The hook
The most culturally and linguistically diverse place on Earth, where hundreds of distinct peoples speaking over eight hundred languages gather at spectacular festivals in dazzling feathered headdresses, paint, and shells for the ritual gatherings called sing-sings.
01Why it's worth it
Papua New Guinea is like nowhere else. Rugged, remote, and long isolated by its jungle-clad mountains, it is home to an astonishing human diversity: over eight hundred distinct languages are spoken here, roughly a tenth of all the languages on the planet, and hundreds of tribal cultures maintain traditions that have endured for millennia. The highlands, a spine of fertile valleys running through the interior, were among the last places on Earth to be reached by the outside world, some communities encountered by outsiders only within the last century. The most extraordinary window into this world is the sing-sing, a gathering where clans and tribes come together in elaborate ceremonial finery, towering headdresses of bird-of-paradise plumes, intricate face and body paint, shells, and grasses, to dance, drum, and display their identity. The great cultural shows at Goroka and Mount Hagen bring dozens of these groups together in a riot of colour and sound that is one of the most spectacular cultural events anywhere. Travel here is genuinely challenging and requires care, guides, and attention to current safety advice, but for an encounter with living traditional cultures of unmatched diversity and vividness, the PNG highlands are extraordinary.
02How to experience it
Time a visit to one of the big cultural shows (Goroka or Mount Hagen, around August-September) to see many groups perform, and, with local guides, visit highland villages respectfully. Travel here is demanding and safety requires care, so go with reputable operators and check current advice. Engage the cultures as a respectful guest, not a spectator.