Meet your tour leader at Port Moresby airport and fly from Port Moresby to Mt Hagen. After arriving at Mt Hagen airport, we travel to Paiya village to meet the chief and his wives, learn about their customs, see a fire making demonstration, and listen to the traditional bamboo flute Overnight: Magic Mountain Nature Lodge Mount Hagen is a city in the Western Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea overlooking the spectacularly scenic Waghi Valley. The area is home to the Melpa people who, in the face of ever encroaching modernity, continue to live largely traditional subsistence lifestyles. Read more

Magic Mountain, 2 nights

Full day birding – Breakfast at 4:30 am and 5:00am transfer in vehicles to Rondon Ridge (60 to 90 minutes) and continue to the birding site for a one-hour walk along a well cut path. Spend the morning with your guide looking for mating displays by the male birds of paradise and spotting other endemic species too. Return to Mt Hagen town for lunch, then continue to Kumul Losge to see birds feeding at a bird platform. Return to Magic Mountain late afternoon. Birds possible to be seen- King of Saxony, Stephanie’s Astraphia, Brown sickle bill, Black sickle bill, Buff-tailed sickle bill, Superb bird of paradise, Loria’s bird of paradise, Short tailed paradigalla, Raggiana bird of paradise, lesser bird of paradise. Blue bird of paradise (Note blue bird of paradise will take one full day to view because of the distance.). Other non birds of paradise include Honey eater, Blue capped ifritta, fantails, robins, swallows, whistlers, doves & pigeons, falcons, parrots, lorikeets. Macgregor’s and Yellow-breasted bowerbirds, scrub wrens, berrypickers, cuckooshrike, goshawk & kites and other species. Read more

Magic Mountain

Goroka is the capital of the Eastern Highlands Province. A town of approximately 19,000 people, 1600m above sea level. it is on the "Highlands Highway", about four hours from Mt. Hagen. It has a mild climate, known as a "perpetual Spring". The mountains and valleys around are fertile and produce some of the finest coffee beans in the world. This morning we visit Paiya village and learn about the Melpa people, before driving through the highlands and Jiwaka and Chimbu provinces to the Asaro valley and its fascinating Asaro Mudmen, one of the iconic cultural groups of the country. That's some going for a country that is home to up to 1000 different languages. The Asaro are happy to explain their story, through eery representations of battle, cannibalism, and communion with their gods. The valley also has some stunning walks and viewpoints, birds of paradise and many orchid species, as well as the refreshing Asaro River. We will be transported along the Highlands Highway, through the scenic Daulo Pass. to the Asaro Valley, our home for three nights. Read more

Asaro Lodge, Korokoreto

Day trip to Mount Akemeku to see the coffee plantations and for a private Sing-Sing. Afterwards we will go to Nupaha village for another SIng-Sing.

Goroka Guest House

Three sing sing performances, archery practice, mask making demonstration, visit to the secret cave and sacrifice site. At the end of the day we leave the Asaro and relocate to our guest house in Goroka town. The guesthouse was built in 2016, has air-conditioned rooms (not at all needed at night, and rarely during the day), and en-suite bathrooms. Read more

Goroka guest house

Every September the town hosts the amazing and unique Highlands Cultural Festival, when up to 150 different tribal groups gather for the weekend closest to independence day, the 16th of September. Around 350 foreign visitors are privileged to be able to attend, vastly outnumbered by tens of thousands of locals from the surrounding areas. VIP access to the spectacular Highlands Cultural Festival. Up to 150 tribal groups attend to show off their traditional finery in a riot of colour and sound. Tens of thousands of locals come to watch. It is an unforgettable experience. We can take phoros and videos freely all day Read more

Goroka Guest House

Second day with VIP access at the Festival. Don't forget to check out the agricultural fair in the bottom field with its splendid orchids and wonderful coffee to taste. Their also a concert and the hilarious greasy pole competition.

Goroka Guesthouse

Flight t Port Moresby in the morning.