Gateway to Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby is a small ex-colonial city on PNG's southeastern coast. Accessible via boat or air – landing at
Jackson's International Airport, eight kilometers out of town – Port Moresby is mainly used as a stopover point for travelers headed to New Britain or Madang for diving or for adventure seekers looking to explore PNG's largely undiscovered jungles.
PNG is rich in both indigenous culture (it's home to least 1000 different tribes) and in biodiversity. PNG's interior is one of the world's last frontiers and is largely inaccessible to leisure tourists, though visitors can get a taste of the country's native flora and fauna at Port Moresby Botanical Gardens. The National Capital Botanical Gardens inhabit 25 acres of land and feature birds of paradise, parrots, kangaroos, insects and native orchids. The gardens routinely conduct educational programs for school children and guided walks for travelers.
Another point of interest within PNG is the Kokoda Trail. Stretching almost 100 kilometers through rugged heavily forested terrain, the Kokoda Trail is one of the world's most famous treks, attracting thousands of bushwalkers every year. The trek is most popular with Australians who complete the walk in a show of solidarity for Australian soldiers who fought along the trail in World War II. A war memorial at Isurava commemorates both Japanese and Australian
soldiers. Papua New Guinea is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the best diving destinations in the world and reefs are accessible on day trips from Port Moresby, the main starting point for dive excursions to The Eastern Fields and Portlock Reef in the Coral Sea.
For more information on hotels and landmarks in the different areas of Port Moresby, click on the interactive
Port Moresby map on the left-hand side of the page.
