Papua New Guinea Highlights: Highlands, Sepik & Reefs

This morning you fly into the rugged, spectacular Highlands, a world of soaring mountain ranges, deep valleys and ancient cultures, landing near Tari or Mount Hagen and transferring to your lodge. The change from the coast is dramatic, cool mountain air, terraced gardens, and a landscape of extraordinary beauty. 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 Papua New Guinea Highlands.

A full day immersed in the extraordinary cultures of the Highlands, culminating in a spectacular sing-sing. You visit Huli or Highland communities, witnessing their traditional dress, dance, music and daily life, and learning about their customs, beliefs and connection to the land. The highlight is a sing-sing, where warriors and dancers gather in dazzling ceremonial dress, elaborate wigs, towering headdresses of bird-of-paradise plumes, faces and bodies painted in vivid colours, shells, feathers and drums, to dance, chant and celebrate their culture. The sight and sound of the dancers, the pounding kundu drums, the swaying plumes and the riot of colour, is overwhelming, thrilling and deeply moving, one of the greatest cultural spectacles anywhere. You meet the performers, learn the meaning of their dress and dance, and immerse yourself in this living celebration of culture and identity. 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. The highlands are home to many of Papua New Guinea's spectacular birds of paradise, and with expert local guides you might venture out at dawn to a display ground to watch the males performing their extraordinary courtship dances, flashing their dazzling plumes, an unforgettable wildlife spectacle. You also explore the beautiful highland landscapes of forest, gardens and valleys, visit local markets alive with colour and produce, and meet more Highland communities. The combination of extraordinary culture and spectacular wildlife, in a landscape of soaring mountains and lush valleys, is captivating. Your guides share the natural and cultural riches of the highlands as you explore. As the sun sets over the highland valleys, you return to your lodge for a final highland evening. Rest well, for tomorrow you leave the mountains and fly to the mighty Sepik River, the cultural heart of Papua New Guinea, and a very different world.

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. The change is dramatic, from cool highlands to steamy lowland rainforest, and the mighty, winding river, lined with villages and jungle. You board a boat and begin your journey on the Sepik, cruising the wide, brown river past riverside villages, dugout canoes, and dense rainforest, watching for birdlife and river life. You visit your first Sepik village, meeting the villagers and getting a first sense of the river's extraordinary culture, revolving around the river, the crocodile and the ancestral spirits. You settle into simple accommodation by the river, 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 a genuine expedition into one of the most culturally rich corners of the Pacific.

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 and ceremonial centre 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, watch the creation of masks and figures, 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, largely unchanged for centuries. The remoteness, authenticity and cultural richness of the Sepik are profound. As the sun sets over the great river, you return to your riverside 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, and learn about the central role of the crocodile in Sepik culture, revered as an ancestral spirit; in some villages, young men undergo an extraordinary initiation, scarring their bodies to resemble the crocodile's skin, and you may see the results of this ancient tradition. You watch carvers create their haunting art, meet villagers, glide the river and its lagoons in dugout canoes, watch for birds, crocodiles and river life, and immerse yourself in the timeless rhythm of the river. The Sepik offers one of the most authentic and culturally rich experiences in the Pacific, a genuine journey into a living, ancient world revolving around the river and the spirits. As the sun sets over the great river, the sounds of the rainforest all around, 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 on Papua New Guinea's north coast, set among islands, harbours and pristine reefs, a beautiful counterpoint to the culture of the highlands and river. The change is delightful, from the remote river to the sparkling coast and its coral seas. 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 some of the healthiest and most biodiverse in the world, teeming with turtles, clouds of tropical fish and vibrant coral. Madang's beautiful setting, among islands and reefs, and its warm, clear water offer a wonderful, relaxing conclusion to your journey. As the sun sets over the coral sea, you settle into your resort, ready to explore the pristine reefs and islands of the coast over the coming days, a paradise below the waterline.

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, clouds of tropical fish 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, its islands and reefs. Because Papua New Guinea sees relatively few visitors, its reefs remain in exceptional condition, and the sense of exploring pristine, uncrowded underwater wilderness is profound. This day of reef, island and beach, a beautiful natural counterpoint to the cultural riches of the highlands and Sepik, reveals Papua New Guinea as a paradise below the waterline as well as above. As the sun sets over the coral sea, you return to your resort for a relaxed dinner, reflecting on the beauty of the coast.

Today you bid farewell to the beautiful Madang coast and fly back to Port Moresby, taking in the extraordinary variety of Papua New Guinea one last time, from the coast to the capital. On arrival, you transfer to your hotel, with the afternoon free to relax, do some last souvenir shopping for Sepik carvings and Highland artefacts, visit the National Museum or Nature Park, or simply reflect on the remarkable journey you have made through one of the most fascinating and least-visited countries on earth. This evening, a farewell dinner celebrates the extraordinary experiences you have had, from the Huli wigmen and spectacular sing-sings of the Highlands to the spirit houses and carving of the Sepik and the pristine reefs of Madang. As you toast your adventure, the memory of the extraordinary cultures, wild landscapes and warm people of Papua New Guinea stays with you. Rest well ahead of your departure tomorrow, carrying home a genuine and unforgettable journey into one of the last great frontiers of travel.

After a final morning in Port Moresby, you are transferred to the airport for your onward international departure. You leave having experienced one of the last great frontiers of travel, the extraordinary living cultures of the Highlands with their wigmen and dazzling sing-sings, the mighty Sepik River with its spirit houses and haunting carving, and the pristine reefs and islands of the Madang coast. The images and encounters stay vivid long after you land, the Huli wigmen in their vivid paint and plumes, the massed dancers of the sing-sing, the soaring spirit houses, the carvers at work, the coral gardens teeming with life. Papua New Guinea, one of the most culturally diverse and pristine countries on earth, offers a genuine 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 the extraordinary cultures, wild landscapes and warm people of this remarkable country, one of the great adventures of the planet.