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Photos from the Largest Tribal Gathering in the World (NSFW-ish)

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One of the best aspects of travelling overseas is encountering new cultures, with traditional tribes being popular choices. If this is your cup of tea, you will love the fact that once a year a bunch of them get together and a unique opportunity presents itself.

Fabien Astre travelled to Papua New Guinea to attend the annual Goroka show, the largest tribal gathering and display of tribal rituals.

The weekend long event consists of over one hundred tribes of the Papua New Guinea highlands showing off their music, dancing and culture and has been going on since 1957.

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Despite having an official website and admitting to being partly a tourist event, Fabien told DIYP that the show is still quite authentic. “The original purpose is still present for sure”, he said adding that the tribes are proud of their traditions and participate to show them off.

During this three day cultural celebration the tribes enter one by one and present their ceremonial clothing, finest dances and music and body paintings. Such gatherings, also known as sing-sings, are known to offer a peaceful and friendly atmosphere, and are less competitive than one might expect.

According to Fabien it hasn’t become a popular tourist attraction just yet, with perhaps 50 international tourists on site each day. On the first day, however, he said they were lucky to be only 10 or so tourists at the show due to an incoming flight getting cancelled.

While international travelers can book inclusive packages with tour operators, they are pricey and the majority of the visitors remain local people.

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As a photographer, Fabien said he had a hard time deciding where to look. “There are so many people and tribes dressed in their traditional costume that it is difficult to focus on one particular thing”, he explained, but once he decided who he wanted to photograph he had an easy time doing so. “They love it. They are there to show off and be proud of their culture”, he concluded.

You can find more of Fabien’s work on his website or Facebook page.

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[via Bored Panda]

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About Liron Samuels

Liron Samuels is a wildlife and commercial photographer based in Israel.

When he isn't waking up at 4am to take photos of nature, he stays awake until 4am taking photos of the night skies or time lapses.

You can see more of his work on his website or follow him on Facebook.

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