Papua New Guinea, PNG in Oceania comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, the world's second largest island, and several islands in Melanesia. The capital is Port Moresby.

The country has 840 known spoken languages. This makes PNG the most linguistically diverse country in the world, with 12% of the world's total spoken languages. The population lives mainly in rural areas. Only 14% live in actual urban centers. Continuing traditional societies and lifestyles are explicitly protected by the Papua New Guinean constitution.

Mountains and deep valleys cover over 70% of the country. Plains and swamps cover the rest. There are four major islands: Bougainville, Manus, New Britain and New Ireland, and over 600 smaller islands.

Mount Wilhelm is 4,509 meters and the highest mountain and the Sepik River is the longest on the entire island. It is the third largest river in Oceania and about 1100 km long.

Papua New Guinea is home to about 5% of all known living species in the world, of which perhaps a third are endemic. Papua New Guinea has the third largest contiguous rainforest area in the world.

How much does a diving trip to Papua New Guinea, PNG cost?

A diving trip to Papua New Guinea, PNG, you should expect to cost from 75 - 100,000 SEK, but it depends on a number of different factors. You can read more about why here on our page.. It is difficult to give a general answer about how much it costs for a package with flights, transfers, accommodation and diving. For a liveaboard it will be more. Contact us at Scuba Travel for a free proposal and you will get more detailed info. 

When is the best time to go to Papua New Guinea, PNG?

The best time to dive in Papua New Guinea, PNG is generally from May to November during the dry season. This is when you will typically have calm seas and good visibility. However, conditions can vary depending on the region. Specific regions are typically best at different times. This also means that you can go to Papua New Guinea all year round.
The Bismarck Archipelago with Kavieng and Kimbe Bay is normally best from May to November, while the Milne Bay area and the southern parts around Port Moresby are best from November to January. September normally has many mantas.
The Coral Sea towards Australia is known for its abundance of sharks and is normally best from December to April, but unfortunately it is very rare to see tours there these days.

o Dry season, May – November
o Rainy season, December – March
o Transition month, April

What can I see when diving in Papua New Guinea, PNG?

It is probably almost easier to list what you will not see in Papua New Guinea, PNG. It is incredibly rich in marine life and there are lots of corals and cnidarians, invertebrates such as nudibranchs, flatworms, squids, crustaceans, echinoderms and much more. Larger and smaller species such as hammerhead sharks, wobbegongs, silvertip sharks, reef sharks, tiger sharks, epaulette sharks and many more. Over 130 species of shark have been documented including rare species such as sawfish and river sharks. Strange ghost pipefish, rhinopia scorpionfish, frogfish, strange wrasses and much more. New species are discovered here annually and the list of species is long. Marine mammals can also be seen here sometimes, dolphins, killer whales and various whales. 

Animals and nature

Papua New Guinea offers incredibly rich and diverse nature, with vast rainforests, mountain ranges and pristine coral reefs. There is a very high level of biodiversity here. PNG is known for its many birds of paradise, 38 different species, endemic mammals such as tree kangaroos and bandicoots or marsupial badgers.
Papua New Guinea has the richest island flora in the world, with incredible diversity and high endemism, especially in orchids and trees. It has ecosystems ranging from lowland rainforests and swamps to montane forests and grasslands. The flora includes thousands of tree species including over 40 different types of bananas.
There is an incredibly wide variety of insects here including Queen Alexandra's birdwing butterfly. The sea is home to a colourful marine life including mandarhinofish and lots of strange invertebrates and fish but also large species like sharks and rays.

Where is the best diving in Papua New Guinea, PNG?

The “best” diving in Papua New Guinea, PNG depends a lot on your interests. Milne Bay in the eastern part is known for its macro and muck diving where you will experience many strange animals. Kimbe Bay in New Britain is a paradise for photographers with various corals and marine life. Kavieng in New Ireland offers encounters with large pelagic fish and strong currents.
Other top spots include Rabaul for its WWII wreck diving and Tufi for its unique fjord diving combining reef, macro/muck and sometimes pelagic species. There are many other spots but they are rarely or almost never visited by liveaboarders in principle.

Is there liveboard in Papua New Guinea, PNG?

Yes, absolutely there are. They are surprisingly few in number considering the size and potential of the country, but all liveaboards are very good. For those of you who want to go on a liveaboard in Papua New Guinea or to another destination or are thinking about land-based diving in Papua New Guinea, contact us with your wishes and concerns on tel: 0301-22100 – Departures

Great species richness

Papua New Guinea, PNG has an incredibly rich marine life. It is home to over 600 species of hard coral, the world's largest diversity of clownfish and many other species. There are plenty of sharks, hammerheads, wobbegongs, rays, whale sharks, dolphins and turtles. The almost pristine reefs are also home to a wide variety of fish, large and small. Everything from tuna, trevally, barracuda, swordfish to groupers and a wide range of smaller, cryptic species such as pygmy seahorses, frogfish, ghost pipefish, and a variety of invertebrates such as cephalopods, including the nautilus or pearl boat, crustaceans and colorful flatworms and nudibranchs.

For those of you who don't dive

If you don't dive in Papua New Guinea, there are still unimaginable opportunities to experience and discover this vast country. For those looking for extreme trekking, you can hike the historic Kokoda Trail. Note that it is at least 7-9 days. You can visit Port Moresby Nature Park to see wildlife, explore local culture through festivals or villages, or even take a guided tour of ports to see more of the islands. Make sure to travel with guides, avoid going out on your own. Depending on where in the country you are, there are completely different cultural experiences, beaches to discover, snorkeling, sunbathing along the coast and fantastic nature walks in the highlands. You can also get help with arrangements on land, war history, hot springs, waterfalls, bird watching and much more at the dive resorts. 

If you're lucky, you'll come here when there are so-called sing-sings. These are often annual festivals where members of each tribe come to exchange experiences and show off. In the past, goods, food and even daughters were exchanged with each other. Nowadays, it is instead an increasingly tourist-oriented element in PNG, but the experience is fantastic and very much alive and authentic. With all the traditional outfits and dances, it is very spectacular to experience. There are a couple of really big festivals that are very popular and accommodations are usually fully booked long before.