DIAMIR is one of the leading tour operators for adventure travel in German-speaking countries. The DIAMIR story began with the idea of creating German-speaking guided nature and culture tours in small groups of no more than twelve participants, enabling responsible travel to the most beautiful regions of the world. And so, a small group of travel enthusiasts decided to found their own tour operator.
ITINERARY
Day 1: Arrival.
Flight to Singapore.
Air Niugini Fokker 70
Day 2: Singapore – Port Moresby
Arrival in the Lion City of Singapore, from where you will fly on to Port Moresby.
Day
3: Port Moresby – Goroka (1x/B/L/D)
Early morning arrival in the country’s capital: Port Moresby. This is the country’s commercial center and, accordingly, offers a somewhat idiosyncratic mix of dusty glass facades, numerous opportunists, and typical urban traffic chaos. For these reasons, you will continue directly on a connecting flight to your first destination: Goroka. There will be time to recover from your journey or take a first excursion into the city. Overnight stay at a hotel.
Young Mudman in front of the Sing-Sing.
Day 4: Goroka 1×(B/L/D)
You will explore the area around Goroka. Enjoy the pleasant highland climate and the scenery of a town that is difficult to compare to those of our own. After visiting a coffee roastery, a first cultural highlight awaits you – the village of the Asaro, the “clay people.” But this is just a taste of the cultural explosion that awaits you in the coming days. Overnight stay as on the previous day. (Travel time approx. 2 hours).
Impressions of the Kutubu Festival,
Days 5-6: Goroka Festival (2 breakfasts)
Experience the unique Goroka Festival, a gathering of highland people like no other. Immerse yourself in a vibrant festival with over 2,000 participants, traditional dances, breathtaking combat games, and evocative songs. The festival grounds vibrate as hundreds of colorfully adorned warriors move simultaneously to the rhythm of the drums. The legendary traditions of New Guinea come alive here. At the same time, the diverse costumes made of bird-of-paradise feathers, pig ribs, and shell necklaces offer countless photo opportunities. The Goroka Show, featuring approximately 120 ethnic groups, tribes, and clans, is considered the largest “Sing Sing” in Papua New Guinea. Two nights in a hotel.
Highland Road
Day 7: Goroka – Simbu 1×(B/L/D)
Drive to Simbu Province. The drive offers beautiful views of the mountain ranges of the central highlands. You will travel to the village of Kagai and have time for a walk in the afternoon. Overnight stay in a simple guesthouse. (Driving time approx. 4 hours).
Fields in the Highlands
, Day 8: Simbu – Kagai 1×(B/L/D)
You will spend the day in the village and visit the school, among other things. The day will give you a good insight into the simple life of people in large parts of New Guinea. Today you will also enjoy a meal cooked in a “mumu” – a feast prepared in the earth oven typical of the Pacific region. Overnight stay in a homestay.
Orchid
Day 9: Kagai – Kumul 1×(B/L/D)
A pleasant drive through the picturesque highland landscape awaits you, leading to Kumul Lodge near Mt. Hagen. Arrival in the afternoon. The lodge, beautifully integrated into the natural surroundings, is an ideal location for birdwatching. The bird-of-paradise family is native to the Moluccas, northern Australia, and especially the island of New Guinea. These birds, adorned with striking plumage, are not only interesting for bird enthusiasts. Their feathers also play an important role as ornaments in the lives of the Papuan people. (Driving time approx. 5 hours).
Public Transport and Potholes
Day 10: Kumul – Daga 1×(B/L/D)
The overland journey continues to Daga, where the Kutubu Festival, the second festival of the trip, takes place. Overnight stay in a guesthouse. (Travel time approx. 6 hours).
Impressions of the Kutubu Festival,
Days 11–13: Kutubu Festival (3x B/L/D)
The Kutubu Festival lasts three days. Unlike Goroka, Kutubu is still relatively untouched by tourism. The long journeys of the last few days are well worth it. Here you can see the fearsome highland warriors of the Huli people, as well as the dancers of the Kaluli and Foe tribes. In Kutubu, everything is a bit smaller, wilder, and perhaps more adventurous than expected. In addition to visiting the festival grounds, short excursions into the surrounding area are also on the agenda. If time allows, you will visit Lake Kutubu – the largest freshwater lake in Papua New Guinea. Three nights in a guesthouse.
Market in Mt. Hagen.
Day 14: Daga – Mount Hagen 1×(B/L/D)
With all the impressions of the past few days, you begin your journey back to civilization. Mount Hagen is considered the center of the highlands. However, after the primal and powerful experiences of the past few days, you may initially feel a bit out of place in the city. But don’t worry, the very next day you will venture into a more remote region of New Guinea. Overnight stay in a hotel. (Travel time approx. 6 hours).
Village in the Sepik River,
Day 15: Mount Hagen – Wewak – Sepik Plain 1×(B/L/D)
Early morning flight to Wewak. The vast Sepik Plain awaits you. Dugout canoes and motorized kayaks are the main means of transport in the region and represent the only possible access to modern civilization, towns, and markets for many villages. Due to high fuel costs, however, river transport is limited to larger shared taxis and traders, so a large part of the Sepik population continues to live a very natural and traditional life. You will travel upstream in a motorized kayak to the village of Kanganamun, where, with a bit of luck, you will encounter members of the famous Crocodile Men. Adorned with a crocodile-shaped scar pattern, these Papuans are highly respected members of society and symbolize the special relationship of the river dwellers to the spirit world of the Sepik. Overnight stay in the village in a simple hut. (Travel time approx. 4 hours, motorized kayak approx. 2 hours).
Sunset in the Sepik Plain
. Day 16: Sepik Plain 1×(B/L/D)
The day is dedicated to exploring life along the Sepik River. Perhaps you will learn from the villagers about the extraction of sago palm starch and about fishing in the river. You will attend artistic dance performances in the region’s villages. Intricate carvings, elaborate body adornments, and magnificent spirit houses accompany you on your journey through the branching labyrinth of the river’s tributaries. As the sun dips behind the Prince Alexander Mountains in the evening, gray wisps of smoke rise from the green canopy of the primeval forest, and hornbills fill the evening with their deep cries, you will realize how far you have come from the world as we know it. Overnight stay as on the previous day.
Art of the Sepik,
Day 17: Sepik Plain – Wewak – Port Moresby 1×(B/L/D)
Today you leave the green, wild paradise of the Sepik by boat and travel back to Wewak. Flight to Port Moresby. Overnight stay in a hotel. (Travel time approx. 3 hours).
Tree Kangaroos
Day 18: Port Moresby 1×B
The morning is at your leisure. An optional visit to the nature park offers a fascinating glimpse into the fauna of New Guinea. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Singapore by Night
, Day 19: Port Moresby – Singapore (1x breakfast)
The morning is at your leisure. In the afternoon, transfer to the airport and flight to Singapore. Arrival in the evening and onward flight from Singapore to Germany. If you are interested, we can arrange a stopover in Singapore for you.
Day 20: Arrival
in Germany.
