Health & safety
Staying Safe and Well in Papua New Guinea: Drivers, Daylight and Spare Days
Papua New Guinea is travelled with drivers, guides and operators, and between its regions largely by air. Before the trip, read your own government's current travel advice for Papua New Guinea. On the ground, a few habits carry every stage of a journey: arranged transport rather than the street, daylight for anything on the road, and a local guide or operator who knows the way and the current situation.
Updated 2026-10-05
Valuables and evenings in the towns
In Port Moresby, Lae, Mount Hagen and the other towns, visitors do not walk the streets after dark: an evening out runs door to door by car, with the ride back arranged before setting off. By day as well, cash, cards and phones stay out of sight, and only what the day needs leaves the room. A day's cash is carried apart from the rest, which matters in a country where much of a trip is paid for in kina in small notes.
Roads by daylight, flights with spare days
Traffic in Papua New Guinea drives on the left. Roads are in poor repair, above all in rural areas, and driving is erratic, so a journey between towns is made by day and with a local operator who knows the road. No road links the regions, so getting around Papua New Guinea over longer distances means domestic flights. International and domestic flights alike are often delayed or cancelled: every itinerary keeps spare days, above all before the flight home.
The Highlands and the Kokoda Track
A trip to the Highlands, the shows of Mount Hagen and Goroka included, is arranged with a local operator who knows the current situation in each valley. The Kokoda Track is walked only with guides from an established trekking company, never independently. Unexploded wartime ordnance still lies along the track, as it does around Milne Bay and Rabaul: anything found is left where it lies and not touched.
Earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes
Earthquakes are a serious risk across the country, and a strong one can be followed by a tsunami: on the coast, a strong quake is the signal to move to high ground. Several volcanoes are active, Mount Tavurvur at Rabaul among them, and near any of them the instructions of the local authorities are followed, closures and evacuations included.
Mosquitoes, altitude and medicines
Malaria, dengue, Zika and chikungunya, all spread by mosquitoes, occur in Papua New Guinea, and so does tuberculosis. Protection against bites — repellent, long sleeves and trousers from dusk, a net at night — belongs to every day of the trip. Altitude sickness is a risk in the mountains. Medical facilities are very basic and hospitals often run short of medicines, so anything taken regularly comes from home, in enough quantity for the whole stay.
Local laws and village courtesy
Using, possessing or trafficking illegal drugs, marijuana included, brings a long prison sentence. Sexual activity between men is illegal and punished with prison. In the villages and at the shows, people are asked before they are photographed close up, and the local guide's lead is followed.