Conflict Islands

Are you able to snorkel and/or visit the turtles and any other activities on your own without taking a tour from the ship.

As this is a rather unique itinerary, I assume you will be cruising with P & O and would suggest if that is the case you should ask this question on that board as well for additional responses. Here is the link:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=38

PNG is rather undeveloped but there will be some private tour operators there. I suggest getting onto your roll call and seeing if anyone has made contact, also try Trip Advisor.

Just realize, that PNG is NOT a safe place.

There are tourist islands which are safe, but as a whole, it is NOT a place to be wandering about on your own.

Unless you like being robbed at gunpoint.

PNG is very safe on a cruise ship just check my signature.

On 7/23/2018 at 5:47 PM, SRF said:

Just realize, that PNG is NOT a safe place.

 

There are tourist islands which are safe, but as a whole, it is NOT a place to be wandering about on your own.

 

Unless you like being robbed at gunpoint.

10 hours ago, exkiap said:

PNG is very safe on a cruise ship just check my signature.

Note the subtle differences in these two statements.

12 hours ago, exkiap said:

PNG is very safe on a cruise ship just check my signature.

However the picture under your screen name says something totally different. 😉

39 minutes ago, davekathy said:

However the picture under your screen name says something totally different. 😉

That would be sarcasm  

4 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

 

Note the subtle differences in these two statements.

I thought this was a Cruise related web site. Plenty of single travelers go to PNG and wander about on their own and have never been hassled. Scare mongering is very low on the scale of good information!!!! 

2 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

That would be sarcasm  

No the image was taken in 1975 when I was a Patrol Officer in PNG and it simply signifies where the family cemetery is. They are proud of their ancestors and can name each one. There are three generations represented. They don't have monumental masons to engage so they use what they have to hand.

PNG is still a safe place to go.

1 hour ago, exkiap said:

I thought this was a Cruise related web site. Plenty of single travelers go to PNG and wander about on their own and have never been hassled. Scare mongering is very low on the scale of good information!!!! 

This disagrees   https://safetravel.govt.nz/papua-new-guinea

20 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

This disagrees   https://safetravel.govt.nz/papua-new-guinea

That's why the cruise ships keep going. Oh it's not safe so lets take 2000 people to where it's not safe.  Common sense rules.   A lot of kiwis go there on every ship as well.

4 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

That would be sarcasm  

Wong. Lighten up Francis. My comment was meant to be funny and not sarcastic or serious! 

1 hour ago, exkiap said:

No the image was taken in 1975 when I was a Patrol Officer in PNG and it simply signifies where the family cemetery is. They are proud of their ancestors and can name each one. There are three generations represented. They don't have monumental masons to engage so they use what they have to hand.

PNG is still a safe place to go.

Glad you didn't take offense at my post. It wasn't serious or being sarcastic. 

2 hours ago, davekathy said:

Wong. Lighten up Francis. My comment was meant to be funny and not sarcastic or serious! 

Nothing wrong with sarcasm so maybe take your own advice?

2 hours ago, exkiap said:

That's why the cruise ships keep going. Oh it's not safe so lets take 2000 people to where it's not safe.  Common sense rules.   A lot of kiwis go there on every ship as well.

And who put together that information?  The New Zealand government...  

I visited Conflict Islands last month on the Noordam and loved it. I paid for a snorkelling trip to see the better coral locations as it was a fair swim if you were doing it yourself.

I also took my own snorkelling gear so also snorkelled nearer the shore and actually had a huge sea turtle accompany me for about 50 metres - magic! They seemed to be out more in the morning so I was lucky to see one after lunch. 

You can can do a shore excursion to see the turtle hatchery but when there is no shore excursion in the building, you can make a gold coin donation to go in.

The Conflict Islands is privately owned by Ian Gowrie Smith so you won’t find private tour operators ashore. Apart from the cruise ship excursions such as snorkelling, glass bottom boats, etc. the island itself offers activities such as paddle boarding, kayaking, etc. for AUD$20 per hour plus deck chairs for the day for $5 (lots of shade to set up camp for the day).

 Note: just saw the date of the original post but thought I would still post in case anyone else is going to visit.

Thanks for the info. I will be there in August.

On 1/5/2019 at 5:41 PM, exkiap said:

I thought this was a Cruise related web site. Plenty of single travelers go to PNG and wander about on their own and have never been hassled. Scare mongering is very low on the scale of good information!!!! 

And I know of a number of people who have been robbed at gunpoint in PNG.

Personally, I do not like to have people point loaded AK-47s at me.

13 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

 

And I know of a number of people who have been robbed at gunpoint in PNG.

 

Personally, I do not like to have people point loaded AK-47s at me.

It's quite obvious you know nothing about PNG and by the looks of the number of posts you make you're just a troll on Cruise Critic. They don't use AK-47s in PNG. They can't get them.  Plus it is safer in PNG that it is in the USA at least they don't go around killing innocent school children like they do in the USA.    Pull your head it and stop talking through your butt.

3 hours ago, SRF said:

 

 

And I know of a number of people who have been robbed at gunpoint in PNG.

 

Personally, I do not like to have people point loaded AK-47s at me.

I wouldn't either, so I have been staying away from places with lax gun laws.

12 hours ago, exkiap said:

It's quite obvious you know nothing about PNG and by the looks of the number of posts you make you're just a troll on Cruise Critic. They don't use AK-47s in PNG. They can't get them.  Plus it is safer in PNG that it is in the USA at least they don't go around killing innocent school children like they do in the USA.    Pull your head it and stop talking through your butt.

 

Think what you want.  But I have been there for work.  And I know the security posture of my employer.  I was not allowed to walk across the street to the restaurant across the street from my hotel.

The week before I was there, a team of 6 WERE robbed at gunpoint.  They described the weapon as an AK-47.  Maybe they were mistaken, but considering how common AKs are, they are pretty much available everywhere in the world it is not unlikely.  The Soviets were good about passing them out.

From US Department of State -

Exercise increased caution in Papua New Guinea due to crime, civil unrest, and a polio outbreak. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory...

 

Violent crime, such as gang-rape, carjacking, home invasions, kidnappings, and armed robberies, is common. Tensions between communal or clan groups may result in violence.

But I guess the US Government doesn't know what it is talking about.

1 hour ago, SRF said:

 

Think what you want.  But I have been there for work.  And I know the security posture of my employer.  I was not allowed to walk across the street to the restaurant across the street from my hotel.

 

The week before I was there, a team of 6 WERE robbed at gunpoint.  They described the weapon as an AK-47.  Maybe they were mistaken, but considering how common AKs are, they are pretty much available everywhere in the world it is not unlikely.  The Soviets were good about passing them out.

 

From US Department of State -

 

 

But I guess the US Government doesn't know what it is talking about.

With a President like you have they certainly don't know what they are talking about as far as PNG is concerned.

Whoever you were working for has obviously got a local security firm telling them it's unsafe so they can employ more security guards who do absolutely nothing except laugh at the stupid white men who keep paying them.

I have been there at least 30 times in the last 10 years and never had any trouble whatsoever AND have walked around the city of Port Moresby with the greatest of ease.