PAPUA NUOVA GUINEA
SEPIK CROCODILE FESTIVAL
Highlights
Sepik River Crocodile Festival in Ambunti
The Haus Tambaran (Spirit Houses)
Mushu and Kairiru Islands
The chaos of Port Moresby
Where we sleep
Domestic flights, private minivans, traditional motorized canoe on the Sepik River, speedboat for the islands
How we get around
Plane, Minibus/Car, 4×4 Jeep, Boat
TYPE OF TRIP
Anthropological and adventurous journey in a remote area. It requires a spirit of adaptation, flexibility, and tolerance for very simple comfort standards. Some transfers are long and subject to operational changes.
For more information about our trips, please consult the FAQ section.
DAY 1-2: Departure from Italy with a long international flight with at least 2 layovers toward Papua New Guinea
Morning: Depending on the flight schedule, arrival in the morning in the capital of Papua New Guinea. Entry formalities, transfer to the hotel, and rest after the long journey.
Afternoon: Dedicated to exploring Port Moresby with a visit to the Botanical Garden and an outside view of the Parliament House to observe its unique architecture that resembles a traditional Papuan house. This is followed by a short visit to the Hanuabada stilt village.
Evening: Dinner in Port Moresby.
Morning and afternoon: transfer to the airport and flight to Wewak. Arrival in Wewak and hotel check-in. City tour: Father of the Nation Museum dedicated to Sir Michael Somare, Mission Hill with the Japanese WWII memorial, Holy Spirit Parish, and Cape Wom, the site of the Japanese surrender in 1945.
Evening: dinner and overnight stay in Wewak.
Morning and afternoon: departure by land for Pagwi Station. Start of the navigation by motorized canoe along the Sepik River. Navigation of about 4 hours in the heart of the most important river system in Papua New Guinea. Arrival in Ambunti and accommodation in a local guesthouse. Briefing on the festival.
Evening: dinner and overnight stay in Ambunti.
Morning and afternoon: breakfast at the guesthouse and transfer on foot to the festival grounds. The opening ceremony of the Crocodile Festival is not just a simple folkloric exhibition, but a celebration of identity. The Sepik clans gather to honor the crocodile (pukpuk), an ancestral figure linked to creation and rebirth. Men with ritual scars on their torsos that mimic the reptile’s skin dance with slow and powerful movements, accompanied by slit drums and deep chants. Each group carries symbols, masks, and paintings specific to their clan, showcasing the cultural diversity within the same river region.
Evening: return to the guesthouse. Dinner and overnight stay in Ambunti.
Morning and afternoon: Second day of the festival. The performances become more dynamic: warrior dances, mythical representations, and rituals narrating the birth of clans along the river. Body paintings change: red ochre, limestone white, charcoal black. Faces are transformed into living masks. The dance movements often imitate sacred animals—crocodile, cassowary, eagle—each with a precise meaning! Observation of ritual scarification in initiated young men: permanent marks representing the passage into adulthood and the connection with the spirit of the river.
Evening: dinner and overnight stay in Ambunti.
Morning and afternoon: breakfast and departure by canoe along the Sepik River. The navigation lasts about five hours and crosses one of the most evocative stretches of the river system. Stilt villages emerge from the vegetation. Hand-carved canoes carry families, fishermen, and children headed to school. Arrival in Kanganamun, a village known for its Spirit Houses (Haus Tambaran). After lunch, an in-depth visit to the two spirit houses. These monumental structures, tall and richly carved, represent the spiritual heart of the village. Inside, ritual objects, masks, and ancestral symbols are preserved. Traditionally reserved for men, they are places of initiation and the transmission of knowledge.
Evening: dinner in the village and overnight stay in a guesthouse with very basic facilities.
Morning and afternoon: breakfast and departure by canoe along the Sepik River. The navigation lasts about five hours and crosses one of the most evocative stretches of the river system. Stilt villages emerge from the vegetation. Hand-carved canoes carry families, fishermen, and children headed to school. Arrival in Kanganamun, a village known for its Spirit Houses (Haus Tambaran). After lunch, an in-depth visit to the two spirit houses. These monumental structures, tall and richly carved, represent the spiritual heart of the village. Inside, ritual objects, masks, and ancestral symbols are preserved. Traditionally reserved for men, they are places of initiation and the transmission of knowledge.
Evening: dinner in the village and overnight stay in a guesthouse with very basic facilities.
Morning: transfer to the airport and flight to Port Moresby
Afternoon: city tour of the capital: visit to the National Museum to understand the cultural diversity of the country, panoramic view of the bay, and a stop at local markets. Port Moresby appears modern yet fragmented, marked by strong social contrasts. It is the contemporary face of Papua New Guinea, in sharp contrast to the ancestral dimension of the Sepik.
Evening: overnight stay in Port Moresby
Transfer to the airport and international flight with at least 2 layovers, arrival scheduled for day 12 and on to the next adventure!
Possible continuation of the tour with the “Papua New Guinea – Mount Hagen Festival” itinerary
