Day 3 - Hello Papua New Guinea🇵🇬

Probably the most off-the-beaten-track country I’ve ever visited. Last year, the total number of visitors was around 130,000—fewer people than visit France in a single day! Maybe it’s not so surprising, then, that Port Moresby has only about 20 hotels, almost all of them large establishments from well-known chains like Radisson, Hilton, and Holiday Inn—and with rather high prices. Today, I think I figured out why...but more on that in a bit.

I’m not entirely sure why PNG ranks so low in tourist numbers. Ocean, mountains, and lush nature—normally, that’s a winning combination. I suppose security concerns play a role, and with such a rugged landscape, the infrastructure is quite poor. Even the country’s two largest cities aren’t connected by road—the only way to travel between them is by air.

Port Moresby is often ranked among the world’s most dangerous capitals. Personally, I took a short walk in the city center and didn’t encounter anything unusual—everyone was friendly and eager to chat. But when you constantly read about how dangerous a place is, you start questioning people’s motives. Plus, my hotel did recommend being back before dark... so, who knows?

The flight from Guangzhou was less enjoyable than my Amsterdam leg. A small 737, limited space, no entertainment screens. The plane was half empty, but it had some strange details. My ticket showed seat 34A, yet I was sitting in row 8—the numbering started from 25, skipped a few, and after 38, the next row was 49. Never seen anything like it! Some airlines omit row 13 for superstition, but this? Then there was the crew: 11 people in total—two pilots, five flight attendants, and four additional guys who, I assume, were onboard security. Quite the setup for a small aircraft.

And when we landed, I think I figured out the hotel situation. Of the ~100 passengers, at most five were local citizens. I was probably the only European on board, and everyone else I could see had Chinese passports. They all looked like business travelers—so it seems those big hotel chains are catering to them. Apart from hotels, it is also not so easy to get here. I don't know if there is a lack of demand - hence no flights, or the other way around. Apart from quite extensive domestic network (no roads), there are essentially 5 international destinations - Singapore, Guangzhou, Manila, Hong Kong, and a couple of cities in Australia.

Anyways, Port Moresby is just a short stop—tomorrow, I fly to the region where I’ll be spending the next two weeks. Should be interesting! 

Hannes

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