PNG is called surfing’s last frontier and for a reason. Papua New Guinea offers surfers guaranteed uncrowded waves thanks to the surf management plan implemented by the PNG Surfing Association. The management plan limits the number of surfers to a maximum of 20 surfers in each PNG surf region. When you take a PNG surf trip you directly support sustainable tourism and the local communities, with each visiting surfer paying a daily $12 environmental levy. This levy is in fact an access agreement to use the local breaks, goes directly to the local communities and provides needed support to the area.
If you haven’t been on a PNG surf trip yet then what are you waiting for? We are planning our annual PNG surf adventure to Vanimo Surf Lodge, one of the best PNG surf camps in November and then to Kavieng in February for a surf & dive adventure. In the last couple of years we have had a great bunch of people travel with us to Papua New Guinea. Everyone was surfed out by the end of their stay and enjoyed the great conditions on offer each time.
Here’s what one happy surfer had to say after his PNG surf trip.
I recently took a PNG surf trip to Vanimo Surf Lodge, booked through No Limit Adventures. From the first email, No Limit was fantastic to deal with, providing me with extremely clear details, going the extra mile to ensure all went to plan. All flights, stopovers and connections went smoothly, Vanimo is a really well run surf lodge, everything well organised and the food fantastic. I’ve been to both Nusa Island Retreat and Tupira Surf Club and Vanimo is easily on par, even better, having cake and donuts baked by lovely kitchen ladies 🙂 Was there for a week and got a great range of waves, always uncrowded in PNG, with breaks to suit differing wind directions. Anyway, all I have is positive praise, which is well deserved.
David, Melbourne 2016
We have limited spots for both of our PNG surf trips. We have spots for 12 surfers traveling to Vanimo Surf Lodge and 10 spots to Kavieng. Don’t miss out, contact us and join in on the fun on our PNG surf adventure!
The Land of the Unexpected, Papua New Guinea, is gearing up for another season of amazing cultural festivals with the spectacular Mt. Hagen Show taking place in August. You will witness the diversity of song, dance, traditional dresses and colors showcased by the local PNG tribes over the 3-day festival. If you are enthusiastic about photography the PNG Cultural Festivals are a photographers dream, so make sure you bring spare memory cards for your camera. Best of all Papua New Guinean’s will happily pose for photographs allowing you to capture some great shots!
If you can’t make it to any of the PNG Cultural Festivals this year be sure to plan ahead for 2023 as these are must-see events!
Our last Papua New Guinea surfing trip was one of the best ever – great crew, amazing weather and some of the best conditions we’ve had in a long time! PNG welcomed us with beautiful weather and a forecast for building swell. Day one was around the 2 foot mark, with one of the right handers in Kavieng providing cruisy waves for everyone to find their groove. Over the week the swell gradually built and by our fourth day the waves were pumping at around 6 foot. Another great spot in the region, a left-hander, absolutely switched on, with glassy, off-shore perfection spoiling our group for 3 days. The boys all caught some of their best waves ever… some also got a few memorable hammerings. The best part of the trip was we did not see anyone else the whole week. Once of the reasons you come on a PNG surf trip 🙂
On a side note, we were fortunate to be over in Papua New Guinea surfing trip with a group of environmentally aware and dedicated people. On a particularly windy afternoon at the start of the week we all decided to sit out our second surf session instead opting to clean one of the uninhabited islands in the region. Although it does not seem like a lot, we collected over 19kg of rubbish in just 60 minutes for an organisation called Parley for the Oceans. Parley is dedicated to educating and addressing the fast-growing, complex and global issue of marine plastic pollution.
We are happy to say we have recently started working together with a focus on Papua New Guinea Surfing trip, to focus on community and corporate education to avoid using single-use plastics, and on marine debris interception by removing washed up rubbish from beaches, mangroves, rivers and creeks. Our aim is to create awareness in the country and together strive to uphold the natural beauty of the destination. One of the highlights of the trip (apart from the waves) was a completely unexpected turtle hatching while we were doing the clean-up, then witnessing another hatching at the resort we were staying at. Overall an amazing way to end the day, with a great bunch of people.
Port Moresby – Mt. Hagen – Goroka – Port Moresby – Rabaul – Port Moresby
Day 1 Port Moresby – Mt. Hagen
Welcome to Papua New Guinea – The Land of the Unexpected. You will be met by your tour leader at Jackson’s Airport before departing Port Moresby on your flight to Mount Hagen at TBA. Our local guide will meet us upon arrival. Mt. Hagen is the second largest city in PNG and provides a cultural immersion into the Highlands lifestyle of the local people. We transfer to a beautiful lodge at the foot of Mount Hagen (3800m) – the 3rd highest peak of Papua New Guinea and an extinct volcano, our home for the next 3 nights. Magic Mountain Lodge is about a 20 – 30-minute hike from the main road. The road is too steep for buses hence porters or a small support vehicle will help carry your bags up to the Lodge. Magic Mountain Nature Lodge consists of a row of stand-alone bungalows with ensuite bathrooms, and a common dining room, situated in a large garden of native plants especially coloured orchids, lichens, mosses and fungi that grow well at this high altitude. If time allows we take a drive to look for the rare Bird of Paradise, a symbolic bird in Papua New Guinea that is featured on the country’s flag.
Heavy mist envelops the mountain at about 17:00 hours every day and the temperature drops rapidly, so it is a good idea to settle quickly into your bungalows on arrival. The Lodge is connected to the town electricity grid and there is a back-up generator. Not far from the Lodge, the summit of Magic Mountain is a round-shaped peak which appears to look the same no matter from which angle you look at it, thus the name “magic”. Due to the altitude (2500m) the temperature drops quite quickly after dusk and it can get cold. (D)
Note: Our accommodation is located remotely. We recommend purchasing alcohol (spirits) duty free upon arrival. Beer is available in local shops in Mt. Hagen Town. Snacks, water and soft drinks can be purchased at the local supermarket in Mt. Hagen Town. Your guide will make sure the group has opportunities to buy any necessary items.
International arrivals should be before midday this day or the day before in order to catch the connecting afternoon flight to Mount Hagen and for the program to run as planned. Air Niugini flies daily out of Brisbane and Cairns, with regular flights from Singapore, Sydney, Manila, Bali and Hong Kong.
Day 2 Mt. Hagen
Wake up early. Enjoy breakfast sitting on a big terrace overlooking the valley below Mount Hagen, surrounded by high-altitude moss forest. After breakfast we take a drive-around tour of Mt Hagen area by private-hire bus or open-back passenger truck stopping at places of interest including the main market – the biggest and liveliest market in PNG and an experience not to be forgotten. We travel out of Mt. Hagen to witness a performance by the Skeleton Boys, their bodies painted with charcoal and white clay, doing a Spirit Dance. After the dance the village leader will explain the story behind the performance. We continue to Paiya village, a typical Highlands village. Visit the Men’s House and the skull house where the bones of ancestors are kept. Meet the village chief and his 3 wives and take a tour of the village before sitting down to a local style “mumu”. Meat and vegetables have been wrapped in leaves and cooked in a pit under hot stones and you will see the parcels of cooked food removed from the earth “oven” and opened before your eyes. After lunch the village people will take you for a walk through their gardens and show you how they cultivate the vegetables that they eat every day. Before departing witness a traditional sing sing – traditional presentation of song, dance and dress, performed by some of the ladies from the village. If time allows visit the local school for a game of football, volleyball or rugby with the kids – a warm experience and possibly one of the highlights of your trip! Return to Magic Mountain Lodge, dinner and free time to rest. (B,L,D)
Day 3 Mt. Hagen
Today will be a full day of nature hiking. After breakfast, depart Magic Mountain Nature Lodge for full day of trekking to the summit of Mount Hagen (3800m) with guides and packed lunch, arriving back at Magic Mountain late afternoon. (B,L,D)
This is not a technical climb, but it is challenging, with some steep sections. The track runs through the jungle and grasslands. It is very muddy all year round due to heavy rainfall. Effects of altitude can be felt and altitude sickness can occur (possible Nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath). You need to be in good condition fitness wise and warm clothing is necessary. Trekking boots also recommended. (If you have any doubt about your ability to gain the summit, you can wait at the lodge. The trek is optional – No one will be pressured to do the trek.)
Day 4 Mt. Hagen – Goroka
Depart Magic Mountain Lodge after breakfast, stopping at the local supermarket for snacks, water, soft drinks. We depart the capital of the Western Highlands Province for Goroka, approx. a 5-hour drive depending on road conditions, with a lunch stop at a hotel in Kundiawa. Admire the Highlands landscape along the way and stop at Daulo Pass (2400m) scenic point overlooking Goroka Town below. Overnight in a local hotel. (B)
Day 5 Goroka
Spend the day visiting 2 local villages. Travel to Asaro to see a cultural performance by the famous Asaro Mudmen. The Asaro Mudmen are famous for wearing fierce looking masks, with their bodies covered in white mud which made them look like ghosts emerging from the morning mist, when attacking their rival tribes. After a village walk through Asaro we continue to Akemeku Village where you will meet the local people, experiencing some cultural performances and taking in traditional village life. Due to the condition of the road the vehicle cannot make it all the way and a 20-minute trek is required to reach the village. The villagers will greet you with a welcome dance and walk you into their home. Try your hand at archery, see a traditional sing-sing and help prepare a traditional Mumu lunch. In Akemeku the food is stuffed into bamboo pieces and these placed on hot rocks. The whole stack is covered by banana leaves and soil. While the food is cooking we enjoy the various performances the villagers have prepared for us and then take a walk to a nearby waterfall, walking through the village’s coffee plantation. After lunch it’s time to say goodbye as we head back to our vehicle. Return to your hotel late afternoon. (B,L)
Day 6 Goroka – Port Moresby – Rabaul
Transfer to the airport after breakfast accommodation for our AM flight to Port Moresby, then connect through to Rabaul. Arrive late afternoon and transfer from Kokopo to your hotel located in Rabaul, approx. a 45-minutes drive depending on road conditions. Rabaul was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the subsequent rain of ash caused 80% of the buildings in Rabaul to collapse. After the eruption the capital was moved to Kokopo. Rabaul is continually threatened by volcanic activity as it is surrounded by six volcanoes. If time allows visit the Bitapaka War Cemetery located a short distance out of Kokopo. Bitapaka cemetery is managed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The cemetery contains the Australian and Commonwealth graves of those killed during operations in New Britain and New Ireland during World War II, or who died while prisoners of war. The cemetery also contains World War I Australian and German graves of those killed during operations in the Occupation of German New Guinea, which were relocated to the cemetery. We also stop at the Kokopo Markets, a nice experience and opportunity to buy some local produce and artefacts. (Bitapaka War Cemetery and Kokopo Markets visit subject to change depending on arrival time.) (B)
Port Moresby – Mt. Hagen – Goroka – Port Moresby – Rabaul – Port Moresby
Day 1 Port Moresby – Mt. Hagen
Welcome to Papua New Guinea – The Land of the Unexpected. You will be met by your tour leader at Jackson’s Airport before departing Port Moresby on your flight to Mount Hagen at TBA. Our local guide will meet us upon arrival. Mt. Hagen is the second largest city in PNG and provides a cultural immersion into the Highlands lifestyle of the local people. We transfer to a beautiful lodge at the foot of Mount Hagen (3800m) – the 3rd highest peak of Papua New Guinea and an extinct volcano, our home for the next 3 nights. Magic Mountain Lodge is about a 20 – 30-minute hike from the main road. The road is too steep for buses hence porters or a small support vehicle will help carry your bags up to the Lodge. Magic Mountain Nature Lodge consists of a row of stand-alone bungalows with ensuite bathrooms, and a common dining room, situated in a large garden of native plants especially coloured orchids, lichens, mosses and fungi that grow well at this high altitude. If time allows we take a drive to look for the rare Bird of Paradise, a symbolic bird in Papua New Guinea that is featured on the country’s flag.
Heavy mist envelops the mountain at about 17:00 hours every day and the temperature drops rapidly, so it is a good idea to settle quickly into your bungalows on arrival. The Lodge is connected to the town electricity grid and there is a back-up generator. Not far from the Lodge, the summit of Magic Mountain is a round-shaped peak which appears to look the same no matter from which angle you look at it, thus the name “magic”. Due to the altitude (2500m) the temperature drops quite quickly after dusk and it can get cold. (D)
Note: Our accommodation is located remotely. We recommend purchasing alcohol (spirits) duty free upon arrival. Beer is available in local shops in Mt. Hagen Town. Snacks, water and soft drinks can be purchased at the local supermarket in Mt. Hagen Town. Your guide will make sure the group has opportunities to buy any necessary items.
International arrivals should be before midday this day or the day before in order to catch the connecting afternoon flight to Mount Hagen and for the program to run as planned. Air Niugini flies daily out of Brisbane and Cairns, with regular flights from Singapore, Sydney, Manila, Bali and Hong Kong.
Day 2 Mt. Hagen
Wake up early. Enjoy breakfast sitting on a big terrace overlooking the valley below Mount Hagen, surrounded by high-altitude moss forest. After breakfast we take a drive-around tour of Mt Hagen area by private-hire bus or open-back passenger truck stopping at places of interest including the main market – the biggest and liveliest market in PNG and an experience not to be forgotten. We travel out of Mt. Hagen to witness a performance by the Skeleton Boys, their bodies painted with charcoal and white clay, doing a Spirit Dance. After the dance the village leader will explain the story behind the performance. We continue to Paiya village, a typical Highlands village. Visit the Men’s House and the skull house where the bones of ancestors are kept. Meet the village chief and his 3 wives and take a tour of the village before sitting down to a local style “mumu”. Meat and vegetables have been wrapped in leaves and cooked in a pit under hot stones and you will see the parcels of cooked food removed from the earth “oven” and opened before your eyes. After lunch the village people will take you for a walk through their gardens and show you how they cultivate the vegetables that they eat every day. Before departing witness a traditional sing sing – traditional presentation of song, dance and dress, performed by some of the ladies from the village. If time allows visit the local school for a game of football, volleyball or rugby with the kids – a warm experience and possibly one of the highlights of your trip! Return to Magic Mountain Lodge, dinner and free time to rest. (B,L,D)
Day 3 Mt. Hagen
Today will be a full day of nature hiking. After breakfast, depart Magic Mountain Nature Lodge for full day of trekking to the summit of Mount Hagen (3800m) with guides and packed lunch, arriving back at Magic Mountain late afternoon. (B,L,D)
This is not a technical climb, but it is challenging, with some steep sections. The track runs through the jungle and grasslands. It is very muddy all year round due to heavy rainfall. Effects of altitude can be felt and altitude sickness can occur (possible Nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath). You need to be in good condition fitness wise and warm clothing is necessary. Trekking boots also recommended. (If you have any doubt about your ability to gain the summit, you can wait at the lodge. The trek is optional – No one will be pressured to do the trek.)
Day 4 Mt. Hagen – Goroka
Depart Magic Mountain Lodge after breakfast, stopping at the local supermarket for snacks, water, soft drinks. We depart the capital of the Western Highlands Province for Goroka, approx. a 5-hour drive depending on road conditions, with a lunch stop at a hotel in Kundiawa. Admire the Highlands landscape along the way and stop at Daulo Pass (2400m) scenic point overlooking Goroka Town below. Overnight in a local hotel. (B)
Day 5 Goroka
Spend the day visiting 2 local villages. Travel to Asaro to see a cultural performance by the famous Asaro Mudmen. The Asaro Mudmen are famous for wearing fierce looking masks, with their bodies covered in white mud which made them look like ghosts emerging from the morning mist, when attacking their rival tribes. After a village walk through Asaro we continue to Akemeku Village where you will meet the local people, experiencing some cultural performances and taking in traditional village life. Due to the condition of the road the vehicle cannot make it all the way and a 20-minute trek is required to reach the village. The villagers will greet you with a welcome dance and walk you into their home. Try your hand at archery, see a traditional sing-sing and help prepare a traditional Mumu lunch. In Akemeku the food is stuffed into bamboo pieces and these placed on hot rocks. The whole stack is covered by banana leaves and soil. While the food is cooking we enjoy the various performances the villagers have prepared for us and then take a walk to a nearby waterfall, walking through the village’s coffee plantation. After lunch it’s time to say goodbye as we head back to our vehicle. Return to your hotel late afternoon. (B,L)
Day 6 Goroka – Port Moresby – Rabaul
Transfer to the airport after breakfast accommodation for our AM flight to Port Moresby, then connect through to Rabaul. Arrive late afternoon and transfer from Kokopo to your hotel located in Rabaul, approx. a 45-minutes drive depending on road conditions. Rabaul was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the subsequent rain of ash caused 80% of the buildings in Rabaul to collapse. After the eruption the capital was moved to Kokopo. Rabaul is continually threatened by volcanic activity as it is surrounded by six volcanoes. If time allows visit the Bitapaka War Cemetery located a short distance out of Kokopo. Bitapaka cemetery is managed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The cemetery contains the Australian and Commonwealth graves of those killed during operations in New Britain and New Ireland during World War II, or who died while prisoners of war. The cemetery also contains World War I Australian and German graves of those killed during operations in the Occupation of German New Guinea, which were relocated to the cemetery. We also stop at the Kokopo Markets, a nice experience and opportunity to buy some local produce and artefacts. (Bitapaka War Cemetery and Kokopo Markets visit subject to change depending on arrival time.) (B)
