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From its soaring mountain peaks to its pristine beaches, Papua New Guinea (PNG) has plenty to offer to travellers from Australia. Before you visit this breathtaking country, however, it’s important that you invest in the right travel insurance policy.
There’s a whole lot that can go wrong when you’re travelling through PNG including:
Papua New Guinea is also known for its high crime rate and safety concerns. Travel insurance offers financial protection against these travel risks and allows you to embark on a trip to PNG with complete confidence.
The best approach is to compare travel insurance policies and find the best plan for your needs. You will then need to nominate the appropriate region to cover Papua New Guinea.
Top 5 travel risks in Papua New Guinea
5 activities you may need extra cover for in Papua New Guinea
Can I get covered for treks along the Kokoda Trail?
How am I covered if my travels are affected by civil unrest?
Getting cover for volunteer work in Papua New Guinea
If I have a medical emergency in Papua New Guinea, am I covered?
Travel insurance can provide vital protection against many of these risks, provided that you do everything within you control to avoid these risks.
Brian set himself on a ten-day adventure sightseeing in Papua New Guinea. However, just three days into the trip, Brian’s rental vehicle was carjacked. He was assaulted and had all his luggage and belongings stolen.
Thankfully Brian had taken out comprehensive travel insurance before leaving home, which provided cover for the medical treatment he required, the several-thousand-dollar rental vehicle excess, and the cost of replacing his luggage, passport and stolen valuables. While Brian was still severely inconvenienced by the carjacking, it could’ve been a whole lot worse if he didn’t have travel insurance protection.
With its rugged mountains and amazing beaches, PNG offers a host of wonderful sights and experiences just begging to be explored. Travellers to the region can go
If you know what sort of activities you’d like to try on your trip, check to see whether your insurer will cover those activities. Many insurers exclude a range of adventure sports from cover altogether, while others require you to take out an optional sports package for an additional premium.
Another popular activity in PNG is motorcycling, but you should also check your PDS first before throwing a leg over a bike. Motorcycling is commonly excluded from travel insurance cover unless you meet certain conditions, such as wearing a helmet and holding a valid licence.
Back to topFor many travellers, trekking along the Kokoda trail is a breathtaking experience of a lifetime and with some tours spanning over 11 days, you will certainly challenge yourself physically and mentally. Getting travel insurance is essential for the Kokoda Trail, as you will be exposed to the risk factors that come with trekking including injuries and cancellations due to extreme weather.
While some travel insurance brands such as Travel Insurance Direct explicitly state coverage for the Kokoda trail on their website, most providers have standard conditions regarding trekking and hiking within their policies.
Below are some example policies who cover trekking and their specific conditions.
Travel Insurance Provider | Conditions | Apply |
---|---|---|
![]() | No rock climbing using ropes or using climbing equipment (other than hiking) | |
![]() | Trekking and hiking is covered for 3,000 metres altitude but not more than 5,000 metres | |
![]() | Trekking up to 4,000m without the need of ropes, picks or other specialist equipment is supported. | |
![]() | Trekking is covered up to 6000m with the purchase of Sports/Adventure Pack B. No cover for mountaineering normally requiring ropes or guides. |
Unfortunately, civil unrest has been a common occurrence in recent years in PNG. For example, Porgera township in the Northern Highlands has been the site of violence as a result of illegal mining at the Porgera gold mine. Multiple injuries and deaths have been reported in the area. Similarly, the Autonomous Bougainville Government elections held in mid-2015 also prompted violence and civil unrest.
If you read the fine print of most travel insurance policies you’ll discover that many insurers will not cover direct losses that arise from civil unrest at your destination. This is especially the case if there are ample warnings about the violence beforehand and you still decide to travel.
If a particular area becomes unsafe after you have bought your policy, your insurer may cover cancellation costs and lost deposits if you’re forced to cancel your holiday. Contact your insurance provider for information on when you will and will not be covered.
For some Australians, spending some time in PNG performing volunteer work to help improve the lives of the locals is a very rewarding experience. Taking out travel insurance before doing so however, is essential as volunteer work in PNG comes with the attached potential for a variety of health problems, not to mention the risk of theft or travel delay.
Make sure you read the fine print of your policy and understand what exact activities your volunteering program will entail. Some policies will exclude any sort of volunteer work from cover and others may impose benefit limits or even restrictions. For example GoInsurance will not cover any manual labour, which is often a staple activity of volunteer work. Similarly, Columbus Direct, will exclude cover for any ‘hazardous’ work, regardless of whether it is voluntary or paid.
Planning on going deep-sea fishing on your PNG holiday? Most insurers will provide you with cover while you’re reeling in a big one on a private charter fishing boat.
You won’t receive any cover however, if you’re fishing in international waters. If you’re fishing in any body of water (including oceans, regional seas, rivers, lakes, estuaries and more) that transcend international borders, don’t expect to be able make a claim.
Back to topAlthough the medical facilities in heavily populated areas of PNG are sufficient to handle routine medical treatment, that’s often not the case in emergency situations. The health facilities in rural areas are very poor by Australian standards, and medical evacuation to Australia is often the only option for severe injuries and illnesses. With this in mind, travel insurance that offers comprehensive cover for medical evacuation is recommended.
Travellers should be aware that visiting this region of the world will expose them to the risk of contracting certain serious diseases that may require emergency medical attention. These include mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis, as well as the measles, tuberculosis, cholera, typhoid and hepatitis.
For all types of claims, make sure to follow a few simple steps:
Australians travelling to PNG will require a visa - this needs to be obtained before you depart Australia. Contact your nearest High Commission, Embassy or Consulate of Papua New Guinea to get the ball rolling.
While travel insurance is not an entry requirement for travellers to PNG it is still critically important. Expensive accidents and unforeseen events can occur anywhere in the world, but especially when you’re travelling to a developing country like PNG, having financial protection in place is crucial.
The high season for tourism in PNG runs from May to October when the weather is at its coolest and driest. This is the best time of year for travellers hoping to trek the legendary Kokoda Track, while it’s also when a number of popular festivals are held.
April and November are hot, humid and can be a little unpredictable from a weather standpoint, while the low season from December to March is usually very wet. These months do, however, generally produce the best conditions for surfers.
Period | Details |
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High Season: May - October |
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April, November |
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Low Season: December - March |
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The local currency in PNG is the Papua New Guinean Kina, which was introduced in 1975. To give you an idea of costs in PNG, a double room in a mid-range hotel will set you back somewhere in the vicinity of K300 to K450.
You should also keep the following tips in mind when it comes to managing your money in PNG:
If you need emergency assistance, contact the global emergency assistance hotline provided by your insurer. Many of these call centres are staffed 24/7 and can help you do things like find a doctor, replace stolen passports and much more. In some situations, you may be better off contact your travel agent or your family and friends.
If you require consular assistance you can contact the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby:
When travelling in Papua New Guinea you must be aware these circumstances that will exclude your travel insurance
When selecting the level of travel insurance you will need, there are five questions to ask yourself:
Papua New Guinea offers an array of wonderfully memorable holiday experiences to travellers, but it’s vital that you take out comprehensive travel insurance cover before you leave Australia. Compare a range of policy options to find the right insurer and policy for your needs.
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