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Yacht Charter in Papua New Guinea

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Best time to visit

May - October

Languages

Tok Pisin, English, Hiri Motu

Currency

Papua New Guinea Kina, Australian dollar, US dollar

Discover Papua New Guinea

Well off the beaten track for yacht charters, the diversity of the scenery and the rich eco-systems of Papua New Guinea will astound you.

Home to some of the most colourful and diverse birds of paradise in the world, a Papua New Guinea yacht charter rewards those willing to take sunrise treks with expert guides through dense rainforest.

It is also home to beautiful beaches, lapped by emerald waters brimming with vibrant marine life. You can hike deep into the green-capped islands along steaming hot forest rivers, visit tribespeople in their traditional stilt houses and view active volcanoes from above.

Though some areas are deemed unsafe for tourists, your captain and crew will escort you to places far away from any tensions. For a cruise into uncharted waters in every sense of the term, a Papua New Guinea yacht charter is the real deal.

Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea, where to eat, drink and play

Root crops – cassava, sweet potato, and taro – are traditionally eaten, alongside seafood and fish, while pork is considered a delicacy in Papua New Guinea.

Most restaurants are to be found in the capital of Port Moresby, such as the very good Rapala, and menus are predominantly Asian and European in their influences, though more local dishes can be found. There are also some good dining options in Madang in the north of the main island and Mount Hagen in the West Highlands.

In the Trobiand Islands, off the east coast of New Guinea, you can witness a singsing – an impromptu celebration where a few tribes or villages come together to share traditions.

Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea

Things to do on a yacht charter in Papua New Guinea

All Papua New Guinea yacht charters visit Port Moresby, a city with a swelling population where you can barter with sellers at one of the many markets or buy some world-class art from the PNG Fine Art Gallery, which attracts dealers from across the world.

There is incredible diving and snorkelling to be had in the Bismarck Archipelago. New Ireland, for instance, has an outer reef with glass-like visibility. The lagoons near New Ireland and New Hanover are also ideal for trying out the many water toys in your yacht’s garage.

The Solomon Islands are probably one of Papua New Guinea’s biggest attractions, with incredible biodiversity, the wreckages of WWII planes and ships and an array of bright fish in and around soft and hard pristine coral reefs. Kimbe Bay in the West New Britain province is the largest marine reserve in the whole of Papua New Guinea, where you can dive with dolphins, whales, and sharks.

Alotau

For travellers in search of World War II relics, this isolated port town in the Milne Bay province is a must-visit stop as you are sailing Papua New Guinea. The volcanic islands of the Louisiade Archipelago are of particular interest, as here, you can dive into clear waters in search of wartime plane wrecks with volcanic black sand beneath you and colourful sealife all around.

Alotau
Alotau

Madang

This picturesque harbour town, with its unfeasibly blue lagoon waters and backdrop of rugged mountains and lush jungle to one side and beautiful volcanic islands to the other is a delightful stopover on your Papua New Guinea yacht charter. There’s a busy market where you can shop for tropical produce, handmade jewellery, handwoven bags, and clay pots made by the Bilbil people, while the waters around the lagoon are home to some of the most famous dive sites in the world.

Madang
Madang

New Britain

Part of the Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea’s largest island of New Britain offers a magical mix of unfettered wilderness, colonial history, and traditional cultures. It is also known as volcano country, and as you wander its pristine rainforest you will come across craters, both dormant and active. However, it is New Britain’s coastal waters that will truly impress you. Kimbe Bay offers world-beating diving around dramatic seamounts and coral pinnacles where you’ll often be joined by orcas, spinning dolphins, dugongs, and sperm whales. You can also dive amid huge underwater mountains, remnants of extinct volcanoes.

New Britain
New Britain

New Ireland

One of the most remote and yet friendliest regions of Papua New Guinea, the long, narrow, and mountainous island of New Ireland has been peopled by explorers, missionaries, Japanese armed forces, and traders. It’s a popular place for game fishing and dive sites such as Albatross Passage and Planet Channel offer excellent opportunities to swim with grey reef sharks, pygmy seahorses, and dogtooth tuna amid inconceivably colourful reefs.

New Ireland
New Ireland

Sepik River

Flowing through the jungle heartland of Papua New Guinea, this mighty river travels from the Indonesian border right through to the Bismarck Sea, passing by mountains, rainforest, and swamplands along the way. The villages along the river are home to rural communities who have been largely unchanged by modern interventions and who still adhere to centuries-old rituals and traditions to this day.

Sepik River
Sepik River

Best time to visit Papua New Guinea

May to October is the best cruising season for a Papua New Guinea yacht charter when you will have the right balance of sun and rain, though sailing Papua New Guinea in March, April and November is also possible.

If you can, try and plan your trips around one of the island’s unique festivals, which you must see to believe – when men become crocodiles and imitate birds of prey, village people dress in multicoloured costumes and wear feather headdresses, or don masks that are believed to evoke the spirits of their ancestors. Most festivals take place from July to September.

What’s the currency of Papua New Guinea

The national currency of Papua New Guinea is the Papua New Guinea Kina, which is essential in smaller villages (buying crafts etc.) Australian and US Dollars can be used elsewhere.

Language spoken in Papua New Guinea

Where to start? There are 851 known languages in Papua New Guinea, though at least 11 of these have no known speakers. Tok Pisin, an English-based Creole, English, Hiri Motu are the most widely spoken languages.

Time zone in Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea Time is GMT+10. There is no Daylight-Saving Time in Papua New Guinea.