Hotel info in PNG please

[123567]

Hi

We are going to Port Moresby and Rabaul in two weeks time and was wanting some information on the best places to stay.

We will be in Port Moresby for one night and Rabaul or Tokua for three.

Does anyone know of a safe place to stay and places to see vist while we are there?

Thanks

[Sunfish]

The only safe place to stay that I am aware of in Moresby is the airport hotel - its great.

Are you really going to Rabaul, and not Kimbe? Walindi plantation resort is the best place I know of, but it ain't in Rabaul.

I'm sure that the New Guinea experts will have more advice.

[tRAFFIC4dESCENT]

A Great Place to stay in Moresby is the ELLA BEACH HOTEL. Its just had a major facelift so all the rooms are top notch. They have a great bar and restaurant. Also do airport pickup/dropoffs.
Cant help you with the other places. Have fun...

[dwarfhunter]

Hotel at the airport is the Airways Hotel. Security is OK. Cost about 90 to 100 AUD a night. If you want to stay in town, Crown Plaza is good, similar price to airways, and from all reports Ella Beach is OK.
At Rabaul, most of the hotels are now at Kokapo. Kokapo Village resort is OK, security OK, similar price to Airways. Also Brian and Bev Martin have a place that is supposed to be good, halfway between airport and Kokapo, can't remeber the name.
Rabaul, 50 kms from airport has Hamamas and Kaivuna, both OK but dusty. Kaivuna is about the only building left standing at that end of town (if it's still there). It was good when Brian and Bev ran it a few years ago, not sure now.
Remember, hotel security is pretty good, but be on your toes if you are walking around.
Airways and Crown Plaza have Airport buses, as does the Kokapo village.
Beware of the crappy taxis, new ones that are OK are Scarlet taxis and Red Dot.
Plenty of places to visit in Rabaul, mostly relics of the war. Sub base, hospital caves etc. Won't be hard to find somebody to show you around for a few bucks.
Places to visit in Moresby, hmmmm. I leave that to somebody else. Botanic gardens, good carvings at PNG artifacts if your into that. Security outside hotels in Moresby is not that great.

[Chimbu chuckles]

Moresby recently made the top of the most dangerous city in the world list...factor that into 'walking around'....stay at the Crown if ya wanna drink with my PX mates...that's their hotel and they have a private bar.

Wotcha gonna be doing in Rabaul?

Before the volcanoes erupted Rabaul was the most wonderful place on earth...many found memories..Kai Pies at the Kaivuna, Sunday smorgosborg at the Travel lodge..diving on the wrecks in the harbour, the really good (read deep) ones being buried in the eruptions, Hakai Maru, Kensin Maru...I am the last person to dive those two.

Walindi is another great spot...spent lots of time there...gotta get back there for some diving I think...no where else in the world comes close for the diving.

[tinpis]

Tin has dived (dove?) with Jean-Michel Cousteau on Wuvulu island .

Neener neener.

[maxspeed]

Hey Chimbu, think you will find Port Morsbey is number two on the list of "most dangerous citys":}

[Animalclub]

Chimbu Chuckles... had a fish pie at the Kaivuna - and finished it - but it didn't have any fish in it!?! I took the prize!

123567 Take a look at this - could be what you're after in the Rabaul area...
http://www.taklam.com.pg/abouttaklam/index.htm

Operated by Simon Foo ex PX man in CNS and SIN. I've never been there but perhaps some of the more recent PNG bods can let you know.

Take alook here for information...
http://www.pngbd.com/

Trust these sites help.

[123567]

Thanks for those replys.

We are taking private pax to Rabaul so we have three days RnR.

I am leaning towards the Airport hotel in PM and the Taklam Lodge in Kokopo. Does anyone know how far it is from the airport to the Talkam Lodge?

[Animalclub]

123567 Just to be pedantic the airport hotel referred to is the Airways Hotel at http://www.pngtourism.org.pg/png/export/sites/TPA/services/accommodation/airways_hotel.htm
the other place closer by about 100 metres is the Gateway Hotel (if it's still there) which has been the scene of many a man's downfall (and possibly women's)... and Woolworths' bombers!!!

Ask Simon at Taklam to pick you up at the airport.

[123567]

Thanks for your replies folks..

One more Question.

Can anyone give me info on a place called Manis Island. What's the security like etc.\?

[Woomera]

It's MANUS Island. Used to be HMAS Lorengau - too many years ago. It's Paradise and I suspect not yet infected with Raskals!!

And if you run into Simon Foo, tell him Good Day from this Woomera!!! :} He's a competitor from 20 odd years ago - but a good guy!

Ah, Tins. Wuvulu - actor William Holden used to be a share holder. "Trader" went out to Wuvulu to pick him up and asked we make a booking for him at the Wewak Hotel, Manager ???? Kent. Told the manager a VIP would be staying the night - "You know William Holden?" "Yup, heard of him."

William Holden turns up at the Wewak Hotel, staff and manager all decked out in Territory Formals, William Holden introduced to the Manager. "Welcome to the Wewak Hotel. I used to own a car made by your Company!"

Sunny Woomera

[tinpis]

Yup Woomi tins was there.
As I recall it Mr Holden and Miss Powers were there on a "field research visit" to Wuvulu and the Bismarks for the World wildlife organisation or somesuch.
On a trip out to Wuvulu "Bill" informed the pilot that Miss Powers sitting in the right hand seat was quite an accomplished pilot back home and would it be ok for her to have a little fly?
Miss Powers did pretty well driving old 402 VH-GKK until sight of Wuvulu.
She quickly handed back the controls when she realised the crazy pilot was going land this "thang" in a patch of ground cleared out of 70' high coconut palms.
"Bill" favourite haunt was the "Ginjammer" btw.
I wonder whatever happpened to the watches and Telefomin trousers "Trader" sold them ?http://www.augk18.dsl.pipex.com/Smileys/laughpound.gif

[Woomera]

Trader's watches had a 12/12 warranty. Guaranteed to last between 12 seconds and 12 minutes.

Don't recall the trousers, but I do recall him selling the company pens!!

[bulolobob]

123567

Hotel Accommodation at Manus is in Lorengau - 40Km from the Airstrip. Hotel was built in about 1975 and the plans got mixed up as could only happen in PNG - the dining room looks over the footy field, and to get to the Bottle Shop you have to walk along the beach!! I kid you not!

Make sure you arrange to have the local fuel agent attend the airport at the same time you go there - nothing worse than arriving for a first light departure and finding no fuel on board and no fuel agent to open up and refuel you. Plan B is to have a big set of bolt cutters - I think that is where I left mine!

People in Manus were very friendly in 1976 - and probably still are. If you get a chance get someone with a boat to take you for a tour around Seadler Harbour - some pretty impressive piles of war surplus landing barges there.

Enjoy the place
BB

[tinpis]

I trust all the lucky punters that were carted up to Wewak in a Lear jet to inspect their share in the tropical island paradise of Wuvulu just prior to 1975 still have their land titles :rolleyes:

[chimbu warrior]

Las T time I was planning a trip to Momote (Manus) almost 2 years ago, Shell advised that they had withdrawn their aviation refuelling facilities there. Either tanker fuel in, or you might be there for a long time.

[Animalclub]

123567 Some more sites to look at. You may decide to go to Rabaul via Losouia!!!???!!!

** Tourism **

- http://www.tourismmorobe.org.pg -- Morobe Tourism site

- http://www.milnebaytourism.gov.pg -- Milne Bay Tourism Site

- http://www.pngtourism.org.pg -- Main Government Tourism Site

- http://www.pngtd.com -- Papua New Guinea Tourism Directory

- http://www.eastnewbritain.com -- East New Britain Tourism Promotion Site

- http://www.tourismwestnewbritain.org.pg -- West New Britain Tourism Promotion Site

[Chimbu chuckles]

I believe Manus has gone backwards, in a socio economic sense, orders of magnitude further than the rest of PNG in the last 10 yrs. Seems it's out of sight and out of mind even for the PNG pollies. Great shame cause it should be, along with great slabs of the rest of New Guinea (as opposed to Papua) the Eco Tourist/diving center of the universe.:{

[123567]

thanks everyone for your very helpful advice.

It looks like we will be in Manus only for a few hours and we will be able to tanker fuel.

Rabaul for one night and Madang for three.

We've been to Madang before so we already know what to expect.:D

[tinpis]

Im sure a few in here would appreciate a report on the condition and status of the Smugglers Inn at Madang.
Many a love life won and lost there :cool: