Goroka

A cool highland town in Papua New Guinea, where the September Goroka Show brings together over a hundred tribes in full regalia, with Asaro Mudmen villages and coffee plantations nearby.

Goroka is the capital of Papua New Guinea's Eastern Highlands Province, set in a valley at about 1,600 m in the central highlands of New Guinea. With a population of around 20,000, it's one of the quietest and most pleasant towns in the highlands. The climate is cool, around 25°C by day and down to about 15°C at night, earning it the nickname 'land of eternal spring'; May to October is relatively dry, while the rainy season from November to April brings frequent afternoon showers. Goroka is best known for the Goroka Show in mid-September each year, when over a hundred tribes gather to sing and dance in full regalia – the best opportunity to experience PNG's tribal cultures. At other times, you can book a performance by the Asaro Mudmen, browse the central market, the J.K. McCarthy Museum and the Raun Raun Theatre, or hike and birdwatch in Mount Gahavisuka Provincial Park. The Eastern Highlands is also PNG's main coffee-growing region, and you can visit coffee plantations and processing plants. Getting there: Goroka Airport is right next to the town centre, with Air Niugini and PNG Air flights to and from Port Moresby (about 1 hour); by road, the Highlands Highway runs east to Lae and west to Chimbu and Mount Hagen, with scenic stretches such as the Daulo Pass along the way. Allow 2–3 days, or 3–4 days during the Goroka Show, when you'll need to book accommodation six months in advance. Tips: security in PNG is complex, so stick to daytime activities, hire a car and a local guide for trips out of town, and never walk alone or at night; ask permission before photographing people, and expect to pay for village performances; bring rain gear and warm clothes; the currency is the kina, and cards are hard to use outside town, so carry cash.

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