Tavurvur
An active volcano on the edge of Rabaul harbour that erupted in 1994 and buried much of the town in ash. Its steam and rumbling remain visible, so visitors should follow local advice on how close to go.
Kokopo and Rabaul
On New Britain, active volcanoes stand beside these towns, which have the Kenu and Kundu festival, hot springs and war tunnels.
Attractive locations
Rabaul Caldera
A large volcanic crater, partly flooded by the sea, that forms the harbour around Rabaul. Several volcanic cones rise from its rim, and the town sits within the crater's setting.
Vulcan
A volcanic cone beside Rabaul harbour that grew in the 1930s and erupted again in 1994, together with Tavurvur. It is usually admired from a distance, and it is a reminder of the area's volcanic history.
Simpson Harbour
The deep natural harbour at Rabaul, used as a major Japanese base in World War II. Wrecks and tunnel remains from that time still draw divers and history fans.
Blanche Bay
The broad bay on the north coast of the Gazelle Peninsula, with Rabaul and Kokopo on its shores. Its waters hold volcanic scenery, wartime wrecks and views of the surrounding volcanoes.
Airports
Tokua Airport RAB
It is about 12 km in a straight line from Kokopo and Rabaul.
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the Papua New Guinea page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan26.6 °C247 mm
- Feb26.4 °C223 mm
- Mar26.4 °C223 mm
- Apr26.5 °C204 mm
- May26.5 °C181 mm
- Jun26.1 °C176 mm
- Jul25.7 °C206 mm
- Aug25.6 °C187 mm
- Sep25.8 °C190 mm
- Oct26.2 °C164 mm
- Nov26.6 °C170 mm
- Dec26.8 °C184 mm
Driest months: Jun, Oct, Nov. Wettest months: Jan, Feb, Mar.
Costs
Prices here are about 58% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency
Emergency numbers differ by city - ask your hotel or operator for the local police and ambulance numbers on arrival.
local government
PNG Tourism Promotion Authority
Helps with: Papua New Guinea's national tourism body. Its contact page lists a phone, email and office address for tourist information.
Who qualifies: Anyone visiting Papua New Guinea or planning a trip there.
Phone: +675 325 0318
Email: info@papuanewguinea.travel
Address: 6th Floor, Kwalimu Haus, Somare Circuit, Waigani
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Papua New Guinea
Helps with: The UN migration agency. In Papua New Guinea it works on complex emergencies, providing humanitarian relief and building government capacity.
Who qualifies: Migrants and people affected by emergencies. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +675 321 3655
Email: IOMPNG@iom.int
Address: Level 3, Cuthbertson House, Granville, PO Box 1876, Port Moresby, NCD
local government
Police emergency number 112
Helps with: Reaches the police. UK government travel advice lists this number.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors.
Phone: 112
local government
Ambulance emergency number 111
Helps with: Reaches the ambulance service. UK government travel advice lists this number.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors.
Phone: 111
local government
Fire emergency number 110
Helps with: Reaches the fire service. UK government travel advice lists this number.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors.
Phone: 110