Travel deep into Papua New Guinea to experience local cultures, natural splendour and island life on a nine-day adventure culminating in the spectacular Firedance Festival.
Watch as local villagers invite you into their communities and perform a traditional dance around the fire – a culturally rich and awesome sight to see. Along with this festival, discover the wild beauty of the Duke of York Islands, learn of the fascinating military history of East New Britain, encounter resident spinner dolphins, and let local island life delight your senses. For those interested in a South Pacific adventure that is definitely one-of-a-kind, let Papua New Guinea’s islands capture your imagination.
Why you'll love this adventure
- As a small group, be welcomed into a local village and watch as traditional Baining dancers circle a growing fire and perform dancing rituals – a insight into one of Papua New Guinea’s indigenous cultures.
- Spend time before and after the performance learning more about these traditional customs, sharing meals, stories and laughs with local community members.
- Jump into island life of the Duke of York Islands, marvelling at an active volcano, tucking into a beachside barbecue and experiencing a traditional sing-sing with the villagers.
- Discover how the World Wars played out in the Pacific, by visiting the War Museum in Rabaul and heading underground for a tour of the Japanese tunnels in Kokopo.
Dates
Itinerary
Travel deep into Papua New Guinea to experience local cultures, natural splendour and island life.
What's included
- 8 breakfasts, 4 dinners and 6 lunches
- Hotel (5 nights), Island Homestay (2 nights), Village Homestay (1 night)
- Private vehicle , Boat
- Vunagum Village – Cultural activities
- Rabaul – Historical tour
- Rabaul – Rabaul Markets
- Duke of York Islands – Cultural activities
- Duke of York Islands – Boat tour including snorkelling
- Duke of York Islands – Cultural activities
- Kokopo – Bitapaka War Cemetery
- Kokopo – Blue Lagoon
- Vunakaur Village – Traditional mumu lunch
- Vunakaur Village – Melanesian welcome ceremony
- Vunakaur Village – Firedance Festival
- Vairiki Village – Firedance Festival
Trip notes
Price
Min age
Accommodation
Hotel (5 nights), Island Homestay (2 nights), Village Homestay (1 night)
Accommodation notes
The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.
Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we’re arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn’t always possible which means we won’t be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.
Meals
8 breakfasts, 4 dinners and 6 lunches
Who is this trip for?
Is this trip right for you
The joining point for this trip, Rabaul, is easily accessed with a flight from the capital, Port Moresby, on either Air Niugini or PNG Air (approximately 2 hours). From here, Port Moresby offers onward international connections to Australia and parts of Asia. As Papua New Guinea is small, there are limited flights in and out each day and prices can fluctuate quite dramatically, so it is recommended to book your flights as far in advance as possible to ensure the best connection. Please speak to your booking agent for more information.
There are lots of water-based activities, so being comfortable on a boat is essential.
This trip has some communal accommodation with shared bathroom and toilet facilities and very simple shared sleeping arrangements during the village & island stays.
Note that depending on the departure date of your trip, the order of destinations and activities may change based on the dates of the Firedance Festival.
Additional notes
Covid-19
Health related to Covid-19. This operator has a policy in place for COVID-19 and their adventures. Please request full details so we can share the most up to date information with you and be aware that the note below was relevant at the time of writing but may have changed. Thanks!
Is this trip right for you
The joining point for this trip, Rabaul, is easily accessed with a flight from the capital, Port Moresby, on either Air Niugini or PNG Air (approximately 2 hours). From here, Port Moresby offers onward international connections to Australia and parts of Asia. As Papua New Guinea is small, there are limited flights in and out each day and prices can fluctuate quite dramatically, so it is recommended to book your flights as far in advance as possible to ensure the best connection. Please speak to your booking agent for more information.
There are lots of water-based activities, so being comfortable on a boat is essential.
This trip has some communal accommodation with shared bathroom and toilet facilities and very simple shared sleeping arrangements during the village & island stays.
Note that depending on the departure date of your trip, the order of destinations and activities may change based on the dates of the Firedance Festival.
Health
GENERAL HEALTH
All travellers need to be in good physical health in order to participate fully on this trip. For the safety and wellbeing of yourself and others, if you are unwell prior to travelling, please stay at home and contact us to make alternative arrangements.
When selecting your trip please make sure you have read through the itinerary carefully and assess your ability to manage and enjoy our style of travel. Please note that if in the assessment of our group leader or local representative a traveller is unable to complete the itinerary without undue risk to themselves and/or the rest of the group, we reserve the right to exclude them from all or part of a trip without refund.
You should consult your doctor for up-to-date medical travel information or for any necessary vaccinations before departure. We recommend that you carry a first aid kit as well as any personal medical requirements in their original packaging as they may not easily be obtained while travelling. If you are carrying medication, ensure you check your government’s foreign travel advice for any local restrictions or requirements.
MALARIA & MOSQUITO BORNE DISEASES:
Please be aware of the high malarial risk in PNG – it has the highest rate of infection in the world. The most effective method of malaria prevention is to avoid mosquito bites. Liberal use of insect repellent and mosquito netting are essential. We strongly recommend you discuss the malaria situation with your doctor and take the precautions recommended. .
Dengue fever and other mosquito-borne diseases also occur, including in Port Moresby. Cases of chikungunya virus have also been reported since 2012. We encourage you to take prophylaxis against malaria where necessary and to take measures to avoid mosquito bites, including using insect repellent at all times, wearing long, loose-fitting, light coloured clothing and using a mosquito net at night. The mosquito-borne disease
Japanese encephalitis is a risk throughout PNG but the risk to short-term visitors to urban areas is relatively low. A Japanese encephalitis vaccine is registered for use and is currently available in Australia. For further details please consult your travel health doctor.
Your fellow travellers
As you travel on a group trip you will be exposed to all the pleasures and maybe some of the frustrations of travelling in a group. Your fellow travellers will probably come from all corners of the world and likely a range of age groups too. We ask you to be understanding of the various needs and preferences of your group – patience with your fellow travellers is sometimes required for the benefit of everyone’s travel experience. Remember too that you have responsibilities to the group. If you are requested to be at a place at a certain time, ensure that you don’t keep the rest of the group waiting. We have found time and time again that the very best trips we operate are those where the dynamics within the group work well – this takes just a little effort on your part. Due to privacy reasons, we are unable to provide you with contact details and any personal information about your fellow travellers booked on your trip prior to departure.
SOLO TRAVELLERS
The beauty of our style of travel is that it caters to travellers who are travelling solo and who want to meet and share experiences with like-minded people.
On our trips rooming is organised on a twin-share basis. We pair up solo travellers with another traveller of the same gender as per the gender marker on each of their passports.
As a responsible tour operator, we strive to create a safe and inclusive environment for everyone. In the case that your gender identity differs from what is indicated on your passport, please contact us so that we can discuss rooming options with you.
We also have an optional single supplement available on most trips for travellers who prefer to have their own room. Please note that this only applies to accommodation during the tour. Pre-trip and post-trip accommodation booked through us will be on a single room basis.
On a small selection of itineraries some accommodations are booked on an open gender, multi-share basis (for example on a felucca in Egypt or an overnight train in Vietnam). In those instances it will clearly be stated in our Essential Trip Information prior to booking and travelling.
Covid-19
This operator has a policy in place for COVID-19 and their adventures. Please request full details so we can share the most up to date information with you. Thanks!
Tour operator
We love this operator for the freedom and flexibility they give travellers to get off the tourist trails and really experience local cultures. Their style of small group travel is perfect for solo travellers, couples or small groups of friends and their grassroots style of travel seeks to have a positive impact on the communities they visit.
They use local leaders, local accommodation & transport and support local community projects, ensuring sustainability is at the centre of everything they do.
In addition, they expect their staff and travellers to demonstrate the principles of responsible travel – respecting people, cultures and local environments; in the distribution of wealth; in good will and cross-cultural sharing; and in contributing to sustainable development.
Enquire today
Papua New Guinea Expedition: Firedance Festival
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