Introduction
Papua New Guinea's mainland is made of the southern provinces around the capital Port Moresby, the Highlands region and the Momase region to the north.
Port Moresby is Papua New Guinea's capital and main international gateway. Ramshackle huts line the coast and hills inland; while near the historic docks there are villages built on stilts over the sea. The National Museum, Art Gallery and Parliament House, built in the traditional ‘Maprik Haus Tambaran' style, are all worth a visit, as are the attractive Botanic Gardens.
The fertile valleys and rugged mountains of the central Highlands region are the most densely populated and agriculturally productive in Papua New Guinea. Many tribes maintain their cultural traditions and clan loyalties remain strong.
The Mt Wilhelm region is popular for trekking and is known for its coffee plantations, cultural diversity, beautiful orchids, rare animas, insects and birds, including the unique birds of paradise.
The mighty Sepik River flows from the mountains close to border with Irian Jaya (West Papua). It reaches deep into a remote world where dugout canoes are the main form of transport and remote communities survive.
