Mount Hagen (Tok Pisin: Maun Hagen) is a city in and the provincial headquarters of the Western Highlands province of Papua New Guinea. It had an estimated population of 46,250 in 2013, making Mount Hagen the third-largest city in PNG. It is the retail and commercial hub of the entire Highlands region, as many large stores have moved into the area in the last few years and brought with them boosted income, more jobs, and more tourists and expats.
Because explorers were told, "There's no one up there (in the Highlands)," Mount Hagen was unknown to everyone except the Melpa people and surrounding tribes for thousands of years. Then in 1933 the Leahy brothers, Mick and Dan, flew over the heavily populated and fertile area known as the Waghi Valley and then organized a foot patrol to explore further into the interior. They had discovered Mount Hagen. The city takes its name from Mount Hagen, an extinct 3765-m-tall volcano 24 km (15 mi) to the northwest.
This is a tricky topic to cover because, there is not much to cover! Besides the Highlands Highway and Kum Road (major road south of the Highlands Highway) there are not really road names in the city. Sure, all of the roads have names, but there are no street signs saying which road is which (except along the highway) and nobody knows the names of the roads. To make matters worse, Google Maps (which has the names of all the roads) is not accurate a lot of the time. Don't rely on Google Maps to give you directions to a restaurant or hotel, it will make you get lost, if anything! The easiest way to get directions to where you are going is to ask the locals.
While Mount Hagen is PNG's third-largest city, there isn't really much here to see. However, these items following are the most interesting if you're looking for entertainment. 1 Mount Hagen Market, intersection of Kum Road and Highlands Highway (off Highlands Highway, just east of town.). This is the main produce market in town, but also sells some local crafts. Local fruits and vegetables, some of the best and freshest in the world, are sold here.
There aren't many things to do in town, but some attractions in the area include: Toi Wara is a river and waterfall roughly four hours away in Southern Highlands Province. To get there, you'll drive deep into the bush (ask the locals for directions toward Poroma), then descend an almost vertical trail into the gorge and walk up to the foot of an incredible waterfall in the virgin New Guinea rainforest (definitely not a walk in the park - the trail can be muddy and slippery, and the roots and branches to grab onto may be slick.) Local villagers are happy to assist you to the waterfall, navigate the trail, and keep you from falling. Then they'll see you back up the mud run.
With more modernization comes more nice restaurants. There are a handful of good spots in and around town. The list below showcases some of the best. Banz Kofi Kave is located a few hundred meters south of Kagamuga Airport. Home to Banz Kofi roasters (best local coffee), DHL, and a nice restaurant. Calm and relaxing atmosphere (except when a helicopter lands just across the road) inside the stone walls. A shaded outdoor seating area has a fish pond, small waterfall, and greenery, while a cool inside features products. Frequented by local politicians, business owners, wealthy expats, and missionaries. Open mainly for breakfast and lunch, with dishes ranging from K25 to K40.
SP Lager beer is the primary alcohol in Mount Hagen, though such brands as Niugini Ice or Pacific Lager can be found. SP can be bought at a few restaurants, including the Hagen Club. The Hagen Club, as well as Rondon Ridge Lodge, also has a bar with more options. The largest bar is located at Signature Epicure (inside the big red and blue high rises) and has many beers, wines, whiskeys, and other spirits. The minimum legal drinking age in PNG is 18 (sorry for French teenagers, lucky for underage Americans). These are safe to drink if you so choose. Do not drink alcohol locally brewed: the alcohol content is extremely high and is harmful to your health.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
In Sep, Mount Hagen typically sees ~25°C daytime highs and 20 rainy days.
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