traveller 50 reasons to love PNG SNORKEL with manta rays Snorkel with manta rays at Gona Bara Bara Island at Milne Bay. The rays are attracted to the island, where a section of fringing reef has been dubbed as a ‘manta ray cleaning station’. The graceful creatures are cleaned of parasites here by cleaner fish. Tour operators run half-day trips to the small island, or you could stay stay for several weeks and live alongside the tiny local community as a volunteer for Manta Watch Camp. If you’re staying at Doini Island (No. 31), they’ll take you across to the mantas for a few hours. mantawatchcamp.org
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32 Doini Island Plantation Resort After checking out of Driftwood, (No. 30) hop aboard a motorised open boat at Alotau for a twoand-a-half hour journey to the island, where you’re greeted with beachfront bungalows and a castaway vibe. Visit skull caves, kayak, swim, bushwalk and fish. Like most PNG lodges, this isn’t so much a ‘sit-by-the-pool with a cocktail’ destination (there’s actually no pool), but it’s more a place for the soft adventurer. doiniisland.com
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28 Paradise – Air Niugini’s in-flight magazine
Tupira surf club In Ulingan Bay, 180 kilometres north of Madang, the club provides accommodation for about a dozen surfers who can access five quality breaks. Surfer numbers are capped at 20, ensuring uncrowded waves. The club hosted the recent World Longboard Championships. facebook.com/Tupira-SurfClub-158686431496/ Stanley Hotel Port Moresby’s largest and newest hotel has stylish rooms, multiple dining choices and connection to the Vision City Mega Mall where there are more food options, cinemas and a nightclub. thestanleypng.com
34 Mount Wilhelm PNG’s highest mountain provides a formidable hiking challenge. It takes three or four days to reach the 4509-metre summit along a well-defined track. The rewards include glacial lakes and valleys, high-elevation rainforests and moss-coated forests, not to mention the views from the top. Several companies provide guided tours. escapetrekkingadventures. com.au; pngtrekkingadventures.com
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