9 Days | A cultural spectacle that awakens all the senses.
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.
Trip overview
- Start
- Kokopo, Papua New Guinea
- Finish
- Kokopo, Papua New Guinea
- Theme
- Expeditions, Festival
- Destinations
- Papua New Guinea
- Physical rating
- Indicates how physically exerting a trip is, and how fit you will need to be to enjoy it. More info on physical ratings
- Style
- Original
- Ages
- Min 15
- Group size
- Min 1 - Max 18
- Trip code
- TESD
- 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.
- 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.
Itinerary
Inclusions
8 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 4 dinners
Private vehicle, Boat
Hotel (5 nights), Island Homestay (2 nights), Village Homestay (1 night)
- Vunagum Village - Cultural activities
- Rabaul - Historical tour
- Rabaul - Rabaul Markets
- Duke of York Islands - Cultural activities
- Duke of York Islands - Boat tour including snorkelling
- 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
Dates and availability
Important notes
1. An arrival & departure transfer is included on this trip. Please provide us with your flight arrival & departure time for Rabaul (RBA) no later than 7 days before your trip commences. If we do not receive this information we will not be able to meet you at the airport. Late-night arrivals in particular will be difficult and daunting to make your way to our starting point on your own.
2. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement excludes the Island & Village Homestays where you will be in shared accommodation, and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
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