Kenu and Kundu Festival
4 Days Starting and ending in Alotau, Papua New Guinea
Visiting: Alotau
Tour operator:
Tour code:
2643
Group Type:
Private
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Special diets catered:
Vegetarians
Tour operated in:
EnglishTour Overview
Immerse yourself in the vibrant culture of Papua New Guinea with the Kenu and Kundu Festival tour. Begin your journey in Alotau, where you'll explore the town's rich history and bustling markets. Experience the heart of the festival as you travel by traditional canoe to a local village, witnessing the exhilarating canoe races and engaging in traditional food exchanges. Marvel at the colorful sing-sings and dance performances, showcasing the unique heritage of the region's tribes. Relax on the pristine beaches of Keleton Island, swimming in crystal-clear waters before returning for the festival's closing ceremony. With private airport transfers, comfortable accommodations, and guided tours, this cultural adventure offers an unforgettable glimpse into the traditions and beauty of Milne Bay Province. Enjoy delicious local meals and the expertise of an English-speaking guide throughout your stay.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrival Milne Bay
Location: Alotau
Accommodation: Lodge
Accommodation Name: Asurina Lodge or Alotau Waterfront Lodge or similar
Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner
Welcome to Papua New Guinea. Upon arrival in Gurney, Milne Bay, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
Alotau Highlights Tour
Enjoy lunch before setting off this afternoon to enjoy an Alotau Highlights tour. Take in and understand the beauty, history and culture of this lively town. Visit Top Town Lookout for panoramic views over the bay. Continuing on, experience some cultural demonstrations as well as a variety of arts and crafts demonstrations. Drive to the centre of town where you will then spend time exploring the local produce markets. Stroll around the colourful stalls and marvel at the bananas, taro and sweet potatoes, staples of the Melanesian diet, as well as watermelon, peanuts, cucumbers and mangoes. Return to your hotel.
Meals
Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Asurina Lodge or Alotau Waterfront Lodge (or similar)
Services
Private airport transfer
Private vehicle and English-speaking guide
Alotau Highlights Tour
Day 2 & 3 - Kenu & Kundu Festival
Location: Alotau
Accommodation: Lodge, Lodge
Accommodation Name: Asurina Lodge or Alotau Waterfront Lodge or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Kenu & Kundu Festival
After an early breakfast, by 8.00am you will be transported into the local village by traditional canoes for the Kenu and Kundu Festival in beautiful Alotau, Milne Bay Province.
Over the next two days at the festival arena, you will be surrounded by the sights and sounds of this extraordinary celebration. The festival is a small and welcoming cultural celebration, offering you the chance to connect with the local community and engage directly with performers from across the province’s more than 600 islands, some who travel over 500km to join the event.
The exhilarating opening ceremony sees the arrival of the convoy of canoes (kenu) arriving around the headland to the beat of their drums (kendu), having assembled at Wawgawaga village the previous day. The canoes are each intricately carved and painted to reflect the identity and stories of the communities they represent, and meticulously crafted using traditional methods passed down through generations by the ancestors of the Milne Bay people. These canoes aren’t just vessels—they’re symbols of cultural pride and historical significance. A highlight of the festival is the thrilling canoe race, where traditional war canoes compete in a fierce and exhilarating spectacle.
Beyond the races, you’ll experience vibrant traditional sing-sings, where tribes from across the province showcase their unique dances and songs, adorned in elaborate costumes featuring feather headdresses and accessories, shell jewellery, and face paint. Each performance is a living expression of centuries-old traditions, brought to life with a modern twist.
The food exchanges, particularly the famous Yam exchange, are another fascinating aspect of the festival. This practice, rooted in ancient trading customs, highlights the importance of yams as a symbol of wealth and prosperity in the local culture. The food exchange plays a vital role, not only providing food for performers and visiting tourists but also reinforcing economic ties between the islands. Goods such as piles of yams, fruits, vegetables, and woven items are bartered and traded, circulating in all directions.
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Asurina Lodge or Alotau Waterfront Lodge (or similar)
Services
Private vehicle and English-speaking guide
Kenu & Kundu Festival
Day 4 - Keleton Island
Location: Alotau
Accommodation: Lodge
Accommodation Name: Asurina Lodge or Alotau Waterfront Lodge or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Keleton Island Retreat Visit
Set off this morning from Alotau to Keleton Island Retreat where you will spend the morning relaxing on the stunning beach and swimming in the pristine waters.
Closing Ceremony – Kenu & Kundu Festival
Enjoy lunch on the island before returning to the mainland for the closing ceremony of the festival.
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Asurina Lodge or Alotau Waterfront Lodge or similar
Services
Keleton Island Retreat Visit
Kenu & Kundu Festival
Day 5 - Departure
Location: Alotau
Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 5 – Departure
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel and time at leisure until you are transferred to the airport to meet your onward flight.
Meals
Breakfast
Services
Private Airport Transfer
What's Included
-
Private Airport Transfers
Private airport transfers are included in the tour package.
-
4 nights accommodation
The tour includes 4 nights of accommodation.
-
Meals
The package includes 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 3 dinners.
-
English speaking local guide
An English-speaking local guide will accompany you during the tour.
-
All activities as per itinerary
All activities listed in the itinerary are included in the tour.
-
Private transportation
Private transportation is provided throughout the tour.
-
Entrance fees, sightseeing and permits
Entrance fees, sightseeing, and necessary permits are included.
What's Not Included
-
International and domestic flights
International and domestic flights are not included in the tour package.
-
Visas
Visa costs are not covered by the tour package.
-
Travel and medical insurance
Travel and medical insurance are not included and should be arranged separately.
-
Additional services and meals
All services and meals other than those indicated in the inclusions are not included.
-
Personal porters
Personal porters are not included in the tour package.
-
Program changes
Any changes to the proposed and confirmed program are not included.
-
Personal expenses
All items of a personal nature such as drinks, laundry, telephone calls, and tips are not included.
Mode of Transport
Experience private transportation throughout your journey, including airport transfers and travel to festival locations. Enjoy the unique experience of traveling by traditional canoe to the local village for the Kenu and Kundu Festival.
Accommodation
Stay at the charming Asurina Lodge or Alotau Waterfront Lodge, offering comfortable accommodations with a local touch. Enjoy a relaxing atmosphere and convenient access to the vibrant cultural experiences of the Kenu and Kundu Festival.
Check out our Q&As
-
What cultural activities can I expect to participate in during the Kenu and Kundu Festival?
During the Kenu and Kundu Festival, you can expect to participate in cultural activities such as witnessing traditional canoe racing, engaging with local performers from over 600 islands, and experiencing vibrant traditional sing-sings with unique dances and songs. You will also see traditional food exchanges, including the famous Yam exchange, which highlights ancient trading customs.
-
How will I be transported to the Kenu and Kundu Festival?
You will be transported to the Kenu and Kundu Festival by traditional canoes, allowing you to experience the local culture and traditions firsthand.
-
What is the significance of the canoes used in the festival?
The canoes used in the festival are intricately carved and painted to reflect the identity and stories of the communities they represent. They are meticulously crafted using traditional methods passed down through generations, symbolizing cultural pride and historical significance.
-
What can I expect during the visit to Keleton Island?
During the visit to Keleton Island, you can expect to relax on the stunning beach and swim in the pristine waters. You will also enjoy lunch on the island before returning to the mainland for the festival's closing ceremony.
-
What meals are included during the tour?
The tour includes 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 3 dinners, providing you with a variety of meals throughout your stay.
-
Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes. Focusing on providing authentic experiences where ever you are in the world, Crooked Compass has access to a vast array of accommodation styles. From boutique properties in larger cities to local guest houses and home stays within small villages. Crooked Compass ensures that local authenticity flows through your accommodation throughout your tour without compromising standard.
-
What sort of transportation is used for your tours?
Transportation utilised on a Crooked Compass escorted small group tour is a combination of a private air conditioned vehicle and local transport where appropriate. This may include a local bus ride, use of the cities metro system, a domestic flight to another city or overnight train ride.
-
What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Crooked Compass strives to be a leader in sustainable tourism. Crooked Compass is firmly committed to the principles of ethical travel. Our comprehensive Sustainable Tourism Practices policy summarises our commitments and actions. Although the very basis of our ground operations lends itself to the ethos of sustainable tourism, this policy re-iterates our commitment to: Use locally owned hotels Use locally owned ground agents Use local guides and drivers Promote community tourism projects from homestays to craft shops Support charities that work within the destinations that we travel to Carbon offset our travels
-
Who runs your tours and are they experts in their fields?
Crooked Compass works with the worlds best operators who are specialists in their country, region and cities providing you with in depth local knowledge. We use local guides who live and breathe the areas they work in, making sure you experience their region, their way. We believe it is far better to have a local guide who knows a lot about a little than a text book trained Western tour guide who knows a little about a lot. Using local guides also ensures that money stays within local communities and supports the regions we visit.
-
What can I expect from a Crooked Compass tour that I wouldn't get from travelling with an alternative company?
Crooked Compass provides a sensory way to understand the world – we help you live like a local, eat like a local, do what the locals do and seek the faces behind the places whilst discovering untouched lands and natural beauty. Crooked Compass tours delve deep into the heart and soul of a destination ensuring you get out of your journey all you intended and much, much more. Our intriguing itineraries have been created by travellers for travellers. Steering travellers to follow a different path, Crooked Compass’ itineraries allow you to experience the world’s most fascinating destinations in ways you never dreamed possible. It brings to life those ‘bucket list’ experiences you have yearned to do and separates the travellers from the tourists. Crooked Compass tours are culturally rich, reward travellers with unexpected encounters and uncommon rendezvous, creating truly unique, authentic travel experiences.
-
Who do your tours cater for?
Crooked Compass escorted small group tours cater for those who are well travelled seeking the what’s next and what’s new. Our travellers are curious minded soft adventurers who want to uncover something more than the mainstream tourist trail. Crooked Compass tours draw travellers with an interest in sustainable tourism and conservation for the areas they visit. A Crooked Compass traveller is someone who is seeking something fresh and unique, who has a yearning for authenticity and discovery, with an appreciation for cultures, tradition and the natural world. We call them Cultural Purists.
-
I am concerned about my impact on travelling through untouched regions. Can I offset?
Yes. All travellers on Crooked Compass tours have the option to offset their part of their tour’s carbon footprint by donating $4AUD (tax-deductible) at time of booking. 100% of these funds are donated to Greenfleet, an environmental non-profit organisation dedicated to protecting our climate by restoring our forests. By partnering with Greenfleet, we are confident that our carbon offset program provides genuine and lasting environmental benefits. Your offset donation funds plant trees and restore permanent native forests in Australia and New Zealand. As they grow, these forests provide many community and environmental benefits by absorbing carbon emissions, protecting our unique biodiversity, restoring habitat for native wildlife, preventing soil salinity and erosion, improving water quality and much more. If you’d like to find out more and offset the rest of your carbon emissions, visit www.greenfleet.org.au
Reviews of this operator
1 Select your preferred date
Thursday - Sunday
Oct 31, 2024 - Nov 03, 2024Saturday - Tuesday
Nov 01, 2025 - Nov 04, 2025Book with Confidence
-
Low Deposit
Crooked Compass requires a minimum deposit of 20% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 60 days before departure.
-
Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of crooked compass charges.
Up to 61 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.