Some of us find comfort in journeying to “safe” locations. Whether it’s within the same continent, state, or housing complex, some people don’t want to be someplace foreign to them. If you’re one of those people, then this one isn’t for you.

Now, if you’re someone who wants something refreshingly new, vibrantly exciting, delightfully diverse, then tune in. Our stop is Papua New Guinea (PNG), a majestic island nation located in the Pacific Ocean.

Let’s take a look at some of the most beautiful festivals awaiting you in PNG. We’ll also go over some of the best spots and discuss some Papua New Guinea travel tips for you along the way!

National Mask and Warwagira Festival

Held in July in Kokopo, the National Mask and Warwagira Festival is a place for dancers to wear intricate masks and costumes in order to partake in ritualistic, storytelling performances.

It’s a cultural tribute to the Tolai, Baining, and Pomio people.

The first day of the festival has the Kinavai, which is the arrival of the Tolai Tubuans and Duk-Duks at dawn. They open the festival with their traditional exchange of shell money. At night, the Baining people in the mountains have men who perform dances with fire.

Enga Cultural Show

It’s impossible to go over the best Papua New Guinea travel destinations and activities without mentioning the Enga Cultural Festival.

The Enga Cultural Festival showcases the traditions for the groups around Enga and the Highland regions.

Through dancing, colorful costumes, and feathered headdresses, each group represents their culture by performing for the other communities.

The entire event is organized by the local communities, and there are a multitude of craft exhibitions for local artisans to display their work, showing their region’s artistic heritage. There are many beautiful things for you to take part in at this festival:

• See the the display of rare wild orchids grown in the Enga forests
• Learn how to sandpaint in a gallery workshop
• Visit the Anda “Wisdom House” Museum to learn about Enga’s culture
• Tour the Laiagam District, visit salt ponds to taste traditional salt and enjoy earth oven cooking, fresh strawberries, and honey

Sepik River Crocodile Festival

This unique festival is held every first weekend of August—this year, it’ll be on the 5th to the 7th! It’s a three-day festival celebrating—you guessed it—the crocodile, which people in PNG call pukpuk.

The festival symbolizes the communities living along the river and honors their spiritual connection with the crocodile. Young men are culturally connected with the saltwater and freshwater crocodiles in the Sepik River because they symbolize strength, power, and manhood.

Due to this, young men cut their skin from the shoulder to the hip to look like the skin of a crocodile in an initiation ceremony.

Important tip: this skin-cutting ritual is a cultural ritual. So, be respectful of it and show respect. Also, those who are avid birdwatchers can see the most magnificent fowl in the early morning from 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m.

Additional Tips for the Enga Cultural Show

There are tons of tips on this festival we’ve gathered for you, as well, so check them out below!

• Port Moresby has flights from its airport to Wapenamanda Airport via the Air Niugini and PNG Air. From there, it is a 25-minute drive to the Enga Province in Wabag. The provincial government provides a free shuttle bus service to and from the airport and Wabag.
• Local guides are heavily recommended, and what better place to locate one than ALLMYNE? ALLMYNE teams you up with a guide who knows the place you want to see like the back of their hand. In PNG, all of the land is under custom ownership. To avoid offending locals by trespassing on their private property, use ALLMYNE to get in contact with a local guide and save yourself the hassle of traveling somewhere new while respecting the culture around you!
• It rains all year round, so pack appropriately with shoes for potentially muddy festival grounds.
• Wabag Lodge has home-style service with hearty meals made from fresh local produce. The Ribito Hotel in Wabag town is open for all three meals of the day. They have a famous Ribito Burger and pizza on top of Asian-influenced cuisine. The chips in Enga, due to the abundance of fresh local potatoes, are the best in PNG!
• In Port Moresby at the Jackson’s International Airport terminal, there are SIM cards to purchase for Telikom, Digicel, and Bmobile to give you access to internet and mobile phone usage while in Wabag.
• The stalls at the festival take CASH ONLY. However, there is a Bank South Pacific branch ATM in Wabag town if you need it!
• Walking from the lodges to the showgrounds is safe during the day in groups of two or more.
• There are traditional tribal fights, but they do not involve outsiders in their disputes.

Hagen Show

One of PNG’s oldest festivals, the Hagen Show was started in 1961 to unify the tribes prior to PNG’s independence. Cultural diversity of the highlands is experienced through dance, body painting, and costumes.

Dozens of tribes come to celebrate and participate in dance competitions. Tribes compete with traditional dances passed down through generations.

There are also Juli Wigmen who have headpieces made from their own hair! You can also take the opportunity at this festival to try mumu, traditional food cooked in an earth oven.

This year, it is being held in August from the 17th to the 18th at the Kagamuga Show Grounds.

Tips: Pay for the two-day pass and go early to see the people get their dresses and face paint on. Also, make sure to bring water and snacks because there are no places to eat on the festival grounds themselves.

Hiri Moale Festival

Our final festive stop is the Hiri Moale Festival in Ela Beach near Port Moresby. This festival celebrates the Hiri Seafaring Trade, a traditional trade system between the PNG islands. This March was the 50th anniversary of the festival. Canoes go between the villages, allowing traders to exchange goods.

In the past, the Motuans came on their iconic lakatoi—large sailing canoes with hulls to store clay pots—to trade with the people of the Gulf for sage. The evidence of lineal ties from these trades can be seen with the Hiri Motu language that both parties speak and understand.

Motuan women also compete to be crowned Hiri Queen for their Motuan culture knowledge in the Hiri Hanenamo contest.

First-Time Trip? Here Are Some Papua New Guinea Travel Tips

There are other things to keep in mind when traveling to PNG for the first time, and we’ve done all the hard research work to give you a decent list of what to expect.

• The most important tip of all, as we mentioned, is to get a guide. They help you make a good impression when arriving in tribal villages. Furthermore, if you’re traveling by boat where pirates can occasionally operate, your guide will be able to keep you up to date on information surrounding that.
• Keep an eye on your wallet. Pick-pocketing can be very common, especially around the local markets. Do not carry excessive amounts of cash NOR your passport unless it’s absolutely necessary!
• Using public motor vehicles (PMVs) is a cheap and great way to see the country firsthand on the roads. These are privately owned vehicles people allow for public use. The PNG tourism site is adamant in advising that women do not travel alone on PMVs!
• The best time to visit is June to September because the climate is cool and dry (except in the Lae region which is wet during these months). The heaviest rainfalls and bug appearances happen from December to March.
• Learn a bit of Pidgin to help you communicate with the locals!
• Tipping culture is uncommon to servers in PNG, but you may choose to do so if you please.
• For craft markets you can negotiate prices by asking for a “second price,” but DO NOT haggle in establishments nor farmer’s markets.
• Make sure to have a plug adapter for Type 1 Australia plugs.

Papua New Guinea Travel: PNG is Awaiting Your Arrival

Sometimes it’s more exciting to go on an adventure you would have never thought of going on before.

When we get out of our comfort zones, the most extraordinary things can happen. The tastes of cultures you’ve never known are just a flight away, and you can get there easily with the help of ALLMYNE.

Download the ALLMYNE app from the APPLE STORE or GOOGLE PLAY to seamlessly plan, capture, and share your travel journey with a global community of fellow explorers. Upgrade to our PRO subscriber level for even more perks, including audio recording in your journal, AI-powered location suggestions tailored to your interests, unlimited trip locations, and unlimited storage for all your travel memories. Download the ALLMYNE app now – the ultimate travel companion to enhance every step of your journey!