TOURS IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Trans Niugini Tours - Papua New Guinea's leading inbound tour operator

2007 CULTURAL FESTIVALS

There are a number of annual cultural shows in Papua New Guinea, which provide the opportunity to witness sing sing groups from throughout the country - in an extravaganza of vibrant colours, unique cultures and extraordinary experiences.

Trans Niugini Tours offers touring programs based around some of these shows - allowing clients to experience, not only the colour and splendour of a cultural show, but also the experience of visiting unique cultures, still largely intact in some of the most remote corners of Planet Earth.

Trans Niugini Tours can offer personalised itineraries based on these shows, as well as extensions at the beginning or the end of the stated programs.

Tumbuna Sing-sing:
Tumbuna is the Tok Pisin (the lingua franca of Papua New Guinea) word for ancestors. "Taim Bilong Tumbuna" refers to the time before the white-man came, being the ways of the ancestors. The 2006 Tumbuna Sing Sing will be a spectacular celebration, involving local tribes celebrating their culture in a colourful extravaganza of traditional dress, dancing and singing. Bringing together a few of the 800 or so language groups of Papua New Guinea, the Tumbuna Singsing is a unique opportunity to witness the ways of the Tumbuna, as well as meet and listen to the stories first hand from tribal elders about the Taim Bilong Tumbuna.

The 2007 Tumbuna Tour is a 12 day/11 night program with the highlight being attendance to the Tumbuna singsing.

The Wahgi cultural Show:
The Wahgi Show is held in the village of Nondugl - a village where time has stood still. Situated half way down the Wahgi Valley, Nondugl is a village where people still live a subsistance lifestyle, growing their own food and going about their daily lives, much as they have for thousands of years. The Wahgi Cultural Show gives an in-depth perspective into life in the Wahgi Valley, showcasing sing sing groups mainly from the local area. It is a chance to really experience how the people of the Wahgi Valley live, both in daily life and in times of great celebration.

Please note that only FIT itineraries are available for this year's Waghi Cultural Show. View testimonials.

The Morobe Show:

The Morobe Show is one of the oldest festivals in Papua New Guinea. Originally a purely agricultural show, it is now Papua New Guinea's largest festival, maintaining its agricultural focus, but with a large cultural component. The agricutural component of the show allows visitors to learn about the modern PNG economy and to learn about how various agricultural products are grown and processed. The Morobe Show has perhaps the greatest variety of sing sing groups of any of Papua New Guinea's cultural festivals with in excess of 80 sing sing groups, representing 13 of Papua New Guinea's 19 provinces at the 2006 show.

The Morobe Show Program is an unescourted 12 day/11 night program. The program begins exploring Papua New Guinea's most culturally fascinating areas, staying at the country's premier remote lodges. Accommodation over the Morobe Cultural Show weekend is at the Melanesian Hotel, comfortable hotel in the township of Lae Morobe Province.

The Canoes and Kundus Festival:
Imagine, a canoe with over fifty paddlers in it. These men are paddling for glamour, glory and prize money of PGK20,000 (approx. USD7,000). Only last century, these mens ancestors were paddling with the same intensity and desire, the difference being that these men in previous times were paddling to make war.

Picture, a long line of men and women, dancing to the tribal rythem of the kundu drum. The Kundu drum is a drum held in the hand of the dancer and is almost universal amongst Papua New Guinean cultures, varying in size from 50cm to 2m in length, the kundu sets the rythem for "sing sings" from the islands, to the swamps to the highest peaks.

The Canoe and Kundu Festival is a celebration of two iconic and utilitarian artefacts from traditional Papua New Guinean society, the canoe and the kundu drum.

The Canoes and Kundus itinerary is an 11 day/10 night program which includes attendance at the Canoe and Kundu Festival in Alotau and a cruise aboard the MV Sepik Spirit.

The Goroka Show:
Held in September every year, the Goroka Show is famous for its dazzling array of singsing groups, showcasing some of the many cultures of Papua New Guinea - the Goroka Cultural Show is an event not to be missed.

The Goroka Festival Explorer is an unescourted 14 day/13 night program, featuring attendance at the Goroka Show, staying in Goroka and a 3 nights abourd the MV Sepik Spirit.

The Goroka Journey - Fully Booked - is an unescourted 14 day/13 night program including three nights on the MV Sepik Spirit, three nights at the award winning Ambua Lodge with the highlight being attendance at the famous Goroka Cultural Show. The maximum number on this tour is eight people - allowing for intimate experiences.

The Goroka Show Classic - Fully Booked - is an unescourted 13 day/12 night program. In addition to attendance at the Goroka Show, a touring program taking in the Sepik River, Mount Hagen and the Tari Valley, while staying at Trans Niugini Tours' award winning lodges is the ultimate way to experience Papua New Guinea.

Mount Hagen Show:
Perhaps the most famous cultural show in Papua New Guinea, Trans Niugini Tours has now been offering itineraries based around the Hagen Show for 26 years! The Mount Hagen Show brings together singsing groups from all over the country in an amazing conglomeration of colour, beauty and culture. The Hagen show is held in August every year - and Trans Niugini Tours will be offering two escorted programs in 2007.

Amazing Skies is an extremely exclusive 14 Day/13 Night program, which includes private charters from Horn Island (in Australia), private touring, exclusive scenic flights and attendance at the Mount Hagen Show.

Discoverer - Fully Booked - is a 14 day/15 night program, featuring the Hagen Show, three nights on board the MV Sepik Spirit, and three nights in a village guest house.

Highlights - Fully Booked - is an unescourted 12 day/11 night program including the Mount Hagen Cultural Show. Beginning with attendance at the Mount Hagen show. A visit to the Karawari River and the Tari Valley showcase to the traveller two amazingly different parts of Papua New Guinea.

Panorama - Fully Booked - is a fully escorted 13 day/12 night program with the highlights being a three night cruise on the mighty Sepik River, an area famous for its intricate carvings and infamous for its head hunting. The grand finale is the famous Mount Hagen Cultural Show which brings together sing sing groups from all over the country together in a bonanza of culture.

Vista - Fully Booked - is a fully escorted 14 day/13 night program including the Mount Hagen Cultural Show and a special 5 night expeditionary cruise aboard the custom designed and built MV Sepik Spirit, to the Middle-Sepik Region and the rarely visited Upper-Sepik region.