Mt. Hagen Show Tour Vista

Arrive in Port Moresby, where you will be met and transferred to the Airways Hotel. You will meet your guide and other group members, and the rest of the day is free.

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Tari.  Ambua Lodge is high on the slopes of the Tari Valley, with magnificent views of the surrounding peaks and the valley below.  This is the home of the Huli, a colorful and proud people who still live largely in the same manner as their ancestors.  Ambua Lodge, an inspired mixture of local architecture with fantastic views, is high on the slopes of the Tari Valley.  Spend the afternoon exploring the area around Ambua, where high mountain forests with roaring waterfalls beckon the intrepid traveler.  The forest canopy, a dense mass of interlocking tree tops of all shades of green and the occasional bright splash of color, provides a natural setting and an exhilarating setting for venturing along the nature trails, crossing traditional vine bridges, discovering a secluded waterfall, and spotting high-altitude orchids and rhodeodendrons.

Enjoy two full days of cultural and ecological touring.  The Tari area is home to an incredible 13 species of birds of paradise as well as numerous orchid species.  Learn how the Huli live and how they interact with and use their environment.  The Huli people, famous for their elaborate and colorful dress, are proud warriors who have great reverence for birds, imitating them in ceremonial dances and decorating their wigs, woven from human hair, with feathers, flowers, and cuscus fur.  Everlasting daisies are specially cultivated for use in the men's wigs, and their faces are painted with yellow ochre.  The women, in contrast, wear black for their weddings and coat themselves with blue-gray clay when in mourning.  Clans have strong and intricate social systems and are one of the few places where traditional ways of life can still be seen in everyday living.  Ceremonial rituals are strongly observed, and men and women can still be seen wearing traditional dress, tending their gardens and pigs, and building their bush material huts.  You will spend two days exploring the surrounding area, meeting the Huli people, and learning about Huli culture.

Fly by charter aircraft to Timbunke airstrip over some of the most rugged and impressive landscapes in the world.  From the airstrip, you will be transferred to the air-conditioned comfort of the MV Sepik Spirit.  Inspired by the architecture of the "haus tambaran," or spirit house, the MV Sepik Spirit has a truly unique design. With its shallow draft, it allows travel in comfort to rarely-visited areas of the Sepik River and its tributaries.

Note: Please remember to bring a pair of clean sandals or slippers to wear aboard the Sepik Spirit.  Shoes worn on shore excursions must be removed when boarding the ship.

Spend two full days exploring the many waterways of the Sepik and its tributaries, including visits to traditional Sepik villages. The Sepik River is one of the largest rivers in the world in terms of flow. Steeped in mystery, the people of the Sepik area have fascinated anthropologists such as Margaret Mead since the area was first visited. Part of the mystery and attraction of the indigenous Sepik people are their amazing carvings, now famous all over the world.

Transfer by river boat to Karawari Lodge.  Sitting on a ridge above the Karawari River, the lodge boasts a spectacular view over hundreds of miles of dense tropical jungle.  Inspired by local architecture and built with traditional materials, the Karawari Lodge still provides modern comforts.  You are now in the middle of "Arambak" country, where local people pole dugout canoes along the river, the drums throb, the wild birds call, and traditional village lifestyles continue unchanged.  In the afternoon, visit the Kundiman village for a sago-making demonstration.  (Sago is the staple food of the river people.)

Transfer to the airport for your charter flight to Mount Hagen over mountains that rise up to startling heights out of the flat lands of the Karawari River basin.  Mount Hagen town is in the upper Wahgi Valley, a valley with some of the oldest evidence of agriculture in the world.  Overnight at the Highlander Hotel.

In preparation for the upcoming Mount Hagen Cultural Show, there will be a pre-show program this afternoon.

Spend two full days at the Mount Hagen Show, world famous for its color, culture, and sheer vibrance.  It truly is a spectacular event.  The diversity of the coastal, lowland, and highland sing-sing groups at the show reflect the incredible diversity of Papua New Guinea's landscape.  Stay for the next two nights to enjoy the festival in depth; your time here will be an unforgettable experience.

As your journey starts to draw to a close, depart Mount Hagen for your flight to Port Moresby.  You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel.  In the afternoon, discover the town of Port Moresby, the bustling economic center and capital of Papua New Guinea.

You will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to the airport for your international flight onward.