The realities of travel inPapua New GuineaA trip around Papua New Guinea is verydifferent from travelling in the rest of theregion. It is important to realise from thestart that a touring trip here will costsubstantially more than any other country in Southeast Asia. The fact that lodges areonly linked by light aircraft and most dayexcursions need to be done by boat orpurpose built 4x4 coaches means runningcosts on the ground are high. You will travelin small groups of up to 16 people duringyour time in the lodges; it is simply notpossible to provide enough vehicles for eightgroups of two people rather than one group of 16. Accommodation is one of the highlights.Places like Ambua Lodge, Rondon Ridge andKarawari Lodge are unique in location anddesign and as long as you can survive withouta few home comforts, you will love them.Service is not the most polished as thetourism industry is still in its infancy but thefood is good and plentiful. There is rarely adull moment at Papua New Guinea's airportsand airstrips. You will see local tribesmenchecking in machetes, your luggage will bethrown across the airport to join an ever-growing pile, airstrips will appear fromnowhere with crowds of screaming localsclearing the way just in the nick of time. This type of experience may not appeal toeveryone, but despite the challenges of travel in Papua New Guinea we can'trecommend it highly enough! The country is still discovering itself and it is very hard (if not impossible) to find anywhere else,where you can access such remote areas.Find out more For suggested itinerary and practicalinformation about travel in Papua NewGuinea, please see page 150.www.audleytravel.comInteractive maps and features, further suggested itineraries,accommodation, climate informationand articles written by our specialists.Discuss your plans with our Papua NewGuinea specialists 01993 838 145?AMBUALODGE, TARINestled at 7,000 feet, Ambua Lodge is an inspiredmix of local architecture and modest comfort,with spectacular views of the Southern Highlands.Set in natural surroundings, with easy access tobirding and nature walks, this is the perfect basefrom which to explore PNG's wildlife and thefascinating Huli culture of the Tari Basin. Each ofthe 40 spacious cabins has private bathrooms andpanoramic picture windows. At night it can getquite cold and whilst the rooms have no heatingthere are electric blankets on the beds. There is a welcoming fire in the main building, which islovely to sit by in the evenings and exchangestories with fellow guests.RONDONRIDGE, MOUNTHAGENPerched on a mountain top near Mount Hagen in the Western Highlands, this lodge offers aspectacular setting with breathtaking views overthe city below and some of the highest mountainsin PNG. Looking over the Wahgi Valley, RondonRidge offers access to exotic mountain culturesthousands of years old, unparalleled birdwatching,treks through rainforest and the chance toexplore newly-discovered caves.Birds of paradisePNG is home to 38 of the world's 43 species ofbird of paradise, renowned for their stunningplumage, bizarre displays and extravagant matingrituals. The Raggiana bird of paradise is somethingof a national symbol, and is featured on coins,notes and the national flag. Other species canmost easily be seen in the Botanical Gardens inPort Moresby, but can also be spotted in theirnatural environment, with the forests nearMadang and the Sepik and the cloud forests ofthe Highlands being great places to seek themout. Short birding walks will be a feature of mostitineraries, although dedicated birdwatching tours can also be arranged.Shows and festivalsPNG has a number of festivals (sing sings), eachproviding an intriguing and exciting way toexperience the diverse cultural highlights of thecountry. If you plan early enough and can timeyour visit between July and October, you canincorporate one of the larger events: theWarwagira Festival in New Britain or the MountHagen, Goroka or Morobe shows on themainland. The shows were instituted as a way ofdefusing inter-tribal conflicts by gathering the clanstogether to exhibit their individual traditions,exchange information on farming techniques andchannel tribal rivalries into keenly-contested dance competitions.Papua New Guinea149Mud men at the annual Mount Hagen sing singHuli tribesmanAmbua Lodge, TariRaggiana bird of paradise

Matong Village, New BritainKARAWARILODGE, SEPIKRIVERKarawari Lodge stands majestically on a loneridge amidst a vast expanse of dense tropicallowland rainforest, which extends beyond thehorizon in every direction. You are in Arambakcountry here, one of the most remote andunspoilt areas of Papua New Guinea, with theKarawari River and small lodge airstrip as youronly ways in or out. From the lodge veranda,you can view the setting sun colouring theclouds and the snaking river below, while youlook out and realise the only other buildingsfor a thousand miles are those of tribal peoplesdeep in the forest.M/V SEPIKSPIRITThe ultimate 'floating lodge' for the adventurerwho desires a certain level of comfort whiletraversing the mysterious middle reaches of the mighty Sepik River. The M/V Sepik Spirit is a shallow draft vessel, purpose built fornavigating shallow inland waterways. There arenine comfortable cabins on-board, each withan en suite bathroom and large windowoffering river views. Three night cruises providethe chance to explore the seldom visitedMiddle Sepik and Black-water Lakes areas,prolific with the traditions and wood carvingsof the Latmul people. Daily expeditions takeplace on 18-seat jet boats and return to theM/V Sepik Spirit for sundown. Suggested itinerariesPapua New Guinea ExplorerThis trip is an ideal way to experience thefascinating tribal areas of Papua New Guinea andalso gives you an excellent chance of spotting thefamous bird of paradise.Day 1Fly from the UK to Singapore.Day 2Arriving in Singapore, you will be metand transferred to your hotel.Day 3Day at leisure before your overnightflight to Port Moresby.Day 4On arrival you have a short city tourand then lunch before your flight toMount Hagen. Transfer to your lodgein the hills and spend the remainderof the day exploring trails around thelodge where you may spot your firstbird of paradise.Days 5-6Spend timearound Mount Hagenwhere you will visit small tribalvillages and stunning woodland areasfamed for their birdlife.Day 7Take a light aircraft flight over PNG'sdense jungles to the Sepik area.Days 8-9An early start gives you the chance tosee a local bird of paradise. You willspend most of the next two daystravelling by boat to remote villagesto witness daily life here.Day 10Transfer from Karawari to Ambua on a spectacular light aircraft flight.Visit a Huli tribe and then spend theafternoon in search of birds ofparadise with your guide.Day 11Spend the full day visiting the famous tribal regions of the Southern Highlands.Day 12Fly back to Port Moresby where youhave an afternoon tour of the capital.Day 13After another short tour of the city you will be taken to the airportfor your flight to Singapore whereyou connect with your flight back tothe UK.Day 14Arrive back in to the UK early in the morning.Tailoring your tripThe itinerary shown is designed to give you aflavour of what is possible, and is a route thatworks particularly well. We can use this as a basisto plan your trip or can design a completelydifferent itinerary to suit your tastes and interests.Please call one of our Papua New Guineaspecialists to start planning your itinerary.Telephone: 01993 838 145Getting aroundThere are very few roads to speak of in PNG andtherefore light aircraft are used to get betweenthe lodges on the mainland. Flights do not arriveinto PNG from the west every day and the lightaircraft flights are not daily so your specialist willrecommend the required length of stay at eachlodge to fit in with the flight schedules. When to go??The best time to travel.?A good time to travel, but there may be some factors to be aware of.~Travel is possible, but this is not the best time of year.?Travel is not recommended.The climate in Papua New Guinea is tropical.Lowland and coastal areas are generally hot andhumid, while the Highlands are less humid andcooler, ranging from 12-28C. Papua New Guineareceives a lot of precipitation, often with cloudsbuilding in the afternoon and bursting in theevening. There are different wet seasons in thevarious regions, most notably the Sepik, which is wet between November and March. It can be difficult to distinguish between seasonselsewhere in the country as weather is generallyvery localised.Time difference:GMT+10 hoursFlight time from UK:23 hours (via Singapore)PricesWe offer trips to cater for a wide range ofbudgets. You can find up-to-date guideline pricesfor your trip to Papua New Guinea on ourwebsite, alternatively please call our specialists todiscuss your plans.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec~~~???????~~150M/V Sepik Spirit on the Karawari RiverHomes on the Sepik RiverKarawariAmbuaMount HagenPort Moresby