Day 1 Fri Arrive in Port Moresby. Fly with Air Niugini to Mt Hagen. Overnight Rondon Ridge Mount Hagen City is the business heart of the Papua New Guinea highlands supporting a number of important industries such as tea, coffee, mining and transportation. It is a city where stone meets steel and where tradition and history is juxtaposed against modern ways. A comprehensive touring program takes you on a journey through the traditions and customs of the Melpa People. First contact with the Melpa was made in the mid-1930s when the Leahy brothers were prospecting for gold. The Melpa are said by anthropologists, to be 'predisposed to capitalism' because of their complex traditional society in which 'big men' earn status by accruing wealth and then giving it all away in a ceremonial exchange called "Moka". The Lodge has a variety of new touring vehicles and all excursions are accompanied by experienced local guides from the area.
Day 2 Sat Full Day Tour. Overnight Rondon Ridge On Mondays the "SEPIK SPIRIT" cruises the remote and seldom visited Blackwater Lakes area. Mingle with the friendly people and experience a culture that encounters few outsiders annually. Long after you have left the lush jungle, raucous birds, spirit houses and carvings, and endless water ways, the mysticism of the Sepik will remain unforgettably etched in your memory.
Day 5 Tue Full Day Tour. Overnight MV Sepik Spirit Karawari Lodge arranges river excursions in 18-seat motorized jet boats to the surrounding villages where you visit traditional homes, witness ceremonial dances and celebrations and are honored with a glimpse of what life must have been like. Day 8 Fri Charter flight to Tari. Afternoon Tour. Overnight Ambua Lodge Ambua arranges culturally based excursions to nearby Huli villages where one learns about and observes everyday life of the Huli's, as well as the peculiarities of their traditions and beliefs. Guests tour in comfortable Toyota Hiace and Coaster buses and are accompanied at all times by experienced and knowledgeable Huli guides from the local area, so as to make the experience all the more educational and rewarding. Private touring is not possible at Ambua.
Day 9 Sat Full Day Tour. Overnight Ambua Lodge
Day 1 Fri Arrive in Port Moresby. Fly with Air Niugini to Mt Hagen. Overnight Rondon Ridge Over 180 species of birds have been recorded in the rainforests around Rondon Ridge including ten species of Bird of Paradise. The surrounding area is pristine rainforest and home to numerous orchid species. The lodge has hours of walking trails providing ample opportunity to explore the unique ecology of this area. All nature and birding walks are accompanied by experienced and knowledgeable nature guides. Comprehensive bird and orchid lists are available for Rondon Ridge.
Day 2 Sat Full Day Tour. Overnight Rondon Ridge A favored destination amongst birders, Ambua's rain forests have been the star of many a wildlife documentary. An incredible 217 species have been recorded here and Ambua is home to 13 different species of Bird of Paradise. Ambua employs knowledgeable local birding guides and caters for all interest levels, from early morning birding excursions for guests on more culturally orientated tours, keen to catch a glimpse of these spectacular birds; to fully specialized birding tours tailored to the seasoned enthusiast.
Day 5 Tue Full Day Tour. Overnight Ambua Lodge Sepik's express their culture and beliefs through their art, inspiring the carving of incredible masks, drums, baskets and sculptures that integrate with their daily life and animist beliefs. Village tours allow you to observe master carvers at work and purchase from a selection of finely hand-crafted artifacts. This tropical lowland rainforest is one of earth's most complex of habitats, housing an immense variety of flora and fauna - a staggering 229 different bird species have been recorded at Karawari. Optional birding cruises are available with opportunities to spot elusive 12-Wire Birds of Paradise, cockatoos, parrots, hornbills, cormorants and other water birds.
Day 9 Sat Full Day Tour. Overnight Karawari Lodge
Day 1 Sun Arrive in Port Moresby. Fly with Air Niugini to Mt Hagen. Overnight Rondon Ridge
Day 2 Mon Full Day Tour. Overnight Rondon Ridge
Day 6 Fri Transfer to the MV Sepik Spirit. Afternoon Tour. Overnight MV Sepik Spirit On Fridays the "SEPIK SPIRIT" cruises the Middle Sepik, an area where the river banks are dotted with many large traditional villages each with its own unique "haus Tambaran" or spirit house decorated with ancestral figures, carvings, massive garamut drums and secretive ritual flutes. The Sepik is a gallery of tribal art, each village boasts a unique style, and every villager is an artisan.
Day 7 Sat Full Day Tour. Overnight MV Sepik Spirit
Day 10 Tue Full Day Tour. Overnight Ambua Lodge
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