Upon your arrival in Port Moresby, you will be met by Trans Niugini Tours staff and transferred to your hotel.
Transfer from Airways Hotel to Jackson's airport for your domestic Air Niugini flight to Mount Hagen before flying via small aircraft 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.
This morning transfer to the Sepik Spirit river boat where your wondrous journey continues. Its’ unique design was inspired by the local art and architecture of the Haus Tambaran or Spirit House. Enjoy lunch onboard as you begin the cruise along the swirling waters of the Karawari river, cruising past the remote villages and wild jungle that line the banks of the river. This afternoon travel into one of the local villages to catch your first glimpse into the unique tribal traditions of the river people.
Your journey on this trip will focus on the tributary system of the Sepik River, beginning at the Karawari river and traveling to the Krosmeri river junction and Black water Lakes.
This extremely remote area of the East Sepik Province is home to some of the most untouched villages in the region. Find yourself meandering along the dark water as it weaves through thick jungle, past small riverside villages and men poling silently through the waters in traditional dugout canoes. You will wake the first day at the Karawari and Krosmeri river junction area, where you will begin to gain a sense of life on the river. More than just a cruise, each day you will travel via open-air jet-boat to reach the remote villages, where you will learn the Sepik customs and experience their day-to-day life in modern times (which still closely reflects their traditional tribal lifestyle). These daily trips offer a true sense of the nature, village life and the tranquil atmosphere of life on the river. The tribes here still maintain long-held traditions, steeped in the ancient stories of the spirits of the rivers and jungles and their ancestors that inhabited them. These beliefs are expressed in the artistic carvings and indigenous art that is entirely unique to this region. You will have plenty of opportunity to admire or purchase some of their unique artefacts while visiting the local villages.
Begin the journey back up the Karawari River and prepare to leave the Sepik Spirit. Take a short flight from Karawari across untouched rainforest and mountains to the Tari Valley. The Huli tribe that inhabit this area is the largest as well as one of the most colourful and iconic tribes of PNG. Once you arrive you will be transferred to the 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 colourful flowers, exotic plants and insects.
Spend 2 full days touring the villages and countryside of the iconic Huli tribe. The Hulis are famed for their colourful bilas and unique traditions. The Huli men pride themselves on their beautiful bilas with its’ elaborately constructed human hair headdress which they lavishly decorated 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 mens’ hair-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.
Transfer to Ambua airstrip for your charter flight to Mount Hagen; the heart of the PNG highlands. This area is famed for its fertile lands and stunning mountain ranges, as well as the complex and fascinating cultural traditions of the Melpa tribe.
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. Guests will arrive at the showground with plenty of time to wander throughout the area where they can interact with and photograph the dancers as they prepare for the sing-sing. 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.
Transfer from the Highlander Hotel to Kagamuga airport for your flight to Port Moresby. Arrive at Jackson's airport, meet and transfer to your hotel. Proceed with lunch then followed by an afternoon touring the nations’ capital; including visits to the National Museum, the Nature Park and the National Parliament House (outside view only).
This morning, you will be met by Trans Niugini Tours staff and transferred from Airways Hotel to Jackson's airport to your international departing flight.
Departure transfer to Port Moresby Airport
