EM33 - MAINLAND NEW GUINEA NATURE TOUR FOR INDEPENDENT TRAVELLERS AND SMALL GROUPS 13 nights Kiunga, Mt Hagen, Goroka, Crater Mountain, Kamiali with optional 4 nights extension to Kikori delta EM33 is a semi-escorted package for independent travellers keen to experience the contrasting natural environments of Papua New Guinea, including: - riverine (Ekame Wildlife Lodge near Kiunga), - montane (Crater Mountain Wildlife Management Area near Goroka), - coastal (Kamiali Wildlife Management Area near Lae- December to February is turtle nesting season), and - estuarine (Kikori River delta in the Papuan Gulf). The focus of this tour is on native plants and animals, and the locals who share their habitats. Our trained local guides will look after you at each destination, and our office in Port Moresby will monitor your itinerary, keeping in touch with you as you travel - we are only a satellite phone call away if you need assistance. Click here to download a more detailed itinerary for EM33 with prices, list of tour inclusions and trip notes, click here (Adobe Acrobat PDF file)
On arrival at Kiunga's modern time's gravel airstrip Kiunga's busy port 30 years later	GENERIC ITINERARY DAY 1: PORT MORESBY / KIUNGA / EKAME WILDLIFE LODGE Morning flight from Port Moresby to Kiunga. Transfer by motorised dinghy up the Fly and Elevala Rivers to Ekame Wildlife Lodge. The Lodge is located some 50 kilometres east of Kiunga and the river journey takes two hours. Ekame Wildlife Lodge was specially built to accommodate nature lovers and is made of bush materials in local style. Facilities are very basic (no electricity), but you will not have time to notice when there is so much wildlife to be seen. However It does rain frequently here so bring a novel to read during the afternoon downpours. The Lodge is located in a biodiversity hotspot where dozens of plant, bird and other animal species can be viewed during each foray into surrounding habitats including the river, tundra, savannah, swamp and rainforest. At Ekame there are established nature trails passing by known species of interest, and also raised viewing platforms in key locations where you can sit tight and observe and photograph wildlife including ground birds. You can also cruise up and down the nearby Ketu River in a canoe or boat and see riverbank life including larger animals like wallabies and cassowaries that come down to drink. Nocturnal wildlife viewing will be possible if weather permits – bring your own spotting torch/flashlight and batteries. Overnight Ekame Wildlife Lodge (includes set-menu meals)
Nature tour at Ekame wildlife	DAY 2:EKAME WILDLIFE LODGE Full day of nature trips and overnight Ekame Wildlife Lodge (includes set-menu meals)
Kuinga village guest house	DAY 3:EKAME WILDLIFE LODGE / KIUNGA Full day of nature trips. Late afternoon boat transfer back to Kiunga and overnight Kiunga Guest House (includes set-menu meals).
House Poroman and it's sub-tropical surrounding gardens An exotic orchid flowers	DAY 4: KIUNGA / MT HAGEN This morning Kiunga Guest House will transfer you to Kiunga airport to check in for your flight to Mt Hagen. On arrival in Mt Hagen, Haus Poroman Lodge staff will meet you and transfer you to the lodge, located 15 minutes drive outside the town. In the afternoon, the Lodge will provide a nature tour of nearby orchid gardens, high montane forest and Haus Poroman’s own extensive sub-tropical gardens. Although orchids grow naturally all over PNG, including many endemic species, they are often difficult to identify in the wild as they have long non-flowering periods and their green vines go unnoticed in the verdant jungle. Many species only flower fleetingly and to enjoy the brilliant bursts of colour and exquisite structure of the flowers it is necessary to plant many vines so that there will always be a few in flower, as you will find at the Haus Poroman orchid Minj Orchid Lodge. Spend the afternoon enjoying the gardens with orchid displays and wide range of other flora. Overnight Haus Poroman Lodge (includes meals)
Meeting up with Asaro mud men	DAY 5:MT HAGEN / GOROKA 09:00 A car and driver will transfer you from Mt Hagen to Goroka, stopping at a small hotel in Kundiawa town for lunch. The drive along the Highlands Highway takes 6 hours but is very scenic. Before arriving in Goroka you will stop at Asaro village, home of the Asaro mud men, and see how they fashion their fierce looking helmets from clay. Overnight Bird of Paradise Hotel, Goroka (room only)
Bird watching (Raggiana Bird of Paradise) Tropical rainforest	DAY 6: GOROKA / CRATER MOUNTAIN After early breakfast, transfer to Goroka airport for your Missionary Aviation Fellowship “freight and fares” flight to Heroana airstrip in the Crater Mountain Wildlife Management Area. Full day guided nature tour in the forest and mountain villages. Crater Mountain is a spectacular montane environment, a series of peaks around an ancient volcanic caldera, offering splendid opportunities for bird watching. A variety of species inhabit the caldera at different altitudes. The local people live spread out in hamlets built on the tops of several ridges, completely surrounded by lush tropical rainforest and stunning mountain vistas. You will stay at the local village guest houses. Basic local-style food is supplied (fruit, vegetables, some game meat) but you should bring a small supply of additional food items from Goroka (there is a small supermarket opposite the hotel). Biologists working in the area and probably staying at the same guest house may be available to brief you on local species. The Wildlife Management Area is managed by the local tribes people with assistance from the Research and Conservation Foundation www.rcf.org.pg Overnight Heroana guest house (includes local-style meals: take your own additional food supplies from Goroka if you wish).
Typical Highlands village guest house	DAY 7: CRATER MOUNTAIN Second day of exploring the Crater Mountain Wildlife Management Area. Overnight Heroana guest house (includes local-style meals)
Discover some wild tropical flora and founa along the forest trails	DAY 8: CRATER MOUNTAIN Guided hike along forest trails from Heroana to Maimafu, examining flora and fauna en route and meeting local people working in their gardens. About four to 6 hours walking is involved. (Alternatively you can spend two nights at Heroana and fly out from there). Porters will carry your bags etc. Overnight Maimafu guest house (includes local-style meals)
Having a Enzo's pizzas at Mandarin resturant	DAY 9: CRATER MOUNTAIN / GOROKA / LAE 08:00 (approx) Missionary Aviation Fellowship “freight and fares” flight from Maimafu (or Heroana) to Goroka, arriving late morning (it may not be a direct flight if there are stops at other rural airstrips). Our local guide will meet you on arrival and transfer you to the Bird of Paradise Hotel or Mandarin restaurant for lunch (pay as you go). In the afternoon a car and driver will transfer you by road from Goroka to Lae (4 to 5 hours depending on road conditions). Overnight Melanesian Hotel, Lae (room only)
Arriving at Melanesian Hotel Lae 3 hours open speed boat transfer from Lae to Kamiali	DAY 10: LAE / KAMIALI 08:00 A representative from Kamiali Guest House will meet you at the hotel reception and transfer you to the Lae waterfront where you will board an open speed boat for the journey to Kamiali. The boat ride takes about 3 hours and a stop may be made at the pretty little coastal township of Salamaua en route. On arrival at Kamiali, check in at Kamiali Guest House and have lunch. The Kamiali Wildlife Management Area is a 47,000 hectare expanse of coastal, tidal wetlands and rainforest habitats in the Salamaua district 70km south of Lae. The WMA and associated guest house are managed by the local community with the assistance of the Village Development Trust, a non-government organisation. This afternoon, you will be taken for a ride by outrigger canoe to Lababia Village, located on Lababia Island just offshore. The village community here are the custodians of the wildlife management area. View a sago making demonstration, see how bilums and mats are woven by the women. Handicrafts are available for purchase. In the evening, a guided night forest tour to hear insects and bird calls and view other animal life especially nocturnal tree kangaroos, or view leatherback turtle nesting (Dec-Feb). Overnight Kamiali Guest House (includes meals).
Fresh water eel farm	DAY 11:KAMIALI Begin today with an early morning rainforest walk along the David Suzuki Trail for viewing bird of paradise, parrots, hornbills, wild ducks. After breakfast visit a freshwater eel farm in a nearby village and take another ride to Lababia Island to view frigate bird nesting sites and indulge in a little reef snorkelling or hand-line fishing. After lunch back at the guest house, the afternoon is free for you to photograph exotic orchids and birdwing butterflies in the guest house gardens, see local WW2 relics, enjoy some swimming or more snorkelling, take a rainforest walk, or sit on the beach. In the evening you will go turtle watching or motor quietly up the Tabare River to view nocturnal river life by spotlight. Overnight Kamiali Guest House (includes meals).
Tropical wild natural flora and fauna	DAY 12: KAMIALI Before breakfast, take an early morning canoe transfer to a nearby wetlands habitat for wildlife watching and ecology education. Later, a walk along the beach to view turtle nesting sites in the daytime. After lunch, a daylight safari by motorised canoe up the Tabare River. Further upstream from the sea, where the water is no longer saline, the river is overhung by jungle and more diverse terrestrial flora and fauna is evident. Overnight Kamiali Guest House (includes meals).
Visiting a wild tree kangaroo Check in at Gateway Hotel	DAY 13: KAMIALI / LAE / PORT MORESBY An early morning speed boat transfer from Kamiali brings you back to Lae. A car and driver will meet you on arrival and transfer you straight to “The Rainforest Habitat”, a large walk-through aviary in a lush tropical garden setting located at the local university campus, which houses the largest collection of captive birds of paradise in the world as well as a variety of native animals including Morobe tree kangaroos. Lunch can be purchased in the café at the Habitat. After two hours at The Rainforest Habitat, transfer to Lae airport to check in for Air Niugini’s afternoon flight to Port Moresby. 17:15 Air Niugini flight PX109 departs Lae for Port Moresby. Ecotourism Melanesia staff will meet you on arrival and transfer you to your hotel. Overnight Gateway Hotel, Port Moresby (room only)
Last visit to Botanical gardens before boarding your flight	DAY 14:PORT MORESBY / FLY OUT or extend to Kikori delta A car and driver is available to take you to the national museum, botanical gardens or artifact shops before boarding your international flight. The bookshop at the University has a rare books section with second-hand titles on PNG flora and fauna. EXTENSION TO KIKORI DELTA 04:00 early rise 04:30 Transfer to domestic terminal on hotel shuttle bus and check in for flight to Kikori 06:00 Airlines PNG flight CG380 departs for Kikori via Kerema 07:55 Arrive Kikori. Staff from Delta Lodge will meet you and walk with you a short distance to the lodge. Have a late breakfast at the lodge. Kikori is an emerging Ecotourism destination unique in Papua New Guinea. In size, the Kikori River delta is second only to the Fly River delta and consists of a myriad of small mud, grass and mangrove islands separated by slow–moving fingers of outflow from the Kikori River, which has its origins in the Southern Highlands. The delta is a supercharged nursery for all manner of fish, crabs, birds and crocodiles. Fishing in quiet backwaters for barramundi, mangrove jack and black bass is superb here and edible mud crabs abound. With so much fish available in the shallow water, there is a huge bird population including herons, cranes, hornbills, parrots, cassowaries, cockatoos and honeyeaters. Kikori is a high rainfall area year-round and you can expect at least an hour or two of heavy rain every day here, usually during the afternoons. Despite all efforts to stay dry using raincoats, umbrellas and tarpaulins in your open motor dinghy, you are likely to get very wet at some stage during your visit. Be prepared! However the weather is tropical warm so you won’t feel cold and on arrival back at the lodge you can change into a set of dry clothes and dry your wet things under the ceiling fan in your room. Mosquitoes are a problem at night around Kikori so there will not be any evening excursions. Bring insect repellent. After lunch you’ll be taken on an exploratory nature tour of the Kikori delta area by motor boat, going ashore in several places to take guided walks through a variety of terrestrial habitats, including freshwater river, saline delta, tidal mudflats, swamp, mangroves and alluvial rainforest. Overnight Delta Lodge, Kikori (includes all meals)
	DAY 15: KIKORI Babaguina village experience. Today your guide will take you 15 minutes downstream by motor dinghy to Babaguina Village where you will spend the day with the friendly village people. Visit people’s homes and see how they live, how they cook, how they make sago, see a display of local costumes and witness a traditional Kerewo tribe sing-sing performance. There is a traditional Kikori long-house (men’s spirit house) located in the middle of this village. After a delicious mumu lunch featuring fresh fish, prawns, mud crabs and local vegetables cooked under hot stones, you’ll return to Kikori mid-afternoon. If you prefer, you can skip the village experience and take a full day of nature tours around the Kikori delta instead. Maybe a spot of barramundi fishing. Overnight Delta Lodge, Kikori (includes all meals)
	DAY 16: KIKORI Sirebi River safari. The Sirebi River is a biodiversity hotspot in a remote area with very few isolated villages. Your open motor dinghy will take you up the Kikori River for about one hour to Waira village which is located at the confluence of the Kikori and Sirebi rivers. Turning off to the right into the Sirebi River your motor boat will take you far upstream to a point where lowland savannah gives way to verdant rainforest which lines the high river banks. Looking up from your vantage point in the middle of the river you are able to observe a rich kaleidoscope of flora and fauna that is rarely disturbed by the presence of humans, guaranteed to be unlike anything you have never seen before. The Sirebi River is one of the last untouched river systems in Papua New Guinea and Ecotourism Melanesia is the only tour company to have made any moves to bring visitors into the area. The people living here are very isolated and you can expect some of the small children to cry as they will not have seen white people before. This excursion can be taken as a day trip or an overnight camping trip. If you make it a day trip your boat will turn back at midday and commence the faster journey downstream back to Kikori, arriving (maybe wet!) in the late afternoon. If you would like to make it an overnight trip your guide can take you much further upstream, away from civilisation and into the most pristine environments. If overnighting you will each sleep in your own one-man tent erected inside a village hut. The tent is impervious to insects. Inflatable mattress, sleeping bag and other basic camping equipment are supplied. Catering is organised by Delta Lodge, but there will be an opportunity to try village foods such as sago, fruit and dried fish. Two or three guides from Delta Lodge will accompany you and overnight with you in the village. Overnight Delta Lodge OR Sirebi River camp. Includes camp-style meals.
	DAY 17: KIKORI / PORT MORESBY Return journey from Sirebi River OR Aird Hills hike (there will be no time for this activity if you have overnighted on the Sirebi River and returned today). The Aird Hills (there are 8 of them) are located on their own island in the river delta about 30 minutes by dinghy from Kikori. This is the only high ground in the region and the Aird Hills are clearly visible from Kikori station. Aird Hills is the site of the original London Missionary Society mission station built over 100 years ago and your guide will take you to see the old mission station before leading you on an uphill hike through tropical rainforest and open grasslands, past pretty little waterfalls to the summit of the highest hill (about 200 metres) from where there are panoramic views of the Kikori Delta. On descending from the hills, a traditional-style lunch is served at the Ero village guest house. The local speciality is bamboo-cooked nipa palm sago and barbequed prawns and crabs. The hike up into the hills requires reasonable physical fitness. 14:00 Arrive back at Delta Lodge, have late lunch. 16:00 Walk to the airfield to check in for your flight to Port Moresby. 17:00 Airlines PNG flight CG359 departs for Port Moresby via Kerema. 18:55 Arrive Port Moresby and transfer to Gateway Hotel. Overnight Gateway Hotel, Port Moresby (room only)
	DAY 18: PORT MORESBY / FLY OUT A car and driver is available to take you to the national museum, botanical gardens or artifact shops before boarding your international flight. The bookshop at the University has a rare books section with second-hand titles on PNG flora and fauna.