Islands and cultures of Papua New Guinea

This 11-day PONANT Expedition cruise aboard Le Jacques Cartier will showcase the wonders and ancestral tribes of Papua New Guinea.

You will board your ship in Cairns. With its many colonial buildings, its picturesque port and its exceptional panorama over the surrounding natural environment, this city in the north-east of Australia won’t fail to impress.

Le Jacques Cartier will then set sail for Papua New Guinea, a fascinating land that is home to no fewer than 700 ethnic groups within a highly diverse yet mainly unexplored ecosystem.

Your call at Tufi will be one of the highlights of your voyage. Dubbed the Scandinavia of the Tropics, you will undoubtedly fall under the charm of this picturesque region, with its deep ‘fjords’ known locally as ‘rias’, which were formed through volcanic activity. In this unique setting, local  Papuan tribes will share their customs, beliefs and artwork with you.

You will then head north along the coast to Madang, nicknamed ‘the most beautiful city in the South Pacific’. Within this stunning province exists great geographical diversity, with 170 different languages spoken there. Its festival showcases this richness and offers colourful traditional performances or ‘sing sings’ by many of the cultural groups of the province. These include the mysterious Asaro Mudmen, who re-enact a warrior episode from their history wearing masks of mud, their bodies coated in clay.

In the heart of the Solomon Sea you will experience the splendid turquoise waters and white-sand beaches of the uninhabited islands of the Lusancay archipelago. These spectacular, picture-postcard islands provide the opportunity to swim and snorkel over coral reefs teeming with life.

The wildlife encounters described above illustrate possible experiences only and cannot be guaranteed.