Departure Airport= Mount Hagen
Only 15 guests
Local Eco Lodges
Photography guidance
Stay with local tribes
Breakfast, Lunch Dinner included
The Ultimate Tribal Experience - The Highlands Expedition in Papua New Guinea
Join us on a journey through Papua New Guinea, where we will witness the vibrant culture and traditions of the Highland tribes, including the famous Goroka Festival, a colorful and riotous display of song and dance.
Discover the Vibrant Culture of Papua New Guinea: A Tour of the Famous Goroka Festival and Highland Tribes
Papua New Guinea is a country rich in cultural heritage and breathtaking natural beauty. Located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, it occupies the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, along with numerous smaller islands. The country is home to over 800 indigenous languages and is known for its diverse tribal communities, each with their unique customs, traditions, and beliefs. The Goroka Festival and the Highlights of the Highland Tribes tour offers a unique opportunity to explore and experience the rich cultural heritage of Papua New Guinea.
The tour starts on Wednesday, September 13th, 2023, with a transfer to your hotel. The following day, you will visit the Asaro Mudmen Show and watch the Mudmen perform near the Asaro River. On Friday, you will witness the Moko Moko performance in the morning and observe the widow scene and widow courtship in a nearby village. Saturday is dedicated to the Goroka Festival, the longest-running cultural festival in Papua New Guinea. Sunday is the main event, with over a hundred tribes from all over Papua New Guinea participating in the Goroka Show. The tour then proceeds to Mindima, where you will visit the famous cave of the Skeleton Tribe and witness the Traditional Simbu Culture dances. The following day, you will have a full day to explore the Skeleton Tribe, the Insect Hunters, and participate in the mini-festival at the Skeleton Tribe village. The tour ends in Mount Hagen, where you will witness the Huli Wigman dance and performance.
The tour is designed to immerse visitors in the local culture and traditions, and accommodation is basic but clean. Visitors will stay in local homestay guesthouses with shared toilets and showers. Electricity is available throughout the trip, and internet access is provided. Visitors can also purchase a SIM card at the airport for phone access. However, visitors should note that the program is subject to change due to unforeseen events. The organizers will do their best to follow the program and include all events mentioned, but visitors must be aware of the small possibility of plans not working out as per schedule and accept this warning.
In conclusion, the Goroka Festival and the Highlights of the Highland Tribes tour is an opportunity to immerse yourself in the rich cultural heritage of Papua New Guinea. From the Asaro Mudmen Show to the Goroka Festival and the Skeleton Tribe, visitors will experience the diverse customs, traditions, and beliefs of the local tribes. The tour is designed to provide visitors with a unique and authentic cultural experience that they will never forget.e Santa Barbara, Monterey, and Big Sur are just not found anywhere else in the world; and California offers them with easy access and plenty of turnouts to stop along the way.
Group Size
4 – 8 Guests
Experience | Difficulty
- Beginner, amateur, enthusiast and semi-pro photographers
- DSLR, mirrorless, compact or iPhone cameras
- Moderate schedule
- Travel by car or minibus
- Moderate elevation changes small walking.
- (non-photographers also welcome)
Weather | Sun
In June, Goroka, Papua New Guinea, experiences cool temperatures with an average high of 22°C (72°F) and an average low of 12°C (54°F)
Includes
All room nights in shared double room
Transportation during the whole trip
Breakfast lunch and dinner (all meals)
International Tour guide and local guides
Performances for all cultural groups and tribes
Entry fee for two days Goroka Show
Transfers from Hotel to Goroka Show
Taxes and fees
Basic Laundry
Travel/Portrait photography
Professional photographer
Photo walks & teachings
Small group size (4 – 8 guests)
Breakfasts – Lunches- Dinners (Including Welcome and Farewell dinners)
Local transportation
Travel Information
Arrival Airport: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) – Transfer time to hotel 60min
Departure Airport: San Francisco International Airport (SFO) – Transfer time to hotel 45min
Note: Both Los Angeles and San Francisco offer several other area airports to choose from.
Our adventure begins at 11 AM on the first day and ends at noon on the last day.
Travel Visa: A visa may be required depending on your nationality. Go to Visa Map to find out.
Accommodations
Santa Barbara – Palihouse Santa Barbara or similar
Pismo Beach – Inn at the Cove or similar
Monterey – Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa, Victorian Inn or similar
San Francisco – The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel, Palace Hotel or similar
| Adventure | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|
| The Ultimate Tribal Experience – The Highlands Expedition in Papua New Guinea | $3950 | REGISTER |
| Adventure | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|
| lorem ipsum sit amet | $150 | REGISTER |
ITINERARY
GOROKA SHOW 2024
Transfer flight from your home to Port Moresby.
After breakfast, we check out and begin our journey north along the California coast, stopping first at Pismo Beach Dunes to experience and capture the beautiful formations the sand has created. We will then move further north to the Pismo Pier and take a walk underneath, noticing the way the light hits the slats and capture it with a high key essence.
At this point we will stop for lunch at Steamers of Pismo, enjoying fresh and local seafood. After lunch, we will continue our journey to our final destination of the day at Avila Beach. We’ll check-in and conclude our day by shooting the sunset on Avila Beach. (B)
Note: Each night during our adventure we will assess the weather conditions and for those interested, there may be a late night or very early morning wake-up call to head out to do some night sky photography. Timing will be determined by the position of the Milky Way.
On day three, we get a very early start, as we head to Morro Bay to capture the gorgeous morning light on the famous Morro Rock. The rock is a 581-foot volcanic plug that is located just offshore of Morro Bay.
We then set on our way to San Simeon where we will find hundreds of Elephant Seals laid out across a small portion of the beach. This will allow us to focus on how to capture wildlife. We will hopefully get to witness some interesting seal behavior while we are there. At this point, we will have lunch to refuel.
Today is a long day, but well worth it. Our travels will next take us to McWay Falls in Big Sur for a glorious sunset shoot focusing on long exposures. At the Big Sur River to capture the motion of the water against the beautiful green trees surrounding the area. As we move on we will drive past the Historic Bixby Bridge where we will stop for a short period of time to capture this iconic location. The bridge was completed in 1932 and crosses the gap between the mountains.
We keep heading north until we reach Monterey where we’ll checkin to our hotel, located on Cannery Row. The Victorian Inn offers a warm historic charm that celebrates the spirit of Monterey. (B)
On day four, we will begin our day by jumping on a boat and setting off to go Whale Watching in Monterey. At this time of year, we can see Humpback Whales, Blue Whales, Dolphins, and Killer Whales This is truly an experience one will never forget. Note: This is optional and not included in the tour.
Afterwards we’ll take a journey through the renowned 17 Mile Drive to Carmel by the Sea, where we will see a mix of environments from golfing, surfing, wildlife, and beautiful ocean views. We’ll have a late lunch in Carmel.
In the late afternoon we’ll return to the hotel for some rest followed by a photo review and critique. Afterwards, we’ll enjoy dinner in Monterey.
After a late breakfast we’ll head north to Santa Cruz Pier where we we’ll see another gathering of seals underneath the pier, lying down across the slats fighting for territory. Time permitting, we’ll eat lunch on the pier or wait until we get to San Francisco.
After lunch, we will stop at Hole in the Wall Beach as well as the Natural Bridges to capture breathtaking rock formations over the ocean. Here we will experiment with long exposures and creating dynamic compositions. We’ll then head to checkin to our hotel in downtown San Francisco.
To finish up an already amazing day, we will head up to Marshall Beach to capture the Golden Gate Bridge from below. At this spot, we will be using our tripods to focus on long exposures of the tides coming in, and also try out a few panoramic photographs.
We’ll end the day with a late dinner in San Francisco. (B)
After a late breakfast we’ll head north to Santa Cruz Pier where we we’ll see another gathering of seals underneath the pier, lying down across the slats fighting for territory. Time permitting, we’ll eat lunch on the pier or wait until we get to San Francisco.
After lunch, we will stop at Hole in the Wall Beach as well as the Natural Bridges to capture breathtaking rock formations over the ocean. Here we will experiment with long exposures and creating dynamic compositions. We’ll then head to checkin to our hotel in downtown San Francisco.
To finish up an already amazing day, we will head up to Marshall Beach to capture the Golden Gate Bridge from below. At this spot, we will be using our tripods to focus on long exposures of the tides coming in, and also try out a few panoramic photographs.
We’ll end the day with a late dinner in San Francisco. (B)
After a late breakfast we’ll head north to Santa Cruz Pier where we we’ll see another gathering of seals underneath the pier, lying down across the slats fighting for territory. Time permitting, we’ll eat lunch on the pier or wait until we get to San Francisco.
After lunch, we will stop at Hole in the Wall Beach as well as the Natural Bridges to capture breathtaking rock formations over the ocean. Here we will experiment with long exposures and creating dynamic compositions. We’ll then head to checkin to our hotel in downtown San Francisco.
To finish up an already amazing day, we will head up to Marshall Beach to capture the Golden Gate Bridge from below. At this spot, we will be using our tripods to focus on long exposures of the tides coming in, and also try out a few panoramic photographs.
We’ll end the day with a late dinner in San Francisco. (B)
CALIFORNIA COAST 5 DAYS
Welcome to the California Coast! We meet at 10 AM in the lobby of the Malibu Beach Inn. Soon after we’ll begin our drive to Santa Barbara, where we will check into our hotel.
During a group lunch, we will have a discussion on what our guests would like to achieve through their photography style, technique, and subject matters. We’ll also dive into PWA’s “10 Guiding Principles of Photography” as well as our “THE ART OF SEEING” photographic technique.
After breakfast, we check out and begin our journey north along the California coast, stopping first at Pismo Beach Dunes to experience and capture the beautiful formations the sand has created. We will then move further north to the Pismo Pier and take a walk underneath, noticing the way the light hits the slats and capture it with a high key essence.
At this point we will stop for lunch at Steamers of Pismo, enjoying fresh and local seafood. After lunch, we will continue our journey to our final destination of the day at Avila Beach. We’ll check-in and conclude our day by shooting the sunset on Avila Beach. (B)
Note: Each night during our adventure we will assess the weather conditions and for those interested, there may be a late night or very early morning wake-up call to head out to do some night sky photography. Timing will be determined by the position of the Milky Way.
On day three, we get a very early start, as we head to Morro Bay to capture the gorgeous morning light on the famous Morro Rock. The rock is a 581-foot volcanic plug that is located just offshore of Morro Bay.
We then set on our way to San Simeon where we will find hundreds of Elephant Seals laid out across a small portion of the beach. This will allow us to focus on how to capture wildlife. We will hopefully get to witness some interesting seal behavior while we are there. At this point, we will have lunch to refuel.
Today is a long day, but well worth it. Our travels will next take us to McWay Falls in Big Sur for a glorious sunset shoot focusing on long exposures. At the Big Sur River to capture the motion of the water against the beautiful green trees surrounding the area. As we move on we will drive past the Historic Bixby Bridge where we will stop for a short period of time to capture this iconic location. The bridge was completed in 1932 and crosses the gap between the mountains.
We keep heading north until we reach Monterey where we’ll checkin to our hotel, located on Cannery Row. The Victorian Inn offers a warm historic charm that celebrates the spirit of Monterey. (B)
On day four, we will begin our day by jumping on a boat and setting off to go Whale Watching in Monterey. At this time of year, we can see Humpback Whales, Blue Whales, Dolphins, and Killer Whales This is truly an experience one will never forget. Note: This is optional and not included in the tour.
Afterwards we’ll take a journey through the renowned 17 Mile Drive to Carmel by the Sea, where we will see a mix of environments from golfing, surfing, wildlife, and beautiful ocean views. We’ll have a late lunch in Carmel.
In the late afternoon we’ll return to the hotel for some rest followed by a photo review and critique. Afterwards, we’ll enjoy dinner in Monterey.
After a late breakfast we’ll head north to Santa Cruz Pier where we we’ll see another gathering of seals underneath the pier, lying down across the slats fighting for territory. Time permitting, we’ll eat lunch on the pier or wait until we get to San Francisco.
After lunch, we will stop at Hole in the Wall Beach as well as the Natural Bridges to capture breathtaking rock formations over the ocean. Here we will experiment with long exposures and creating dynamic compositions. We’ll then head to checkin to our hotel in downtown San Francisco.
To finish up an already amazing day, we will head up to Marshall Beach to capture the Golden Gate Bridge from below. At this spot, we will be using our tripods to focus on long exposures of the tides coming in, and also try out a few panoramic photographs.
We’ll end the day with a late dinner in San Francisco. (B)
OPTIONS & BENEFITS
All prices are per person and based on double occupancy. Please select single occupancy for a private room. For your convenience, we offer optional early arrival and late departure accommodations so you can extend your stay before or after the trip. We typically stay in boutique hotels in the 4-star category. Not all destinations offer these types of properties. We look for unique hotels which offer cultural, historic and/or authentic features. Depending on the size of the group, smaller boutique hotels may have limited room inventory. In some countries or in remote locations, we may be limited to lodges or branded chain hotels. Breakfast is included only if included in our room rates.
We offer amazing private guided photo adventures, cultural tours and vacations for individuals, couples, families and groups. We can customize any of our published adventures, as well as others, to meet your individual needs, schedule, budget and interests. This may include the finest 5-star accommodations, business-class travel, and private guides and fixers who are able to make the impossible possible. If you are not interested in a photo-centric vacation, but you love our approach to private travel, we will be happy to design and deliver an amazing adventure focused on travel, culture and cuisine.
We offer travel insurance through the internationally recognized Travelex Travel Insurance Company, as well as evacuation and medical transportation insurance through, one of the best in the industry.
The cost for travel insurance can be as low as 4% of the total trip cost, depending upon age and other factors. Knowing you have trip cancellation coverage can make a big difference should you have to cancel for some unforeseen reason. Travelex Insurance Services is a BBB Accredited business with an A+ rating. to learn more about why you should consider travel insurance.
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