RegionUsable guide

Highlands (Papua New Guinea)

Region in Papua New Guinea

Photo: Flickr user: Ian@thepaperboy.com, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

The Highlands is a region in Papua New Guinea.

Getting there and around

Getting there

The Highlands Highway connects Lae with Goroka, Kundiawa, capital of Chimbu Province, and Mt. Hagen.

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Getting around

Apart from the Highlands Highway there are some rudimentary roads but they are a) slow and generally in a very bad shape (think, muddy sludge) and b) dangerous because of the occurrence of holdups.

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Airports and nearby hotels

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Mount Hagen Kagamuga Airport

Mount Hagen · Regional · HGU

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Cities

Mount Hagen

capital of the Western Highlands

Goroka

capital of the Eastern Highlands.

Kainantu

Kainantu is a town of 6,723 in the Highlands region of Papua New Guinea, perched at an altitude of around 2,300 m (7,500 ft).

Mendi

capital of Southern Highlands province.

Mt Wilhelm

this is PNG's highest mountain, and a popular climb

Lake Kutubu

at 800 m above sea level this is considered to be one of the most beautiful spots in PNG. It also has considerable biodiversity and ecological significance

Ukarumpa

a missionary community in Eastern Highlands, which is home to the Summer Institute of Linguistics, a movement endeavouring to translate the Bible into all of PNG's languages

Read before you go to Highlands (Papua New Guinea)

Articles and travel topics about Highlands (Papua New Guinea) and Papua New Guinea.

Itineraries

Kokoda Track

The Kokoda Track is a hiking trail in Southern Papua New Guinea.

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Culture & history

Rugby football

Rugby football is a game named after the school in the English town of Rugby. There are two main versions: rugby union with 15 players a side (with a 7-a-side variant), and rugby league with 13 players a side (with…

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Nature & adventure

Volcanoes

Volcanoes come in many shapes and sizes, and their eruptions vary hugely in both frequency and intensity. Many volcanoes are tourist attractions and are worth a visit provided you take due care, in particular keeping a…

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Culture & history

Pacific War

The Pacific War was a theatre of World War II including East Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania, separate from World War II in Europe.

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Full travel guide

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UnderstandThe Highlands were discovered by Australian explorers delving into the unexplored interior of Papua New Guinea in search for gold in the beginning of the 20th century.

TalkAs always in Papua New Guinea there is the problem with language.

Get inThe Highlands Highway connects Lae with Goroka, Kundiawa, capital of Chimbu Province, and Mt. Hagen.

Get aroundApart from the Highlands Highway there are some rudimentary roads but they are a) slow and generally in a very bad shape (think, muddy sludge) and b) dangerous because of the occurrence of holdups.

See

Eat) The local diet is bland and very starch-intensive. Taro, Kau-Kau (sweet potato), imported rice and other vegetables are the daily staple diet for most people.

DrinkOne should always be careful in situations where people are drinking alcohol in Papua New Guinea, particularly in the Highlands.

SleepA stones throw down the road from Ambua Lodge is the more rustic Warili Lodge that is run by locals, is only $20/night, and offers birdwatching as good as, or better, than what is offered at Ambua Lodge.

Stay safeIt is said that the Highland people go to war over three different things: Land, Pigs, and Women. So as long as you stay away from those three things you should be safe.

Sources and licences

Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Highlands (Papua New Guinea)" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Summary from the Wikipedia article "Highlands Region", available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikipedia
Photo: Flickr user: Ian@thepaperboy.com, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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