Papua New Guinea National Mask Festival
The Papua New Guinea National Mask Festival is held in July each year and we are pleased to introduce this unique event to you all. This event is quite extraordinary as it is a little different to the other cultural festivals in the country. This event is focused on displaying the different traditional masks, their purposes and believes associated. Papua New Guinea is known for its unique cultures and traditions and as such, the masks contributed a lot to this. Masks were created in different styles, sizes and shapes, which represented different believes and the areas they represented. Most of these masks are from the coastal region and the lowlands of Papua New Guinea where traditional magic and sorcery were very common. The mask festival represents this with the venue and the traditional groups participating fulfill this. The mask festival includes groups from the New Guinea Islands, which includes Rabaul, Kavieng, and Buka, and to the North coast, which includes Madang, Wewak and the lowlands of both provinces. As colorful as the other cultural events, the mask festival displays the true tradition of the people of Papua New Guinea. This look of the masks reflects the power and strength of traditional believes and the masks were greatly honored as they represented the presences of the spirits which gave power and knowledge to perform their traditional rituals, sorcery etc. We would like to invite you to this unique festival. It’s very traditional, very emotional and the performances cannot be seen at other cultural festivals. This is a scarcer and it is displayed only once and is by all means protected by customary laws and can only be displayed in certain locations and it has to be on the coast. It is a great pleasure to invite you to this unique event. Not only you will participate in this festival but also the venue has steaming active volcanoes and is the place where it was a major battlefield over the pacific campaign during the WWII. The scenery, the people and the natural environment is very welcoming and you feel and experience of the Tolai people and their cultures. Come and join us to an experience this special event that you will not witness anywhere else in the world, an event that is very traditional. The below proposed tour packages have been specially designed to coincides with this event and give you the opportunity to witness this event.
SUMMARY
JULY 9 DAYS/8 NIGHTS
3 nights-Country Lodge Ambua-Tari
2 nights Hotel Kimininga-Mt Hagen
3 nights-Taklam Lodge-Rabaul
MASK FESTIVAL TOUR # 1.
DAY 1 (LD) Arrive Port Moresby, meet and assist to connecting flight PX865 Port Moresby to Tari, on arrival meet and transfer to lodge, afternoon activities – Overnight Ambua Country Lodge Lodge (3 nights).
Day 2 (BLD) Full Day tour of Tari area, home of the Huli Wigman.
Day 3 (BLD) Full Day tour of Tari area.
Day 4 (BLD) Road transfer Tari to Mt. Hagen, on arrival transfer to hotel. Overnight Hotel Kimininga (2 nights).
Day 5 (BLD) Full day Wahgi Valley tour including visit to local villages and cultural at Polga Cultural. Afternoon visit to Mt Hagen market. Hagen market is one of the best in Papua New Guinea.
Day 6 (BLD) Transfer to flight PX181 Mt. Hagen to Port Moresby, on arrival, meet and assist to connecting flight PX202 Port Moresby to Rabaul, on arrival meet and transfer to hotel – Overnight Taklam Lodge (3 nights).
Day 7 (BLD) Full day at the Mask Festival
Day 8 (BLD) Full day at the Mask Festival
Day 9 (BL) Transfer to flight PX 275 Rabaul to Port Moresby. Meet and transfer to your international departure flight.
END OF COUNTRY TOURS ARRANGEMENTS
/Land Cost: US$2740 .00 per person twin share Minimum 9 Pax).
Single Supplement: US$ 875.00 per single occupancy.
Land cost Includes : Accommodation twin share, meals as indicated as B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner, tours and transfers, local English speaking guides, entry fees to all sights of visit, cultural performance fees and government taxes.
Land cost Excludes: Any other meals than those specified, visa fee, international departure tax, laundry, phone/fax bills, beverage and any other services of personal
ADDITIONAL COST You are to book and ticket the following Air Niugini (PX) flights from your end in order to take advantage of discount available if ticket overseas.
Day 1: PX865 Port Moresby to Tari
Day 6: PX181 Mt. Hagen to Port Moresby
Day 6: PX202 Moresby to Rabaul
Although these are another of the Cultural Event tours. They do not carry any terms, conditions and cancellation policies. However, advance booking is advisable to secure confirmed spaces.
MASK FESTIVAL TOUR # 2
SUMMARY
JULY 11 DAYS/10 NIGHTS
1 night Holiday Inn-Port Moresby
3 nights-Country Lodge Ambua-Tari
3 nights Hotel Kimininga-Mt Hagen
3 nights-Taklam Lodge-Rabaul
Itinerary in Brief:
Day 1 (D) Arrive Port Moresby, meet/greet and transfer to hotel, afternoon tour of Port Moresby city and surrounds - Overnight Holiday Inn.
Day 2 (BLD) Transfer to flight PX204 Port Moresby to Rabaul, on arrival meet and transfer directly to the mask festival, full day at the mask festival – Overnight Taklam Lodge (3 nights).
Day 3 (BLD) Full day at the Mask Festival
Day 4 (BLD) Full day at the mask Festival.
Day 5 (BLD) Transfer to flight PX275 Rabaul to Port Moresby. Upon arrival you will be met by Country Tours staff and transfer to your onwards flight on PX864 Port Moresby to Tari. Arrive Tari airstrip. You will be met by Country Tours staff and transfer you to Ambua County Lodge a newly built and locally owned. Overnight Ambua Country Lodge. (3 nights)
Day 6 (BLD) Full day cultural and village tours including a lunch made from local mumu.
Day 7 (BLD) Full day village and cultural tours including the Huli face painting, Huli wigman, Huli singsing.
Day 8 (BLD) After break fast road transfer from Tari to Mt Hagen and overnight Hotel Kimininga. (3 nights).
Day 9 (BLD) Full day cultural tour to Tambul. The cultural tour includes, singsing, traditional mumu, traditional courtship, traditional fire making,” moka” traditional way of barter system, “Waipa” and much more to see there.
Day 10 (BLD) Full Day tour to famous Whagi Valley, including tea and coffee plantations and the Avi Orchid garden. The tour will also take you to Mt Hagen market and Polga Cultural centre for Hagen men and women singsing.
Day 11 (BL) Transfer by Country Tours to Kagamunga Airport for your flight to Port Moresby on flight PX181. You will be met on arrival by Country Tours staff and transfer you to your international departure flight.
Land Cost: US$3340.00 per person twin share Minimum 9 Pax). Single Supplement: US$450.00 per single occupancy.
Land cost Includes : Accommodation twin share, meals as indicated as B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner, tours and transfers, local English speaking guides, entry fees to all sights of visit, cultural performance fees and government taxes.
Land cost Excludes: Any other meals than those specified, visa fee, international departure tax, laundry, phone/fax bills, beverage and any other services of personal nature.
ADDITIONAL COST
You are to book and ticket the following Air Niugini (PX) flights from your end in order to take advantage of discount available if ticket overseas.
Day 2: PX204 Port Moresby to Rabaul
Day 5: PX275 Rabaul to Port Moresby
Day 5: PX864 Port Moresby to Tari
Day 11: PX831 Mt Hagen to Port Moresby
Although these are another of the Cultural Event tours. They do not carry any terms, conditions and cancellation policies. However, advance booking is advisable to secure confirmed spaces.