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Papua New Guinea is a vast, 462,000km2 country comprised of mountainous regions, dense forests and marshlands. No roads link the capital to any of the regions in the country and a plane is indispensable for traveling. The complex geography makes travel long and difficult especially since a roads network is practically non-existent and the existing roads are often in bad condition. Travel times are unpredictable and can be multiplied by four or five depending on the weather and safety conditions.
Each region requires a specific means of transport. The most classic zones are accessible by car or truck. A jeep quickly becomes necessary once you leave the main Lae-Madang-Hagen-Wabag route. The chartering of a plane is indispensable to reach the most outlying regions. Motorized pirogues are necessary for traveling on the rivers Sépik, Kikori, Fly… All the isolated regions require hiring porters.
The obligatory use of planes implies unavoidable and expensive excess baggage fees. Domestic flights have a 16 kilo per passenger limit for luggage in the hold. For only 100 kilos of equipment, you can expect between 1000 and 4000 euros in baggage surcharges alone just for local flights.
Travel times and means of transportation must meticulously be made. Timetables and calculating costs must be worked out carefully . Our experience in the field permits us, nevertheless, to propose optimized itineraries that can avoid cost overruns. During the prior editorial planning, we can propose solutions that limit transportation costs.

In Papua New Guinea, the prices vary from one region to another but always remain exorbitant! The country has no industry and must import everything. Unlike Southeast Asia, prices are much higher than in Europe for very limited services.
Depending on the region and the period, the price for a rental car ranges from 200 to 1200 euros per day! A satisfactory hotel costs more than 500 euros a night in Port Moresby, a good guide over 100 euros per day and sleeping in a simple hut approximately 50 euros.
The exchange rate with the Kina (the local currency) is particularly unfavorable for the production of a film because the dollar and the euro are undervalued compared to the Kina. The present development of mining projects, which utilizes the few available infrastructures, also has a great impact and adds to increases in prices.

Implementing the logistics for filming is complex in Papua New Guinea because the technical means are very limited. Electricity is rare: generally, one or several generators are needed to cover the filming or even recharge batteries for cameras. When going to outlying areas, all the food must be brought along from the cities.
Accommodation conditions are very often quite basic. For each shoot, it is necessary to buy mattresses, mosquito nets, sheets and pillows. It is absolutely necessary to build work and dining spaces when the teams are large.
With our experience in the field, we put in place the most carefully thought out logistics based on the type of team and the personalities working on the projects.

The question of safety remains fundamental in Papua New Guinea. The capital Port Moresby is considered the fifth most dangerous city in the world. Armed attacks, thefts and racketeering are frequent. The mountain regions and the big cities are particularly dangerous. It is out of the question to go out after 5pm. Road travel at night is very risky and mobs of gangs represent a potential danger.
On this subject, you can read the travelers’ advisory from the New Zealand government:
https://www.safetravel.govt.nz/papua-new-guinea

Our first mission is to guarantee the safety of the operators in the field. When we organize a shoot, we take the maximum of precautions and opt for the best safety conditions. Informal bodyguards are indispensable in the mountains. On some routes and in certain periods a police escort will be necessary. We avoid traveling at night. A route or an entire region can become dangerous from one day to the next. Our teams are always attentive to changes in safety conditions and – to the utmost possible – accompanied by a representative from the region or community in which we are traveling. Without being paranoid, we always remain prudent and vigilant.