EM204A – NATIONAL MASK FESTIVAL WEEKENDER – 13-17 JULY 2010 SEMI-ESCORTED PACKAGE FOR INDEPENDENT TRAVELLERS 4 nights Rabaul (National Mask Festival and tours) (accommodation and tours only) The National Mask Festival is an annual event mounted by the PNG National Cultural Commission and always hosted in Rabaul. The festival showcases Papua New Guinea’s mask culture and attracts displays and performers from all over the country, providing opportunities to see both common and rare masks. The three major genres of mask on display are the ancestor masks, spirit masks, and tumbuan masks. Ancestor masks are designed to resemble or represent humans and often have holes in the eyes as a distinguishing feature. Small masks can be worn on the head during dances or ceremonies while other are mounted in homes and men’s houses to represent ancestors. Spirit masks represent non-human beings and are often designed to be mounted on walls and gables to protect the occupants of a home. Tumbuans are also a type of spirit mask but are larger in size and designed to be worn over the head and shoulders, or the whole body, during performances of dances and mime that illustrate goings-on in the spirit world. There is no other occasion on PNG’s cultural calendar where such a wide range of masks can be seen in one place, along with the dances and dramas that they are associated with. There will also be many stalls and displays with local foods and handicrafts available for sale at the festival. Our local guides will accompany you around the festival grounds and explain local culture, artifacts and foods to you. This 4 night package includes morning excursions to the mask festival and afternoon sightseeing tours around Rabaul. Click here to download a more detailed itinerary for EM204A with prices, list of tour inclusions and trip notes, click here (Adobe Acrobat PDF file opens in new window)
Old Rabaul town on Simpson Harbour with Tavurvur the "baby" volcano smoking in the background Japanese Betty bomber wreck, Rabaul Dukduk figure, Mask Festival	ITINERARY DAY 1: TUE 13 JULY 2010 PORT MORESBY / RABAUL Arrive Port Moresby and connect through to Rabaul. See www.airniugini.com.pg or www.apng.com for details of international flights arriving today from Brisbane, Cairns or Singapore (flights from Asian cities depart the day before and arrive early morning in Port Moresby). On arrival in Port Moresby Ecotourism Melanesia staff will greet you with a smile and a surprise gift ? and you will be transferred to check in for your connecting flight to Rabaul. To avoid possible flight disruptions you should book yourself on the first available connection. If time allows between flights, our staff will take you on a short tour of Port Moresby. NB Your domestic air tickets are NOT INCLUDED in this weekender package. You should purchase these tickets through your travel agency or online from the airline website. At Rabaul airport you will be greeted by our company tour guide and transfer via scenic 20 minute drive to Kokopo town where you will check in at your accommodation. Overnight at selected accommodation, Kokopo NOTES 1. Kokopo town, situated halfway between the airport and old Rabaul town, is now the main commercial centre of the East New Britain province. Following the huge volcanic eruption in Rabaul in 1994, most businesses and residents moved to Kokopo which grew rapidly. Old Rabaul town is now much smaller than it was before. These days the general term “Rabaul” is used to refer to the twin towns of “old Rabaul” and Kokopo. Volcanic ash continues to fall on old Rabaul town which is why the mask festival is now held in Kokopo. 2. Pay-as-you-go for meals today. Lunch and snacks are available from various outlets in Port Moresby and at the upstairs café in the international airport terminal. Lunch and dinner are available at your accommodation in Kokopo, pay by cash or credit card. 3. The weather in Port Moresby and Kokopo will be warm tropical (maximum 30 degrees Celcius and humid) with slight possibility of rain.
Kinawai dukduks (tumbuans) Crocodile mask from Middle Sepik Snorkelling at Kabaira beach	DAY 2: WED 14 JULY RABAUL This morning you will rise early and our tour guide will pick you up at 04:30 en route to Kokopo Beach to witness the “Kinawai” – the arrival of the “spirits” that will preside over the mask festival. At 05:30 as the sun rises, we will witness canoes carrying the dukduk and tumbuan “spirits” arrive on the shore. The figures dance on the beach and disappear into the trees. They will reappear at the festival later in the morning. 06:30 Return to your accommodation for breakfast. 08:00 Transfer to the festival venue at Kokopo and settle into your seats for the first day of the National Mask Festival. The first day is usually a bit slow to get started due to opening speeches by officials and grandstanding by politicians, so you will need to be patient because if you skip the speeches and get there late you may not get good seats. Spirit masks and ancestor masks from all over Papua New Guinea will be featured at the festival: a combination of static displays and dance performances. There will also be many stalls and displays with local foods and handicrafts available for sale. Our local guides will be available to accompany you around the festival grounds and explain local culture and foods to you. 12:00 Transfer back to your accommodation for lunch 14:00 Transfer to Kabaira Beach for swimming, snorkelling and beach-walking. 18:00 Return to accommodation. Overnight at selected accommodation, Kokopo
Malagan mask from New ireland Province - always attracts attention at the National Mask Festival Tavurvur the "baby" volcano Old WW2 Japanese barge tunnel, Rabaul Baining fire dance	DAY 3: THU 15 JULY RABAUL 07:30 Transfer to the festival venue for the second day of the National Mask Festival. 12:00 Return to your accommodation for lunch and rest. 14:00 Half day tour of Rabaul district. Rabaul and district is perhaps the most interesting sightseeing destination in PNG. There is a nice mix of natural, historical and cultural attractions. First up will be a visit to the old Rabaul airport on Matupit peninsula just a few hundred metres across the water from Tavurvur, the still-active baby volcano which will surely impress us by blowing smoke and spitting stones (hopefully not too close in our direction!) Near this location is Admiral Yamamoto’s bunker. Yamamoto was commander of naval forces in the Rabaul and Solomon Islands theatres in 1942-1944 until he was killed in an air crash in south Bougainville. The bunker in Rabaul was his operations headquarters, constructed underground with protective concrete ramparts at ground level to protect from allied bombing. The bunker survived the war but was completely buried in ash in 1994. It has since been partly excavated. On a ridge above the township, the volcano observatory has commanding views of Simpson Harbour which is a volcanic caldera. Various vents around the perimeter of the harbour can all be observed from this vantage point. There is Mt Tavurvur (known as the “baby” – still active), Mt Kombiu (the dormant “mother”) and Vulcan, a minor vent which blew spectacularly in 1994 but is now quiet. Just out of town is theJapanese submarine base, a sheltered cove where subs were based and serviced during WW2. There are no sub wrecks to be seen, only the remains of the concrete pens. Progressing south-east down the coast, stops are made at the Japanese barge tunnels. The barges based at Rabaul were used for unloading supply ships and transferring troops. To protect the barges from bombing, tunnels were dug into the cliffs and the barges were winched up into the tunnels and ‘garaged’ there when not in use. Your tour guide will also show you gun emplacements, observation posts and the site of Japanese army barracks. 18:00 Return to your accommodation for dinner 19:30 Transfer to a local village to witness the Baining Fire Dance (included) 22:00 – return to the hotel and retire. NB The Baining Fire Dance performance is not yet confirmed for this evening and our program may have to be modified if it is scheduled on another evening. Overnight at selected accommodation, Kokopo
Bitapaka War Cemetery, Kokopo	DAY 4: FRI 16 JULY RABAUL 07:30 We transfer to the festival venue for the third day of the National Mask Festival. 12:00 Have lunch at the Ralum Country Club in Kokopo (PAYG). 14:00 Half day tour of the Kokopo district including the Kokopo Museum, the Bitapaka War Cemetery and the ruins of “Queen Emma’s” homestead. 18:00 Arrive back at your accommodation. Overnight at selected accommodation, Kokopo
	DAY 5: SAT 17 JULY RABAUL / PORT MORESBY Fly out to Port Moresby on morning or afternoon flight. Your hotel will transfer you to the airport and assist you with check-in. Our staff in Port Moresby will meet you on arrival and assist you with your international connection or transfer to transit accommodation. Click here to download a more detailed itinerary for EM204A with prices, list of tour inclusions and trip notes, click here (Adobe Acrobat PDF file opens in new window)