6 Days Budget Solo Trip in Samoa - Cairns - Papua New Guinea

93rd and 94th on my continuing saga to accomplish the #lakbay100 journey
January 25 to 30, 2019

My 73rd solo backpacking trip, 4th and 5th country to visit in Australia and Oceania continent, 94th country visited on my journey #lakbay100, 5th continent on my list and of course, usual budget do-it-yourself itinerary from arrival to departure. I did not research that much for this country due also on limited time and laziness.

Samoa is an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean. It is part of the region of the Pacific known as Polynesia. Its population is around 185,000 but many more Samoans live outside the country, particularly in New Zealand, Australia and California.
https://wikitravel.org/en/Samoa

In more modern times, Papua New Guinea (known popularly as 'PNG'), the eastern half of the island of New Guinea (which is the second largest island in the world), was divided between Germany ('German New Guinea') and Great Britain ('British Papua') in 1884. The Dutch had West Papua, now the Indonesian territory of Papua.
https://wikitravel.org/en/Papua_New_Guinea

6 Days Budget Solo Trip in Samoa - Cairns - Papua New Guinea (souvenirs)

6 Days Budget Solo Trip in Samoa - Cairns - Papua New Guinea (route map)

SAMOA

timezone - UTC +1400H    capital - Apia   language - Samoan   currency - Tala (WST)
visa - Philippine passport holders are visa on arrival with free visa fee (30-days single entry).

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SAMOA
1. Samoa is 24-hours ahead of its closest neighbor.
2. Samoans were among the earliest tattoo artists and are considered to be among the best in the world.
3. There are more Samoans live outside Samoa

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

timezone - UTC +1000H    capital - Port Moresby   language - Tok Pisin   currency - Kina (PGK)
visa - Philippine passport holders are visa on arrival with free visa fee (30-days single entry).

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT PAPUA NEW GUINEA
1. Papua New Guinea occupies the eastern half of the island of New Guinea the second largest island in the world.
2. The country is one of the world’s least explored, culturally and geographically.
3. Over 800 dialects are spoken throughout Papua New Guinea.

6 Days Budget Solo Trip in Samoa - Cairns - Papua New Guinea (Visa on arrival stamp in PNG)

6 Days Budget Solo Trip in Samoa - Cairns - Papua New Guinea (thrash stand in Samoa)

6-DAYS SOLO TRIP IN RAINY SAMOA - CAIRNS - PAPUA NEW GUINEA (JANUARY 2019)

Preparation;
Jan.24 flight Abu Dhabi to Sydney 1,170 AED
Jan.25 flight Sydney to Apia 390 AED
Jan.27 flight Apia to Cairns 520 AED
Jan.29 flight Cairns to Port Moresby 1,456 AED
Jan.30 flight Port Moresby to Manila 932 AED
Feb.02 flight Manila to Abu Dhabi 475 AED
Jan.26-27 Hostel 1N Olivias Accommodation (35 WST) paid on arrival
Jan.27-29 Hostel 2N Caravella Backpackers 94 AED
Jan.28 Compass Cruises Great Barrier Reef day tour 115 AUD (304 AED)
Jan.29-30 Hostel 1N Hohola Apartments 150 PGK (170 AED)
Total: 5,341 AED

Day 0: January 24, 2019 Thursday
2100H ETA Abu Dhabi Airport
2230H ETD Abu Dhabi AUH UTC +0400H; flight EY454

Day 1: January 25, 2019 Friday
1935H ETA Sydney SYD UTC +1100H; 1hr transit
2050 ETD Sydney SYD; flight VA79

Day 2: January 26, 2019 Saturday
0520H ETA Apia APW UTC +1400H; Immigration and check-out; money exchanger $70 = 179
0615H Shuttle to Apia, Hostel 25
0730H Olivias Accommodation 35; bus to Piula Cave Pool 2
0930H ETA Piula Cave Pool 5
1100H ETD bus to Apia 3; bluesky sim + 500MB 7; DMC chicken and chip meal 16
Fridge magnet 5; Palolo Deep Marine Reserve 5; back to hostel; snacks 15.5; dinner 10.5
Halina Samoa, paradise in the middle of Pacific Ocean #samoa
Total: 129 WST

Day 3: January 27, 2019 Sunday
0300H ETD Hostel; taxi to airport 40
0400H ETA Apia Airport
0615H ETD Apia APW UTC +1400H; flight VA78
0935H ETA Sydney SYD UTC +1100H; 4 hour transit
Revisiting Sydney Harbor on transit :); visited last winter, courtesy visit this summer #sydney #australia
1000H ETD Sydney Airport; train to Circular Quay Stn 18.7; Short Sydney Harbor tour; Hungry Jack meal 11.3
1200H ETD Sydney Harbor; train to Domestic Airport 18.7
1300H ETA Sydney Airport
1415H ETD Sydney SYD; flight VA1421
1620H ETA Cairns CNS UTC+1000H
Return Shuttle to Hostel 28; Caravella Backpackers; Indonesian meal 18; beer 9
Total: 40 WST + 103.7 AUD

Day 4: January 28, 2019 Monday
0700H Shuttle pick-up 6
Cairns Marlin Marina, 'A-Finger', Berth 18
0730H-1730H Compass Cruises Great Barrier Reef Day tour
breakfast 5; snorkeling photo 25
1st time snorkeling and its above the World's Natural Wonder, another live a life I will definitely remember on my birthday :); 2 hours very fast cruising; seasickness at its worst :(
2019 Birthday adventure - snorkling above the World's Seven Natural Wonder :)
Budget Great Barrier Reef Day trip for non-swimmer, my 4th on Seven Natural Wonders of the World #cairns #australia #greatbarrierreef #birthdaytreat #livealifeyouwillremember 
walk to central; chinese massage + souvenirs 52.5; dinner 15
Esplanade walk to Caravella Backpackers 
Total: 103.5 AUD

Day 5: January 29, 2019 Tuesday
0845H ETD Hostel; shuttle to airport
0920H ETA Cairns Airport
1145H ETD Cairns CNS UTC +1000H; flight PX93
1310H ETA Port Moresby POM UTC +1000H; Visa on arrival - free visa fee
money exchanger $95 = 300 PGK; free sim + 500MB 16
Hohola Apartments (free pick-up) 150
Free Drop-off to Southern Town; Ela Beach to Waterfront Mall walk; snacks 22
Total: 188 PGK

Day 6: January 30, 2019 Wednesday
0600H Hotel breakfast; walk to Koki Fish Market
0730H ETA Koki Fish Market; wait for Dinggi (motorboat)
0830H ETD Koki Fish Market 10
0915H ETA Fisherman's Island (Daugo Island); beach shorewalk; refreshments 3
1100H ETD Fisherman's Island 20 (+tip)
1130H ETA Koki Fish Market; DFC lunch 33; walk to hostel
1330H ETA Hostel; drop-off to Airport 5
1430H ETA Port Moresby Airport; fridge magnet 10
1650H ETD Port Moresby POM; flight PX10
2010H ETA Manila MNL UTC +0800H
Total: 81 PGK

TOTAL: 5,341 AED ($1,451) + 169 WST ($66) + 207 AUD ($149) + 269 PGK ($85) = $1,751

6 Days Budget Solo Trip in Samoa - Cairns - Papua New Guinea (Sydney very short side trip)

6 Days Budget Solo Trip in Samoa - Cairns - Papua New Guinea (Sydney very short side trip)

Solo Day Trip in Apia, Western Samoa
Solo Day Trip in Cairns for Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling
Solo Day Trip in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea