Chilling, eating, night life in Port Moresby

Hospitality venues in PNG

After all that swimming and traveling and shopping I talked about in my last blog, a nice cold beer might be just what you need. In this blog I’ll be talking about where to go for the accomodation, best chilling, eating and clubbing spots in Port Moresby.

WHERE TO STAY?

As a foreigner in PNG, I would recommend you to get a hotel with a kitchen. In all the big hotels there are plenty of dishes to prick from for the European/Asian kitchen and little restaurants are provided as well around town. Still, a kitchen gives you the freedom to make food you are familiar with, which in a country like PNG can be a real safe heaven. With supermarkets that provide all ingredients you need (Check out the supermarkets in Vision City and the Water Front) it’s an easy way for a guaranteed good meal that doesn’t costs you an arm and a leg. I personally loved the deluxe room in the Stanley hotel, which have a great kitchen and are just a fantastic place to stay.

Stanley Hotel

Lower budget? Don’t worry, there are many places to pick from, and rumor has it, they are working on home-stay rooms to stay with locals!

COFFE STOP

I start with a coffee tip: Make absolutely sure you pass by Duffy’s Coffee and baked goods! They have 3 locations: the airport, downtown and at the waterfront.

Even though they are all delicious (carrot cake to die for!) with their home brewed coffee from Papua New Guinea (best coffee in town by far) the Waterfront venue is everyone’s favorite. Enjoy your coffee and carrot cake on the terrace in the front and enjoy the amazing view of the harbor, ships coming in and going out, the sea and mountains in the distance.

LOCAL FOOD

PNG’ers like to make their own traditional food on a daily basis, which means a local food restaurant doesn’t have business here, since people make it at home every day! I would not be surprised if you are invited to one of the many BBQ’s, dinners and Kaikai’s by a local you meet. Kaikai is the Tok Pisin word for eating/food and a Kaikai said as an event where family and friends come together to eat, drink and celebrate. Not being invited? Ask! Some of the PNGers might be a little shy at first, not knowing how amazing their cuisine is and how much fun it is for a foreigner to see how they live and eat! As soon as you ask, I’m sure they will get the confidence in having you at their home and giving you a night to never forget. If you’re in luck, (especially during Kaikai’s), you will see how much pigs mean here. A pig is worth a lot of money so for special occasions there will always be pig meat, mostly a whole pig, roasted and cut at the party. Now that’s local, fresh meat!

THE YACHT CLUB AND CAR CLUB

Looking for a safe zone for expats and a nice place for a quick bite or cold drink? The Yacht Club is where you need to be. It is a Members Only club, but I’m pretty sure you can work something out with the help of your hotel or a local you met. Another Member Only that I especially loved is the Car Club. A local, open air bar with not a lot of luxury, yet great beers, good food and if you’re lucky, the Boroko Veterans Band will be playing, a club of 5 guys, all at least over their 50s who jam the night away. Good music, with charm! Also make an evening out of the bar of Gateway Hotel. A beautiful new restaurant and bar, with good pizza and great views over the mountains and airport.

PORT MORESBY, THE CLUBBING CAPITAL OF THE PACIFIC

If you are looking to really go clubbing, Port Moresby is known to be the clubbing capital of the Pacific and they do their name honor with clubs Lamana and Cosmopolitan. In both clubs you pay a little entrance fee and parking is close by. Lamana is a beautiful club downtown which is partly open spaced. If it rains, you dance in the rain. Don’t worry, there is a dance floor inside as well or run up to the 2 layer balconies around the dance floor where you are dry and the vibe is a little more relaxed.

Lamana Hotel, photo credir: danceclubz

In Vision City you will find Cosmopolitan Club. Another high end club with good music, events and great night-snacks (the chicken and hot dogs are THE BEST). Again you pay a little fee and for about 5 USD extra you can make use of the upstairs VIP lounge and have a look on the dance floor where people are drinking and having fun till the early hours. In these clubs you will be more then safe. I’ve never seen people fighting during the fun hours, since a lot of security is provided in these clubs. If you are not big on fighting, make sure you leave a little before closing time. As in many countries in the world (like Holland haha), some guys find the need to fight out little things like hens as soon as the lights go on. Don’t worry, if you’re not involved, just walk around the hustle and you will be more than fine and have simply a great night on this amazing island!

With this, I end posts about my trip to Papua New Guinea. I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading my stories, tips and tricks, yet I hope even more that my story will motivate you to make a trip to a very unknown destination. Papua New Guinea is a trip you will never forget. Once here, don’t just stay in Port Moresby, but travel all around this country that is so proud of their culture and is so ready to show it to the world! As travelers, I find it our duty to make places like this known and show people what a rich country PNG is, with an unbelievable amount of things to offer.

And once again, from Papua New Guinea with love,

Sunny