The capital of Southern Highlands Province is Mendi, a small town built around the airport and located between limestone peaks. Mendi is the starting point for trips to the Tari Basin and Lake Kutubu. 

Flights to Mendi with Air Niugini

A great time to visit Mendi is on a Friday or a Saturday when tribes people crowd the town for an even more cultural experience not to be missed. There is an artefacts shop in town that sells quality handmade products. If it’s a market your looking for there is a shortcut from the town centre selling good local produce.

Beneath the towering Mt Giluwe, the second highest mountain in Papua New Guinea, the headwaters of the Kikori, Erave and Strickland rivers cross the Southern Highlands Province. There are several caves in the area and experts believe there are many more yet to be discovered.

The cool alpine setting of the Southern Highlands Province is also home to the Huli and Duna Wigmen. Famous for their elaborate and colourful dress especially their head wear. The proud warriors have great reverence for birds, imitating them in ceremonial dances and decorating their wigs with feathers, flowers and cuscus fur. The wigs are woven from human hair, donated by wives and children. Everlasting daisies are especially cultivated for use in the wigs too, while their faces are painted with yellow and ochre. In contrast to the Wigmen, the women wear black for their wedding and coat themselves with blue-grey clay when in mourning.

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