I have been lucky enough to visit a few countries that not a lot of people visit, mainly for my work. I thought it would be a good idea to share these experiences with you guys. After Eritrea, Somalia and North Korea, now a little write-up on Papua New Guinea; some other countries that are on my list to be included in this series are: South Sudan, Iraq, Bhutan and perhaps a few others.
OK, I have a confession to make: I haven't been to Papua New Guinea.... yet! - I'm actually on my way there right now. Papua New Guinea - let's call it PNG for short from now on - is new on my list of countries visited. That list is growing and counts 75 countries at the moment, but that is still a little under 40% of all the countries in the world, so I still have some ground to cover.
Since it is taking me over 30 hours to get there, I thought of writing a post on me getting there. Now it just happens that my grandfather travelled to Papua in 1953, so I thought it would be interesting to compare the two travels to see how things have changed. Unfortunately I don't have a lot of info on my grandfather's travel, but I'll include the little I know.
The total time spent in the plane for me is around 16 hours, unfortunately connections are bad and I'll have to spend a whole day in Singapore. The first leg of my flight is in an Airbus A350, then from Singapore I'll fly directly to Port Moresby, the capital of PNG.
My grandfather flew in a Lockheed 749A Constellation. That is one sexy aeroplane though, that Lockheed! The routing of the plane would most probably have been: Amsterdam – Rome – Beirut – Basra – Karachi – Bangkok – Manila – Biak, and the flight would have arrived 3 days later. The country was called New Guinea at that time, and included both PNG and Indonesia. Papua New Guinea only became independent in 1973.
Lockheed constellation, photo: airliners.net
Airbus A350: photo: airliners.net
Crossing the equator was a real happening in those days, with a special ceremony for first time crossers, and my grandfather also received a special certificate, proof of him crossing the equator. In the text of the certificate the wind gods of Aeolus, Boreas, Eurus, Notus and Zephyrus are honoured. It also states that 'the owner of the certificate is considered a trusted air-traveller' and that from now on he can count on the special honours of the wind gods. I'm sure I will not receive a similar certificate this time around....
It's interesting for me to compare my grandfather's travel with mine, and I'll update you on PNG once I get there...
*my grandfather in Papua:
source: Family archives
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Travel Resources for your trip to Papua New Guinea
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Flights: We recommend checking Kiwi.com to find the best and cheapest flights to Papua New Guinea.
Accomodation: Explore the best places to stay in Papua New Guinea on Booking.com, Agoda and Hostelworld.
Travel Insurance: Medical emergencies abroad can be pricey, but travel health insurance is not. We always use SafetyWing for affordable and reliable coverage.
Car Rental: For hassle-free car hiring, DiscoverCars is our trusted choice with a wide selection of vehicles.
Internet: Got an eSIM compatible phone? Airalo is perfect for reliable internet access during your trip. Just install it before you go, and you're set!
Day Trips & Tours: We recommend GetYourGuide for a variety of well-organized and enjoyable activities.
Travel Planner: Need a hand planning? Our free travel planner chatbot is your personal guide to Papua New Guinea. Chat now.
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