM covers Port Moresby's network reasonably well; expect little to no signal in the Sepik or on the Kokoda Track.
Where to stay
Port Moresby hotels
Airways Hotel is the city's top pick near Jacksons Airport; Grand Papua Hotel and Lamana Hotel are well-regarded mid-range options, and the Holiday Inn Port Moresby covers the reliable international-chain option.
Dive resorts
Loloata Island Resort near Port Moresby, Walindi Plantation Resort in Kimbe Bay and Tufi Dive Resort in Oro Province are the three established names, typically booked as multi-night dive packages rather than nightly rooms.
Kokopo, for Rabaul
Rapopo Plantation Resort and Kokopo Beach Bungalow Resort are the two established beachfront options for visiting Rabaul's volcanic and wartime sites.
Sepik & village stays
Basic guesthouses and homestays along the Sepik are booked as part of a river expedition package rather than independently; standards are simple, and that's part of the experience.
Budget Planning
PNG's cost structure is unusual: everyday costs in Port Moresby are moderate, but the trips that define a PNG visit, Kokoda, the Sepik, dive resorts, are sold as guided packages with real prices attached. Budget for the package cost of your chosen activities separately from your daily living costs.
- Simple guesthouse in Port Moresby
- Local market food, kaukau & greens
- Domestic flights budgeted separately
- Free sights: Ela Beach, city walks with a local guide
- Hotel in Port Moresby or Kokopo
- Restaurant meals, Duffy Cafe and similar
- Domestic flights and a day tour
- Loloata Island Resort day pass
- Airways Hotel or dive resort packages
- Private guides and drivers throughout
- Multi-night dive resort stays
- Excludes the Kokoda Track package cost
Big-ticket items to budget separately
| Guided Kokoda Track trek | $2,500-4,000 per person |
| Sepik River expedition (5-10 days) | Package rate, ask operator |
| Port Moresby mid-range hotel | $100-155/night |
| Loloata Island day pass | ~AU$40 |
| Domestic flight (one sector) | $100-300 |
| Tourist visa (apply ahead) | ~$100-150 |
Prices reflect September 2026 research and drift over time, especially domestic airfares and dive packages. Treat them as a planning baseline, not a quote.
Visa & Entry
Most Western passport holders need to apply for a tourist visa online in advance through PNG's official Immigration and Citizenship Authority at ica.gov.pg, not a true visa-on-arrival, which is restricted mainly to Pacific Island state passport holders. Processing typically takes 5 to 10 business days and costs roughly $100-150. Third-party sites promising a "PNG eVisa" are common in search results and are not official; use the ICA portal directly or a PNG diplomatic mission.
✓ Apply ahead through ICA
Most nationalities apply online via ica.gov.pg well before departure; do not expect to arrange a visa at the airport.
✓ Australia & New Zealand: visa-free
Citizens of Australia and New Zealand can enter for tourism visa-free for up to 60 days.
✓ Valid passport & onward ticket
At least 6 months validity is commonly required, along with proof of onward or return travel and accommodation details.
✓ Beware third-party sites
Only apply through the official ICA portal or a PNG embassy or high commission. Paid third-party "visa" sites are widely flagged as unofficial or fraudulent.
| Papua New Guinea | Fiji | |
|---|---|---|
| What you're buying | Raw adventure: WWII history, tribal culture, wreck diving | Easy South Pacific beach resort travel |
| Safety picture | US Level 3, Highlands mostly Level 4; organized tours strongly advised | Low-risk, standard beach-destination precautions |
| Trip structure | Guided packages, domestic flights between regions | Resort-based, easy independent travel |
| Visa | Apply ahead online for most nationalities | Visa-free for most passports, up to 4 months |
| Diving | Kimbe Bay & Milne Bay, world-class wreck & reef diving | Excellent soft coral diving, more accessible logistics |
Safety, Solo Women & Family
This is the chapter to read most carefully. The US State Department rates Papua New Guinea a Level 3, Reconsider Travel, for the country overall, due to crime, civil unrest and piracy, and a Level 4, Do Not Travel, for the Highlands region specifically excluding Mount Hagen and Goroka, due to ongoing civil unrest. Australia's Smartraveller advisory is similarly cautious. None of this means don't go; it means go through the structure, licensed operators, pre-arranged transfers, guides with local relationships, that the large majority of visitors already use, and treat independent, unguided travel as a meaningfully different and riskier undertaking.
Crime in Port Moresby
Opportunistic armed robbery and carjacking, often called "raskol" crime locally, is the primary concern, concentrated around settlement areas like Two-Mile, Nine-Mile and Koki. Use hotel-arranged transport, keep vehicle doors locked and windows up, and don't walk after dark.
The Highlands warning
Civil unrest has put most of the Highlands region under a formal do-not-travel advisory. Mount Hagen and Goroka are specific exceptions for the sing-sing shows; elsewhere in the Highlands, don't go independently right now.
Remote-area logistics
Healthcare outside Port Moresby is limited and unexploded WWII ordnance persists in some areas. Full travel insurance with medical evacuation cover is essential, not optional, for the Kokoda Track, Sepik and Highlands.
Solo women travelers
Papua New Guinea is not a typical solo backpacking destination for anyone, and that caution applies with particular force to solo women. The realistic and widely used approach is to travel with an established tour operator rather than independently: guided small groups handle the transport, accommodation and local relationships that make travel here workable, and solo women who want to see PNG generally join one rather than going it alone. This isn't a judgment on the country's people, who are frequently the warmest part of any traveler's account of PNG; it's a practical response to limited infrastructure and a real crime picture in the cities.
Emergency numbers (Port Moresby)
Outside Port Moresby, and embassy contacts
There is no unified national emergency number outside Port Moresby and the main urban centers; in remote areas your guide or operator is the practical first line of response, which is one more reason to travel with one. The Australian High Commission in Port Moresby (Godwit Road, Waigani, +675 7090 0100) is the largest diplomatic presence and a useful general reference point given the volume of Australian visitors and business travelers.
Family travel
Honestly, PNG is not a typical family destination, and this guide won't pretend it's a natural fit for young children on a broad touring itinerary. It can work well for families with older kids or teens built around one specific, guided activity, a dive resort stay, the Port Moresby Nature Park, rather than an ambitious multi-region circuit. If that's the trip you're planning, lean even more heavily on an experienced operator who has run family groups before.
Papua New Guinea FAQ
Is Papua New Guinea safe to visit?
The US State Department rates PNG a Level 3, Reconsider Travel, for crime, and Level 4, Do Not Travel, for the Highlands region outside Mount Hagen and Goroka, due to civil unrest. Organized tours, licensed drivers and pre-arranged transfers see large numbers of visitors through incident-free trips every year; independent, unguided travel is a considerably riskier undertaking.
Do I need a visa for Papua New Guinea?
Most Western passport holders need to apply online in advance through PNG's official Immigration and Citizenship Authority (ica.gov.pg), typically 5-10 business days ahead, for around $100-150. Visa-on-arrival is restricted mainly to Pacific Island state passports. Australian and New Zealand citizens can enter visa-free for tourism for up to 60 days. Avoid third-party "PNG eVisa" sites; use the official ICA portal only.
What is the Kokoda Track and do I need to be fit for it?
A 96-kilometre WWII battle trail across the Owen Stanley Range between Port Moresby and Popondetta, walked in 8 to 12 days with a licensed operator. It is genuinely demanding: steep, humid and remote, and a real level of fitness and preparation is required, not just enthusiasm.
Is Papua New Guinea good for diving?
Yes, among the best in the world. Kimbe Bay has over 400 coral species and 860 fish species, Milne Bay has celebrated wreck and muck diving including the B-17 Blackjack, and Tufi's fjords add a unique setting. Best diving conditions run May to November.
When is the best time to visit Papua New Guinea?
May to October, the dry season, for the Kokoda Track, Sepik River levels, diving visibility and road conditions. December to April is wetter, with the Highlands roads and river travel more difficult.
How many days do you need in Papua New Guinea?
Ten days covers one region properly, for example Port Moresby plus the Sepik River or Rabaul. PNG's regions are not connected by road, so most itineraries pick two or three regions linked by domestic flights rather than a single overland loop.
What language is spoken in Papua New Guinea?
Tok Pisin, English and Hiri Motu are the official languages, but PNG is the most linguistically diverse country on Earth with more than 840 living languages. Tok Pisin is the practical lingua franca in markets and towns; English is common in hotels and with guides.
Is Papua New Guinea safe for solo female travelers?
This is not a typical solo backpacking destination. Guided small-group travel is strongly recommended for all visitors regardless of gender, and solo women in particular should book through an established operator rather than travel independently.
Can I visit the PNG Highlands and the sing-sing festivals?
Mount Hagen and Goroka are specifically excluded from the Highlands region travel warning, and their sing-sing shows, typically in August or September, are visited by organized tour groups every year. Travel elsewhere in the Highlands is currently advised against.
Is Papua New Guinea expensive?
Moderately, for a very different reason than most destinations: daily costs in town are reasonable, but guided access, the real cost driver, to the Kokoda Track, Sepik expeditions and dive resorts runs into the thousands of dollars per trip.
What currency does Papua New Guinea use?
The Papua New Guinean kina (PGK). ATMs from Bank South Pacific, Westpac and ANZ work in Port Moresby and major towns; carry cash for the Sepik, Highlands and other remote areas where ATMs don't exist.
Is Papua New Guinea good for families with kids?
Honestly, not typically. It suits older kids and teens on a specific, guided trip, such as diving or Port Moresby's Nature Park, better than young children on a broad touring itinerary. This is not a standard family beach destination.
What Stays With You
Travelers who make it to the Sepik or finish the Kokoda Track tend to talk about Papua New Guinea differently than they talk about anywhere else they've been: less "I saw" and more "I was let in." A carver in a Sepik village explaining what a specific figure on a spirit house actually means. A porter on Kokoda pointing out a foxhole from a battle his grandfather's generation fought. A Highlands dancer in full ceremonial dress who, five minutes after the performance, is laughing and showing you photos on someone's phone. None of it is staged, and all of it takes real effort and real money to reach.
Go with a good operator, go with your eyes open about what this country asks of a visitor, and go while it still asks that much.