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Be prepared for an exciting adventure, beyond any expectations that day-by-day itinerary may provide. The country is a land of superlatives and the itinerary prepared is specially designed with villages, events, and flights for the best possible P.N.G. itinerary. The weather is in the mid-60’s or 70’s in the Highlands, with cooler nights that require a sweater. Bring some warm clothing as the elevation in the Highlands can be over 6,000 feet. Evenings can be cool, and you will enjoy sitting around the bar area, terrace, or fireplace. In the Karawari-Sepik Area, it will be about 10° – 15° warmer, not as hot as you might expect. Please note, however, clients are limited to 35 pounds on the charter flights, including cameras and all other personal gear. Baggage can be stored and forwarded to and from Port Moresby, but forwarding entails additional expense. Excess baggage is entirely at the client’s risk and responsibility and may not be allowed on certain domestic flights. The flight to or from the Karawari/Sepik area is a thrill, as well as the days there amidst the jungle and river areas. Days will be warm, evenings are in the 70’s. Mosquitoes are not usually a major nuisance. Though one may wish to bask amidst the hilltop comfort and beauty of Karawari, the Sepik area offers the artifacts and spirit houses Papua New Guinea is famous for, and the Sepik Spirit is a comfortable, deluxe vessel for exploring the waters of P.N.G. It provides comfortable twin or double beds (not bunks) and is an exploration of the Sepik River basin. At Karawari and in the Sepik, the days are filled with cultural excursions to nearby villages. Though the Sepik gets much of the publicity, it is in the Highlands that a vibrant culture is most alive, particularly in the Tari area. Ambua Lodge provides superb comfort and environment in the midst of this fascinating region known for the Huli Wigmen, birds of paradise, and surrounding panoramas of grasslands heading to alpine forest and mountains. Nearby villages and easy nature walks allow for a rare opportunity to encounter peoples and a countryside still unspoiled by outsiders. Observe how spirits and sorcery are being grafted to modern ways. It’s like experiencing Bali or Hawaii seventy-five years ago - see it now before it changes forever. As for safety, the closest to cannibalism one is likely to encounter is a tough tourist “chewing out” a local for slow service or for not further lowering the price of an artifact. Overall, the vehicles and accommodations will be clean and in good working order. There may be some mud or dust, so please leave all good clothing at home, as at times everyone will be a little grubby. Towelettes and patience will also come in handy. The hotels are best available and surprisingly offer many amenities one would not expect so far from “civilization.” Occasionally there is a crime problem in the country; though mostly localized to the residents of Port Moresby and the Highlands, occasionally a tourist is affected by purse snatchings, etc. Crime is a problem everywhere and unlike other places in the world, P.N.G. tourists are seldom physically harmed in thievery. Unlike many travel purveyors, we are up front discussing crime issues. Taking precautions and being aware lessen one’s vulnerability to crime. Although this issue garners wide publicity, it is rare for our clients who follow precautions to be affected by rascals. Since 1980, when we first offered Highlands Show trips, our clients had two purse snatchings, a robbery at an airport and two other losses of items in a crowd. In another case, a crime was bungled without a loss or anyone being physically harmed. These tragic events encompass our client’s exposure to crime. Request to see the U.S. State Department travel notice on P.N.G. As the trip is informal, there is no need for good clothing and jewelry in Papua New Guinea; they should be left at home or stored in Port Moresby. It would be a pity to see one’s Manolo Blahnik shoes mired in the Highland’s mud, or one’s specially tailored blouse or shirt lost or stained by a hotel laundry. Best bet is to bring simple, cool, long-sleeved apparel and long pants for warmth in the Highlands and protection from mosquitoes in the river areas. Tourism in P.N.G., as we abbreviate it, is less formal and less sophisticated than in most other countries. The organizers of this excursion take pride in their operations in this new tourist destination. Operations are carefully monitored and every effort is made to operate all tours in accordance with the itinerary chosen. Occasionally, inclement weather, changes in airline schedules and equipment, adverse road conditions, appropriation of hotel space, tribal and labor disputes do occur. As it is likely there will be occasional inconveniences on ANY trip to New Guinea, travel there is not recommended for those who are provoked by any such conditions. Also note that if one is insistent on definitive informaiton regarding time, distance, origins of tradtions, that one will be frustrated and disappointed. Remember, also, unlike ancient Aztec or Egyptian cultures, the written word is new to Papua New Guinea. The trip is a special adventure and part of the fascination of this trip is that the country is unspoiled by mass tourism. Although there is no fancy brochure with exciting colorful photographs for these trips, one may be assured these are among the best trips for any price. As an experienced, astute traveler, you can compare these trips. The tour conditions are additionally explicit in hopes of gathering particularly congenial clients. Tourists must be prepared for acceptance of conditions and services for what they are, being a good natured realist if and when there are unexpected occurrences. It will be years before tourism in P.N.G. operates with the sophisticated perfection of well-travelled tourist areas. When this does occur, P.N.G. will have lost a large part of its excitement. This trip is not for worriers, complainers or the litigious. It is a thrill to travel in one of the last inhabited lands to be affected by modern civilization and in these itineraries one will truly experience a feeling for the land and its people. For those who don’t usually take packaged trips, the itinerary provides access to places and peoples an independent traveler is not likely to see. The group is small, and the clients will have unique, informed acquaintance with the local culture often not available in “independent” travel making for a trip quite different than most found in the “travel business.” Those who contact us for information regarding Papua New Guinea are unusually discerning and well travelled. We trust that you will have an excellent trip, and join the ranks of previous clients who say these special excursions are among the most memorable of a lifetime. Welcome to this special Highlands Festival excursion. We will do all possible to make your adventure memorable.