Location: South Pacific Ocean, between the Coral Sea and Bismarck Sea, North of Australia and east of Indonesia.
Capital: Port Moresby
Tourist Attractions: Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) natural beauty is marred by the sporadic acts of violence around Port Moresby, Lae and other urban centres in the Highlands, especially Southern highlands. Also tourists shouldn’t visit the no-go zone around the former Panguna mine. Tourist attractions include the Varirata National Park that has numerous walking trails, the Mt Wilhelm for its great climb to the summit, and Lake Kutubu that provides a great scenic view and opportunities to swim in its clear waters. The beaches and the hills of the Sepik Islands also attract tourists in great numbers. Papua New Guinea is also known for its spectacular native birds and butterflies.
Access: PNG has direct flights from Australia, Philippines, Fiji, Solomon Islands and Singapore. Also, some cruise lines do dock at Port Moresby. For traveling by road, one can cross the borders at Indonesia.
Climate: Papua New Guinea’s weather is mainly divided into a wet season ranging from December to March and a dry season from May to October. The highlands tend to be very cold in winter.