Papua New Guinea Goroka Festival Tour & Mummies Extension

Tuesday 15th September – Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

Morning

• Arrive at your convenience into Port Moresby – the capital city of Papua New Guinea which is well connected with flights from Australia, Singapore, the Philippines and Hong Kong – and transfer to our centrally located hotel.
• Enjoy lunch at your own convenience.

Afternoon

• Join the group and your YPT guides for a 2:00pm departure on a tour of the highlights of Port Moresby! We’ll explore the nature park, visit the national museum, go on a guided tour of parliament, stop by the official gift shop of the National Cultural Commission, and enjoy a photo opportunity at the iconic “Amazing Port Moresby” sign located at Ela Beach.
• Depart Ela Beach and take the quick drive to the Port Moresby Yacht Club for dinner, drinks and the official pre-tour meeting. (Transportation from the hotel to the Yacht Club can be arranged for any group members arriving too late to join the city tour)
• Overnight in Port Moresby.

Wednesday 16th September – Port Moresby – Mt. Hagen

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel.
• Early morning transfer to the airport to catch our flight to Mt. Hagen with PNG Airlines departing at 8:30am and arriving in Mt. Hagen at 9:30am.
• Upon arrival, we will meet our local guides and transfer to our hotel for check in.

Afternoon

• After check-in, we will go on a guided tour of Mount Hagen, starting with a visit to the city’s main market, where locals sell clothes, fresh produce, and other staples. Here, you can sample street food and buy delicious locally grown fruits and vegetables.
• We’ll take a break for lunch at our favourite café before heading into the surrounding countryside to visit coffee plantations and a local processing plant, finishing the day with a scenic stop overlooking Mt. Hagen.
• For dinner tonight we head to Mt. Hagen’s most posh local restaurant which boasts the best drink and wine selection in the city.

Thursday 17th September – Mt. Hagen

Morning

• For the early risers, there’s an optional 5:00am excursion to our local guide’s village, where we’ll take a forest hike to a special viewpoint and watch the Birds of Paradise as they begin to stir with the first light of dawn.
• After breakfast, we will begin making our way deeper into the highlands to our local host’s village where we will be welcomed by his family and elders. Sing-sing groups will showcase the tribe’s unique cultural identity through song, dance, and elaborate costumes. For those wanting to join the festivities further you’re invited to wear local tribal attire, which includes getting your face and body painted. Our local guides will take us to the village grandstand, where they will explain the significance of various face painting patterns and traditional attire. They will also walk us through mock versions of traditional ceremonies, such as weddings and funerals.

Afternoon

• The locals will prepare Beef Mumu. Beef Mumu involves the slaughtering of a cow, which is then prepared and cooked in a hole covered by hot rocks with yam, corn, bananas and greens.
• While we wait for the mumu to cook, we’ll take part in a welcoming ceremony led by the village elders, where you’ll have the opportunity to introduce yourself in front of the village and share where you’re from. This will draw excitement from the crowd as they hear about the diverse nationalities that have come to visit Mount Hagen.
• After a massive mumu feast, we’ll say goodbye to the village and head back to Mount Hagen City where we will freshen up before going out to dinner at a local restaurant.
• Overnight in Mount Hagen.

Friday 18th September – Mt. Hagen – Goroka

Morning

• After breakfast, we’ll begin our long days drive through Simbu province to reach Goroka on our private bus to explore more of the highlands regions. Prepare for an unforgettable journey as we drive across Papua New Guinea’s stunning highlands, traversing from the Western Highlands to Simbu and concluding in the Eastern Highlands. This scenic route offers a feast for the eyes, with spectacular landscapes featuring lush valleys and mountains dotted with small villages.
• As we leave Western Highlands Province and enter Simbu Province, we will stop by the village of Mindima which is home to the iconic Skeleton Tribe. Their distinctive white and black body paint, which represents skeletal figures, serves as a connection to their ancestors. Historically, this body art was used to intimidate rival tribes, symbolizing the presence of ancestors and acting as a formidable tool against enemies. Today, they continue to honor this tradition during cultural festivals and special events.
• After settling in, the tribesmen will perform the “Simbu Monster Dance.” Legend has it that the ancestors of this tribe were tormented by a monster in a cave full of bones. So to attack the monster they disguised themselves as skeletons in order to blend in and surprise attack the monster. We will watch as they engage in a theatrical battle against a monster.

Afternoon

• Back on the road for a quick stop at a bakery/cafe in Simbu province to grab lunch on the go.
• Just outside of Goroka, we’ll discover the Asaro Mudmen, famous for their unique mud masks, which were originally used for camouflage in warfare. Experience their performances and learn about their ancestral traditions during your visit, making it a highlight of the tour.
• Arrive late afternoon in Goroka.
• If time allows, we’ll visit the J.K. McCarthy Museum, where several rooms feature an impressive array of exhibits. You’ll find everything from WWII relics to traditional PNG artifacts. A standout is a collection of photographs that illustrate Papua New Guinea’s first encounters with Australians in the 1930s.
• Check into our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Saturday 19th September – Goroka Festival Day #1

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel
• Today’s the big day! We head to the local field which converts into the site hosting the Goroka Festival, the oldest and most prestigious in the country. We’ll arrive early to ensure you can get a behind-the-scenes view of the members of the tribes preparing their costumes and applying their tribal paint.
• You may choose to participate and have the locals prepare your dressings and make up (extra charge).

Afternoon

• During the show, you’ll have a chance to sample some snacks and street food prepared on the grounds by locals.
• This is your unique opportunity to meet over 100 Papua New Guinean tribes, each showcasing their traditions. Highlights include the Huli’s feathered headdresses, Asaro Mudmen’s clay masks, Chimbu’s dances, and Sepik tribes’ spiritual carvings.
• Once the show completes, we will then go driving into the countryside to find a great place to jump off ledges and swim in the beautiful river of Goroka, a great way to end our final afternoon here.
• We’ll return to the hotel for to freshen up then head out to Goroka town for dinner.
• Overnight in Goroka.

Sunday 20th September – Goroka Festival Day #2

• Breakfast at hotel.
• Head in for the second day of the Goroka festival. This is much more relaxed than day 1 and is but a half-day.
• Packed lunch at festival.

Afternoon

• Return to hotel for a freshen up.
• Group A members: drive back to Mount Hagen for dinner and overnight at your accommodation.
• Group B members: we’ll continue our journey across the Highlands as we enter the Western Highlands Province, making our way toward the coastal town of Lae, the capital of Morobe Province and the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. Along the way, prepare to be take in the scenery as we descend from the mountains down to the coast.
• Dinner, drinks and overnight in Lae

Monday 21st September – Lae – Wau Bulolo – Aseki – Lae

• Group A members: after breakfast, you’ll fly from Mount Hagen to Port Moresby and conclude the tour. YPT can arrange ongoing transport, optional tours of the area or advice on flights out.
• Group B members: early wake up at 3:00am to begin our journey towards Wau Bulolo – the picturesque town located deep within the valleys of PNG.
• Stop for lunch at Minima.
• Arrive at our final destination Aseki in the afternoon.

Afternoon

• Here you’ll be one of the very few visitors to see the smoked corpses / mummies, which have been featured in selective media. Less than 30 tourists visit this site each year.
• We’ll grab some snacks at a local shop offering basic supplies like soft drinks, bananas, and crisps before beginning our journey back to Lae.
• Late arrival in Lae with dinner and overnight in hotel.

Tuesday 22nd September – Lae

• Breakfast at hotel.
• Visit Lae Unitech Habitat to see large walk-in exhibition of different species of wildlife, birds and fauna. This is the best opportunity to see Tree Kangaroos up close.
• We’ll partake in a city tour which will include a visit of the WWII cemetery, and a former Royal Australian Airforce DC3 which served during WWII.
  
• Visit of the shipwreck of the Myoko Maru.

Afternoon

• Buffet lunch at Lae food court.
• You’ll have the opportunity to get last minute souvenirs, such as jerseys from PNG, fridge magnets, etc.
• Visit the Amelia Earhart monument, and an explanation about the American aviation pioneer.
• Dinner at the best restaurant in town!
• Overnight in Lae.

Wednesday 23rd September – Lae – Port Moresby

• Depart on a morning flight back to Port Moresby
• Tour concludes YPT can arrange ongoing transport, optional tours of the area or advice on flights out.