Asaro Mudmen Village
Asaro
The home of the Asaro Mudmen, who are covered in grey-white clay and wear clay masks. Visitors can watch their traditional performances up close.
The Asaro Mudmen are one of Papua New Guinea's most iconic cultural figures. Performers coat their bodies in grey-white mud and wear exaggerated masks shaped from river clay, carrying bamboo spears and moving slowly and eerily. According to legend, after a tribe suffered a defeat in battle, its people covered themselves in mud and hid in a river. Enemies, seeing what looked like ghosts, fled. The Mudmen village lies about 10 km northwest of Goroka in the Asaro Valley and can be reached along the Highlands Highway. Villagers arrange performances for visitors, tell the legend and demonstrate mask making. Afterward visitors can take photos and buy small masks. Performances must be booked in advance through a hotel or guide and paid for, with group pricing usually applying. It is recommended to hire a vehicle and bring a local guide.
Opening hours
Reservation required
Nearby sights
- Daulo Pass
- Highlands Coffee Plantations
- Goroka Market
- Raun Raun Theatre
- Goroka Show
- Mount Gahavisuka Provincial Park
- J.K. McCarthy Museum