Plugs, phones & digital PNG

See below for a few tips on what to take to Papua New Guinea as the country comes to terms with the digital age.

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The digital traveller
Generally speaking there is poor Internet, Wi-Fi and mobile phone coverage in Papua New Guinea. The exception to this is Port Moresby where things are improving and increasingly hotels will offer Wi-Fi access in the lobby, or sometimes your room. Please note some hotels may make a charge for Internet access.

If you plan on using your mobile phone to make or receive calls from home you can save up to 90% of all call costs by purchasing a Global roaming SIM card from Aether Mobile www.aether-mobile.com. Please note that your phone needs to be unlocked, which can take up to one week to arrange through your provider. If you are using your home provider whilst overseas it is worth ensuring that data roaming is turned off unless you have a suitable tariff.

If you choose not to take your mobile or tablet most hotels will have access to a PC. If you are taking an iPad, or other sort of tablet, then you will be able to download a range of applications that offer assistance with the local languages or provide country guides & maps of Papua New Guinea. But please note you may not be able to use the apps if you don’t have access to the Internet.

Electricity sockets in Papua New Guinea vary but most are the three pin (flat) version also found in Australia. It is therefore highly likely you will need an adapter. If you are travelling with multiple devices then you may wish to take a second adapter to facilitate overnight charging.

Photography
There are excellent photographic opportunities in Papua New Guinea so remember to pack your camera. For ease, we recommend taking a memory card for your digital camera that is big enough to store all of the photos and videos that you are likely to take on your whole trip. If you do need to purchase a new memory card while you are away then there are options in Port Morseby, and larger towns, but not necessarily in the more remote parts of the country. Photographic film and videotape are becoming harder to find in Papua New Guinea as digital cameras have become the norm. If you wish to use a film camera then we recommend taking enough of the appropriate film with you to last for the full length of your holiday.