Papua New Guinea travel question - PLEASE HELP!!

ewaiea · Nov 8, 2009

This April, I am flying into PNG from Honolulu by way of Cairns, Australia. I have booked three seperate tickets to save some money because booking it as all one ticket would have been way too expensive - at least it looks that way right now. I have a 12 hour layover in Cairns before I fly Air Niugini to Port Moresby. When I arrive in Port Moresby I have to clear customs and catch my third flight which is Port Moresby to Hoskins. I only have a bit over 2 hours and that's if the flight's on time.

My question is: How long does the customs in Port Moresby usually take? Would 2 hours leave me enough time to make my connection?
Please note: I'm going to try and get my PNG currency (Kina) sent to me ahead of time from the PNG Embassy in Washington DC so I can save time when I arrive.

My second question is: While in Cairns, does Air Niugini ever allow you to try and get on an earlier flight if there is one available?

Anyone with some experience traveling into this country? Please help me out with any info you may be able to provide.

Oh and so you know, I will have flight protection as well as travel insurance.

Thanks,

Eric

Manuel Sam · Nov 8, 2009

Question 1: don't recall it being any better or worse than average when I went last year. Are you aware that you need a visa and that you can apply for it beforehand? It costs 100 Kinas and, if you do it upon arrival, they only accept kinas.

If you have three separate tickets, I don't know if you will be able to check your bags all the way thru to Hoskins. Ask the question when you check in in Honolulu. If not, it means that you will need to retrieve your bags at both Cairns and Port Moresby and then check in. Not a problem in Cairns since you have a long layover. For Port Moresby, might be a bit tight.

Haven't tried question 2.

We took Malarone for malaria prophylaxis.

Kevrumbo · Nov 8, 2009

Had similar itinerary nine years ago Dec-Jan; slept in the Cairns Airport Terminal for the layover (stayed at the Coral Tree Inn on the return leg back). The most harrowing part was the stopover at Port Moresby: Two hours is barely enough time to pass customs, get your visa and money exchanged. Also, you had to exit the Int'l side of the terminal and walk around 50yds through the thick crowd to the Domestic Terminal and check in for the flight to Hoskins --I was thankful that I wasn't pick-pocketed or had my carry-on snatched, or gotten mugged . . . it was that scary. And finally upon afternoon arrival at Hoskins Airport, we had a nervous wait for the private van from Walindi to finally pick us up (I wouldn't want to be there after dark, so reserve now and catch the earliest flight on Air Niugini from Cairns if you can!). . .

The diving was fantastic (Peter Hughes Liveaboard), but I came down with Dengue Fever at the end of the charter, and spent the rest of the vacation in a Koror Hospital (Palau) being treated by a US Navy Corpsman. ( Recommend DEET spray and permethrin clothes treatment to keep the mosquitos away, as well as taking anti-malarial meds.)

Travelers' Health | CDC

chinacat46 · Nov 8, 2009

You should be able to get your visa, clear customs and imigration and recheck your bag as well as walk from international to domestic terminal in Port Moresby and recheck in there, etc... I did it 1:45 and there was a very long line for the visa's took forever. Make sure you have kina beforehand if not they will take Australian $50 instead of $100 Kina. I know I did it. Once you clear customs recheck your bag at the international terminal it will save you time. The domestic terminal is interesting to say the least. Enjoy it. LOL

ewaiea · Nov 9, 2009

I called travelocity and was able to cancel my tickets from Honolulu to Cairns and Cairns to Port Moresby - since it was within 24 hours of booking the cancellation was free. I kept my Air Niugini ticket from Port Moresby to Hoskins though. I rebooked myself on Qantas from Honolulu to Port Moresby on the same ticket - so hopefully I'll only have to recheck my bags in Port Moresby. I also made sure that my layovers allowed me more time.

Honolulu to Sydney (layover about 3 1/2 hours), Sydney to Cairns (layover 8 hours), Cairns to Port Moresby (layover 7 hours); then go to Hoskins on a seperate reservation arriving at Walindi one day before the charter starts.

On my way back I have layovers of 6 hrs in Port Moresby, 12 hours in Brisbane overnight, 12 hours in Sydney during the day, and then fly directly back to Honolulu.

The trip to PNG will have 36 hours of total travel time (flying + layovers), the trip back to Hawaii 47 hours (flying + layovers).

It's a real racket as far as how long the stop overs are and how long you're on the planes for, but at least I know now that I have a safe margin of error on pretty much each layover. I hope I can get a room at Walindi, and on the way home I think I'll probably spend my 12 hour overnight layover in Brisbane at one of the airport hotels.

I'll have to do some researching on how many people have ran into problems in Port Moresby at the airport, does anyone else have horror stories about going through Port Moresby? Keep in mind, I'm a white male about 6'0" traveling alone, so I somewhat stick out, but I won't be leaving the airport.

Thanks all, 5 months to go and I can't wait!

Eric

H2O Gal · Nov 9, 2009

Dang, I hope the diving there is REALLY spectacular, if you have to go through hell and high water to get there! Sounds like a grueling trip--something like they'd come up with on The Amazing Race!

caymaniac · Nov 9, 2009

4 yrs. ago I went on a StarDancer trip with several days at Walindi. Going from Mich. to Houston to Hawaii to Guam to Cairns, then overnight, then Port Moresby. We had several hours layover, I had the Kina thing ready to go, at the 2 and a half hour mark we did not have our way through customs yet and the plane left in three...one half hour to go.....an hour latter we were rushed through customs, our bags were not weighed they threw them on the plane and the plane was already warmed up and had been waiting a full half hour for us. We barely sat down and the plane was off to Hoskins. Recap

4&1/2) to Houston, (8) to Hawaii, (8) to Guam, got on the wrong plane as they changed the gates, we were loaded on a plane to Bali - walking on I said "hey there's someone sitting in our seats" they were going to close the door but we said "let us off" and they did. (4&1/2) to Cairns, (2&1/2) to PortMoorsby, (2&1/2) to Hoskins.
Strangely enough, the diving was well worth it, except now the Caribbean is really not that great as far as diversity and fish life...even the Caymans/Bonaire/T&C....a trip like that will spoil you.
On the way to Hoskins:

Somewhere in the Bismark Sea:

Killibob's

cdiver2 · Nov 9, 2009

Take your own for the PNG side. There was no toilet paper in any of the toilets Int or domestic. DO NOT USE the toilet in Hoskins...you have been warned.

chinacat46 · Nov 10, 2009

ewaiea:
I called travelocity and was able to cancel my tickets from Honolulu to Cairns and Cairns to Port Moresby - since it was within 24 hours of booking the cancellation was free. I kept my Air Niugini ticket from Port Moresby to Hoskins though. I rebooked myself on Qantas from Honolulu to Port Moresby on the same ticket - so hopefully I'll only have to recheck my bags in Port Moresby. I also made sure that my layovers allowed me more time.

Honolulu to Sydney (layover about 3 1/2 hours), Sydney to Cairns (layover 8 hours), Cairns to Port Moresby (layover 7 hours); then go to Hoskins on a seperate reservation arriving at Walindi one day before the charter starts.

On my way back I have layovers of 6 hrs in Port Moresby, 12 hours in Brisbane overnight, 12 hours in Sydney during the day, and then fly directly back to Honolulu.

The trip to PNG will have 36 hours of total travel time (flying + layovers), the trip back to Hawaii 47 hours (flying + layovers).

It's a real racket as far as how long the stop overs are and how long you're on the planes for, but at least I know now that I have a safe margin of error on pretty much each layover. I hope I can get a room at Walindi, and on the way home I think I'll probably spend my 12 hour overnight layover in Brisbane at one of the airport hotels.

I'll have to do some researching on how many people have ran into problems in Port Moresby at the airport, does anyone else have horror stories about going through Port Moresby? Keep in mind, I'm a white male about 6'0" traveling alone, so I somewhat stick out, but I won't be leaving the airport.

Thanks all, 5 months to go and I can't wait!

Eric

On your wayback you want to go to the Traveler's Hotel in Port Morsby. They have a van that will shuttle you back and forth from the airport. The hotel has an area for day travelers as well as restaurants, gift shops, showers, pool, etc... It's secure and much better then spending your day at the Port Moresby airport.

Manuel Sam · Nov 10, 2009

The idea of spending the lengthy layover in POM (on the way there or back) at an airport hotel instead of at the airport terminal is excellent - we did that on our last trip to PNG. I don't know if the Traveler's Hotel is the same as the Airways Hotel, but the idea is the same. They pick you up on their shuttle and bring you up to their open air restaurant/lounge area. Then when you are ready to leave, you notify any of the staff people and the shuttle comes and takes you back to the airport.

The restaurant at Airways offers a buffet meal as well as ala carte. There is also a deli/pastry shop with AC.

Papua New Guinea travel question - PLEASE HELP!!

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