Festival at Mt Hagen and tour company recommendation

photographer9901:26 UTC17 Mar 2011

I'm considering going to Papua New Guinea in August and was wondering how touristy the Mt. Hagan Cultural Show is? Is it organized specifically for tourists, or is it actually a festival? I would greatly appreciate feedback from those of you who have been there. Also, wondering what the dates for this August's event are. Has anyone been to the Crocodile festival as well and what did you think?

I'm also looking for recomendations for excellent tour companies and would very much like to hear about your experiences.

P.S. Please do not respond if you are representing a tour company. Thanks!

owenlucas20:41 UTC17 Mar 2011

Mt Hagen cultural show is not a touristic cultural performances beacuse all tribes come to perform their cultural dances and performances in Mt hagen, which is a modern city. All tribes wear strictly all traditional costumes and attires for their body decorations and costumes. The dates can fall within 18-22 August 2011, but recheck on the dates for reconfirmation.
If you buy into a tour operator tour package you will feel that it may be touristic where you are rushed and moved around with group and schedules. Accommodation is fullly booked in advance already and spaces in hotels can be hard to find.

It will be good you travel along in a unpackaged tour and sort of do it your self trip by flying into Port Moresby and connect into Goroka and catch up with a female guide if you are female and male guide if you are male, overnight and then catch an early morning public transport bus from Goroka to Mt Hagen and onto Show ground, tourist entrance fee is expensive but since you are travelling as a local you can pay at the gate and enter. Afternoon you can take a public bus ride back to Kerowagi or Kundiawa town for accommdation and repeat the same trip next day till you finish with visiting the Mt Hagen Show.
Then from Kundiawa, you can take a PMV bus ride from Kundiawa to Madang, passing Goroka and Ramu.
From Madang, daily flights Air Niugini goes into Wewak os jump on to Wewak. In Wewak, PMV public transport trucks travel from Wewak to Pagwi-Sepik River, jet off and take a motorised canoe to Ambunti for overnight. There take motorised canoe trips to see the crocodile festival. You can ring Office of Memeber for Parliament, Hon.Tony Aimo 675+3273777 or search World Wild Life Fund Hustein Range and enquire for the dates of Crocodile festival dates.

I am from the Highlands, Kerowagi town near to Mt Hagen which is center of the highlands Goroka & Mt Hagen.
Owen Lucas

photographer9919:09 UTC18 Mar 2011

Thanks so much for this information. Other suggestons most welcome!

michaelhogan05:15 UTC06 Apr 2011

Went to Mt Hagen and Crocodile festival in '09. Both well worth the trip/effort. Neither is for the tourists. At the Crocodile festival there were maybe 15 tourists. (10 in our group) (not a organized tour group, but college professors/botanists et al) More at the Mt Hagen festival but there were so many dancers that you did not notice the tourists.

We took canoe from Ambunti to Crocodile festival as stated in prior reply, but you can fly in on private charter. In '09 there was only 1 official lodging, most of our group found lodging in private home.

Highly suggest that you fly whenever possible as road conditions and driving conditions are not so safe. And not to sound nasty, but after many hours of driving on the road - scenery does not change much. Save the time, spend some money and fly, enjoy the town and locals when you get there. But with that said, canoe on the river is awesome - canoe from Ambunti to Crocodile festival.

michaelhogan05:16 UTC06 Apr 2011

BTW - agree w owenlucas - get whatever info you can from WWF, including lodging options and tour operators.

photographer9912:58 UTC07 Apr 2011

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Very helpful. If I do go with a tour group, wondered if you all have recommendations as to who are the best. They all seem very expensive. Thanks!

calbudgies00:24 UTC24 Apr 2011

Hi to Photographer99

I do not represent a tour company but I have been on vacations with Naturalist Journeys for more than 12 trips. It is a wonderful company that seeks birding, the natural world and culture on all their trips and they are devoted to small groups. We are going on the Papua New Guinea trip this August and would strongly recommend that you or anyone else who wants to see the Mt. Hagen Cultural Show and also experience birding, animals and nature in Papua New Guinea look into the trip! My husband is a photographer and they always accommodate people taking photographs as best they can while maintaining a schedule--not a rigid schedule but attempting to get as much as possible into each day.

Check it out: http://www.naturalistjourneys.com/

Hope to see you there--

Festival at Mt. Hagen and tour company recommendation Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Papua New Guinea
photographer9901:26 UTC17 Mar 2011	I'm considering going to Papua New Guinea in August and was wondering how touristy the Mt. Hagan Cultural Show is? Is it organized specifically for tourists, or is it actually a festival? I would greatly appreciate feedback from those of you who have been there. Also, wondering what the dates for this August's event are. Has anyone been to the Crocodile festival as well and what did you think? I'm also looking for recomendations for excellent tour companies and would very much like to hear about your experiences. P.S. Please do not respond if you are representing a tour company. Thanks!
owenlucas20:41 UTC17 Mar 2011	Mt Hagen cultural show is not a touristic cultural performances beacuse all tribes come to perform their cultural dances and performances in Mt hagen, which is a modern city. All tribes wear strictly all traditional costumes and attires for their body decorations and costumes. The dates can fall within 18-22 August 2011, but recheck on the dates for reconfirmation. If you buy into a tour operator tour package you will feel that it may be touristic where you are rushed and moved around with group and schedules. Accommodation is fullly booked in advance already and spaces in hotels can be hard to find. It will be good you travel along in a unpackaged tour and sort of do it your self trip by flying into Port Moresby and connect into Goroka and catch up with a female guide if you are female and male guide if you are male, overnight and then catch an early morning public transport bus from Goroka to Mt Hagen and onto Show ground, tourist entrance fee is expensive but since you are travelling as a local you can pay at the gate and enter. Afternoon you can take a public bus ride back to Kerowagi or Kundiawa town for accommdation and repeat the same trip next day till you finish with visiting the Mt Hagen Show. Then from Kundiawa, you can take a PMV bus ride from Kundiawa to Madang, passing Goroka and Ramu. From Madang, daily flights Air Niugini goes into Wewak os jump on to Wewak. In Wewak, PMV public transport trucks travel from Wewak to Pagwi-Sepik River, jet off and take a motorised canoe to Ambunti for overnight. There take motorised canoe trips to see the crocodile festival. You can ring Office of Memeber for Parliament, Hon.Tony Aimo 675+3273777 or search World Wild Life Fund Hustein Range and enquire for the dates of Crocodile festival dates. I am from the Highlands, Kerowagi town near to Mt Hagen which is center of the highlands Goroka & Mt Hagen. Owen Lucas	1
photographer9919:09 UTC18 Mar 2011	Thanks so much for this information. Other suggestons most welcome!	2
michaelhogan05:15 UTC06 Apr 2011	Went to Mt Hagen and Crocodile festival in '09. Both well worth the trip/effort. Neither is for the tourists. At the Crocodile festival there were maybe 15 tourists. (10 in our group) (not a organized tour group, but college professors/botanists et al) More at the Mt Hagen festival but there were so many dancers that you did not notice the tourists. We took canoe from Ambunti to Crocodile festival as stated in prior reply, but you can fly in on private charter. In '09 there was only 1 official lodging, most of our group found lodging in private home. Highly suggest that you fly whenever possible as road conditions and driving conditions are not so safe. And not to sound nasty, but after many hours of driving on the road - scenery does not change much. Save the time, spend some money and fly, enjoy the town and locals when you get there. But with that said, canoe on the river is awesome - canoe from Ambunti to Crocodile festival.	3
michaelhogan05:16 UTC06 Apr 2011	BTW - agree w owenlucas - get whatever info you can from WWF, including lodging options and tour operators.	4
photographer9912:58 UTC07 Apr 2011	Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Very helpful. If I do go with a tour group, wondered if you all have recommendations as to who are the best. They all seem very expensive. Thanks!	5
calbudgies00:24 UTC24 Apr 2011	Hi to Photographer99 I do not represent a tour company but I have been on vacations with Naturalist Journeys for more than 12 trips. It is a wonderful company that seeks birding, the natural world and culture on all their trips and they are devoted to small groups. We are going on the Papua New Guinea trip this August and would strongly recommend that you or anyone else who wants to see the Mt. Hagen Cultural Show and also experience birding, animals and nature in Papua New Guinea look into the trip! My husband is a photographer and they always accommodate people taking photographs as best they can while maintaining a schedule--not a rigid schedule but attempting to get as much as possible into each day. Check it out: http://www.naturalistjourneys.com/ Hope to see you there--	6

Festival at Mt. Hagen and tour company recommendation