Papua New Guinea (PNG)
The Highlands
Parts of the Highlands remain untouched just as they were when first 'discovered' in 1933. In fact, some remote villagers have yet to see a white man.

The people are hardy and village life depends on subsistence farming. Visitors will be fascinated by the bright ochre colours and two metre high head-dresses swathed in plumes of the Bird of Paradise worn by the tribal elders. Dancing is proud and fierce at traditional sing-sings, with drums beating long into the night.

The Eastern Highland Province is a one hour flight north from Port Moresby or half an hour from Lae or Mt Hagen. Once there, you are surrounded by steep, rugged mountains covered in dense rainforest graduating to subalpine vegetation.

The valleys are blanketed in grass and the panoramic views contain every imaginable shade of green. Altitude varies from 600 metres in the south to Mt Michael's 2,750 metre summit.

Goroka, the largest town and capital lies at 1,600 metres or 5,000 feet above sea level.