Vista -Hagen Festival Tour 2024

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Vista - Mount Hagen Festival Tour

8 August to 20 August 2024 

Let us welcome you to Papua New Guinea. The 13-day/12-night fully-escorted Vista Cultural Tour will fascinate the curious traveler and leave you enraptured with this mesmerizing country.

Papua New Guinea is a land of true diversity, where its’ more than 800 distinct tribes paint the cultural landscape with a colorful spectrum of unique artistic expression, language and customs. The tour features the famous Mount Hagen Cultural Show, in which dozens of tribal groups gather together to display their traditional dance, song and dress in a magnificent spectacle of color and sound.

Gather with your fellow travelers at the Airways Hotel in Port Moresby and prepare for the next mornings departure from the largest city in Papua New Guinea to one of the most famously remote locations, Karawari lodge in the heart of the remote jungle. The following day guests board the Sepik Spirit river boat for a three-night river cruise that will journey along the river, past villagers gliding through the water in their traditional dug-out canoes and stilted-villages that line the shores. Your days will be spent exploring the villages to glimpse the daily life, traditions and the unique art of the Sepik tribes. From the Sepik fly across untouched jungle and into the mountains to Ambua lodge; the home of the iconic Huli tribe, famed for their colorful bilas and unique traditions. After two full days among the Huli tribe, journey across the mountains to Mount Hagen, the home of the festival. You will begin at the pre-show festival; an intimate gathering of tribes that takes place at the beautiful show grounds at Rondon Ridge Lodge. Followed by two full days experiencing the splendor and excitement of the Mount Hagen Cultural Festival. Close your journey with an afternoon tour in the capital of Papua New Guinea and a relaxing night at the exclusive Airways Hotel. The following day depart full of warm and inspiring memories.

ITINERARY

Thursday 8 August, 2024

Upon your arrival in Port Moresby, you will be met by Trans Niugini Tours staff and transferred to your hotel.

Overnight: AIRWAYS HOTEL (D)

Friday 9 August, 2024

Transfer from Airways Hotel to Jackson's airport for your domestic Air Niugini flight to Mount Hagen before flying via small aircraft into the deep heart of the jungle where your wondrous journey continues at the Karawari Lodge in the Sepik region. Sitting on a ridge above the Karawari River, the lodge boasts a spectacular view of hundreds of kilometres of dense tropical jungle. Proceed with lunch, followed by an afternoon visit to a nearby village to learn about the customary process of harvesting and preparing the sago palm.Sago is the staple food for the Karawari tribes.

Overnight: KARAWARI LODGE (BLD)

Saturday 10 August, 2024

This morning transfer to the Sepik Spirit river boat where your wondrous journey continues. Its’ unique design was inspired by the local art and architecture of the Haus Tambaran or Spirit House. Enjoy lunch on board as you begin the cruise along the swirling waters of the Karawari river,cruising past the remote villages and wild jungle that line the banks of the river. This afternoon travel into one of the local villages to catch your first glimpse into the unique tribal traditions of the river people.

Overnight: Sepik Spirit

Sunday 11 & Monday 12 August, 2024

Travel on the MV Sepik Spirit offers a unique and diverse experience of the remote Sepik region. The journey begins on the Karawari river, a tributary of the “Mighty Sepik River”, and transverses along the remote river waterways to the middle Sepik River. You will pass jungle covered banks dotted with traditional fishing villages as you journey down the winding river for over 80 km to reach the Sepik River. As you meander along the Karawari River and Black water lakes you will experience remote villages, learn their customs and experience their day to day lives in modern times, which still closely reflects their traditional tribal lifestyle. The tribes of the Sepik are famed for their artistic carvings which express their ancient traditional stories and beliefs. You will have plenty of opportunity to admire or purchase some of their unique artifacts while visiting the local villages.

Overnight: SEPIK SPIRIT (BLD)

Tuesday 13 August, 2024

Begin the journey back up the Karawari River and prepare to leave the Sepik Spirit. Take a short flight from Karawari across untouched rainforest and mountains to the Tari Valley. The Huli tribe that inhabit this area is the largest as well as one of the most colourful and iconic tribes of PNG. Once you arrive you will be transferred to the Ambua Lodge; nestled at the edge of the lush green rainforest and overlooking the serene Tari valley below. Spend the afternoon enjoying Ambua’s winding forest trails that take you through lush rainforest, past gushing waterfalls and over traditional vine bridges. While on the nature walk you may chance to observe up to 13 species of the birds of paradise alongside a wide variety of colourful flowers, exotic plants and insects.

Overnight: AMBUA LODGE (BLD)

Wednesday 14 & Thursday 15 August, 2024

Spend two full days touring the villages and countryside of the iconic Huli tribe. The Hulis are famed for their colourful bilas and unique traditions. The Huli men pride themselves on their beautiful bilas with its’ elaborately constructed human hair headdress which they lavishly decorated with flowers, mosses and ornate bird feathers. Their bilas combined with their unique sing-sing is intended both to enrapture their audience as well as intimidate enemies. Visit the mens’ hair-wig school and tour the local villages to experience how this proud mountain tribe has evolved in the modern age, while still maintaining the stories, beliefs and traditions of their ancestors.

Overnights: AMBUA LODGE (BLD)

Friday 16 August, 2024

Transfer to Ambua airstrip for your charter flight to Mount Hagen; the heart of the PNG highlands. This area is famed for its fertile lands and stunning mountain ranges, as well as the complex and fascinating cultural traditions of the Melpa tribe.

Today is spent at the Hagen Cultural Pre-show; an intimate gathering of a dozen or more different PNG tribal groups, each performing their unique sing-sing while lavishly decorated and dressed in full bilas; tribal dress. The show takes place at a beautiful outdoor showground on the Rondon Ridge property. The stunning mountain vista framed by the distinctly vast highlands’ sky serves as the perfect backdrop for this unique demonstration of PNG tradition.

The celebrations will begin as the tribes arrive and gather to carefully adorn themselves with their complex headdresses, face and body paint and traditional clothing. Guests will arrive at the showground with plenty of time to wander throughout the area where they can interact with and photograph the dancers as they prepare for the sing-sing. As the morning progresses, we will gather together and the groups will each perform their sing-sing. The afternoon also includes demonstrations of the traditional Melpa bridal price exchange, warfare demonstration and a shared mumu; the traditional earth-oven used to prepare food for feasts.

Overnight: HIGHLANDER HOTEL – PREMIER ROOM (BLD)

Saturday 17 & Sunday 18 August, 2024

This weekend you will attend the annual Mount Hagen Cultural Show. The Mount Hagen Show is truly a unique and splendid cultural experience, unparalleled both in diversity and authenticity. The show itself is a stunning reflection of the incredible diversity of Papua New Guinea’s cultural landscape. The Show brings together more than 80 unique and colourful sing-sing groups from across Papua New Guinea; each of whom share their unique celebration display through colorful traditional dress, dance and song.

The celebrations will begin as the tribes arrive and gather to carefully adorn themselves with their complex headdresses, face and body paint and traditional clothing. You will arrive at the showgrounds with ample time to wander throughout the tribal groups where you can interact with and photograph the performers as they prepare themselves for the festivities. Soon after the show will begin, as each tribal group enters the showground and proudly performs their unique sing-sing to the enraptured audience. The performance gradually builds until each of the tribes is simultaneously performing to a cacophony of rhythmic drumming and hundreds of voices. It is truly an awe-inspiring experience.

Overnights: HIGHLANDER HOTEL – PREMIER ROOM (BLD)

Monday 19 August, 2024

Transfer from the Highlander Hotel to Kagamuga airport for your flight to Port Moresby. Arrive at Jackson's airport, meet and transfer to your hotel. Proceed with lunch then followed by an afternoon touring the nations’ capital; including visits to the National Museum, the Nature Park and the National Parliament House (outside view only).

Overnight: AIRWAYS HOTEL – BACCHUS WING (BLD)

Tuesday 20 August, 2024

This morning, you will be met by Trans Niugini Tours staff and transferred from Airways Hotel to Jackson's airport to your international departing flight. (B)

BRIEF ITINERARY

INVESTMENT

LAND COST

US$9,999.00 per person - Twin Share

US$1,281.00 per person - Additional for Single Throughout except twin share on Sepik
Spirit & Highlander Hotel

LAND COST INCLUDES:
Accommodation, airport transfers and tours on a seat in a bus basis, meals from dinner on arrival Thursday 8th August to breakfast on departure Tuesday 20th August, services of a professional tour escort throughout, local guides and show gate fees. The cost also includes all gratuities to hotel and restaurant staff, local drivers, guides and porters.

LAND COST DOES NOT INCLUDE:
Domestic and international flights, visa fees, travel associated costs such as travel insurance or PNG visa costs and services of a personal nature such as beverage,laundry charges and phone/fax bills.

ADDITIONAL AIR CHARTER COST FOR 3 SECTORS

Total for 3 flights:  US$2,238.00 per person

Friday 9 August 2024 - Mount Hagen to Karawari
Tuesday 13 August 2024 - Karawari to Tari
Friday 16 August 2024 - Tari to Mount Hagen

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING CHARTERS: Maximum baggage allowance is 10kg per person and a maximum of 5kg carry-on baggage per person. Large, hard sided suitcases are not permitted on charter aircraft.

DOMESTIC AIR NIUGINI FLIGHTS:

Domestic and international flights are not included in the cost and we do not arrange these. You are to book and ticket the domestic Air Niugini flights together with your international flights. We will book the internal air charter flights.

BOOKING AND PAYMENT PROCEDURES:
To secure space a non refundable deposit of US$500 per person is required. We will confirm a booking only upon receipt of your deposit. Full payment will be due 45-30 days before clients'  arrival. However if Highlander Hotel requires any deposits for their rooms over the show weekend, we will advise you. Deposits and payments should be made into our Wells Fargo US Dollar account, details of which can be found on our payment instruction page.

CANCELLATION POLICY:

1. 29-16 days prior to clients departure: 75% forfeiture of the full rate for the program.

2. 15 days or less prior to the clients departure: 100% forfeiture of the full rate for the program..

POLICY ON EXCHANGE OF SERVICES NOT TAKEN:

Please note that Trans Niugini Tours is unable to refund any services which appear in the main itinerary, but are not taken. Please also note that Trans Niugini Tours is unable to exchange services which are not taken in the main itinerary for other services. Services must be taken on the day that they appear in the main itinerary and cannot be transferred to a different day.

TRAVEL INSURANCE IS MANDATORY

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• Join us on our 2024 Festivals.  Click here for more info. Other itineraries can be found under Trips.

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