Port Moresby: between Melanesia and the Pacific Ocean

The National Museum of Papua New Guinea displays ceremonial masks, carved canoes, and crafts of hundreds of diverse ethnic groups in the country.

A few minutes away, Ela Beach, a city beach facing the Coral Sea, animates evening walks with views of nearby islands and the capital's natural harbor.

Continuing toward the hills, one reaches the National Botanical Garden, which hosts native orchids and birds of paradise typical of Papua in a protected rainforest environment.

Toward evening, the fishing port animates with the evening return of local boats laden with fresh Pacific fish.

Papua New Guinea, with over eight hundred languages spoken, remains the linguistically most diverse country in the world, a cultural heritage recounted in the national museum of Port Moresby.

The bird of paradise, the national symbol depicted also on the Papuan flag, lives in the rainforests surrounding the capital and remains a protagonist of local ceremonial dances celebrated during traditional festivals.