Alotau Festival

Alotau Festival

Sunday, November 10, 2013

A cruise to Papua New Guinea

P&O Australia have introduced a number of new ports in Papua New Guinea to their cruising itineraries.

Here is a map of the new ports they will be visiting

On 31 Oct 2013, we joined Pacific Dawn for the inaugural cruise to some of these new ports - being Alotau and Doini Island in the Milne Bay Province and Kiriwina Island in the Tobriand Island group.  This cruise was "inaugural" in a number of senses - it was the first time that this cruiseline and this particular ship has sailed to ports in this area, the first time a large cruiseship and all its passengers have arrived in time to participate in the annual Canoe and Kundu Festival in Alotau, the first time that a large cruiseship has landed its passengers on the isolated Kiriwina Island with its first and newly built jetty (and the first time a PNG Prime Minister came as well) - and almost the same for Doini Island (but no PM)  

This was quite a "mind blowing" cruise -- the most exhausting, confronting, overwhelming and culturally interesting I have ever done - and I am oh so happy that we seized the late opportunity to do it. 

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