Hilton Port Moresby
Executive Suite, King Bed
I'll preface this section of the report by reiterating that I was feeling at my worst on this day, so I saw almost nothing of PNG unfortunately.
Initially, I'd wanted to arrange some kind of short tour for my arrival day. I contacted a few different tour operators, but their prices were crazy. They wanted roughly $400 US for a 4 hour tour of Port Moresby. Given that there really are no sights to be seen, it didn't seem worth the cost. Instead, I figured I could arrange a car and driver (and perhaps a guide) upon my arrival. The hotel provided some options in the days leading up to the trip, but I ultimately decided to just stay at the hotel and rest.
I was pretty exhausted and feeling quite sick at this point. So, I settled in to the room, had a quick lunch. Rested. Had dinner and got a solid 10 hours of sleep. I awoke feeling a lot better the next day, so a rest day was the perfect choice for me. Unfortunately, it doesn't make for an interesting trip report.
That said, I did snap a few pics here and there. Beyond that, the city itself didn't feel overly unsafe, though it certainly didn't feel like a safe place to walk around alone. There were lots of private security contractors and lots of locals walking around. The area was quite obviously very poor, which I'm sure only exacerbates their crime problems.
The hotel driver picked me up from the airport after arrival, though it was a 20 minute wait for her to show up. She was quite friendly and pointed out some points of interest along the short ride to the hotel.
Airport Terminal
APEC Sign
Shanty Town near Airport
Government Building
Intersection
Intersection
Room
Room
Room
Room
Room
Room
Room
Room
Overall, the hotel was quite nice and clearly brand new. They were also in the process of building a residential complex adjacent to the hotel.
View from the Room
View
View
After settling in, I went downstairs to the lobby cafe to have a quick lunch.
Chicken Sandwich
The food was pretty good and prices reasonable.
I had room service for dinner, which was acceptable. Then I went to bed early. The next morning, I was up early and felt a bit better. I went upstairs to the Executive Lounge to grab some breakfast.
View from Executive Lounge
Buffet
Buffet
There were a number of items available at the buffet and in the fridge. Hot items could be ordered from lounge staff. It was all included with lounge access, so I ordered some eggs to go along with the fruit. While in the lounge, there was only one other hotel guest there. Granted I turned up around 6AM, so perhaps that's why the place was so empty. Either way, the hotel felt fairly empty overall.
Fruit
Eggs
View from Executive Lounge
View from Executive Lounge
Empty Lounge
Empty Lounge
After breakfast, I gathered my stuff to check out and got a ride back to the airport.