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City guide

Kokopo (Rabaul)

Kokopo is the capital of East New Britain Province in Papua New Guinea. It is administered under Kokopo/Vunamami Urban LLG.

Type City

Why go

  • Capital of East New Britain, Papua New Guinea.
  • Served by Tol Airport (TLO).

History

Kokopo is the capital of East New Britain Province in Papua New Guinea. It is administered under Kokopo/Vunamami Urban LLG. The capital was moved from Rabaul in 1994 when the volcanoes Tavurvur and Vulcan erupted. As a result, the population of the town increased more than sixfold from 3,150 in 1990 to 20,262 in 2000.

Airports

Tokua Airport (RAB) 29 km to the centre
Kokopo, EBR, PG — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day. ✈ 2 airlines (Air Niugini, Airlines PNG) · direct flights to 8 destinations incl. Buka Island, Hoskins, Kavieng, LNV, Port Moresby… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 2 airlines, 8 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor | Outdoor
Rakanda Airport (RAA) 31 km to the centre
Rakanda, EBR, PG — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor
Stockholm Landing Strip (SMP) 69 km to the centre
Stockholm, EBR, PG — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor
Open Bay Airport (OPB) 82 km to the centre
Maitanakunai, EBR, PG — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor
Tol Airport (TLO) 87 km to the centre
Tol, EBR, PG — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor
Manga Airport (MGP) 96 km to the centre
Manga Mission, NIK, PG — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor

Getting there by ferry

Ferries to Lae and Buka
Ferry terminal · 2.5 km from the centre
Outdoor

Where things are

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Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

Kokopo (Rabaul)
Kokopo (Rabaul)
credit: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · See source page

When to go

Tourist season
October – March

The warmer, longer-day half of the southern-hemisphere year.

Shoulder season
April – May, September

Milder and quieter, with better value.

Worth avoiding
June – August

The southern winter — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Tol Airport (TLO); 5 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: RAB has direct flights to 8 destinations on 2 airlines (incl. Buka Island, Hoskins, Kavieng, LNV, Port Moresby…). By water: 1 ferry terminal within 20 km (nearest: Ferries to Lae and Buka, 2.5 km).

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Kokopo (Rabaul). Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.