The Canoe & Kundu Festival Tour is an unescorted 13 day/12 night program. The highlight of the program being attendance at the War Canoe & Kundu Festival, a small and friendly cultural show. The Canoe & Kundu Festival is a celebration of culture and tradition of War Canoes and inherited Kundu drums. The finale of the festival is a canoe race, in which compentitors from all around the country compete for PGK20,000 (approx. US$7,000) prize money. Some canoes have up to 50 paddlers, all competing for the glory of being the best crew. After the Canoe and Kundu Festival you will get a chance to discover other parts of Papua New Guinea, including a 4 day/3 night cruise aboard the MV Sepik Spirit - a chance to discover rarely visited villages on the mighty Sepik River and its tributaries.

SUMMARY - 01 to 13 November 2007
2 nights	Alotau International Hotel, Alotau
3 nights	Gateway Hotel, Port Moresby
3 nights	MV Sepik Spirit, Sepik Region
1 night	Karawari Lodge, Sepik Region
3 nights	Ambua Lodge, Southern Highlands

ITINERARY
Thu. 01 Nov	Upon arrival to Port Moresby, you will be met by Trans Niugini Tours staff and transferred to the hotel. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure. Overnight Gateway Hotel.
Fri. 02 Nov	Enjoy half-day tour of Port Moresby and surrounds with sit down lunches at Gateway Hotel. Transfer to airport for your flight PX158 Port Moresby/Gurney. At the eastern end of mainland Papua New Guinea, the Owen Stanley Ranges plunges into the sea and a scatter of islands dots the ocean for hundreds of kilometers further out. This is the start of the Pacific proper – tiny atolls, coral reefs, volcanic islands, swaying palms and white beaches. More than 435 islands give the province 2120km of coastline, by far the most in the country. Witchcraft is still widely respected and stories of its practice abound, but it’s the kula ring, a ritual trading circle that encompasses the province’s island groups, that is the most enduring cultural legacy of pre-European times. Arrive Gurney airport and transfer to hotel. Overnight Alotau International Hotel.
Sat. 03 Nov	Full day spent at the Canoe & Kundu Festival – a truly impressive occasion showing off traditional war canoes and kundu drums, and of course culture and vibrance. Overnight Alotau International Hotel.
Sun._04 Nov	Full day spent again at the War Canoe & Kundu Festival. In the afternoon you will be transferred to your flight PX959 Gurney/Port Moresby. Upon your arrival in Port Moresby, you will be met by Trans Niugini Tours staff. You will then be transferred to your hotel. Overnight Gateway Hotel
Mon. 05 Nov	In the morning you will be transferred by Trans Niugini Tours staff to your flight Air Niugini PX180 Port Moresby to Mount Hagen. You will then continue by charter aircraft from Mount Hagen to the Sepik. As the flight progresses, the mountains start to give way until eventually vast tracts of dense tropical lowland rainforest cover the landscape for as far as the eye can see. From the airstrip, you will be transferred to the air conditioned comfort of the MV Sepik Spirit. Inspired by the architecture of the "haus tambaran" or spirit house, the MV Sepik Spirit has a truly unique design. With its shallow draught, it allows travel to rarely visited areas of the Sepik River and its tributaries in comfort. Overnight MV Sepik Spirit
Tue. 06 and Wed. 07 Nov	Two full days are spent exploring the many waterways of the Sepik and its tributaries including visits to traditional Sepik Villages. The Sepik River is one of the largest rivers in the world - in terms of flow. Steeped in mystery, the people of the Sepik area have fascinated anthropologists like Margaret Mead since the area was first visited. Part of the mystery and attraction of the Sepik peoples is their amazing carvings, now famous the world over. Overnight MV Sepik Spirit
Thu. 08 Nov	You will be transferred to Karawari Lodge. Sitting on a ridge above the Karawari River, Karawari Lodge boasts a spectacular view over hundreds of kilometers of dense tropical jungle. Inspired by local architecture and built with traditional materials, the lodge provides modern comforts. Overnight Karawari Lodge
Fri. 09 Nov	Fly by charter aircraft to Ambua airstrip over some of the most rugged and impressive landscapes in the world. The country between Ambua and the Sepik region is an amazing array of jagged limestone that seem to rise and drop at impossible angles. Ambua Lodge is high on the slopes of the Tari Valley - home of the Huli, colourful and proud people, still largely living the same way that their ancestors did. The afternoon is spent exploring the area surrounding Ambua - high mountain forests with roaring waterfalls beckon the intrepid traveler. Overnight Ambua Lodge
Sat. 10 and Sun. 11 Nov	Two full days of ecological and culturally based touring are sure to satiate those yearning for discovery. The Tari area is home to an incredible 13 species of birds of paradise, as well as numerous orchid species. Learn how the Huli live and how they interact with and use their environment. Overnights Ambua Lodge
Mon. 12 Nov.	You will be transferred from Ambua Lodge to Tari Airport for your flight Port Moresby. In Port Moresby, you will be met by Trans Niugini Tours staff and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon, enjoy a half day sightseeing tour of Port Moresby and surrounds. Overnight Gateway Hotel
Tue. 13 Nov	You will be met by Trans Niugini Tours staff and transferred to your international departing flight.

INFORMATION