Welcome to one of the world's most diverse countries, where you can discover over 800 different cultural groups, spread out over 600 islands.
Sep 12-13 Port Moresby Airways Hotel
Sep 13-16 Goroka Bird of Paradise
Sep 16-18 Mt. Hagen Highlander Hotel
Sep 18-20 Simbai Local Guesthouse
Sep 20-23 Sepik Sepik Guesthouse
Sep 23-24 Port Moresby Airways Hotel
Sep 24-28 Kimbe Bay Walindi Dive Resort
Sep 28-29 Port Moresby Airways Hotel
On arrival, you will be met by a team member. They will help you acquire a SIM card if needed and guide you to money exchange or an ATM.
Afterwards, you will be brought to the Airways hotel to check in and relax after your long journey. Enjoy the hotel amenities.
Airways Hotel, Fountain Room
You are welcomed at the International Terminal by your guide. After a light breakfast at the airport, you are accompanied to the nearby Domestic Terminal for your morning flight to Goroka, the gateway to the great Highlands region.
You have time here to rest and recover in the best hotel in town before you head up to an Asaro Tribe village where you witness the real Asaro Mudmen performance. The day ends with a visit to a beautiful coffee garden.
In the evening, your tour guide shows you the first episode of the famous Highlands Trilogy, “First Contact”. The documentary film tells the story of the 1930’s first contact between the
highland tribes and the outside world.
Bird of Paradise, Premier King
Early Start! Head by bus to the showground and wander amongst the performers as they get ready for the day’s event. Elaborate headdresses, feathers, shells, leaves and body paint are carefully donned and arranged. This is a wonderful time to have one-on-one interactions and to take great portraits.
Then, the Show begins. The sights and sounds of hundreds of dancers singing and drumming in their group’s own rhythm produces an exhilarating travel experience.
Early in the afternoon, the show winds down and you return to your hotel for a late lunch followed by a visit to the University of Goroka. There are beautiful views of the Goroka Valley from the campus.
In the evening, your guide shows “Joe Leahy’s Neighbours”, the second documentary film in the famous Highlands Trilogy that starts with “First Contact”. This one tells the story of a son of one of the first explorers who settled in Mount Hagen. It is a good glimpse into the area, its tribes and local cultures.
It’s the second day of the Goroka Show, another exciting immersion in Papua New Guinea’s varied and rich culture.
Early in the afternoon, the show winds down and you return to your hotel by private bus for a late lunch followed by a visit to the local museum. The small exhibit about the history and culture of Papua New Guinea is fascinating.
Later, a local staff member leads a conversation about the area’s life and culture. It is an ideal time to ask questions and broaden your understanding of the area.
You leave Goroka early and travel by private bus from Goroka to Mount Hagen with a stop in Simbu Province. After crossing the Daulo Pass and its impressive view, you reach Kagai, a small village located up on a hill. This is where the Kuman tribe lives.
Here you have lunch in a small local guesthouse. Enjoy the locally grown food with a stunning view over the remote mountains that surround the village.
Continue the trip and cross the famous Waghi Valley to reach Mount Hagen and your accommodation.
Highlander Hotel, Premier King
After breakfast you visit a village, home to the dominant tribe in this area. The women present their sing sing in their traditional attire.
After the Sing Sing, you are invited to a local house to meet some members of the women’s Sing Sing group. The focus of this encounter is to understand the life of women in the PNG culture. Feel free to ask questions, exchange thoughts or if you want you can take some more pictures. It’s a great opportunity to immerse yourself further into the culture.
You have lunch in the village and then enjoy a tour in and around the village, learning about the local culture and lifestyle. A perfect way to discover the reality of the Highlands way of life.
With an early start, you set out for the local airport to catch a charter flight to Simbai. Simbai is located in the heart of the Bismarck Mountain range with no road access.
You reach the station of Simbai from where you walk the trail for about 45 minutes to get to your basic but charming and genuine accommodation.
In this amazing scenset, you witness initiation, pig killings and ceremonies along with dances. The celebration of the young village boys’ initiation will last for the next 24 hours, which is a long celebration of the Kalam culture.
Local Village Guesthouse
Observe the festival once more today. You also have the opportunity to visit the surrounding area and learn more about the Kalam people and culture.
In the morning a private plane picks you up and takes you to the Sepik River. There you board a motor-driven dugout canoe and start your journey of approximately four hours downstream to the village of Kanganamun. This is the heart of the middle Sepik and the most culturally interesting area of the river.
It is the home of the famous crocodile men of Yatmul ethnicity. During the rites of passage initiation, they are ritually sacrificed to resemble the crocodile. The village’s immense Spirit House is a true cathedral, full of tribal arts and culture.
After your tour through the village, you journey further along the river to a Sepik Guesthouse. Here, you are provided with all the essentials to keep you in comfort for a good rest.
Sepik Guesthouse
Today you leave the main Sepik River and venture deep into the river basin to reach the massive Chambri Lakes. At a village, you discover a spirit house where village politics and affairs are discussed as they have for generations and where sacred art is still stored.
From there you continue by canoe to another village, the only place in the area where pottery is made and where still to this day all the Sepik people come to get pots and pans for cooking their sago.
Later on, you return to the immense Spirit House at another village. Spend time here with the men, who share some of their legends and stories with you. Playing a magic flute or singing special songs can be part of the storytelling.
It is a new day of exploration in the Sepik. You visit Palembe village, where some of the most beautiful art of the Sepik is made.
Afterwards spend time with the local women as they fish and cook sago. Fish and sago are the staple foods here. This is a special opportunity to visit with the women and learn more about their everyday life living with and at the river.
It is a very early morning departure from the guesthouse. Travel by motorized canoe to Pagwi and then to Wewak by private bus. Lunch at the hotel is followed by an afternoon flight to Port Moresby where you transfer to the Airways Hotel.
In the comfortable salon of the Airways Hotel, a meeting has been arranged with a journalist from Papua New Guinea. The journalist will openly share the current issues and challenges faced by Papua New Guinea. This is a great time to learn and ask questions about contemporary life in Papua New Guinea.
Following this one-hour meeting is dinner at the Airways Hotel and a free evening as this impressive and full-on trip heads toward its end.
Airways Hotel, Fountain Room
Pack your bags and enjoy the breakfast buffet on the deck of the Airways Hotel with a view over the landing strip of the airport.
You move early to the domestic terminal to catch your flight to Hoskins. Once arrived you will be transferred to Walindi and allowed to settle in and orientate yourself around the resort and enjoy a relaxing late afternoon.
Walindi Dive Resort, Bungalow
Papua New Guinea is in the coral triangle, the centre of marine biodiversity which has the highest diversity of tropical fish and coral in the world. The waters of Kimbe Bay are home to prolific and diverse marine life and reef structures.
Today you spend the day on the reefs exploring the incredible underwater beauty that Papua New Guinea has to offer. You are scheduled for 2 dives today. You will coordinate with the resort staff on timing and equipment.
Waking up refreshed and oriented to your location you prepared for another great day on the water.
Today you spend the second day on the reefs exploring the incredible underwater beauty that PNG has to offer. You are scheduled for 2 dives today. You will coordinate with the resort staff on timing and equipment.
Today is scheduled as a free day, but there is lots to do! You can use this day to organize more diving or go on one of the many other offered adventures including the Volcano trek, village walk, nature walk or hot river adventure. Any of these activities need to be arranged and paid for at the resort.
It is a very early start today! Leaving very early for the airport to get you to Port Moresby. Once landed you will check in to the beautiful Airways Hotel with some time to freshen up. Have a nice early lunch then off for an afternoon tour.
During this tour you will be visiting the wonderful Nature Park that will give you insights into the beautiful flora and fauna of PNG. After the part you will go to the National Museum to see their incredible Papuan artifact collection.
Airways Hotel, Fountain Room
This is where we part ways. After an early breakfast, you will be escorted to the airport by our staff to ensure a smooth departure from your journey.