EM9 - WOITAPE VALLEY HIKING PACKAGE FOR INDEPENDENT TRAVELLERS 3 or 4 nights ex-Port Moresby – depart Wednesday (3 nights) or Saturday (4 nights) The mountainous Goilala District in Central Province can only be reached by air and is dotted with scary ridgetop airstrips. The terrain alternates between thick forest and open grasslands and the villages are linked by mule trails established by early missionaries. This trek features a series of day hikes and overnight hikes which are flexible in nature to accommodate local weather and other factors. For example, if there is anything happening in one of the villages (bride price ceremony, wedding, birthday party) your guide will take you there to give you a better opportunity to mix with the locals. An overnight trip to Kosipe mission station will be the highlight of the trip. All day hikes pass through villages, gardens and freshwater streams, with magnificent mountain scenery and chance encounters with local mountain people. To see prices, trip notes and detailed list of inclusions, click here to download the itinerary for EM9 in Acrobat (PDF) format.
Woitape rest hut Woitape lady selling tomatoes	DAY 1: PORT MORESBY / WOITAPE 5.00am check in at the domestic terminal for your Twin Otter flight departing 6.00am. Ecotourism Melanesia staff will be at the airport to assist you with check-in and to deliver your packed lunches for the trip. The flight to Woitape takes only 30 minutes. Staff from Woitape Lodge will be waiting for you at the airstrip. Spend today exploring the lodge orchid gardens and the Woitape station area. Guides will accompany you to walk the banks of the Udava River, climb to the top of the valley to scenic vantage points, and visit the Fatima mission, local school and clinic. Just ten minutes walk from the lodge you will begin to meet local people on the footpath, stop at small hamlets, cross bubbling streams and pass through village gardens and pristine mountain forest. Gentle river rafting on inner tubes down the Udava River which runs behind Woitape Lodge is also a fun pastime if the weather is warm (BYO inflatable). In the late afternoon the temperature begins to plummet to a chilly overnight low. At Woitape Lodge you will enjoy a warm log fire, a shower with hot water, and a hot dinner. After dinner the bar will be open with a limited selection of drinks. Accommodation is in twin-share rooms with common bathrooms. All linen supplied. Overnight Woitape Lodge.
Woitape Trekking to Kosipe	DAY 2: WOITAPE / KOSIPE After a cooked breakfast, leave the bulk of your luggage at the lodge and just carry a change of clothes in a day pack for your overnight hike with guide along the old missionary mule trail from Woitape to Kosipe mission. This guest house is rather more basic, but comfortable, and here you will have close interaction with village people as Kosipe is a village with a small church mission whereas Woitape is a government station not a village. Overnight mission guest house, Kosipe
Seneic view of Woitape station	DAY 3: KOSIPE / WOITAPE Hike back to Woitape by a different route enjoying mountain vistas and a plethora of wildflowers especially orchids. Overnight Woitape Lodge
Meeting local people	DAY 4: WOITAPE / PORT MORESBY Your return flight to Port Moresby departs at approximately 7.00am. (For Saturday tour departures this will be an extra hiking day – day hike to Sauwo River with overnight Woitape Lodge).
Woitape hills	DAY 5: Wednesday (for Saturday to Wednesday trip): Your return flight to Port Moresby departs at approximately 7.00am. To see prices, trip notes and detailed list of inclusions, click here to download the itinerary for EM9 in Acrobat (PDF) format.