Sepik River, Madang and the Spectacular

Goroka Show
Group Tour led by Local guides
10 – 21 September 2020
 Sepik River, Madang and the Spectacular Goroka
Show - Papua New Guinea Group Tour 2020

ITINERARY IN BRIEF
Led by various regional guides, this two-week group tour is perfectly suited to those with limited time
to visit Papua New Guinea. The group will firstly visit remote villages along the Sepik River, travelling
by motorised canoe for a truly authentic glimpse of village life along New Guinea’s longest artery.
Next we travel to the warm coastal resort of Madang for the opportunity to experience the local culture
and snorkel or dive the colourful coral reefs. Finally comes the highlight of the trip: we ascend to the
cool Eastern Highlands for the spectacular Goroka Show, the oldest and largest cultural festival (or
sing sing) in the country. For two days, over 100 highland tribes come together to display their unique
music, regional dances and tribal rituals: a spectacle like no other on earth.

10 Sep Depart SINGAPORE on AIR NIUGINI flight to PORT MORESBY.

11 Sep Arrive in PORT MORESBY. Meet with group and catch AIR NIUGINI flight to
WEWAK. Met and tfr to the hotel. O/n IN WEWAK BOUTIQUE HOTEL, (RO).

12 Sep Morning tfr by road to PAGWI (c.4 hours) then transfer to motorised dugout canoe
and commence Sepik river Canoe Safari. O/n PALIMBE GUEST HOUSE, (BLD).

13 Sep Depart Palimbe and visit Middle Sepik Villages before continuing to Wagu Lake. O/n
WAGU GUEST HOUSE, (BLD).

14 Sep Early morning visit to the rainforest to see the Lesser Bird of Paradise. Later visit
Wasukuk area including Meno and Tonginmjam. O/n AMBUNTI LODGE, (BLD).

15 Sep Return to Pagwi by canoe and transfer by road to Maprik for mini cultural show. Later
transfer to Wewak. O/n IN WEWAK BOUTIQUE HOTEL, (BL).

16 Sep Early morning tfr to the airport and catch PNG Air flight to MADANG. Tfr to the hotel
for breakfast. Afternoon tour of the town including the Coast Watchers Memorial,
Madang Museum and Bilbil village. O/n MADANG RESORT HOTEL, (B)

17 Sep Morning harbour cruise to Siar Island, Pig Island and snorkelling. Later, visit Amele
Villages, including Hobe, Suyao and Haya. O/n MADANG RESORT HOTEL, (B)

18 Sep Morning pick up from the hotel and tfr by road (c7-8 hours) to GOROKA. Tfr to the
hotel. O/n PACIFIC GARDENS HOTEL, (BL)

19 Sep Full day spent at the GOROKA SHOW. O/n PACIFIC GARDENS HOTEL, (BL)

20 Sep Full day spent at the GOROKA SHOW. O/n PACIFIC GARDENS HOTEL, (BL)

21 Sep Tfr to the airport. Catch AIR NIUGINI flight to PORT MORESBY. Met and assisted
with connection to AIR NIUGINI flight to SINGAPORE.

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 PAPUA NEW GUINEA GROUP ITINERARY
THE SEPIK RIVER, MADANG AND THE SPECTACULAR GOROKA SHOW

10 Sep Depart SINGAPORE on AIR NIUGINI flight to PORT MORESBY.

11 Sep Arrive PORT MORESBY. Met on

arrival at the airport and assisted with
connection to AIR NIUGINI to
WEWAK. Met on arrival at the
airport and transfer to the hotel. O/n
IN WEWAK BOUTIQUE HOTEL,
(RO). Situated on Wewak Hill
overlooking the beautiful Bismarck
Sea. Accommodation in room with
private bathroom, air conditioning and
satellite TV. Facilities at the hotel
include resort style pool, Cocoa Cafe
& Vanilla Room Restaurants for
meals.

12 Sep After Breakfast, depart Wewak by private vehicle

to Pagwi. The drive will take you over the Prince
Alexander Ranges through to Passam, Kubalia,
Yangoru, Hayfield /Maprik, Wosera to reach
Pagwi. Most of the road is sealed, there is a one
hour of the drive, which is on a dirt road. From
Pagwi station you will start Motorised Canoe
Safari Trip and travel to Palimbe. There is a
cluster of three villages, Palimbe, Yenchan and
Kanganamun. These villages have stood firm
against the invasion of Christianity. They still
have their Haus Tambarans (Spirit House) and
practice their customs including the initiation or
scarification on young boys that depict the
crocodile as symbol of power and
strength. The villages are also
famous artists and they make
carvings with bird heads. O/n
PALIMBE GUEST HOUSE, (BLD).
Accommodation is very basic. Simple
hut made out of local material. There
is pit toilet outside the hut; no shower,
no electricity but light will be provided
by the lamp. Mattresses with
Mosquito nets are provided. NB:
Torch (and spare battery) is a “must”
item to bring along.
(2)…/ THE SEPIK RIVER, MADANG & THE SPECTACULAR GOROKA SHOW

13 Sep Continue up the SEPIK RIVER in simple motorised canoe. Visit Yenchen
village and enjoy “Crocodile
Dance”. After Yenchen, your
motorized canoe travels up the
river and visit Yessan village to
enjoy the Sepik style Sing Sing and
then continue to Wagu. As you
canoe further into the tributary, the
majestic Hunstein range
approaches rapidly until you reach
the foot hill at Wagu village to
overnight in the village guest
house. Wagu Lake is the gateway
to the Hunstein Range Wildlife
Management area and WWF tries to preserve the vast Rainforest and its
inhabitants. In the evening you will visit a vast lake environment full of herons,
cormorants, wild ducks, egrets, kites, jacanas and lots of species of water
birds.

O/n WAGU GUEST HOUSE, (BLD).

Accommodation is in a basic village
hut but has common toilet, cold
water shower adjacent to the main
accommodation building. For a
humid night, battery operated
personal fan may be useful to get
cool air.

14 Sep Early morning visit to the nearby forest to see the Lesser Bird of Paradise.
Next you will head to the Wasukuk villages and visit the Haus Tamaran in
Meno, where you will also enjoy a traditional sing sing. Finally you will visit
Tongijamb village, which has the best Haus Tambaran in the area. The last
visit will be to the small government station of Ambunti where you will be
transferred to the rustic lodge. O/n
AMBUNTI LODGE, (BLD). A basic
lodge, air-conditioned with en-suite
toilet & cold water shower in each
room. The power is supplied by
generator and it runs until 2200hrs
and start again in the morning.
Torch (and spare battery) is useful
for the dark night, as well as a
battery operated personal fan for
humid nights (after the power goes
off).

15 Sep Early morning departure (6.30am) from the lodge to Pagwi. Change to road
transfer and visit Maprik. The village has distinctive Maprik style Haus
Tambaran and you will enjoy a mini culture show there. Continue by road to
Wewak and transfer to the hotel. O/n IN WEWAK BOUTIQUE HOTEL, (BL).
(3)…/ THE SEPIK RIVER, MADANG & THE SPECTACULAR GOROKA SHOW

16 Sep Morning pick up from the hotel and transfer to the airport. Catch PNG AIR
flight to MADANG. Met on arrival at the airport and transfer to the hotel.
Afternoon tour of Madang Town including Coast Watchers Memorial, Madang
Museum and Bilbil village. O/n
MADANG RESORT HOTEL,
(B). The Madang resort hotel
is ideally located close to the
centre of Madang, overlooking
the Madang harbour. There are
a total of 150 rooms, of varying
standards surrounded by
beautiful gardens that are
home to exotic birds. Rooms
have private bathroom, air-
conditioning, satellite TV,
telephone and most have
private balconies overlooking the gardens or harbour. Accommodation in a
Deluxe Room.

17 Sep After breakfast, pick up from the

hotel for a half day harbour cruise,
including a visit to Siar island for a
short walks and Pig Island for
snorkelling, before returning to the
hotel. Afternoon tour to Amele
Villages including Hobe, Suyao
and Haya. Enjoy a sing sing
performance at Haya Village. O/n
MADANG RESORT HOTEL, (B).

18 Sep Moring pick up from the hotel and

commence the overland journey (7-8 hours) to GOROKA. This is a
spectacular road trip over the rugged mountains. On the way, stop at Yonki
Hydro Dam for wonderful scenery and Kainantu pottery centre. On arrival in
Goroka, transfer to the hotel. Goroka is situated 1600m above sea level and
boasts its ever-spring weather. It is “Coffee Capital” of Papua New Guinea
where high-grade organic
Arabica coffees are produced
on its rich soil. It is also a home
for famous “Asaro Mudman”. In
the Tribal fight age, Asaro
tribes were always beaten by
the enemy tribes. While they
were running away from the
enemy, they jumped into the
mud-pond, and all of their body
was covered with mud. The
enemy tribesmen were scared
of them and vacated the land
and withdrew. Since then, Mudman became the guarding symbol of Asaro
villages. (Contd…/)
(4)…/ THE SEPIK RIVER, MADANG & THE SPECTACULAR GOROKA SHOW

(Contd…/) O/n PACIFIC

GARDENS HOTEL, (BL)
Located in the beautiful
Pacific Gardens Estate and
one of the best hotels in
Goroka. The hotel is
located in over 20 acres of
land with walking trails,
barbecue area, playground
and a meandering mountain
stream. Accommodation is
in comfortable rooms with
private bathroom, tea and
coffee facilities and tv. Accommodation in a Premier room.

19 Sep Morning pick up from the hotel and transfer to the hotel and show ground.
You will visit Goroka Show
over the 2 days (shared
tour). The staging of the
Goroka Show started back
in 1957 at the
Independence Park
opposite the Goroka Main
Market. It was first
introduced and organized
by Australian Kiaps (Patrol
Officers). Kiaps from each
district built round houses
typical of their districts.
They proudly displayed
cultures of their districts. The kiaps brought in sing sing groups from their area
- twenty nine different languages and societies in Eastern Highlands was
reflected in their culture.
Over the years, Goroka
show has grown to one of
the most vivid cultural
events in Papua New
Guinea, where visitors can
experience the customs of
over a hundred tribes that
populate the Papua New
Guinea highlands. During
the course of the weekend
the tribes gather for music,
dancing, showing-off and
extraordinary displays of
tribal rituals. Amongst the performers are the legendary mud men of Asaro.
Tribal folklore records that centuries ago the warriors of Asaro were defeated
in a tribal fight "payback" raid, and, to make themselves look fierce in the
process, covered their bodies with grey mud. According to legend, the ruse
worked. Their enemies fled at the sight of these ghostly apparitions. The mud
men recreated the drama at the Goroka show. O/n PACIFIC GARDENS
HOTEL, (BL)
(5)…/ THE SEPIK RIVER, MADANG & THE SPECTACULAR GOROKA SHOW

20 Sep Another day at the GOROKA show (shared). O/n PACIFIC GARDENS
HOTEL, (BL).

21 Sep Morning pick up from the hotel and transfer to the airport. Catch AIR NIUGINI
flight to PORT MORESBY. Met on arrival at the airport and assisted with
connection to AIR NIUGINI flight to SINGAPORE.

Number of Participants: Minimum 4, Maximum 10

Price: £4,895

Single Supplement: £930

NB: Single Supplement is Single room EXCEPT during the SEPIK VILLAGE stay, which will
be on a twin share basis. Single rooms may be possible subject to availability. Please
Enquire.

To include: Return international flights from Singapore to Port Moresby, domestic flights,
accommodation, transfers, nearly all meals, all tours and excursions as stated, site fees,
transportation with experienced driver, services of various local guides, Goroka show Tourist
Pass, government taxes, service charges.

Excludes: International flights to Singapore, meals not described and personal costs such as
drinks, laundry, telephone, Visa fees (if applicable)
 IMPORTANT NOTES TO ACCOMPANY THE ABOVE ITINERARY
NB: Visas are required for travel. If you wish to arrange your visa before arrival, please contact the PNG High
Commission. It is currently possible to obtain a visa on arrival, free of charge.

NB: Baggage Restrictions – Baggage allowance on Airlines PNG flights is limited. Clients must restrict their
luggage to 16kgs plus a small carry-on hand or camera bag. The airline is strict and will charge for excess
weight.

NB: All itineraries are subject to change without notice to take into account possible airline flight schedule
changes which can take place before departure date or during the tour, and other operational factors.

NB: The quoted price for the above itinerary is based on current airline fares (both international and domestic),
fuel surcharges and flight taxes. These (and other tour costs) may be subject to unanticipated increases beyond
our control at short notice, either before or after you have booked the tour, in which case the price would need to
be revised accordingly.

NB: This tour involves some travel in remote areas. This adds to the adventure and increases the opportunity to
enjoy a true wildlife experience. However, due to terrain, weather, road conditions, and other factors beyond our
control, some elements of the tour may have to be altered. Times of some activities may need to changed or
even cancelled due to the conditions. If an activity is cancelled it will usually be replaced with an alternative
activity that is more appropriate for the conditions. Advance notice will be given for any changes where possible,
although at times changes may need to be made whilst the tour is in progress.

NB: Prices are based on a specific airlines and specific economy seating classes. Flights are booked on an ad
hoc basis and so early booking is recommended to take advantage of the cheapest fare availability. Prices may
rise if a more expensive seat class needs to be booked. Please call for information on price variations for using
alternative airlines or for seat upgrades.

NB: It is a condition of booking that full travel insurance including Emergency Medical Repatriation is taken out by
each person travelling. Your insurance cover must also include Missed Departure and/or Missed Flight
Connection for both outbound and return flight sectors (such cover might be subject to a small additional
premium – please confirm with your insurers). We ask that you send us a photo/fax/electronic copy of your policy
document together with the 24hr medical assistance telephone number issued by your insurer.

NB: Clients must be aware that hotels, lodges and resorts as well as suppliers of tours and excursions used in
this itinerary might not comply with European standards of health and safety. For instance, balconies may not be
entirely child-safe or may be low in height, so always ensure children are kept away from balconies and do not go
near them when intoxicated or unwell; swimming pools may not display depths, so never dive into a pool without
checking depth first; vehicles may not always have safety belts fitted - contact our representatives if so, and
refuse to travel; public areas might not be well lit, so take extra care and use a torch. Clients must be vigilant and
take extra care for their own safety, as they may well be travelling to remote and primitive locations where high
quality standards of safety may not be present.

NB: Before and after booking, clients must familiarise themselves with current UK Foreign and Commonwealth
Office (FCO) travel advisories so as to satisfy themselves as to the suitability of the destination(s) to be visited in
this itinerary. All decisions relating to the tour will be based on UK FCO advisories, and not those of any other
countries' governments. In the event of any emergency or other problem encountered in the destination, it is
advisable if appropriate to contact the local UK Embassy, High Commission or Consulate for assistance. The
FCO in London also has dedicated telephone call centres: Crisis Management Dept - 0207 008 5335 (during UK
office hours), and Global Response Centre - 0207 008 1500 (out of UK office hours).

Reef and Rainforest Tours Ltd.

A7 Dart Marine Park, Steamer Quay, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 5AL, UK
Tel: ++ 44 (0)1803 866965 Fax: ++ 44 (0)1803 865916