Meet your guide, Christopher, who has been running PNG tours since 2011., and has been to every Goroka Festival since 2010. You will have time to visit Port Moresby Nature Park in the afternoon.
Port Moresby Nature Park
Fly to Mount Hagen, then transfer to Traveler‘s Hut and check-in, followed by lunch. After lunch, transfer to Mt. Hagen Market and continue for a cultural visit to a Huli wig man village and then the Masalai Skeleton men.
Afternoon cultural activities: Huli Wig Men and Masalai Skeleton Men
Full day birding – Breakfast at 4:30 am and 5:00am transfer in vehicles to the birding site. The first site chosen depends on a number of factors; recent sitings, the weather, and the composition of the group. We spend the morning with our guide looking for mating displays by the male birds of paradise and spotting other endemic species too. Return to Mt Hagen town for for lunch. Int he afternoon, cultural performance by the Hagen wigmen on the way to Kumul Lodge to see birds feeding at a bird platform.
Birds of Paradise than could be seen - Raggiana bird of paradise,, King of Saxony, Stephanie’s Astraphia, Brown sickle bill, Black sickle bill, Buff-tailed sickle bill, Superb bird of paradise, Loria’s bird of paradise, Short tailed paradigalla, Macgregor’s and Yellow-breasted bowerbirds. Other birds include Honey eater, Blue capped ifritta, fantails, robins, swallows, whistlers, doves & pigeons, falcons, parrots, lorikeets. , scrub wrens, berrypickers, cuckooshrike, goshawk & kites and other species.
Morning bush walk birdwatching looking for birds of paradise.
Hagen Wigmen
Kumul Lodge birdwatching
We transfer to Eastern Highlands Province Valley by coach. The scenic four-hour drive takes us through Jiwaka and Chimbu provinces, before we enter the Eastern Highlands. En route, we will take in the courtship ceremony at Mindimi village in Chimbu Province. We will drive over the Daulo Pass, giving us splendid views of the valley leading to Goroka town in the distance. On arrival in Goroka, we will check in to our guesthouse, run by the local doctor, Ken, and his wife, Lisa. We have been staying here since 2016; it is our haven in the town, five minutes walk from supermarkets and banks, and less than 10 minutes from the showgrounds.
Cultural activity: Mindima courtship, Chimbu Province
Asaro Mudmen Day. We will join other Best of PNG clients for a spectacular Asaro Mudmen Cultural Day. Today, we learn about Asaro traditions, preparing a "mumu" (earth oven), watch several sing-sing performances, and watch an Asaro mask-making demonstration. We will also see the Masalai Omo Skeleton Men story, the Bena warriors cleansing ritual, and more local traditions.
At the end of the day we return to our guesthouse in Goroka town.
VIP access to the spectacular Highlands Cultural Festival. Up to 150 tribal groups attend to show off their traditional finery in a riot of colour and sound. Tens of thousands of locals come to watch. It is an unforgettable experience. We can take photos and videos freely all day.
Second day with VIP access at the Festival. Don't forget to check out the agricultural fair in the bottom field with its splendid orchids and wonderful coffee to taste. There also a concert and the hilarious greasy pole competition.
In the morning we drive 30 minutes to Mount Akameku to see the coffee plantation and see a private sing-sing performed by the Akameku people. We then drive 40 minutes to Gurunoka for another private sing-sing with the Nupaha tribe.
Mid-afternoon, we relocate to an Asaro guesthouse in the Asaro Valley. Accommodation for one night is in a basic lodge built by the Asaro in their village. The Asaro village guest house has twin and double rooms, 24-hour electricity, male and female “long drop” toilets, and warm showers in a separate shower area. Here we can walk up Mt Gurupoka to visit a secret cave and animal sacrifice site, or go for a refereshing dip in the Asaro River.
Morning transfer to Goroka airport to fly back to Port Moresby.
