• Trip Overview
• Photo Gallery
• Detailed Program
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Trip Overview

Discover the best of the Papuan Highlands in just a few days for an intense and authentic cultural experience, combining encounters with traditional peoples, birdwatching and immersion in village life.

From the Mudmen of Asaro to the Melpa dancers, via the Kuman villages perched on the hills, you’ll experience special moments in a warm and friendly atmosphere. This short but intense tour is perfect for a first discovery of Papua or as an extension to a trip to Australia.

• Asaro Mudmen ceremony and Moko Moko dance
• Overnight stay with the Kuman people in Kagai
• Birdwatching at Kumul Lodge
• Meeting with the Melpa people in the Nebylar Valley
• Rainforest walks and nature parks

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Detailed Program

• Day 1: Arrival in Port Moresby and flight to Goroka
  Welcome at Port Moresby International Airport by your guide. After a light breakfast, transfer to the domestic terminal for your morning flight to Goroka, the economic capital of the Highlands. On arrival, your Highlands team will welcome you and take you to your hotel for a rest. In the afternoon, climb Mount Gahavisuka (2 hours, easy). This beautiful hike offers splendid views of the surrounding valleys, a lovely trail through the rainforest and the chance to observe an abundance of flora. Return to hotel.

  Accommodation: Pacific Garden Hotel – Meals: P.D.D.

• Day 2: Goroka - Mudmen of Asaro and Kagai
  After breakfast, visit a coffee factory, the region’s main cash crop. Return to the hotel for lunch. You’ll have time to rest before heading off to a village of the Asaro tribe, where you’ll witness a real performance by the Asaro Mudmen (mud men). It’s also here that you’ll discover the impressive “Moko Moko” dance. Learn about the local culture, agriculture and way of life, while enjoying real encounters. After lunch, off to Simbu province. After crossing the Daulo Pass and its impressive views, you arrive in Kagai, a small village perched on a hill and home to the Kuman tribe. In a small local guesthouse, you enjoy local food with a breathtaking view of the remote mountains surrounding the village. You spend the night here in basic comfort but in an atmosphere rich in authenticity.

  Accommodation: Kagai Guesthouse – Meals: P.D.D. – Transfer : 2h drive to Kagai

• Day 3: Kagai - Village tour and Mount Hagen
  Wake up early and after breakfast, visit the village. At the school, you make the customary DIAMIR donation of books and school equipment. After this ceremony, return to the guesthouse grounds to watch the local sing-sing group preparing for their dances, organized in your honor. You then continue your journey through the famous Waghi Valley to finally reach Mount Hagen and your accommodation.

  Accommodation: McRoyal Hotel – Premier King – Meals: P.D.D. – Transfer: 2h by private bus from Kagai to Hagen

• Day 4: Mount Hagen - Melpa Village and Kumul Lodge
  After breakfast, visit a Melpa village, the dominant tribe of this region in the Nebylar Valley. Melpa women will present their sing-sing in traditional dress (bilas). Enjoy a tour in and around the village, learning about the local way of life. A perfect way to discover the reality of life in the Highlands. After a local lunch, you’re off to Kumul Lodge, well known for offering spectacular viewing of endemic species ofbirds of paradise. Enjoy your time here at your leisure and return to Hagen in the late afternoon.

  Accommodation: McRoyal Hotel – Meals: P.D.D. – Transfer : 45 min by bus to Melpa village

• Day 5: Mount Hagen - Kimdika Park and return to Port Moresby
  Morning excursion to Kimdika Nature Park, where you’ll once again enjoy a natural rainforest and see plenty of endemic flora. Return to Hagen for lunch. Afternoon flight to Port Moresby.

  Accommodation: Airways Hotel – Fountain room – Meals : P.D.D.

• Day 6: Port Moresby - Birds of paradise and city tour
  Early morning departure for Varirata National Park, where you can watch the Raggiana birds of paradise on parade and enjoy fantastic views of the surrounding valley. Return to Port Moresby for an early lunch. In the afternoon, you’ll have time to visit the magnificent National Museum, Parliament House and Botanical Gardens.

  Accommodation: Airways Hotel – Meals: P.D.D.

• Day 7: Departure - Transfer to international airport
  Transfer to the international airport for your departure flight.

  Meals : Breakfast

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