What to See in Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)

By | July 9, 2022

According to SIMPLYYELLOWPAGES, Port Moresby is the capital of Papua New Guinea. The city is administratively divided into a separate district, which includes the capital itself and small suburban villages. Port Moresby is located in the southeastern part of the island of New Guinea on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Papua.

In 1873, a small colonial settlement was founded on this site by Captain John Moresby. A little later, Christian missions arrived here, and Port Moresby began to turn into the administrative center of European settlements on the island. During the Second World War, the small city of Port Moresby became a huge military camp, and after the war it was the only surviving city of the island, which is why it was chosen as the capital of the state.

Hills surround the city on one side and Firfax Bay on the other. The old city, which is called Town, is located in the southwestern part of the city on a small peninsula between two bays. Here, in the old quarters, buildings of the colonial period have been preserved, however, during the Second World War, most of them were destroyed. Town is home to the oldest building in the capital – El United Church, which was built in 1890. In the south-west of Tauna rises a 99 m high Paga hill, which offers a bewitching view of the city and the sea, in the north there is a port, and in the south Ela beach, surrounded by a park, stretches. Ela Beach, like all city beaches, is quite dirty. Every year in September, the beach hosts a three-day Khiri Moale Festival. The festival is celebrated during the historical trading campaign of the inhabitants of the province of Gulf to the capital regions and is accompanied by songs, dances and performances of various tribes.

A little north of the Old City on the coast, the village of Khanubada is interesting, which was destroyed during the Second World War. After the war, it was rebuilt and is now the largest village in the state and the symbol of Port Moresby. All the houses in the village are built on stilts.

In the very north of Port Moresby is the Waigani area, where most government offices are located. Very nice modern parliament building (1984), which is built in the national style and looks like a typical aboriginal culture house for spirits. Next to the Parliament is the National Museum, which contains collections on nature, ethnography, culture and history of the country, and the Art Gallery. The University of Papua New Guinea is located in the northern part of Waigani, and the National Botanical Gardens are located to the west of it.. It houses a wide variety of plants from all over the country, including over 3,000 orchids, the largest collection of orchids in the Southern Hemisphere. The gardens consist of several parts, each representing the flora of a separate province of the country. Hiking paths in the gardens are made in the form of suspended wooden decks, when walking along which tourists do not harm the plants.

South of the Waigani district is the Gordon district with one of the largest markets in the country.

The new city of Port Moresby, called Boroko, is located just south of Gordon. It features modern office buildings and chic hotels., as well as the largest shopping center in the capital, which contains not only the best shops, but also restaurants, bars and branches of the largest banks.

Unlike downtown Port Moresby, its outskirts, where residential areas with shacks stretch, are not so attractive.

The entire coast north and south of Port Moresby is surrounded by beaches, coral reefs and small islands. Port Moresby offers water activities such as diving, snorkeling, surfing, kite surfing, sailing, water skiing and sea fishing. Not far from the capital of the country on the small island of Loloata resort of the same name is located. You can get to the resort by boats that run from the pier, located a few kilometers south of Port Moresby. As in other resorts of Papua New Guinea, the Loloata hotel complex consists of several bungalows, on one side of which is the sea, and on the other – mangroves. There are more than a dozen dive sites in coastal waters, divers are delivered to them by 2 dive boats. The best time to dive on Loloata is from late October to early December. There are two World War II shipwrecks, coral walls, tunnels and coral reefs where you can snorkel. The maximum diving depth on local sites reaches 25 m.

The capital of the country is surrounded by the Central Province where there are many tourist attractions. Port Moresby is one of the starting points for the world famous Kokoda Trail. This is the most equipped and most exciting tourist route in the country. Its length is 90 km. On average, a group of tourists overcomes it in 10 days. At the end of the 19th century, the Kokoda Trail became the main route for gold miners from Port Moresby. to the gold mines of Yodda and Kokoda. During the Second World War, important battles took place in the vicinity of the route, traces of which remain on this land to this day. The route passes through mountain ranges, rivers, waterfalls, dense rainforests, World War II military installations, memorials, wetlands and villages, whose inhabitants willingly communicate with tourists. The Kokoda Trail is divided into several parts, and if you think that the route is too long, you can go only on a small part of it. 46 km from the capital, on the Kokoda Trail, there is a picturesque Sogeri plateau with a height of 800 m. Varirata National Park is located next to it.. It was created to protect the wildlife of the Central Province of the country and to preserve the original culture of local tribes. This park became the first protected area in Papua New Guinea. Its area is 1000 hectares. A network of hiking trails has been created on the territory of the Varirata Park, guest houses, places for spending the night, and picnic areas have been built. In the Central Province, you can also head to the Moitaka Wildlife Park, where there is a small zoo, as well as a laboratory for the study of crocodiles. Here tourists can watch how crocodiles are fed.

Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)