Papua New Guinea Expedition: Firedance Festival
Trip Code: TESD
Why we love it
As a small group, be welcomed into a local village and watch as traditional Baining dancers circle a growing fire and perform dancing rituals – a insight into one of Papua New Guinea’s indigenous cultures., Spend time before and after the performance learning more about these traditional customs, sharing meals, stories and laughs with local community members., Jump into island life of the Duke of York Islands, marvelling at an active volcano, tucking into a beachside barbecue and experiencing a traditional sing-sing with the villagers., Discover how the World Wars played out in the Pacific, by visiting the War Museum in Rabaul and heading underground for a tour of the Japanese tunnels in Kokopo.
Is this trip right for me?
The joining point for this trip, Rabaul, is easily accessed with a flight from the capital, Port Moresby, on either Air Niugini or PNG Air (approximately 2 hours). From here, Port Moresby offers onward international connections to Australia and parts of Asia. As Papua New Guinea is small, there are limited flights in and out each day and prices can fluctuate quite dramatically, so it is recommended to book your flights as far in advance as possible to ensure the best connection. Please speak to your booking agent for more information.
There are lots of water-based activities, so being comfortable on a boat is essential.
This trip has some communal accommodation with shared bathroom and toilet facilities and very simple shared sleeping arrangements during the village & island stays.
Note that depending on the departure date of your trip, the order of destinations and activities may change based on the dates of the Firedance Festival.
Important information
1. An arrival & departure transfer is included on this trip. Please provide us with your flight arrival & departure time for Rabaul (RBA) no later than 7 days before your trip commences. If we do not receive this information we will not be able to meet you at the airport. Late-night arrivals in particular will be difficult and daunting to make your way to our starting point on your own.
2. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement excludes the Island & Village Homestays where you will be in shared accommodation, and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
What to bring/pack
Physical rating
3
Joining your group
Kokopo Beach Bungalows, Kurur Place, PO Box 1008, Kokopo, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Alternate Joining Point
Joining instructions
Finishing your trip
Kokopo Beach Bungalows, Kurur Place, PO Box 1008, Kokopo, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Alternate Finish Point
Meals & dietary information
Breakfasts included: 8
Lunches included: 6
Dinners included: 4
Climate & seasonal information
EARTHQUAKES & VOLCANOES:
Papua New Guinea sits along a volatile seismic strip called the “Ring of Fire” in the Pacific. Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis are possible. Seismic and volcanic activity can occur near Rabaul in East New Britain Province. Tavurvur in East New Britain erupted on 29 August 2014. Authorities evacuated communities close to the volcano and residents of Rabaul town were advised to remain indoors to avoid falling ash. It is currently considered safe to travel to the Rabaul region and we continue to monitor local reports for latest information on the volcano in conjunction with our local partners.
In case of emergency
While we always endeavour to provide the best possible holiday experience, due to the nature of travel and the areas we visit sometimes things can and do go wrong. Should any issue occur while you are on your trip, it is imperative that you discuss this with your group leader or local representative straight away so that they can do their best to rectify the problem and save any potential negative impact on the rest of your trip.
We recognise that there may be times when your group leader or local representative may not be able to resolve a situation to your satisfaction - if this is the case, please ask the group leader or local representative to speak to their direct manager.
You may also choose to provide details in your online feedback, which we ask you to complete within 30 days of the end of your trip. Please do be aware that it is very difficult for us to provide any practical help after the trip is completed, so informing us while still travelling will give us the opportunity to resolve the issue in real-time.
For general contact details please use the following page: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/contact-us
In case of a genuine crisis or emergency, you can reach our local office on the numbers below:
Intrepid local operator : Available for phone call on +675 73885036; +675 70190972; +675 7100 9934
Accommodations
The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.
Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.