Along the northern section of the border with Indonesia and along the northern coast of the island of New Guinea, the province of West Sepik (Sandaun) extends. It got its name from the name of the Sepik River, which is one of the largest rivers of the state and originates in the southern regions of the Western Sepik province. The main city of this region is the city of Vanimo . Its main and only attraction are the beautiful sandy beaches.
According to Top-mba-universities, East Sepik Province was also named after the Sepik River. In this area, the flow of the river becomes calmer, so there is an opportunity to go on a cruise on a comfortable ship or ride a motor canoe. The valley of the Sepik River is very beautiful – it is occupied by swampy lowlands and tropical forests, over which mountains rise from the south. The capital of the province – the city of Wewak – attracts lovers of diving, surfing and fishing. In addition, in the city of Wewak, only Cape Vom is interesting, on which there is a Memorial Park with many mass graves, dedicated to the surrender of Japan in 1945. From Wewak you can go to the heart of East Sepik, where there are protected areas of Lake Chambri with a large variety of birds and crocodiles.
Further along the coast is Madang Province, with Madang City as its seat. The city is located on the coast of the New Guinea Sea. It was recently named one of the most desirable cities in the South Pacific. Madang is full of greenery, surrounded by islands and, despite its small size, has a developed infrastructure. The city has a large street market and a cultural center. Tourists go to Madang for diving, surfing and fishing. Also of interest are the nearby volcanic islands. Smoking volcanoes about 1800 m high rise on the islands of Mannam and Karkar. From Madang, hikes are organized along the “lunar landscapes” of volcanic valleys. On the territory of the province there is a reserve Balek, where there are hot springs, impenetrable jungle and caves with lakes full of fish. The nature here is so beautiful that fragments of the movie Robinson Crusoe starring Pierce Brosnan were even filmed in the reserve. Not far from Madang, in the villages of Bilbils and Yabobs, famous masters of pottery live throughout the country.
Southwest of Madang Province is Morobe Province. Here, on the southern coast of the Huon Peninsula, the country’s second largest city, Lae , is located. At the beginning of the 20th century, there was a small missionary settlement here, but by the middle of the 20th century, when gold was found in the mountains, the settlement began to turn into a large city. Now Lae is one of the main industrial centers of the country. The main attraction of the city is the Botanical Gardens. They cover an area of 3000 sq. m. The gardens are divided into separate sections, introducing visitors to the flora and fauna of different regions of the state. Here you can see about 15 thousand local plants, 21 species of birds, several species of reptiles, 70 species of butterflies, 6 species of turtles and several dozen species of frogs and fish. In addition, there is a military cemetery in the Botanical Gardens, since during World War II Lae was the main base of Japanese troops on the island of New Guinea. The Melanesian Arts and Crafts Center Morobe is worth a visit, where the main areas of work of local artisans are presented. Every year at the end of October, the country-famous Morobe Show takes place in Lae.. About 100 groups from different tribes come to perform at the sing-sing show. Mount Lunaman rises in the center of Lae, which was used by the Japanese and Americans as an observation post during World War II. Now it also offers beautiful views of Huon Bay and the mountainous valley of Markham. Lae
It is surrounded on three sides by mountains – the Saruwajed Range and the northern spurs of the Owen Stanley Range, which come close to the coast. Here is a zone of increased seismic activity, which is confined to the Pacific ring of fire. Most of the volcanoes are located in this part of the island of New Guinea (about two dozen). The zone of seismic activity attracts lovers of hiking – there are many tourist routes of various levels of complexity. Also, lovers of outdoor activities will be interested in McAdam reserve, which protects rare species of pines – Ring pine and Klinka pine. In addition, the Watut River flows in the vicinity of the city, which is perfect for rafting.
New Britain Island
New Britain Island is located 30 km northeast of the island of New Guinea and is part of the Bismarck archipelago. It covers an area of 37.8 thousand square meters. km and is the largest island in the country. The island is of volcanic origin. To this day, there are many active and extinct volcanoes on it, especially in its northern part. The most popular volcanoes in terms of tourism are active volcanoes – Langila with a height of 1330 m, Rabaul with a height of 688 m and the highest volcano of the Bismarck archipelago – Ulavun (2334 m). There are several volcanoes in the caldera of the Rabaul volcano. The eruption of two of them – Tavurvur and Vulcano – in 1994, the capital of the island of New Britain , the city of Rabaul , was completely destroyed. Now the city has not recovered. Many of its areas are deserted and covered with ashes. The busiest part of the city of Rabaul is Mango Avenue, where all the hotels, shops and restaurants are located. Rabaul offers excursions to the volcanoes surrounding the city. All of them, except for Tavurvur, can be climbed. The most interesting for climbing is the volcano Vulcano. You can go diving in the city harbor, because at the bottom of the coastal waters there are planes and ships from the Second World War.
East of Rabaul is the city of Kokopo.. After the earthquake in 1994, most of the administrative institutions of Rabaul were transferred here and Kokopo became the new capital of the island of New Britain. In Kokopo, the Museum of Military History is interesting. The western part of the island of New Britain is virtually unaffected by tourism. The most important attraction of the area is the dive resort Valindi. A 30-minute drive from Valindi near the village of Talesia is the Garou area with hot hydrogen sulfide springs. Here you can swim in mud pools, hot springs and the warm Pangula River, the water temperature in it is + 34 degrees. In the south of the island of New Britain of interest will be numerous karst caves and a system of underground labyrinths with a length of about 500 km, created by the Japanese during the Second World War.
New Ireland
Island This is a long and narrow mountainous island that is part of the Bismarck archipelago. The island was discovered by the Danes in 1516. It later became one of the main German copra plantation colonies. During World War II, the island was badly damaged. The main city of the island is the city of Kavieng . It is located in its northern part. The city is popular with fishermen and divers. The main attraction of Kavieng, like the whole island, is the rich underwater world. To Kavieng The Call of the Sharks festival is held annually. This is an interesting sight, because the locals can actually call on sharks.
The smallest province in Papua New Guinea is Manus Province. It is located on the Admiralty Islands of the Bismarck Archipelago in the northern part of the New Guinea Sea. The province is popular for the beaches of the small islands of Andra, Aus and Lou, the beaches of the Lorengau resort area on Manus Island, coral reefs and opportunities for sea kayaking. Lowe Island is an ancient extinct volcano, so there are a lot of hot springs here.
Province of Northern Solomon Islands
The province includes the islands of Bougainville and Burka and numerous coral atolls. Recently, an unstable political situation has reigned here with constant uprisings of local residents, so tourists are not allowed here.
