Papua New Guinea Discovery & Mount Hagen Show

11 - 14 Days
TYPOLOGIES
DIFFICULTY

Medium

MIN. AGE

12 Years

£ 6750

A Unique Opportunity

With a smorgasbord of colour, culture and excitement this adventure offers a unique opportunity to discover the real Papua New Guinea, the world’s second largest island.  Immerse yourself in the famous Mount Hagen Cultural Show, an international recognised event where many of the opulently decorated cultural groups of this incredibly diverse land gather to celebrate costume, art and culture.  On this trip we will explore Papua New Guinea, starting and finishing our adventure in Port Moresby.  Fly up by chartered flight to Mt Hagen and continue to Ambua whilst passing through Karawari and Lake Murray on the way.  This adventure will let us explore and experience the real Papua New Guinea whilst we uncover the areas untouched by tourism.

The trips gives you a great insight into the Papuan people at all locations but especially during the famous Mount Hagen Show where multiple sensory experiences including the rhythmic thumping of Kundu (traditional drums made of lizard skins) along with hundreds of people in a towering sea of headdresses, colourful foliage and paint-encrusted faces.  For the rest of the journey we will focus on the ecosystems, wildlife and local tribes.  This includes discovering high mountain forests with roaring waterfalls and socialising with the Huli people, who today, still live the same way their ancestors did.

Price £6,750 / $6,995

Based on 2 pax. Excludes international flights.

DISCOVER MORE ABOUT PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Upcoming Group Departures

TBC

VIEW OUR GROUP DEPARTURES

Tailormade Departures

Speak to our travel designers - All of our trips can
be designed to suit you and your dates of travel.

CONTACT US

Day by Day

Upon your arrival in Port Moresby, you will be met by a member of staff and transferred to your hotel for the evening

Transfer from the Airways Hotel back to the airport for your flight to Mount Hagen.

Today is spent at the Hagen Cultural Pre-show; an intimate gathering of a dozen or more different PNG tribal groups, each performing their unique sing-sing while lavishly decorated and dressed in full bilas; tribal dress. The show takes place at a beautiful outdoor showground on the Rondon Ridge property. The stunning mountain vista framed by the distinctly vast highlands’ sky serves as the perfect backdrop for this unique demonstration of PNG tradition.

The celebrations will begin as the tribes arrive and gather to carefully adorn themselves with their complex headdresses, face and body paint and traditional clothing. As the morning progresses, we will gather together and the groups will each perform their sing-sing. The afternoon also includes demonstrations of the traditional Melpa bridal price exchange, warfare demonstration and a shared mumu; the traditional earth-oven used to prepare food for feasts.

This weekend you will attend the annual Mount Hagen Cultural Show. The Mount Hagen Show is truly a unique and splendid cultural experience, unparalleled both in diversity and authenticity. The show itself is a stunning reflection of the incredible diversity of Papua New Guinea’s cultural landscape.

The Show brings together more than 80 unique and colourful sing-sing groups from across Papua New Guinea; each of whom share their unique celebration display through colorful traditional dress, dance and song.

The celebrations will begin as the tribes arrive and gather to carefully adorn themselves with their complex headdresses, face and body paint and traditional clothing. You will arrive at the showgrounds with ample time to wander throughout the tribal groups where you can interact with and photograph the performers as they prepare themselves for the festivities.

Soon after the show will begin, as each tribal group enters the showground and proudly performs their unique sing-sing to the enraptured audience. The performance gradually builds until each of the tribes is simultaneously performing to a cacophony of rhythmic drumming and hundreds of voices. It is truly an awe-inspiring experience.

This morning fly by charter flight into the deep heart of the jungle where your wondrous journey continues at the Karawari Lodge in the Sepik region. Sitting on a ridge above the Karawari River, the lodge boasts a spectacular view of hundreds of kilometres of dense tropical jungle. Proceed with lunch, followed by an afternoon visit to a nearby village to learn about the customary process of harvesting and preparing the sago palm. Sago is the staple food for the Karawari tribes.

Enjoy one full day traveling along the jungle fringed  Karawari river to visit the small villages that line its shores. The villages provide a unique opportunity to visit traditional homes, witness ceremonial dances and celebrations and glimpse traditional village life. The Karawari tribes express their beliefs through their skillful and artistic expressions of sculpture and art. Enjoy this opportunity to admire or purchase the beautifully woven baskets, carved masks, drums and sculptures. At the end of each afternoon you will return to the comfort of the Karawari Lodge in time to refresh and relax before dinner.

This morning you will take a short flight across untouched rainforest and mountains to the Tari Valley. The Huli tribe that inhabit this area in the largest as well as one of the most colourful and iconic tribes of PNG. Once you arrive you will be transferred to Ambua Lodge; nestled at the edge of the lush green rainforest and overlooking the serene Tari Valley below. Spend the afternoon enjoying Ambua's winding forest trails that take you through lush rainforest, past gushing waterfalls and over traditional vine bridges. While on the nature walk you may chance to observe up to 13 species of the birds of paradise alongside a wide variety of coloured flowers, exotic plants and insects.

Spend one full day touring the villages and countryside of the iconic Huli tribe. The Huli's are famed for their colourful bilas (traditional dressing) and unique traditions. The Huli men pride themselves on their beautiful bilas with its elaborately constructed human hair headdress which they lavishly decorate with flowers, mosses and ornate bird feathers. Their bilas, combined with their unique sing sing is intended both to enrapture their audience, as well as intimidate enemies. Visit the men's wig school and tour the local villages to experience how this proud mountain tribe has evolved in the modern age, while still maintaining the stories, beliefs and traditions of their ancestors.

This morning you depart for Port Moresby.   You will be met by a member of our partnerts staff and transferred to your ongoing international flight

DOWNLOAD ITINERARY

Area Map

Submit your review
1
2
3
4
5
Submit
     
Cancel

Create your own review

Pioneer Expeditions
Average rating:  
 0 reviews

    Enquire now

    Other Amazing Trips

    We are open from:

    9am

    We close at:

    5:30pm

    We are always here to help or answer any questions - call us on: 01202 798922

    Laurenne Mansbridge

    Director

     

    X
    Sign up to our Newsletter

    Pioneer Expeditions Newsletter

    Travel with Us