Wula Guda Nyinda, Shark Bay, Australia
Australia
Australia’s Aborigines have a continuous history spanning more than 50,000 years, making them the world’s most ancient living culture. Visitors can take tours of ancient rock art sites, learn rituals and skills and hear Aboriginal dreamtime legends.
Aboriginal artworks are popular gifts and souvenirs, and a visit to Australia just wouldn’t be complete without trying some ‘bush tucker’, whether eaten on the go, or incorporated into the menu of a gourmet restaurant such as Melbourne’s Tjanabi, which offers meals, tours and even cooking classes.
Uluru is where visitors are most likely to expect an Aboriginal element to play a part in their holiday, and a great starting point is the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre. Here they can see many works by artists from the local Anangu community, and book a tour with an Aboriginal guide.
As well as visiting the caves at the base of Uluru, visitors can join a dot painting workshop to understand local art, or sit around a campfire, learn traditional skills and hear tales of the ancestors. ananguwaai.com.au
At the Tjapukai Centre in Cairns, visitors watch dances, listen to dreamtime legends and can learn to throw a boomerang or spear. tjapukai.com.au
Visitors can find a different perspective on Australia’s cities, too. Austravel has just brochured the Adelaide Aboriginal Cultural Experience, which features a walk through the botanical gardens focusing on medical and edible plants, a cultural gallery visit with a didgeridoo performance, and a visit to the South Australian Museum, home to the largest collection of Aboriginal artefacts in the world. This full-day tour starts from £126. austravel.com
The Kakadu area of the Northern Territory is rich with potential for indigenous experiences, with multiple examples of rock art and the Warradjan Cultural Centre to visit. Bridge & Wickers recommends a private camping tour with Kakadu local Sab Lord, a real-life Crocodile Dundee whose close links with the local Aboriginal people give him exclusive access to some areas of Arnhemland, an Aboriginal reserve.
Aboriginal tourism experiences in Western Australia have grown by 60% in the last four years. New options include Urban Indigenous Tours in Perth, which offers aboriginal art classes, didgeridoo classes, and bush tucker tastings. Wula Guda Nyinda in Shark Bay (pictured, top) takes clients kayaking, hunting for oysters and telling stories around a beach campfire.
New Zealand
The All-Blacks’ haka may be the best known manifestation of Maori culture outside New Zealand, but there are many dances, songs, art and traditions alive and kicking all over the islands.
Rotorua is known as the centre for Maori tourism, with popular experiences including the Tamaki and Mitai Maori Villages, where guides explain the Maori culture and guests enjoy a hangi feast cooked on hot stones, and Te Puia, a Maori Arts and Crafts Institute. However, visitors to the South Island can learn about Maori culture too.
Anzcro recommends Ko Tane, a cultural experience in Willowbank, just outside Christchurch (undamaged by the earthquake). Visitors are welcomed to the village, taught about hunting techniques, dances and songs, and there are options for wildlife tours and a Maori dinner – the full package starts from £77. anzcro.co.uk
Kirra Tours recommends a visit to the Ngati Kuri sub-tribe in Kaikoura. Combining storytelling with hands-on activities and a bushwalk, the half-day tour starts from £68. kirratours.co.nz
South Pacific – Polynesian Islands
Samoa: These 10 Polynesian islands have powder-soft beaches backed by a rugged, wild interior. Visitors can experience Samoan life and culture by staying in a traditional thatched wooden hut. Most hotels host ‘fiafia’ nights, with buffets and entertainment, including the graceful siva dance performed by women, and the fa’ataupati by men.
Cook Islands: Opened just under a year ago, the Te Vara Nui Cultural Village in Raratonga teaches visitors about Polynesian history, from medicine preparation and fishing techniques to legends and beliefs. There are evening shows with Ura Po dances and traditional buffets. Even weddings can be arranged.
Tahiti: Heiva is the largest annual cultural festival, and runs for most of July in Papeete and Vaitape. A huge canoe race featuring nearly 1,500 paddlers runs between Tahiti and Moorea. Other contests include stone lifting and fruit carrying, singing and dancing. Traditional wedding ceremonies can be arranged where the couple are given Tahitian names.
How to sell it
Johnny Edmonds, chief executive of the Western Australia Indigenous Tourism Council, has some top tips on selling indigenous experiences
- Explain that this is the way clients will see the real country. It’s also the only way to visit certain parts of Australia.
- Appeal to their tastes. Are they interested in food, art, luxury, spirituality? There are experiences for each, plus the chance to learn something new.
- Highlight the people. It’s the ultimate local’s tour that will give visitors unforgettable holiday memories.
- There are experiences in many locations, not just in the outback. Check out kayaking tours in Monkey Mia and an indigenous tour of Perth’s King’s Park.
- It’s an opportunity to engage with the oldest, and arguably the most diverse cultures in the world.
