Papua New Guinea – Is Port Moresby Safe or Dangerous?

Tell someone you’re going to Papua New Guinea and if they’ve ever heard of the country, they will likely tell you how dangerous it is (whether they’ve been there or not, they’ll have an opinion). Specifically, they’ll share how dangerous it is in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, and the entry point for nearly everyone.

Prior to my departure a few weeks ago, I heard an earful from a lot of people, including those whom I consider very experienced travelers. It’s not worth repeating their words of danger as I’d only be perpetuating the fear, but suffice it to say… the words of warning had me questioning my own travel plans and frantically sending off emails to the folks who had arranged my tour, asking them for reassurance that I’d return home in one piece.

While I won’t tell you that Port Moresby is safe, I will tell you that what I experienced was not worthy of the dire words of warning and the suggestion that I avoid the city at all costs. To the contrary, I met the most lovely people in Moresby (as the locals call it), shopped for artifacts that were gathered from around the country, and browsed through hundreds of unique books from the University bookstore.

Here were the highlights:

After arriving early in the morning from a few days at the Tawali Dive Resort near Alotau, I freshened up, grabbed a quick lunch at my hotel (the Ela Beach Hotel) and then was picked up by my guide for the afternoon, Andrew (pictured right). After a few awkward miles of driving and halted conversation about what I might like to see in Port Moresby, Andrew and I got into a groove. I explained that I was interested in the local culture, I wanted to shop for some artifacts/crafts and wanted to go to a bookstore. Andrew was right on it.

Our first stop was a handicraft warehouse, PNG Arts, that Andrew described as the largest in the country. In truth, it probably wasn’t any larger than my home, but I wouldn’t doubt that it was the largest in all of PNG given the lack of infrastructure. I picked up a mask and a few little statues that were packaged up for me. If I was confident that I could carry them home, I would have purchased far more. But I was concerned about what I’d be allowed to bring back in to the U.S. with regards to shells (which were imbedded in many of the masks) and animal parts such as pigs’ tusks. (I checked the state department’s website on what a person can bring back into the country but it is pretty ambiguous, suggesting you contact them before you leave the U.S. to ask about items. And really, who knows what you might bring back until you’re actually at your destination!!!) So, I exercised caution, bought what I thought wouldn’t raise alarm bells with customs and was able to pack a few items into my one carry-on bag.

Andrew and I then headed off to the University of Port Moresby bookstore as I was interested in purchasing a book or two on the tribes of PNG – books that I didn’t think I could find in the U.S. Though the store was closed (likely for their lunch break), they opened it for me and showed me around their quite large selection of books about their country. Unfortunately most of the books were way too textbook-y for me, which makes sense given that it is a University bookstore. But I did find a couple of books for my flight home including The Lost Tribe by Edward Marriott.

Side note – This book ended up being a great read for my flight home. It’s about the author’s travels in the early 1990′s to a remote area of PNG to visit a tribe that had just been discovered two years prior. (Did you get that – this tribe had first contact with the outside world in the early 1990′s!!!!) While the book was pretty well written and definitely a tale of adventure, it didn’t hold a candle to Kira Salak’s Four Corners, which I had read upon arrival to PNG. This is her own memoir of traveling through the jungles of PNG as a solo traveler. Kira rocks like no other woman adventurer!

Anyhoo, back to Andrew and Port Moresby…

After finding a couple of books, Andrew and I made our way over to the Botanical Gardens at the University. In truth there wasn’t a whole lot to see here except for the caged cassowaries and a few other birds, including the famed Bird of Paradise. But, it was a lovely respite from the city. And I enjoyed walking around – a bit of a luxury in PNG, where one really should not be wandering around on their own.

We then went to the Parliament Haus – the most famous building in Moresby. The building itself features various styles of architecture found throughout the country. And the main lobby features display cases with huge butterflies, moths, insects and beetles under glass. Unfortunately no photos were allowed so you’ll have to take my word for the fact that these alone are worth the visit. Unless you’re going to be traveling around the jungle and don’t mind encountering these for yourself, you’ll never see anything like these.

The best part of traveling around with Andrew, however, was the conversation. He mentioned that he was from Huli. Though I hadn’t been there, I was familiar with this town as the home to the Huli Wigmen. When I mentioned that I was familiar with the Wigmen, he nodded and said that he is one and then pulled out photos of himself with his fellow tribesmen. I could have cried with joy!

Imagine. I have dreamed about this destination (PNG) for more than half my life. I’m fascinated by the variety of tribes found throughout the country. And I have a particular fascination with the Huli Wigmen, who spend years of their lives growing their hair to create fantastic wigs for themselves. Then, there I am. With my driver/guide. And I find out that he IS a Wigman. He’s as proud of his tribe as he is his country and city. And, then he offers to bring me and my group to his village when I return to PNG. Life does NOT get better.

So, what’s my takeaway from Port Moresby? As I mentioned, I would not put it in the safe category. You don’t want to wander around on your own. You don’t want to go out at night (even with a guide/escort/security guard).  One look at all the barbed wire that keeps everyone in their homes should be a pretty good clue that an evening stroll is out of the question. And, believe me, I did hear a lot of stories about robberies where the security guard would get knocked out and the local hoodlums, called rascals, would break into a home or apartment building while the security guard lay helpless.

But me? I never felt threatened. The hairs on my neck never stood up because I thought danger was around the corner. Instead, I felt that people went out of their way (a la the bookstore) to help me. Throughout the country this was the treatment that I received. I don’t dispute that some very bad things happen in the cities. An article in the local paper talked about how dangerous Lae, the country’s second largest city is and what might be done about this (likely nothing until the government addresses unemployment and corruption but that’s another blog post…). But for travelers passing through, it doesn’t seem to be a city or country to avoid as the rewards far outweigh the possibility of issues.

Having said all that, I would NOT go to PNG without a tour and would not leave my hotel without a guide or escort. As someone who loves early morning walks for both exercise and to check out the local culture and environment, I definitely felt constrained. But it was a small sacrifice in order to spend the afternoon with a Huli Wigman.

Travel Well!

Beth

Related Links
Papua New Guinea – Gor Tribal Man
Papua New Guinea – A Recap
Mosquito Repellent in Papua New Guinea
Tomorrow? Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea – Off the Charts