2015 & 2016
Waola Cultural Show – (Southern Highlands Province)
Papua New Guinea
The Waola Cultural show in the Southern
Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea
will be will be held in late August. The
showwill fall after the famous Mt. Hagen
show weekend. It is the festival of colour,
costumes, and smiles are an absolute
must see if you can time your visit to
coincide with Mt. Hagen show.
Please be advised that there are limited accommodations in Nipa and we encourage clients/agents to book
early as possible to secure room spaces if bookings are required.
Please Note: The below is an open dated itinerary and will be fit to Nipa Cultural dates. However, if the
itinerary does not suit your interest or does not fit into your holiday plans, upon your advice we will modify
the itinerary to suite your interest or your holiday plans.
2015/2016 AUGUST:Nipa Cultural show tour itinerary for year 2014 & 2015
Day 1 Aug: Port Moresby (Jacksons International airport) PNG.
Upon your arrival into Port Moresby international airport, you will meet your guides and transferred to your
hotel, Hideaway Hotel. Meals are not included in Port Moresby stay. Short tour will be provided if time
permits.
Accommodation:Aku Lodge
Day 2Aug: Port Moresby/Wewak
Today you will be transferred from your hotel to Jackson’s international airport for your flight to Wewakand
meet by our local guides from the Sepik and transfer to Seaview Hotel, overnight. (Breakfast and dinner
included)
Accommodation: Sea View Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3Aug: Wewak/Pagwi/Middle Spik cruise.
After Breakfast a drive on a 4WD vehicle to Pagwi, where you’ll head down the Middle Sepik River by local
motorised dugout canoe stopping at villages along the way, until you reach Angoram. This part of the Sepik
River has villages dotted along the river banks, each with its own distinctive style of artefacts and cultural
variations. The area is steeped in rituals, ceremonies, and customs which are still very much as part of
villagers’ daily lives, as they have been for thousands of years. The people of the villages we visit are very
welcoming, and our experienced local guides will explain customs answer your questions and assist you with
purchasing any artefacts that interest you. Overnight at Kanganman Guest House(Breakfast/pack
lunch/dinner)
Accommodation: Kanganaman Guest House
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4Aug: Kanganaman/Palembei/Korobu/avatip
You will then leave Kanganaman after breakfast to visit the beautiful villages of Palembei, Korogu, and
Avatip with plenty of opportunities to buy artefacts in the villages. Make your way to Ambunti and
overnight. In the afternoon, there is also the possibility of hiking or canoeing in search of bird life and orchid
viewing or other village visits. Overnight Benny’s Guest House (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Accommodation: Benny’s Guest House,
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5Aug: Sepik River Cruise
This morning explore the hills and around Ambunti. If possible that Ambunti crocodile Festival falls in line on
the date of your visit to the area then you will likely visit the festival. The Middle Sepik is particularly
renowned for its ancestral Men’s ceremonies have taken place, along with many other rituals. This
scarification and rising of the skin is made through hundreds of fine cuts to the torso. When the skin has
healed, it has the appearance of crocodile skin. These marks represent initiation from boyhood into
manhood, thus bring status and great respect. Overknighting atBenny’s Guest Hose or similar(Breakfast,
lunch dinner)
Day 7 Aug: Village/Wewak
You will board amotorized dugout canoe and head downriver to the village to Tambanum, with huge family
houses of a style unique to this village, plus a large collection of new carvings for sale. Afterward, cross the
river for visits to the villages of Wombun and Angoram. Afterward, bid farewell to your Sepik guides and
embark on a drive to Wewak. Overnight Seaview Hotel (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Seaview Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8Aug: Wewak/Mt. Hagen (MAF Flight)
After breakfast the hotel bus will transfer you to the airport for your MAF Flight to Mt. Hagen. Upon arrival
you’ll be met by our guide/staff and transferred to Uotha Lodge.
Uotha Lodge is located 5 minutes’ drive from Mt. Hagen (Kagamuga
airport). It has 12 self content rooms, with both hot and cold water
system. The hotel is surrounded with PNG natural orchids and many
other plant species. After a few briefing of tomorrow’s tour we will
visit to Pogla cultural centre for mud-men show and local village
visits. Return to hotel for overnight.
Accommodation: Airport Resort Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 9 Aug: Mt. Hagen/Mendi/Nipa (overnight Wemso Lodge)
After an early breakfast you will board on to your waiting vehicle, to
drive to Wemso Lodge in Nipa, Southern Highlands Province/PNG.
After two hours, you reach the Mendi the capital town of Southern
Highlands Province. We do few sightseeing around the town and
Mendi local fresh food and vegetable market which is set aside at
theriver bank. We have pack lunch at the site and continue our
journey to Nipa district and to Wemso Lodge. At the top of Duma
Pass, through the fast-moving clouds and swirling mist at an altitude of 6000 metres, the full grandeur of
the region is revealed with lush forests lining steep mountain ranges and rivers running beside small villages
where wisps of smoke rise from the valley floor. Finally we reach Wemso Lodge and check in. You will notice
that the lodge’s surrounding jungles are famous for trekking, stunning landscapes linked by extensive
trailsbuilt by locals.
Accommodation: Wemso Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 10/11Aug: NIPA CULTURAL SHOW
We’ll depart early as7am to enable us to observe and photograph
local people as they paint their faces, decorate their bodies, dress
their heads, and prepare their costumes for the big show. The Nipa
Show is another popular and diverse sing-sing festival in all of Papua
New Guinea. The entire Southern Highlands is biggest and most
extravagant of all the country’s cultural activities. It will be one of the
most colourful and sensually-overpowering cultural events you have
ever witnessed. Afterward, we do sightseeing tour, village visits.
Those who are keen bird watchers can do the bird watching at the
vicinity of Wemso Lodge.
Accommodation: Airport Resort Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 12 Aug: Tour/Hike to Komia village
After an early breakfast, you will be transferred to Tari airport for
your flight to Port Moresby. Bid a farewell to you Highlands host and
board onto Air Niugini flight PX865 to Port Moresby etd: 10:05, eta
into Port Moresby at 11:35, meet by our staff at Jackson’s
international airport, assist connect into your international departure
flight out of Port Moresby. End of our arrangement.
Meals: Breakfast
Bird Watching Site at the vicinity of Wemso
Lodge
LAND COST IN US$ DOLLARS
Twin share basis: US$3,200.00 per person(base on 3 or more pax)
Land cost includes: Twin share accommodation, tours, transfers,
meals only as specified above, local guide fees, village fees, and Mt.
Hagen show entrance fees.
Bird Watching Site beside Wemso Lodge
Land cost does Not include: Visa fees, services of personal nature such as beverages, bar, laundry services,
phone-fax-internet, domestic Air Niugini (PX) flight plus any other meals and services not mentioned above
in our itinerary.
Additional Cost:
1) Single Supplement: US$700.00 per single throughout except on the Sepik River Cruise.
2) MAF flight Wewak/Mt. Hagen on day 8 = US$3,500.00 per shuttle
COSTS NOT INCLUDED:Meals not noted as included, gratuities, beverages, (except tea or coffee at meals,)
international or domestic airfare unless specified, airport departure taxes not included with air tickets, visas,
itinerary changes after confirmation, any services not included in itinerary, any costs incurred due to
cancelled or delayed flights, acts of nature or other happenings beyond our control, or other costs as are
more fully described in Mapex’s Terms & Conditions.
we suggest you book/ticket Air Niugini PX flight plus your international round ticket your end in order to
obtain better discounts available overseas.
Note: Bring with you tons of rolls of films, a camcorder so that you can capture the sounds as well as the
sights during the show. Bring along some cash in PNG Kina to spend on artefacts and other items of interest.
Cash PNG kina must be in small denomination; K2, K5, K10, K20, or K50 Notes. Visa & Credit cards are
acceptable in some major banks in Papua New Guinea. You can exchange money upon arrival into Papua
New Guinea at the Jackson’s international airport or ask our staff and we will assist you.
If this itinerary does not suit your interest then we can modify the itinerary to suit your interest.