Located on an enormous island in the Pacific Ocean, Papua New Guinea is one of the most biodiverse and culturally rich countries on the planet.

It's impossible to overstat the beauty of Papua New Guinea.

A labyrinth of steep mountai valleys and impenetrable jungle.

The country contains thousands of unique species.

And residents here speak over 800 distinct languages.

It is believe there are many more undiscovered species of plants, animals and people still uncontacted by the modern world.

Heavy jungle, welcoming people and astonishing natural wonders.

This week on Epic Trails, we are exploring Papa New Guinea.

I'm Eric Hansen.

When I see a trail, see more than a path from point A to point B. A good trail is the ultimate opportunity to explore, to discover new landscapes, and to challenge myself when I don't have a pack on my back.

I'm thinking about my next big adventure because my mission is simple.

My mission is to discover the world's most epic trails.

Located on an island just north of Australia in the Pacific Ocean.

Papua New Guinea has long bee overlooked by the outside world.

Even its residents, separate by towering mountains and dense rainforest, have remained isolated from one another.

They are within 100mi.

You'll find tribes that speak completely unique languages, each with its own traditions, ceremonies and dress are a great way to experience a cross-section of these cultures is to hike the Kokoda Track, a 60 mile long trail that traverses Papu New Guinea's central mountains, passing from village to village.

Just arrived here in Papua New Guinea.

We're in Port Moresby, and we're jumping on a charter flight to head to the beginning of the Kokoda Track.

Hey, how's it going?

Good.

Jake.

Yeah.

All right.

Nice to meet you.

And you head through the top.

Don't knock my noggin on there.

All right.

It was like that up from dances with Papua New Guinea is hug and with essentially no roads.

So the best way to travel is in small aircraft.

I'm a little nervous to fly over the big mountains with only a little grass strip to land on, but the pilot assures m he makes this flight every day.

From the air, I'm able to see just how vast and rugged this country is.

And down there somewhere is the Kokoda Track, known for its difficulty and for its role in a World War Two battle between the Australian and Japanese armies.

The time flies by, and before I know it, we're approaching the Kokoda runway where the real adventure begins.

Thank you Jake.

You're welcome, I appreciate it.

Thank you so much.

In Kokoda, we're given the traditional sing sing welcome ceremony.

Every villager wears their ceremonial garb adorned with birds of Paradise feathers, grasses and body paint.

They sing, dance, play drums, and then dance some more.

If there's one word I'd us to describe my first impression of Papua New Guinea, it's colorful.

Just arrive to the very first village wher we're starting the Kokoda Track, and we just had an amazing welcome, something I'm like, I've never seen.

Just the whole village was basically in their traditional dress and were dancing for us.

And, that was incredibly honoring.

I, I don't know what to think.

It was just amazing.

And beautiful.

And I can't wait to start the trail now.

We.

There is no other country, I believe, left in the world like PNG, we call it the land of the unexpected.

I mean, there's only three ways to get around PNG by boat fly or walk.

So that means that Papua New Guinea is still very isolated and very raw.

Originally, all tracks in Papua New Guinea were trading tracks between villages.

So this track has been here for thousands of years.

Track is 96km long.

There is no flat spots.

It is dense and it is one of the top ten hardest treks in the world.

There are nine of us making the trek, including Aaron, who at nine is already our lead guide.

Some of the guys are here to guide me, but the team is also carrying food and supplies for villages along the trail.

We're on our way to the village of Denali, and the entire wa it feels like we are going up.

Way up.

It feels good to be pulling into camp.

Looks like we're making it just in time.

Lanes are just about to unleash upon us.

Hopefully I can get my tent thrown up in time.

As I make camp a few thousand feet above where I started.

I can't stop thinkin about how special this place is.

Today was an amazin introduction to Papua New Guinea and I couldn't be more excited about the adventure ahead.

We had a fu first night on the Kokoda Track.

Rain was dumping all last night.

Packed up in the rain.

Now we're setting off on the trail to all this awesome fog and rain still pouring down.

Should be an interesting muddy day, but I'm looking forward to it.

It takes approximately around eight days to walk Kokoda, and if you get eight day of rain of torrential tropical rain and your weight over time is an awful lot of mud, it can be very challenging.

Hiking the Kokoda Track in the rain is like trying to hike up a 45 degree slip and slide.

The heat and humidity d make the rain easier to accept, but the conditions are about as different as you can get from the Arizona trails.

Where I'm from.

This track is, kicking my butt.

Supposedly rated one o the most difficult in the world.

I can totally see why, now that I'm on it.

All the rain and the mud an just how steep this mountain is, I'm feeling it at night.

Anyone can do Kokoda as long as they do the training.

You can't come up here and expect me so I can just go out and walk Kokoda.

The rain makes hiking tough, but it's also what makes the rainforest so lush and vibrant.

There's always a stream close at hand to refill your water bottle.

Looking up, the vine covered trees tower above and countless shades of green surround you.

When traveling in Papua New Guinea, it's essential to embrace the adventure.

As we hike into the camp at the village of Misurata.

I'm completely soaked, but utterly happy.

There's a simple beauty here that you just don't find in most places.

So there's really no graceful way to set up a tent in a rainstorm.

I was struggling for a couple of minutes here.

Getting this out without getting too much water inside the tent.

Put on a little show for the guys.

They were all laughing at me, struggling.

But now I behold Cas de Eric, my home for the night.

I'm excited about it.

What is it about the Kokoda Track?

In 1942, the Japanese came down.

They wanted to take Papua New Guinea so that then they got a foot in the door to Australia.

They landed on the north side and the fighting was along the Kokoda Track.

We have approximately 3500 Australian that come up and walk the track.

For a lot of them, it's a right of passage because they would have had grandfathers, uncles who would have fought and died along the track.

And a lot of them, it's just because it's part of their history.

For many of the isolated people living in Kokoda, the war was their first contact with the outside world.

My own family has history here too, as my great Uncle Ernie fle missions right here in Kokoda.

Carnes Rock is one of the many very real reminders of what happened here.

Used as a surgeon's table in the heat of battle.

Many lives were saved and lost right here.

Been kind of a powerful morning getting to hear some more of the story of the Kokoda Track and the history and the way that the history ties in with World War Two here in Papua New Guinea.

Seeing this place, it's it's beautiful.

It's peaceful and it's sobering.

But that's an interesting par of the Kokoda Track is getting your eyes opened you know, and a lot of ways to another way of life.

After a hike through history.

I leave the Kokoda Track behind to explore the Western Highlands.

Until the 1930s the isolated Western Highlands had zero interaction with the outside world.

We're out for a day hik here in the Rondon Ridge area.

Joseph is taking, mysel and Simon out to the Coom Caves.

We're going to go explore this massive limestone cave.

I guess there's some sweet bird life and some just cool stuff out there.

It's been gorgeous today, and, just having a blast.

Loving life.

Once again, I find myself crossing rivers and hiking up through dense jungle.

Fortunately, the rain has left us alone for the time being, which I have to admit is a welcome change.

We set out for what I thought was going to be a simple day hike to the Coom Caves, but as I'm learning very quickly here, Papua New Guinea doesn't really do anything very easy.

So it's, it's been a tough, much tougher hike than I was expecting.

But, supposedly we're really close to the entrance.

We're ready to get there.

Papua New Guinea is home to some of the most extensive and beautiful caves on Earth, and explorers continue to discover new systems each year.

The Coom Cave network tunnel all the way through a mountain, and intrepid explorers with the proper equipment and training can wander clear to the other side.

Although we only have time to explore a fraction of the underground labyrinth, it' more than enough to blow my mind and leave m with a powerful sense of wonder.

Super cool time here.

Exploring the Coom caves really just was able to get los in this really remarkable spot.

Makes me wonder what else lies hidden here in the jungles of Papua New Guinea.

So much good stuff here.

Well we were having a pleasant day, but we just got absolutely demolished by a banger of a storm.

And, I'm soaked to the bone.

Yes, that's what I haven't.

Here.

On our way to our next destination, we come across a roadside market.

And I have a personal rule.

When I travel, eat what the locals eat.

And don't be afraid to taste something new.

It's the only way to ge the literal flavor of a place.

And roadside markets can be a great wa to find the freshest, tastiest, and often cheapest food on the planet.

Papua New Guinea is no different.

We pass dozens of markets along the road, and each seems to specialize in a different type of food, which means we need to mak a number of stops along the way.

For some rave reviews about th Papua New Guinea and corn here.

So testing it out for myself.

Fresh off the grill.

Good luck.

Kubla Khan.

Kubla Khan.

Yeah.

Every nook of Papu New Guinea has something unique.

And so I'm excited to be heading to a new village to spend a few days.

The village of Mal Banga is still relatively untouched by the Western world, which is so exciting to me because you can pretty much count on experiencin something that you will remember for the rest of your life.

If people want to see something that they've never seen before, especially the culture, the going to see it here in Papua New Guinea.

The people that are so engaging with here, they're living off the land.

And if you go and stay in their village, they've got nothing But they'll give you everything.

You know we're incredibly privileged here in PNG to be able to still experience that.

Truly my favorite thing about travel is the way my worldview is challenged and expanded.

Anyone who goes to a new place with an open mind will inevitably come away improved, and with a sense of unity.

You might come from vastly different backgrounds.

But after spending time immersed in a new culture, in all likelihood you'll discover that your commonalities vastly outnumber your differences.

4 or 5.

Spending the day with the people of Mal Banga.

Talking with them.

Playing their games.

Sharing meals together.

We connect in fundamental ways.

Today has been an extremely special day.

It's an experienc that's hard to put into words.

I arrived here in the village of Mal Banga and just have had an amazing day.

I don't know what else to compare it to.

The welcome and the hospitality here i the village has been remarkable.

And I think that this storm is about to downpour on us like crazy.

So tonight might be fun.

With morning comes.

Welcome, sunshine.

And another day of immersion in the beautiful Papua New Guinea culture.

It's a big day for the village, which they're celebrating with a special ceremony.

And I've been invited t take part as a guest of honor.

In ceremonial dress, the men begi by lighting a ceremonial fire.

The elder tends the fir as the young men dance and sing, to build courage for the task to come later on, a little bit less than they want to.

The men need courage for what all men need courage for romance, and once they are adequately inspired, the men ask for permission from the Guardian to enter the House of the maidens.

Once inside, it's time to sing.

The Guardian has her eye out for sparks.

She is the coordinator of the courtship ceremony, and it's her job to mov people around and make matches.

And apparently she spots someone for me.

Sorry.

Okay.

I'll go.

This is like how people mingle and and meet.

Meet love, find love.

Love.

Yes.

Yeah.

It's all right.

The love room.

Oh!

No way.

Massive blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.

Oh.

Well, that was interesting.

So I was just, in a courtship ritual, and I think I came away with a girlfriend.

It's a great success in there.

Although I'm not entirely sur what I've committed myself to.

I'm always game for a good celebration.

Going, dancing.

And personally, I have a lot to celebrate.

In every sense.

This has been a mind blowing experience.

I am honored and humbled to have been invited into this community to laugh to dine and to dance with them.

I find that I don't want to leave.

I don't like my.

When it's time to say goodbye.

I get emotional.

The whole village has gathered to send me off.

There are hugs, a few tears and a sense of hope.

There's a joyfully simple way of life here that seems endangered everywhere else.

I leave Papua New Guinea with memories of a vast and wonderful landscape, of surprising events and remarkable people.

When they.

Thank you for everything.

That was amazing.