Papua New Guinea Expedition: Firedance Festival

9 days
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Small Group Tour
Travel deep into Papua New Guinea to experience local cultures, natural splendour and island life on a nine-day adventure culminating in the spectacular Firedance Festival. Watch as local villagers invite you into their communities and perform a traditional dance around the fire – a culturally rich and awesome sight to see. Along with this festival, discover ...
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$4,396
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Overview

Trip type
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Moderate

Highlights

    • As a small group, be welcomed into a local village and watch as traditional Baining dancers circle a growing fire and perform dancing rituals – a insight into one of Papua New Guinea’s indigenous cultures.
    • Spend time before and after the performance learning more about these traditional customs, sharing meals, stories and laughs with local community members.
    • Jump into island life of the Duke of York Islands, marvelling at an active volcano, tucking into a beachside barbecue and experiencing a traditional sing-sing with the villagers.
    • Discover how the World Wars played out in the Pacific, by visiting the War Museum in Rabaul and heading underground for a tour of the Japanese tunnels in Kokopo.

What's this trip about?

    Travel deep into Papua New Guinea to experience local cultures, natural splendour and island life on a nine-day adventure culminating in the spectacular Firedance Festival. Watch as local villagers invite you into their communities and perform a traditional dance around the fire – a culturally rich and awesome sight to see. Along with this festival, discover the wild beauty of the Duke of York Islands, learn of the fascinating military history of East New Britain, encounter resident spinner dolphins, and let local island life delight your senses. For those interested in a South Pacific adventure that is definitely one-of-a-kind, let Papua New Guinea’s islands capture your imagination.

Details

Itinerary focusOperator does not provide
Group sizeSmall Group - max of 18 people
Age range15 years and up
Flights and transportAll internal ground transport included
Start CityKokopo
End CityKokopo

Travel Themes

  • Trekking & Expeditions
  • Festivals & Special Events

Destinations

  • Australia
  • Papua New Guinea

Attractions

  • Britain
  • York

Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1 Rabaul - Kokopo

Welcome to Kokopo and Papua New Guinea – a land of dense jungle, bright coral reefs and wartime secrets. There aren’t any activities planned for today until an important welcome meeting at 6.30 pm where you’ll meet your group leader and fellow travellers. For those ar...

Day 2 Rabaul

Set off on a historical tour of Rabaul town with your group. There’ll be some walking on uneven surfaces, so pack some good walking shoes. Today’s tour will include stops at military sites including Yamamoto’s bunker, the Japanese submarine base and the Japanese tunn...

Day 3 Vunagum Village

Spend the full day experiencing what everyday life is like in a typical Rabaul village today. Learn how to make agir (a traditional coconut stew) from scratch for lunch, explore the peaceful village making new friends and maybe even enjoy a passionate performance from the local church choir. Return to your hotel for the evening.

Day 4 Duke of York Islands

The neighbouring islands all have their own personality, customs and cultures, and today you’ll cruise around a few to explore and experience the ‘real’ Papua New Guinea. Your destination today is the Duke of York Islands, but on the way, be sure to keep an eye out fo...

Day 5 Duke of York Islands

Rise and shine early for some time out on the water for swimming and snorkelling around the Duke of York Islands. Your leader and boat skipper will find the best place based on tides and weather conditions. Work up an appetite then head back to the village for breakfast and further immersion in local life. 

Day 6 Duke of York Islands - Kokopo

Island life is at its most peaceful in the morning, so take an opportunity wake up early and explore the sights and sounds at dawn. You could also go for a stroll through the village and chat further with the villagers who are so kindly hosting the group. Return to Ko...

Day 7 Firedance Festival - Vunakaur village

This morning, head into the highlands of the Gazelle Peninsula. It’s here that the Firedance Festival takes place, and tonight you’ll enjoy the first of your homestays. You’ll be welcomed to Vunakaur village with a traditional Melanesian welcome ceremony – a common pr...

Day 8 Vairiki village - Firedance Festival

This morning, make your way to the Vairiki village where the festivities continue with a number of masked performances, as well as a closing party during which the village will farewell their guests. After saying goodbye, you’ll make your way back to the group’s hotel and settle in for lunch. The afternoon is free for you to relax and share photos with your group of last night’s performances.

Day 9 Rabaul

With no activities planned for today, you are free to depart at any time after breakfast. Please note that a transfer to Tokua (Rabaul) Airport is included today, so please ensure you inform us of your departure flight details.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $3,256
Price per day$362
Last Updated: 9/18/2024
Departure Date
Finish Date
Base Price
Availability
24 Sep 2025
02 Oct 2025
$4,490

Check current availability, prices, specials & more.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Tour Operator

Intrepid Travel

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The Intrepid Travel Experience

If you’re looking for adventure, you’ve come to the right place. For the past 25 years, we’ve been taking small groups of travelers on unforgettable trips around the world. What makes them unforgettable? Take a look for yourself and discover the Intrepid experience.

Our travelers have three styles of tour to choose from: Basix, Original and Comfort. Each has a different level of inclusions and accommodation, but all have unforgettable real life experiences as part of the package. Travellers can also choose themed trips, such as Family, Sailing or Food, to suit their interests.

Our group size has an average of just ten travellers, which allows us to get off the beaten track, use local accommodation and transport, and really get to know the culture. It also ensures we are contributing to the local economy; by choosing local suppliers we were able to keep AUD 60 million in local economies in 2012. We’re also working hard to reduce our carbon footprint and were the first in our sector to introduce carbon offset trips. This, along with our many corporate sustainability activities, has meant we’re one of the travel industry’s leaders in responsible travel.

Why Intrepid?

  •   Small groups - average of 10 people per trip
  •   Sustainability - pioneers for the industry
  •   Local leaders - authentic perspectives
  •   Local transport - get close and personal
  •   Local accommodation - experience real living
  •   Intrepid travelers - like-minded companions 

History

Intrepid Travel has come a long way since its beginnings in 1989. From two university friends, a typewriter and a kitchen desk, it is now a proud member of The Intrepid Group, taking over 100,000 travelers every year.

Intrepid Travel is part of The Intrepid Group of companies, alongside leading small group adventure companies Peregrine, Urban Adventures and PEAK DMC.

Despite growing into a global business with over 1,000 staff based all over the world and over 800 different trips across every continent, we’ve remained devoted to the same grassroots values and responsible travel philosophies that we had at the very beginning.

 

Values

On every trip we operate and in every interaction we have with a client, supplier or local, we live our core values everyday:

  • Integrity – Doing the right thing
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Why we love this operator
They're highly committed to sustainable tourism and contribute to crucial initiatives like climate action, focusing on local cultures and more.
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Small group tours for all types of travelers at a range of different price points and trips to off-the-beaten-path destinations.

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Logistics

Accommodation

Hotel (5 nights),Island Homestay (2 nights),Village Homestay (1 night),

Transportation & Flights

Private vehicle,Boat,

Transportation & flights

Private vehicle,Boat
Guides
All group trips are accompanied by one of our group leader or local representative. The aim of the group leader or local representative is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Intrepid endeavours to provide the services of an experienced group leader or local representative however, due to the seasonality of travel, rare situations may arise where your group leader or local representative is new to a particular region or training other group leader or local representative. Your group leader or local representative will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious, and social aspects. At Intrepid we aim to support local guides who have specialised knowledge of the regions we visit. If you are interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your group leader or local representative can recommend a local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is compulsory on all our trips for those travelling internationally. We require that at a minimum you are covered for medical expenses including emergency repatriation. If you are travelling within your home country or region please confirm before travel that you are entitled to access the public medical system easily should an accident occur. We strongly recommend all travellers have a policy that also covers personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage or personal effects. For international trips, you will not be permitted to join the group until evidence of travel insurance and the insurance company's 24-hour emergency contact number has been sighted by your group leader or local representative. If you have credit card insurance your group leader or local representative will require details of the participating insurer/underwriter, the level of coverage, policy number, and emergency contact number rather than the bank's name and your credit card details. Please contact your bank for these details prior to arriving in-country. For travellers who reside within the European Union, Switzerland or USA the requirement to purchase travel insurance cannot be compulsory. However the purchase of travel insurance is still highly recommended, and travellers from these regions who decline travel insurance when travelling outside of their home region must sign a Travel Insurance Waiver Form at the Group Meeting, recognizing personal responsibility for emergency medical and repatriation costs should they arise. For assistance with travel insurance or other services, please visit the link below: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/booking-resources/our-services
Visa requirements
PASSPORT You’ll need a valid passport to travel internationally and most countries require your passport to have a minimum of 6 months validity, so remember to check the expiry date. We need your passport information to get everything ready for your trip so it’s important that the information on your booking matches your passport exactly. Please take care to provide the correct details. We recommend carrying a copy of the photo page of your passport while travelling and leaving a copy at home with family or friends. VISAS & ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Many countries require a visa and obtaining the correct visa for your trip and any countries you may transit through is your responsibility. We recommend you check your visa requirements as soon as you have booked your trip. This will ensure you have time to prepare your documents and for your visa application to be processed. You can check the entry requirements for your nationality on your government's foreign travel advisories, consular websites or on our page here:  www.intrepidtravel.com/visa-entry-requirements PAPUA NEW GUINEA Tourist visas are no longer available on arrival at Jacksons International Airport. Customers must apply for a visa prior to departure. Online visa applications can be done via the ICA website: www.ica.gov.pg Please note online visa’s will incur a US$50 processing fee.
Health & Safety
Most national governments provide regularly updated foreign travel advice on safety issues involved with international travel. We recommend that you check your government's advice for their latest travel information before departure and ensure that your travel insurance covers you for all destinations and activities on your trip. Please refer to our website's safety page for links to major travel advisories and updates on safety issues affecting our trips here: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/travel-alerts We strongly recommend the use of a neck wallet or money belt while travelling, for the safe-keeping of your passport, flight tickets, cash and other valuable items. Leave your jewellery at home - you won't need it while travelling. Many of our hotels have safety deposit boxes, which is the most secure way of storing your valuables. A lock is recommended for securing your luggage. Your group leader or local representative will accompany you on all included activities, however, during your trip you'll have some free time to pursue your own interests or relax and take it easy. While your group leader or local representative will assist you with the available options in a given location, please note that any optional activities you undertake are not part of your Intrepid itinerary, and Intrepid makes no representations about the safety of the activity or the standard of the operators running them. Please use your own good judgement when selecting an activity in your free time. Please also note that your group leader or local representative has the authority to amend or cancel any part of the trip itinerary if it's deemed necessary due to safety concerns. Intrepid's operational safety policies can be viewed on our website at the link below. We recommend that you take a moment to read through this information before travelling, and would appreciate any feedback on how safety is being managed on our trips. https://www.intrepidtravel.com/safety-guidelines SECURITY & CRIME: East New Britain is renown as one of the friendliest and safest in Papua New Guinea for travellers. While you do need to maintain the usual safety precautions when travelling, there are no need for extraordinary security measures and most visitors do not experience any safety issues. GENERAL: Pay attention to your personal security at all times. Most crime against travellers is opportunistic so do not walk alone or after dark as bag snatching and robberies are common. Banks and cash machines are attractive targets for criminals so only use them when accompanied by your leader. Do not carry large amounts of cash and leave expensive belongings, including jewellery and electronics at home. UXOs: World War II unexploded ordnance still exists in Papua New Guinea, particularly along the Kokoda Trail and at Milne Bay and other parts of East New Britain. Never stray from the main trails.
Age Requirements
15 years and up
Additional Information

Finish point

  • Gazelle International Hotel
  • Makau Esplanade
  • East New Britain Province
  • Kokopo
  • 613
  • PAPUA NEW GUINEA
  • Phone: 675 7233 9131
Trip ID
intrepid-TESD

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