Papua New Guinea and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
This exotic adventure into the heart of Papua New Guinea — the eastern half of the island of New Guinea — with the bonus of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, is definitely in the MUST-GO category for seriously adventurous women. Papua New Guinea and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef feature some of the most colorful people, flora, fauna, and marine life on the planet. Get ready for glimpses of pacific rim animals and flowers, astonishing New Guinea masks and art, tribal dancing, flamboyant warriors, a tree-top gondola ride, and snorkeling with the multi-colored fish of the Great Barrier Reef.
Papua New Guinea’s wild and rugged landscapes, its extraordinary, biologically-diverse forests, and its colorful ancient cultures are a photographer’s dream! Interact with the fascinating Huli, Kundiman, Karawari, and Melpa peoples, explore remote tributaries of the Sepik River, witness a tribal “sing-sing”, and take a jungle trek to search for the iridescent bird of paradise. Stay overnight in a village where people still live a subsistence lifestyle, growing their own food and going about their daily lives much as they have for thousands of years.
Your exotic adventure begins in the highlands of the Wahgi Valley of Papua New Guinea, home to the Melpa people and a stunning array of birds and orchids. Next, journey to Papua’s Sepik Region to discover river life on the Karawari River. See spectacular primitive art as well as an incredible array of parrots and orchids. Next stop, the Tari Valley, home of the colorful Huli Wigmen, whose young men grow their own human hair wigs as a rite of passage. In the forest surrounding the valley, 13 species of birds of paradise and a plethora of unique orchid species thrive.
Your accommodations in Papua New Guinea are in luxury-class wilderness lodges, with one exciting overnight stay in a traditional tribal village. You fly by chartered aircraft to each of your destinations.
Then you’re off to Cairns and 21st-century Australia and the Great Barrier Reef. From a five-star hotel-spa on the beach, you explore the Australia coast of Queensland: relax on the beach or in the spa at the hotel; spend a day sailing, swimming, snorkeling, or diving on Agincourt Reef, inside the World Heritage Great Barrier Reef Marine Park; ride the Kuranda Scenic Railway train through the beautiful scenery of tropical mountain ranges; glide over spectacular rainforest scenery in the comfortable gondolas of the Skyway Rainforest Cableway; and visit the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park to learn about 40,000 years of Aboriginal history.
Join AdventureWomen for high adventure as you explore the unique cultures and natural wonders of Papua New Guinea, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, and the living splendors of their tropical rainforests and cultures.
Main Attractions
Experience the unique cultures of Papua New Guinea, often referred to as “the last unknown”.
Travel by foot, boat, and small plane to remote locations in Papua New Guinea for colorful “sing-sings”, village visits, nature walks, and opportunities to spot magnificent birds of paradise.
Stay overnight in a traditional Sepik basin village and learn about the ancient culture and traditional village life in a Karawari tribe.
Photograph stunning landscapes, tribal villages, ritual masks, dancing, and native animals on an island with the greatest biodiversity on earth.
Stay in three beautiful lodges throughout your adventure, all in remote and spectacular locations in Papua New Guinea.
Spend five days at a five-star resort and spa on Australia’s Cairns coast.
Snorkel, swim, cruise Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, and glide over the rainforest canopy on the scenic Kuranda skyway.
Trip Details
Duration
16 Days/15 Nights
Location
Papua, New Guinea
Season
April/May
Trip Type
Fully Guided
Nearest City
Port Moresby
Physical Condition Required
Good
Destination(s)
Papua New Guinea Queensland, Australia
Minimum Age Limit
30
Sports/Adventures covered
Wildlife Viewing, Birding, Walking, 4x4, Cruising, Canoes and Boat Travel, Swimming, Snorkeling, Natural History, Photography, Sightseeing, Cultural Exploration
Guest Capacity
16
Accommodations
Papua New Guinea
Two nights at Rondon Ridge, Mt. Hagen; three nights at Karawari Lodge, Sepik River area; one overnight in a traditional village, Sepik River area; one nights at Ambua Lodge, Southern Highlands; one night at Airways Hotel, Port Moresby. All accommodations (with the exception of the traditional village overnight) are in the best available and most luxurious lodges and hotels available in Papua New Guinea. Rooms are twin-bedded, double-occupancy with private bathroom facilities. Australia
Five days/four nights at the five-star Peppers Beach Club & Spa at Palm Cove, Port Douglas, in twin-bedded, double occupancy Lagoon Suites.
Dining
Papua New Guinea
Three meals per day, beginning with dinner on Day 3 and ending with breakfast on Day 12. Australia
Four breakfasts, two lunches, and two dinners.
About Liquor
Available with meals at additional cost.
Rates
$7,295.00per personCurrency Converter (Rates shown are in US Dollars. Rates and terms are subject to change.)
Click here to email this trip by "AdventureWomen, Inc." to yourself or to a friend.
Trip Itinerary
Day 1: Depart the U.S.A. for Cairns, Australia Depart the U.S. for your overnight flight to Cairns, Australia where you begin your adventure travel tour: Papau New Guinea and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
Day 2: Cross the International Date Line Cross the International Dateline and “lose” a day, to be regained on your return flight.
Day 3: Cairns to Port Moresby to Mount Hagen, Rondon Ridge Meet your AdventureWomen group at the airport in Cairns for a noon departure to Mount Hagen via Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, the eastern half of the island of New Guinea. Arrive Rondon Ridge Lodge and the Wahgi Valley, a spectacular location with eternal spring weather and magnificent views. Take a birding and nature walk in this stunning locale before dinner.
Day 4: Rondon Ridge and a Melpa Women’s “Sing-Sing” Enjoy a full day of a comprehensive cultural program that takes you on a journey through the traditions and customs of the Melpa people of Papua New Guinea. Today gives you some insight into the fabulously interesting and complex society of the Wahgi Valley. Witness the amazing spectacle of a Hagen women’s "sing-sing", where the Melpa women paint their bodies with some of the most extravagant and intricate decorations in the world.
Walk miles of trails from your exclusive Papau New Guinea lodge, and explore a unique ecosystem where there are ten species of birds of paradise and numerous orchid species.
Day 5: Rondon Ridge to Kawari’s Lodge Fly by private charter to Karawari and transfer by jet boats to Karawari Lodge, described as “...all kinds of comfort amidst a thousand miles of jungle.” In the middle of the Arambak country of New Guinea, where traditional village lifestyles continue largely unchanged, the lodge operates with a genuine sensitivity to the locale and its inhabitants, and provides an in-depth understanding of the people of the Upper Sepik. Have an afternoon excursion to Kundiman village for a sago-making demonstration, and walk the nature trails around the lodge.
Day 6: Exploring Villages of the Kawari’s “Crocodile Culture” and the Sepik River Basin Rise early this morning to the chattering of Lorikeets and Eclectus parrots, and take a walk along the river banks for bird spotting. Spend a full day exploring villages of the Karawari’s “Crocodile Culture” and the Sepik River basin in Papua New Guinea.
Enjoy a rare opportunity to observe village life and customs, learning about the ecology and culture of the Karawari and Sepik basin area, and the style of carving and art, rituals, sing-sings, and storytelling of each village.
Day 7: Overnight in a Traditional Karawari Village Travel by riverboat to visit and stay overnight in a traditional Karawari Village on the Karawari River, a tributary of the Sepik River. Houses are built on stilts, roofs made from Moratar (sago palm leaves), and transportation is dugout canoes. The Karawari people of Papau New Guinea are river people. This is truly a remote area where there are no roads and life support comes entirely from the river. Village accommodations are extremely basic, but this is an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience, and a highlight of this adventure!
Day 8: Back to Karawari Lodge Spend this morning discovering more about the village before departing for Karawari Lodge, where comfortable beds, rooms, and a lodge await you! The rest of the afternoon is at leisure, taking in the spectacular views of the rainforest. Celebrate your last night at Karawari Lodge over dinner.
Day 9: Fly from Karawari Lodge to Tari and Ambua Lodge Say goodbye to Karawari Lodge and fly by charter air to Ambua Lodge, an award-winning eco-lodge high on the slopes above the Tari Valley. With breathtaking views of the valley below, the lodge is surrounded by gardens and rainforests full of colorful birds (13 species of birds of paradise) and beautiful plants. Walk the nature trails and cross traditional vine bridges to a secluded waterfall, plus spot high altitude orchids and rhododendrons.
Day 10: The Tari Basin and Southern Highlands, Home of the Huli Wigmen Adventure today to the slopes of the Tari Valley to learn about the Huli culture firsthand. The Huli Wigmen revere birds by decorating their human hair wigs with the plumage of the most beautiful birds. By contrast, women wear black for their weddings and coat themselves with blue-gray clay when mourning. Observe men and women wearing traditional dress, tending their gardens and pigs, and building their bush material huts.
Day 11: Fly from Ambua to Port Moresby Depart Ambua and fly to Port Moresby, where you stay overnight before a morning flight from Papua New Guinea to Cairns, Australia, and the Great Barrier Reef and Australian rainforest.
Days 12-13: Port Moresby to Cairns, and the 5-Star Peppers Beach Club & Spa Morning arrival at a five-star resort hotel-spa at Palm Grove. Located on a beautiful palm-fringed beach on the Coral Sea, with easy access to all activities. Accommodations are in double occupancy Lagoon Suites, each with your own private balcony. The hotel features a unique formal pool, a day spa and massage center, boutique shops, cafes, and restaurants. The lagoon pool offers two experiences: a cascading waterfall or a sandy beach.
The rest of today and all day tomorrow is at leisure. This evening indulge in a “Welcome to Australia” dinner at the hotel.
Day 14: All-Day Cruise on the Great Barrier Reef Cruise to the Agincourt Reef, within the World Heritage Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Renowned for its water clarity and coral formations, the Agincourt Reef lagoon is ideal for swimming, diving, and snorkeling. Enjoy a buffet lunch onboard, and view the reef up close from the underwater observatory. The choices are endless!
Day 15: Skyway Cable Car Over the Rainforest, and More... Skyway Cable Car Over the Rainforest, and More…
Ride the famous Kuranda Scenic Railway through some of the oldest rainforest in the world. Pass the spectacular Stoney Creek Falls and onto Kuranda station, then depart on the Skyrail cable car to glide silently over the rainforest canopy. Experience living aboriginal cultural history at the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park.
This evening celebrate your amazing adventures in Papua New Guinea and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef with a special Farewell Dinner.
Day 16: Departure Transfer to the airport this morning for your departure, or stay longer in Australia.
This Package Includes
2 nights at Rondon Ridge, Mt. Hagen; 3 nights at Karawari Lodge, Sepik River area; 1 overnight in a traditional village, Sepik River area; 2 nights at Ambua Lodge, Southern Highlands.
1 night at Airways Hotel, Port Moresby.
5 days/4 nights at the 5-star Peppers Beach Club & Spa at Palm Cove, Port Douglas, in twin-bedded, double occupancy Lagoon Suites.
3 meals per day in Papua New Guinea, beginning with dinner on April 18 and ending with breakfast on April 27.
4 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 2 dinners in Australia.
All airport transfers and assistance, baggage handling, tours, special events, guided walks, canoe and boat trips, local drivers and English-speaking guides, park and site entry fees, surface transport in private air-conditioned vehicles.
Private charter flights between lodges: Rondon Ridge, Mt. Hagen to Karawari Lodge and Karawari Lodge to Ambua Lodge.
Full-day cruise, snorkeling, swimming, and sightseeing to the Agincourt Reef in the World Heritage Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
Full-day trip on the Kuranda Scenic Railway, Skyrail Rainforest Cabelway, and Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park.
Notes
What Clients Say About AdventureWomen “Thank you so much Susan, for giving me the gift of travel. I have seen and met people from all over the world... People are the same but different in a good way all over, no matter what their backgrounds and beliefs.”
Featured Adventures
