Lonely Planet Papua, New Guinea [Paperback]

Tony Wheeler (Author), Jon Murray (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1993 | Series: Lonely Planet Papua New Guinea

Lonely Planet's "Travel Survival Kits" cover one country, or a small group of countries, in depth, with travel and accommodation options to suit a range of budgets. These guides are designed to be easy to use, providing practical travel information in a lively, entertaining style. Features of this series include: cultural and historical background; detailed maps of cities, towns and rural areas; information on getting there and getting around; practical information on every aspect of travel; health and safety advice; information on local cuisine; advice on customs and etiquette; key words, phrases and basic grammar of local languages; and names of places, restaurants and hotels in foreign script where applicable. Papua New Guinea was one of the last inhabited places on earth to be explored by Europeans. This guide, rewritten in this edition by a new author, offers advice for all travellers wanting to explore the landscapes and cultures of this island nation.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Papua New Guinea seems like the last place on Earth. Its terrain is so rugged, its jungles so impenetrable, that even at the end of the 20th century it remains largely unknown by the West. As late as 1993, new tribes were still being discovered in this land of more than 700 languages and as many cultural and racial groups. Travel there is neither particularly easy nor particularly safe, yet--more and more--intrepid travelers are making their way to the island's shores. Lonely Planet has produced a guidebook to help visitors get the most out of their time and money. Papua New Guinea, by Tony Wheeler and Jon Murray, pulls no punches; it is up-front about the potential for trouble on the island--everything from crime to insurgency. But while the authors acknowledge the possibilities, they are hardly alarmists, noting that a lot of trouble can be avoided if you "listen to local advice, and above all, make friends with people who live in the area you are visiting." Good advice, no matter what your destination.

Color photographs; sidebars containing fascinating tidbits of history, culture, language, and more; and plenty of detailed maps make Lonely Planet's Papua New Guinea a good read and a great guidebook. So, if you're thinking of stepping off the beaten path on your next trip, consider Papua New Guinea--and Lonely Planet's excellent guide.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet; 5 edition (July 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0864421907
• ISBN-13: 978-0864421906
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,100,736 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #42 in Books > Travel > Australia & South Pacific > Papua New Guinea

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book helped guarantee my most hassle free adventure !, October 1, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (New York, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lonely Planet Papua, New Guinea (Paperback)

Having spent over 30 days travelling around N. Guinea I found this book to be heaven sent. From the Highlands to the Sepik or Lae to Madang all information re: lodging, transportation,& places to see were correct and found as described in the guide. I refuse to travel abroad without my first buying the LONELY PLANET guide to help plan my trip in that country. Jerry Silverman [e-mail] Dobbs Ferry, New York USA

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect travel guide for an incredible location, September 14, 2000

By 

Baltic Books "Vic" (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Papua New Guinea (Lonely Planet Travel Guides) (Paperback)

We traveled to Mt. Hagen and Port Moresby last March for the first time. What a great and beautiful country, and what a perfect travel guide to orient you. While this book is nice enough to have on the shelf, ours is worn from use... and usefulness. As a bonus, it's also well-written and a great book to read!

Lonely Planet has again done a superb job combining art, graphics, maps and information in exactly the right proportions. There are a collection of excellent color and black & white photos and graphics. The history and cultural background is extensive owing to the three experienced traveler-writers. They make great use of side-bars to highlight special features and information (a trade mark of most Lonely Planet materials).

All the regions are treated pretty equally and include useful maps that otherwise would be tough to find anywhere.

If you could only buy one book in preparation for your trip, you would not have any problem making this your "Bible". It is also a great size at 5 x 7.25 x 5/8's inches and printed on high quality paper.

I will always look to Lonely Planet as my first choice in travel books.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Eight years on, this edition remains the best guide to PNG!, November 18, 2006

By 

Laszlo Wagner (Hungary) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Papua New Guinea (Lonely Planet Travel Guides) (Paperback)

And the only one worth carrying for independent, budget travellers, I might add.
While this book was never perfect, and I would only have rated it 4 stars even when it was brand new (because its coverage of certain areas is really sketchy, and it curiously ignores some long-established budget places to stay), the new "PNG & Solomon Islands" guide that was published in 2005 to replace it is so much worse that it makes this guide seem 5*+ in comparision.
While the new guide is almost totally written for those going to PNG to stay in ultra-expensive resorts and see the country on guided tours, this 1998 edition still has the usual, more backpacker-oriented style many readers expect from LP guides. It will tell you about budget places to stay, remote areas to explore, and in general give you ideas on getting off the beaten track and experience some of the best PNG has to offer on your own.
Of course you will find that prices have risen considerably in the past years, but once in PNG, you will quickly figure out quite how much (they are up 2-3 times in Kina terms, which means much less an increase in foreign currency).
There are also a few new (mostly upmarket) places to stay now, and some shipping routes have changed (even since the 2005 edition!).
So if you are obsessed with having the latest available information in your guide, you may also want to buy the new edition in addition to this one.
I have both, but if I had to pick only one to carry along on my next trip to PNG, I would definitely take this one.