Boutique hotels in Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea is one of the most culturally diverse countries on earth, with more than 800 languages, mountain valleys and river systems that shelter traditions found nowhere else. It is also one of the most challenging places to travel: roads are poor, distances are covered by small planes and boats, and security in some towns calls for care. The reward is extraordinary, from reefs of exceptional diversity to remote river lodges.

Good to know

Check official travel advice before going, travel with a reputable local operator and take hotel-arranged transport in the towns. Many of the best places to stay are lodges and resorts reached only by air or boat.

Reefs and coast

Kimbe Bay in West New Britain has some of the richest coral on the planet, and the fjords at Tufi in Oro Province offer diving on wartime wrecks. Alotau in Milne Bay and Kavieng in New Ireland are bases for island resorts, while Kokopo and Rabaul, beneath active volcanoes, have a history of wartime tunnels and beach resorts. Madang has reefs, a harbor and lodges on the north coast.

Highlands and rivers

Mount Hagen is the gateway to the Western Highlands, where festivals bring tribes in full dress. The Sepik River, reached by charter flight, is the heartland of carving and the spirit-house tradition, with a river lodge and a cruiser.

Cities

Port Moresby and Lae are the bases for domestic flights and have a handful of better hotels.

When to go

May to October is the drier season for much of the country, and diving is generally best from November to June at Tufi.