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DAY 1: ARRIVE PORT MORESBY - MT. HAGEN Upon arrival in the capital of Port Moresby, you will be met and assisted to your flight to Mt. Hagen in the highlands. You will be met and transferred to the Rondon Ridge for a two-night stay. Enjoy a brief privately guided tour of the area in the afternoon. (D) DAY 2: MT. HAGEN Mount Hagen is located 5,000 feet above sea level and the air is clear and crisp at that altitude. The attraction of this area is not the town, but the surrounding rolling hills stretching upwards to majestic mountains. Today’s full day private tour visits the Waghi Valley where you will enjoy a performance by the famous Mudmen at either Minima or Pogla Village. (B,D) DAY 3: MT. HAGEN - SEPIK, JOIN SEPIK CRUISE Today you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Sepik to board the MV Sepik Spirit for a three-night cruise on the Sepik River. The ship was designed and built specially to suit the unique conditions along the Sepik River. The Sepik Spirit accommodates 18 passengers in 9 deluxe and spacious twin bedrooms each with private bathroom. Onboard facilities include a dining room, lounge, bar, video and covered upper observatory deck. The entire vessel is air-conditioned. Tonight enjoy a welcome dinner and presentation on the highlights of the cruise. Shore excursions will be made throughout your journey to various villages featuring haus tambaran spirit houses, sing sing village performances, and spectacular artwork. Day trips from the Sepik Spirit are done in an 18-seater riverboat, also custom-designed for operation on the Sepik River. The fast and comfortable riverboat allows access to the remotest corners of the region not accessible by larger boats or vessels. (B,D) DAYS 4 & 5: SEPIK CRUISE Areas that the Sepik Spirit and her guests may visit are the Karawari River, Blackwater Lakes, Chambri Lakes, the Middle Sepik and the Upper Sepik. The river banks where the vessel operates 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. Mingle with the friendly people and experience a culture that encounters very few outsiders annually. During the cruise, you may see a sing sing, and witness demonstrations of village life including making pottery. Upon request it may be possible to go crocodile hunting in the evening or on a jungle walk through the rainforest. (B,L,D) Please note that this is a general cruise description. All cruise routings aboard the MV Sepik Spirit remain flexible, following the opportunity to witness local events en route and weather conditions. Depending on your dates of travel, your cruise may follow the reverse direction. DAY 6: SEPIK - KARAWARI Upon disembarking the ship today, you will be transferred to Karawari for an overnight stay at The Karawari Lodge. This afternoon, set out on a small group tour to the local village of Kundiman, where you will learn about the local way of life and see how the staple food of sago is prepared. (B,L,D) DAY 7: KARAWARI - TARI After a leisurely morning, you will be transferred to the airstrip for your flight to Tari, located in the Southern Highlands and home to the Huli people. You will be met and driven up into the hills to Ambua Lodge, a beautiful wilderness retreat featuring traditional highlands architecture and massive Sepik carving, for a two-night stay. The lodge, which has won numerous prestigious awards, offers luxury in the Highlands with heated bed blankets, an outdoor hot tub, nightly fireplace gatherings, and multi-course gourmet meals. This afternoon enjoy a guided small group wilderness tour in the surrounding alpine forest, which is dotted with high-altitude orchids, suspension bridges and waterfalls, and over 13 species of Birds of Paradise. (B,L,D) DAYS 8 & 9: TARI Tari is one of the few places left where men and women can be seen wearing traditional dress and a man’s wealth is still counted by the number of pigs and wives he possesses. The flamboyant Huli Wigmen revere the Birds of Paradise, imitating them in both daily and ceremonial life by decorating their human hair wigs with the plumage of the most beautiful birds. These two days will be spent on small group tours visiting Huli villages in the Tari Valley and exploring the region. (B,L,D) DAY 10: TARI - MILNE BAY You will be transferred to the airport this morning for your flight to Port Moresby, where you’ll connect with your onward flight to Alotau in Milne Bay Province. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred by road and boat to the Tawali Resort for a three-night stay. Tawali is only accessible by boat and is perched in the rainforest on a volcanic bluff overlooking the clear protected waters of Milne Bay. If you are interested in scuba diving, there is no better area. (B,D) DAYS 11 & 12: MILNE BAY Spend these days at your leisure, taking advantage of the numerous activities offered at Tawali, from scuba diving to guided hikes. You may spend today on a guided bush walk into the rainforest to visit ancient skull caves or waterfalls. You might also want to explore various coastal villages with a profusion of orchids and birdlife. (B,D) DAY 13: MILNE BAY - PORT MORESBY This morning you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Port Moresby. Upon arrival, set off for some brief Port Moresby touring. The tour may include the National Museum, which contains towering house poles from Sepik Haus Tambarans that you will have seen firsthand on your cruise. Continue on to Hanuabada Village, where the homes are built on stilts perched out over the water. Next, explore the Koki Markets, where people from all over the country meet to sell their wares. Finally, visit the National Parliament building -- constructed in the style of a Sepik River Haus Tambaran -- the traditional center of decision-making at a village level. Your final night in Papua New Guinea will be at the Airways Hotel. (B,L,D) DAY 14: DEPART PAPUA NEW GUINEA Today you will be transferred to the airport for your international flight. (B) |