Grand Papua New Guinea: Highlands, Sepik, Reefs & Volcanoes

This morning you fly into the rugged, spectacular Highlands, landing near Tari or Mount Hagen and transferring to your lodge. The change from the coast is dramatic, cool mountain air, terraced gardens, and soaring ridges and deep valleys. You spend the afternoon meeting the Huli people, among the most striking cultures on earth, famous for their elaborate wigs woven from their own hair and decorated with feathers and flowers, their faces painted vivid yellow and red, and their spectacular ceremonial dress. You witness their wig-making, meet villagers, and learn about their remarkable culture and deep connection to land and ancestors, a genuine encounter with a living, ancient way of life. As the sun sets over the highland valleys, you settle into your lodge, immersed in the wild beauty and extraordinary culture of the Highlands.

A full day immersed in the extraordinary cultures of the Highlands, culminating in a spectacular sing-sing. You visit Highland communities, witnessing their traditional dress, dance, music and daily life. The highlight is a sing-sing, where warriors and dancers gather in dazzling ceremonial dress, elaborate wigs, towering bird-of-paradise headdresses, vivid painted faces and bodies, shells, feathers and pounding kundu drums, to dance and chant, one of the greatest cultural spectacles anywhere, overwhelming, thrilling and deeply moving. You meet the performers, learn the meaning of their dress and dance, and immerse yourself in this living celebration of culture. As the sun sets over the highlands, you return to your lodge, having witnessed one of the most extraordinary cultural experiences on the planet.

A day exploring the wild nature and birdlife of the Highlands, alongside more cultural encounters. You might venture out at dawn to a display ground to watch the extraordinary birds of paradise performing their courtship dances, flashing their dazzling plumes, an unforgettable wildlife spectacle, explore the beautiful highland landscapes, visit local markets alive with colour, and meet more Highland communities. The combination of extraordinary culture and spectacular wildlife, in a landscape of soaring mountains and lush valleys, is captivating. As the sun sets over the highland valleys, you return to your lodge for a final highland evening. Rest well, for tomorrow you fly to the mighty Sepik River, the cultural heart of Papua New Guinea.

Today you fly from the Highlands to the mighty Sepik River, one of the great rivers of the world and the cultural heart of Papua New Guinea, landing and transferring by road and boat to the river or a river lodge. The change is dramatic, from cool highlands to steamy lowland rainforest and the mighty, winding river. You board a boat and begin your journey on the Sepik, cruising the wide, brown river past riverside villages, dugout canoes and dense rainforest, and visiting your first Sepik village, getting a first sense of the river's extraordinary culture, revolving around the river, the crocodile and the spirits. You settle into a river lodge or simple accommodation, immersed in the remote, timeless world of the Sepik. As the sun sets over the great river, the sounds of the rainforest all around, you settle in for the cultural heart of your journey.

A full day exploring the extraordinary culture of the Sepik River by boat and dugout canoe. You visit riverside villages famous for their soaring 'haus tambaran' (spirit houses), towering, elaborately decorated buildings that are the spiritual heart of village life, and for their extraordinary carving, some of the finest tribal art in the world, masks, figures, canoe prows and shields of haunting beauty and power. You meet the carvers at work, learn about the spirits, ancestors and beliefs that shape Sepik life, and, perhaps, witness a ceremony or dance. Gliding the river and its tributaries in dugout canoes, you immerse yourself in a way of life deeply connected to the river, the crocodile and the spirits. As the sun sets over the great river, you return to your accommodation, having journeyed into a living, ancient world.

Another day immersed in the extraordinary culture and life of the Sepik River. You explore more villages, each with its own art, spirit house and traditions, learn about the central role of the crocodile in Sepik culture, and perhaps encounter the extraordinary crocodile-scarring initiation and its profound spiritual significance. You watch carvers create their haunting art, meet villagers, glide the river and its lagoons in dugout canoes, watch for birds and river life, and immerse yourself in the timeless rhythm of the river. The remoteness, authenticity and cultural richness are profound. As the sun sets over the great river, you enjoy a final Sepik evening, reflecting on the extraordinary culture you have witnessed, and rest ahead of flying to the coast tomorrow.

Today you leave the Sepik and fly to Madang, a beautiful coastal town set among islands, harbours and pristine reefs, a delightful counterpoint to the culture of the highlands and river. On arrival you transfer to your resort by the sea, and the afternoon is yours to relax and take a first snorkel or swim over the vibrant coral reefs, among the healthiest in the world, teeming with turtles, clouds of tropical fish and vibrant coral. Madang's beautiful setting and warm, clear water offer a wonderful, relaxing interlude. As the sun sets over the coral sea, you settle into your resort, ready to explore the pristine reefs and islands of the coast.

A day exploring the pristine reefs and beautiful islands of the Madang coast. You take a boat trip out to the vibrant coral reefs and offshore islands, snorkelling or diving over coral gardens, dramatic drop-offs and, in places, the wrecks of the Second World War, teeming with turtles, reef sharks and vibrant coral, among the healthiest marine life on earth. You relax on beautiful island beaches, swim in the warm, clear water, and take in the beauty of the coral sea. Because Papua New Guinea sees so few visitors, its reefs remain pristine. This day of reef, island and beach reveals Papua New Guinea as a paradise below the waterline. As the sun sets over the coral sea, you return to your resort for a relaxed dinner. Rest well, for tomorrow you fly to dramatic Rabaul and its smoking volcanoes.

Today you fly to Rabaul, on the island of New Britain, one of the most dramatically situated towns on earth, set around a beautiful harbour ringed by volcanoes. The still-active Tavurvur volcano smokes and rumbles nearby, having devastated the old town in a 1994 eruption, and the volcanic landscape is spectacular and otherworldly. On arrival you transfer to your accommodation in nearby Kokopo and, with your guide, take in the extraordinary volcanic setting, perhaps visiting viewpoints over the smoking volcano and the harbour, and the striking, ash-covered ruins of the old town. Rabaul's dramatic volcanic landscape, spectacular and otherworldly, is unlike anywhere else in Papua New Guinea. As the sun sets over the smoking volcanoes and the harbour, you settle in, immersed in the dramatic volcanic world of Rabaul, and the anticipation of its poignant history and extraordinary fire dance builds.

A day exploring the dramatic volcanoes and poignant Second World War history of Rabaul. You explore the extraordinary volcanic landscape, perhaps climbing for views over the smoking Tavurvur volcano and the beautiful harbour, and taking in the striking, ash-covered ruins of the old town, buried in the 1994 eruption. Rabaul was a major Japanese base during the Pacific war, and you explore its poignant wartime history, the extensive tunnels dug into the hillsides, the relics, wrecks and memorials, and the fascinating stories of the war in this dramatic setting, a moving and absorbing experience. The combination of spectacular volcanic drama and poignant history makes Rabaul extraordinary. Your guide brings the volcanoes and history to life. As the sun sets over the smoking volcanoes, you return to your accommodation, reflecting on the dramatic landscape and moving history, and rest ahead of the extraordinary Baining fire dance tomorrow.

A day experiencing the extraordinary culture of the Rabaul region, culminating in the haunting Baining fire dance. You explore the culture and villages of the Tolai and Baining people, visiting a village, learning about their traditional way of life and customs, and perhaps seeing the famous Tolai shell money and mask traditions. The highlight comes after dark, the extraordinary Baining fire dance, an ancient and haunting ceremony in which masked dancers, wearing huge, otherworldly bark-cloth masks representing forest spirits, leap through and dance amid a roaring bonfire, sparks and flames flying, to the beat of drums and chanting, a spectacular, mesmerising and haunting spectacle unlike anything else on earth. Witnessing the Baining fire dance, the masked dancers leaping through the flames in the darkness, is an unforgettable, otherworldly experience. As the fire dies down, you return to your accommodation, moved and awed by one of the most extraordinary ceremonies on the planet, a spectacular finale to your grand journey.

Today you bid farewell to dramatic Rabaul and fly back to Port Moresby, reflecting on the extraordinary grand journey you have made across Papua New Guinea. On arrival, you transfer to your hotel, with the afternoon free to relax, do some last souvenir shopping for Highland artefacts, Sepik carvings and coastal crafts, or reflect on the remarkable journey through one of the most fascinating countries on earth. This evening, a farewell dinner celebrates the full breadth of extraordinary experiences you have had, the Highland wigmen and sing-sings, the Sepik spirit houses and carving, the pristine Madang reefs, and the Rabaul volcanoes, war history and fire dance. As you toast your adventure, the memory of the extraordinary cultures, wild landscapes, pristine nature and warm people of Papua New Guinea stays with you. Rest well ahead of your departure tomorrow, carrying home one of the great travel adventures of the planet.

After a final morning in Port Moresby, you are transferred to the airport for your onward international departure. You leave having truly experienced Papua New Guinea in all its extraordinary diversity, the living Highland cultures with their wigmen and dazzling sing-sings, the mighty Sepik River with its spirit houses and haunting carving, the pristine reefs and islands of the Madang coast, and the dramatic volcanoes, poignant war history and haunting fire dance of Rabaul. The images and encounters stay vivid long after you land, the wigmen and dancers, the soaring spirit houses, the coral reefs, the smoking volcanoes, the masked dancers leaping through the flames. Papua New Guinea, one of the most culturally diverse and pristine countries on earth, offers a genuine, complete expedition into an extraordinary, largely unexplored world, and for the curious, intrepid traveller it is a life-changing journey. You depart already treasuring the memory of one of the great travel adventures of the planet.