Today will be fully devoted to experiencing the unique cultural offerings of Papua, specifically in the Wahgi Valley. Enjoy a guided journey through the traditions and customs of the Melpa People, the most prominent group of people in the valley, though several other cultural groups live nearby, each with their own set of “bilas” (body decoration,) customs and traditions, and their own language. First contact with the Melpa was made in the mid-1930’s. The Melpa people are “true farmers” that still maintain traditional farming methods that can be traced back 9,000 years. They are said by anthropologists, to be ‘predisposed to capitalism’ because of their complex traditional society in which ‘big men’ earn status by accruing wealth and then giving it all away in a ceremonial exchange called “Moka”. The tour will bring you to two-three local villages where the villagers will share their fascinating tribal traditions; such as the rites of widowed women, the ceremonies surrounding marriage and funerals, the traditions of tribal warfare and the daily customs of the Melpa people. This area is also the home of the famous Pogla mudmen, famed for their unique bilas and the ancient story that surrounds it.

Your tour will also take you to see the iconic Huli tribe in their local settlement here in Mount Hagen. This famous highland tribe is admired for their vibrant and colorfully decorated hair wigs and bilas. In contrast to the Sepik people you will visit in the next few days, whose art is manifested in ceremonial and decorative carvings, these Highland people employ as their art, body decoration, face painting and human hair wigs decorated with feathers, flowers and moss. Only known to the world at large since 1935, ancient traditions have a strong hold over the modern Huli. You will meet these proud people and learn much of their traditions and way of life which are still governed by their belief in ancestral spirits and sorcery. RONDON RIDGE.

A short flight takes you to Karawari, where you’ll meet your luxury riverboat, the Sepik Spirit. Enjoy lunch on board the Sepik Spirit as you cast off onto the mystical Sepik River, the longest river in New Guinea, whose banks are home to many local villages. Inspired by the local architecture of the “haus tambaran” or spirit house, the Sepik Spirit has a truly unique design. For the next three days you will explore the many villages lining the Sepik and learn of the different tribal customs. They’ll dance for you, interact with you, and you’ll be able to shop and enjoy the beauty of the Sepik along the way. On the first full day, leave the ship in the morning for a full day tour and a picnic lunch to the remote Black Water Lakes to visit villages where the people are prolific carvers. Here you can purchase many interesting items such as masks, elaborately carved hooks, ancestral figures, hand drums, baskets, bilums and gourds. On the last full day, visit the village of Mumeri, where the women are well known for the ornate gourd phallocrypts. Enjoy a jet boat ride to meet with the Sepik Spirit at the Krosmeri Junction for lunch and then tour the Mindimbit villages, seat of the Iatmul people occupying the middle Sepik, known for the muted colors that are typical in the masks they produce. You will meet up again with the Sepik Spirit while cruising back to the Karawari area. SEPIK SPIRIT.

Enjoy a full day of excursions along the jungle-fringed waterways of the Karawari River, where boatmen, standing upright, paddle their slender dugout canoes with sculpted silhouettes of crocodile masks. Village life including carved totems, drums, woodcarvings, and different expressions of art will surround you today. See bountiful bird life along the rivers and nearby lakes. Excursions will enhance your understanding of traditional village culture in the Sepik region. Sail through remote jungle waterways where huge lichen and vine-festooned trees, masses of brilliant flame flowers, and a profusion of orchids thrive. The soft dawn glimmers on these waterways and the vast plain erupts with a myriad of birds – the raucous jungle music. Dug-out canoes glide close by the river banks – stilt villages suddenly spring in sight along the flowing waters. Here you will see man and the environment as it has been for thousands of years. KARAWARI LODGE.

Board your charter flight to Lake Murray. As you approach the region, you will see the Strickland River snaking through these heavily forested areas. You will have two full days to visit some of the remotest villages in Papua New Guinea. You will be welcomed into the homes of villagers along this spectacular waterfront, breaking bread with them and learning about their lives and culture. Perhaps if you’re lucky, you’ll spot the mythical Murray – a sea beast said to resemble a tyrannosaurus that reportedly lurks beneath the depths. With over 154 species, Lake Murray has high diversity of birds, including several special birds that will be the highlight of your early morning and late afternoon birding. LAKE MURRAY LODGE.

Bid farewell to Lake Murray as you fly via charter flight to Mt. Hagen for your short domestic flight to Port Moresby where you will be escorted to your hotel. This afternoon, explore Port Moresby, the capital and largest city in Papua New Guinea, followed by a farewell dinner. AIRWAYS HOTEL (Bacchus Wing).

Fly to Brisbane, where you’ll spend the evening. Next morning, return to the airport for your flight home.