Trek-Papua

A website about a really different tour guide in Papua

The Kalam Festival is an annual festival held in Papua New Guinea’s Simbai valley. The festival serves a unique opportunity for travelers to participate in the traditional tribal ceremonies of this remote highland tribe. The rolling green mountains dispersed with small traditional homes and villages, combined with its remote location, make the Simbai valley is an exceptionally beautiful and unique area in the PNG highlands. Although Simbai is only a 20-minute charter flight from Mount Hagen,the valley is almost completely isolated from the outside world, only accessible by air or a 3 day walk from Mount Hagen.

The Kalam festival was developed by the Simbai people to celebrate their ancient tribal traditions and to gather their community together for important annual celebrations, including the bridal exchange ceremony and coming-of-age ceremony for the young men of the community. The bilas (traditional dress) of the Simbai people is easily identifiable by the distinct and complex headdress worn for celebration. The festival itself lasts for three days, during which the celebrations gradually build, culminating in a large gathering of local Simbai sing sing groups and their families celebrating together through song, dance and feast. As the festival remains rustic and fairly undisturbed by the outside world the celebrations tend to organically unfold throughout the course of the three days and include a ceremonial pig killing and traditionally prepared mumu, a presentation of the young initiates, bride price exchange and sing sing celebrations. The celebrations take on an almost magical sense as the singing and dancing continue throughout the festival nights and rhythmic sound of the voices carry across the valley under the light of the moon. Guests are welcome to attend this unique nighttime gathering. The festival, though attended by hundreds of local people, will only be witnessed by a handful of lucky and adventurous travelers.The Kalam Tribe is surely worth visiting. The Kalam people are settled in villages in the mountains of Simbai bordering Madang, Jiwaka, and Western Highlands Provinces of Papua New Guinea, where they can only be reached by small 8 Seater aircraft. It is one of the country’s remote and isolated places where people are still living an authentic lifestyle in traditional village huts using materials provided by the forest. Due to the isolation of the Kalam Tribesman, in some ways, they are fortunate to maintain their original culture, tribal traditions, and habits are incredibly interesting and still intact. The Kalam Tribesman wears a headdress decorated with birds of Paradise plums as a ritual dress, as well as a massive necklace made of pearl shells, bird beaks and wild flowers. Young boys get their nose pierced as adult. Women cover their bodies with pig fats to give them more shine.

Program:

Day 1 | Sept 2025

Arrive in Mt.Hagen, meet and transfer to hotel. Overnight: McRoyal Hotel (D)

Day 2 | Sept 2025

Transfer to airport, Charter flight Hagen to Simbai, meet and transfer to Kalam Guesthouse. Afternoon scenic village tour. Overnight: Kalam Guest House (BLD).

Day 3 | Sept 2025