Tour code: PNG_EXP
Tour type: expedition: nature & culture - adventure - active volcanoes
Difficulty: Moderate-Challenging
Duration: 4 independent 1-week blocks

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Dates:

5-12 Aug 12
12-19 Aug 12
19-26 Aug 12
26 Aug - 2 Sep 12

Price (p.p.): 1 week: 1700 EUR, 2 weeks: 3200 EUR, 3 weeks: 4500 EUR

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Included:

• All accommodation
• All meals & all water (purified water)
• All domestic flights
• Two German/ English/ French/Pidgin speaking guides
• Entry fees except for professional photographers / film makers
• Scientific lectures & explanations

Tour guide:

Ulla Lohmann: film- and photojournalist and Natural Resource Manager, works amongst others for National Geographic, GEO, BBC, Discovery...
and Basti Hofmann
Alpinist with over 20 years of experience, climbing instructor, logistics manager and studied geologist, also a passionate photographer.

«Expect the unexpected» is the slogan of Papua New Guinea. Be prepared for real adventure!
We have the unique opportunity to live with a tribe, which just started to open up to travelers. They will share with us their spectacular tradition of mummification of their deceased.
Also, we'll climb the slopes of the active Tavurvur volcano and experience about the dramatic changes the volcanic activity has brought to the once booming town of Rabaul and how people live with the volcanic reality.

New in 2012:
- Experience the colourful SingSing highland tribe festival
- Option to climb Mt Wilhelm, Papua New Guinea's highest peak
- The last week (26 Aug - 1 Sep), we organize an expedition to Gabuna, Pago and Ulawun volcanoes!

You'll benefit from our experience, gained in over 20 voyages to PNG in over 10 years and we are excited to share one of our favorite places on earth with its amazing people, weird rituals, breathtaking jungles, sheer mountain cliffs and explosive volcanoes with you!

About this tour:

First of all, we’d like to emphasize that this is an expedition. Papua New Guinea is not an easy country to travel to- either very, very expensive or simply not possible, but we make it accessible for you.
The tour will be a combination of scientific explanations, combined with our local knowledge, and those of our Papuan friends, who will show you their way of life. But there is also space for your own discovery.
Please, come open-minded, ready to get intrigued by the landscape, its people, its beauty... ready for adventure!
We are looking forward to see you in the Land of the Unexpected.

Week 1 (Mountain/ Culture and SingSing): 5-12 Aug 2012

Day 1:	Flight from Port Moresby to Mount Hagen (5 Aug) The program stats with your arrival in Port Moresby, the latest at 1 pm. Flight to Mt Hagen and transfer to Kegesugol on spectacular mountain roads (3 hrs drive). Acc.: : Guest House with hot water shower and power (B, L, D)
Day 2-3:	Adventures to choose (6- 7 Aug) Upon your interest, you can choose where you spend the next two days. You can still decide on location which option you prefer. Option 1: Climb the highest mountain of Papua New Guinea, Mt. Wilhelm (4509m), 2x O/N at the base camp (bed). Option 2: Hike to the base camp to study orchids and observe the high altitude rain forest, 2x O/N at the base camp (bed). Option 3: Spend two days emerged in a local village, 2x O/N in the village (bed). Acc.: : camp (B, L, D)
Day 4:	Back to Kegesugol (8 Aug) After our adventures, we meet again and a yummy group dinner waits for everybody at Kegesugol. Acc.: : Guest house with hot water shower and power (B, L, D)
Day 5:	Mt Hagen (9 Aug) Departure around lunch time for Mt Hagen. Stop over on the way to Mt Hagen at a small mountain village. Acc.: : guesthouse with shower and power (B, L, D)
Day 6:	SingSing festival (10 Aug) SingSing time! We will join a small gathering to watch the people preparing themselves and learn about the meaning if the dances. Acc.: : as before (Mt. Hagen) (B, L, D)
Day 7:	SingSing festival (11 Aug) SingSing festival in Mt. Hagen Acc.: : as before (B, L, D)
Day 8:	Final day Mt Hagen (12 Aug) The final morning of the SingSing and our final day in Mt. Hagen. End of Week 1 (Mountain/ Culture and SingSing): 5th August – 12th August 2012 Flight back to Port Moresby for those who finish their program here. Travel to Lae, for those who continue with us. Acc.: : none / beautiful hotel (B, L, D)

Week 2 (Mummies and Jungle): 12-19 August 2012

Day 1:	Gold mining town (12 Aug) If you join us here, you will board a plane in Port Moresby for a 45 min flight to Lae, Nadzab airport (departing 15h00 pm). We will pick you up at the Airport with our two 4x4 cars and we’ll travel to a gold-mining town (3 hrs ). Acc.: : Beautiful hotel with hot water shower and power (B, L, D)
Day 2:	"Cold Mountain" (13 Aug) Leaving the town (approx. 3 hours on rough and adventurous jungle roads) for « Cold mountain » with spectacular vegetation (tree ferns, pandanus palms, orchids) and small waterfalls. You will take a hike with our biologist Vroni Hofmann, who will answer your questions about the jungle flora and fauna. We’ll continue our way (approx. 2-3 hours on VERY adventurous roads) to our campsite for the night in a mountain village beneath the mummies gallery. Acc.: : camp (B, L, D)
Day 3:	The Mummies (14 Aug) Scramble uphill through dense jungle to the mummy gallery (30min). We’ll meet the mummies and we’ll have plenty of time to photograph. Traditional war dance of the villagers upon return. After lunch, we continue our road (approx 1,5 hours) to a small settlement, where we’ll have our base camp in a house, built by a German missionary. Acc.: : house with mats and some beds (B, L, D)
Day 4:	Gemtasu village & mummies (15 Aug) You will meet the tribe and get to know our friends Gemtasu, Geamolio, Mosie, Yangdeng, Maremba, Gaius and the children. We will talk with the village chief about cultures and believes what happens after death. Acc.: : camp in mummy village (B, L, D)
Day 5:	Mummy gallery (16 Aug) Visit of the mummy gallery (30min scramble uphill). Opportunity to take pictures, to soak in the atmosphere and to meet the spirits of the deceased. In the afternoon, we’ll join Assik for a jungle walk to a waterfall, where we’ll have the chance to swim in a spectacular setting. Assik shows us his gardens and explains the local way of life. Acc.: : camp (B, L, D)
Day 6:	Jungle Hike (17 Aug) Option 1: Trek trough the jungle with local guides (4 hours) – a shortcut back to the road, where we’ll pick you up with the cars. Option 2: Walk back to missionary house (2hrs) and drive with us to the meeting point. Drive 30min to the mountain village. Opportunity to take night images with long exposure of hopefully a brilliant milky way. Acc.: : camp (B, L, D)
Day 7:	Back to Lae (18 Aug) Departure in the early morning, 4hrs drive to the mining town. Stop for lunch, and relax in a beautiful garden. Afternoon: Drive to Lae (3hrs). Acc.: : guest house in Lae with hot water shower and power (B, L, D)
Day 8:	End of Week 2 (Mummies): 12th August – 19th August 2012 Flight back to Port Moresby for those who finish their program here. Flight to Rabaul, for those who continue with us. Acc.: : none / hotel (B, L, D)

Week 3 (Rabaul volcano and Tolei culture): 19-26 August 2012

Day 1:	Port Moresby - Rabaul (19 Aug) For those who join the program here, flight from Port Moresby to Tokua/ Rabaul. Afternoon: Snorkel or relax at the beach in front of our guest house and enjoy the sunset. Evening: Introduction to Volcanology and introduction of East New Britain province, formerly a German colony, with its Tolai and Baining tribes. We will meet Taupa, our Tolei friend, who will stay with us for the entire week. Acc.: : guesthouse with air con and hot water (B, L, D)
Day 2:	Rabaul volcano observatory and Tavurvur volcano (20 Aug) Visit the Rabaul Volcano Observatory. Observation of Tavurvur volcano. Acc.: : camp in tents opposite Tavurvur volcano (B, L, D)
Day 3:	Tavurvur & eggs of the Megapode bird (20 Aug) We spend the morning with our Tolai hosts, and experience their way of life- very different to the people in the Highlands. We help them to fish and learn to paddle the outrigger canoe. An important income for people living around Rabaul are the eggs of the Megapode; a tiny bird, which uses the heat of the volcano to incubate its eggs. We will follow an “Egg Hunter” digging in the hot volcanic ash for the eggs. Afterwards, we visit the colourful market, where the eggs are sold. We stroll around the destroyed, but working habour of Rabaul and the ruins of formerly one of the most beautiful cities in the South Pacific, including the airport with a plane wreck. We’ll also visit a Japanese War Memorial, with a great look out over destroyed Rabaul. Acc.: : as before, camp in tents opposite Tavurvur volcano (B, L, D)
Day 4:	Matupit Island (22 Aug) Drive to Matupit Island, where people suffer the most under the impact of the ash. Visit of the local school, where we’ll learn about their problems and hear some songs. After lunch, we visit the spectacular hot springs with its mineral deposits and get ready for our hike to the top of the volcano. After 2 hours hike, we’ ll reach the summit, and will hopefully get a clear crater at sunset. We wait for the night on top of the volcano, to observe the red glow. If the volcano is too active, we’ll explore the base of it with an uplifted coral reef and a Japanese tunnel from WW2 with a gun and wait for the night to come to take spectacular pictures. In this case, we’ll spend another night in the tents at the base of the volcano. Acc.: : if the volcano is very active: camp otherwise: return to our guesthouse with hot water and air con (B, L, D)
Day 5:	Return to Kokopo (Rabaul) (23 Aug) Time to wash away the volcanic ash Kokopo, the town, which now replaces the destroyed Rabaul as the economic capital of East New Britain Province. You can snorkel, dive, shop, drive through « Vunapope », a German monastery and hospital or the visit the Copra factory. Copra, the dried flesh of the coconut, is also an important source of income. If the volcano is very active, you can also choose to spend another day at the volcano. Acc.: : guesthouse with A/C and hot water (B, L, D)
Day 6:	Robinson Crusoe Island (24 Aug) Departure for our own deserted island. We just have to share it with hundreds of fregatte birds at night, with hermit crabs, and uncountless fish on the colourful and unspoilt fringing reef sourrounding the island- have a look out for the frequent green turtle! You might never had a more beautiful spot to play soccer or to take a photo workshop. We’ll have plenty of time to do answer all your photo questions, take spectacular sunset pictures and do long-time exposures with the Southern Sky Stars. We’ll cook our dinner together on a fire- hopefully, with freshly caught fish. Acc.: : camp on the island (B, L, D)
Day 7:	Return to Kokopo & shell money (25 Aug) After a morning snorkel, and some early morning photography, we have to say good-bye to our paradise and return to Kokopo. Opportunity to do more diving or to help with the preparation of our great feast: Taupa and his family will make a Mumu, a local “earthoven” with volcanic rocks. You will learn how to weave baskets and mats out of Coconut leaves, how to open and grate coconut, how to prepare sweet potatoe and you get the opportunity to buy more fruits at the market- with shell money! In East New Britain, shell money is still an accepted form of payment. You’ll not only get to shop with it, but you’ll also learn how to make your own money! In the evening, we will uncover the Mumu and have a feast. Acc.: : guesthouse with A/C and hot water (B, L, D)
Day 8:	End of week 3 (26 Aug) Departure to Port Moresby (arrival 08h25 am), or extension in Rabaul, for those who wish to stay longer. We are happy to book a hotel or guest house for you. Acc.: : none / guesthouse (B, L, D)

Week 4 (volcano exploration week): 26 August - 2 September 2012

Day 1-7:

Expedition to Gabuna, Pago and Ulawun volcanoes (26 Aug - 1 Sep) Explore and climb Gabuna, Pago and Ulawun volcanoes. Acc.: : camp & guesthouses (B, L, D)

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