Arrive in Port Moresby, where you will be met and transferred to the Airways Hotel. You will meet your guide and other group members, and the rest of the day is free.

Transfer to the airport for your Air Niugini flight to Mt Hagen and then on to Karawari. (PX 180 & charter flight) Sitting on a ridge above the Karawari River, the lodge boasts a spectacular view over hundreds of miles of dense tropical jungle.  Inspired by local architecture and built with traditional materials, the Karawari Lodge still provides modern comforts. You are now in the middle of “Arambak” country, where local people pole dugout canoes along the river, the drums throb, the wild birds call, and traditional village lifestyles continue unchanged. 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.

After breakfast transfer from Karawari Lodge 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. Enjoy lunch onboard 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.

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 Blackwater Lakes you will experience remote villages, learn their customs and experience their day-to-day lives in modern times, which still closely reflect 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 opportunities to admire or purchase some of their unique artifacts while visiting the local villages.

Begin the journey back up the Karawari River and prepare to leave the Sepik Spirit. Take a short charter flight from Karawari across untouched rainforest and mountains to the Tari Valley. The Huli tribe that inhabits this area is the largest as well as one of the most colorful 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 have a chance to observe up to 13 species of the birds of paradise alongside a wide variety of colorful flowers, exotic plants and insects.

Spend two full days touring the villages and countryside of the iconic Huli tribe. The Hulis are famed for their colorful 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.

Head to the airstrip to catch your charter flight to Mt. Hagen. During the flight, mountains rise up to startling heights out of the flatlands of the Sepik Basin. Mt. Hagen Town is located in the upper Wahgi Valley. Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met and transferred to the Highlander Hotel.

Today is spent at the Hagen Cultural Preshow; 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.

Spend the next couple of days enjoying the Mount Hagen 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 through 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.

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Port Moresby. (PX181) Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. After a break for lunch, enjoy a tour of Port Moresby, including visits to the National Museum, Nature Park, and the National Parliament House (outside view only).

Transfer from your hotel to the airport for your onward international flight.