EM3a – MIDDLE SEPIK SAFARI PACKAGE FOR INDEPENDENT TRAVELLERS AND SMALL GROUPS 5 nights ex-Wewak (with optional extensions to Blackwater Lakes or Wewak Islands) The Middle Sepik villages are rich in animistic spiritual beliefs and produce a prolific range of cultural artefacts such as wall masks, figurines, bilum bags, flutes, drums, implements, body decorations and bride-price shell money. Each village has its own unique artistic style. The package features two nights in Wewak, three nights in the Middle Sepik, an optional two night extension to the remote Blackwater Lakes and an optional extension to the Wewak Islands (Muschu and Kairiru). This is a remote area expedition and public transport is not available in this part of the country. The package includes chartered road and air transport to and from the Sepik River, and a dedicated motor canoe for touring along the river. Due to these high overhead travel costs, this package is more economical for small groups. To see prices, trip notes and detailed list of inclusions, click here to download the full itinerary for EM3a in Acrobat (PDF) format. ITINERARY:
Windjammer Beach, Wewak	DAY 1: WEWAK On arrival in Wewak you will be met by our local guide and transfer to your accommodation. A choice of mid-range (3 star), budget motel (2 star) or backpacker guest house (1 star) accommodation is available. Overnight twin-share accommodation, Wewak (room only, pay-as-you-go for meals)
Pagwi mission station, gateway to the Upper Sepik to the west and the Middle Sepik to the east Travelling by motorised Sepik canoe Haus Tambaran, Yamok village	DAY 2: WEWAK / MIDDLE SEPIK (YAMOK) At 08:00am our Sepik River guide will pick you up at your accommodation in Wewak for the road trip from Wewak to the Pagwi Mission station on the Middle Sepik. Upstream from Pagwi is referred to as the Upper Sepik and downstream from Pagwi is the Middle and Lower Sepik. The road from Wewak to Pagwi on the Sepik River is bitumen sealed most of the way and quite a pleasant journey. First you climb steep winding curves from the steamy coastal strip to the cool forests of the undulating Prince Alexander Range. Two hours into the trip you will stop at a roadside market for a lunch of tropical fruits, cooked vegetables and delicious green coconuts to drink (pay as you go). Back on the road, you soon see fleeting views through the trees of the Sepik plains, with the river itself a fuzzy brown ribbon on the horizon. Descending onto the savannah grasslands of the Sepik basin, you pass through a number of villages before arriving at Pagwi mission station on the Middle Sepik by early afternoon. At Pagwi you transfer to your waiting motor canoe and head down-river approximately one hour to the Korogo Fishing Lake, an ox-bow lake formed by a cut-off river bend. Here you leave your canoes and walk for an hour through light rainforest to Yamok village. In the past, Yamok was a riverside village but changes in the course of the Sepik River over the past century have now left Yamok well inland. The hike to Yamok is easy walking, mainly flat ground, and mud will be the only inconvenience if the ground is wet. Porters will hump your bags and our other supplies so you won’t have to carry anything. Visiting Yamok is well worth it as this village is probably the most beautiful on the Sepik and has seven Haus Tambarans (mens spirit houses) which is more than any other Sepik village. Very few tourists visit this village so you are assured of a warm welcome. On arrival at Yamok, you will be met by a traditional “sing-sing” group and then tour the village. Special permission will be given for any women in your tour party to enter the Haus Tambarans, which are strictly off-limits to local women. Overnight village guest house, Yamok (includes meals).
Crocodile dance, Yentchen village Girls paddling a dugout canoe, Middle Sepik	DAY 3: MIDDLE SEPIK RIVER (Yamok and Kanganaman) This morning you will spend some more time exploring Yamok and it spirit houses then hike back to the Korogo Fishing Lake and board your motor canoe. Continue motoring downstream to Kanganaman village (about half an hour’s ride) where fresh fruit, dried fish and cooked sago will be awaiting you for lunch. After leaving your bags at the village guest house, your guide will take you on a walking tour around Kanganaman, especially the Haus Tambaran which has sacred artefacts. In the afternoon you will scoot across the river in your canoe to Kanganaman’s sister village, Palembei. These villages are the heart of the Middle Sepik “crocodile cult”. Crocodiles play a major part in the cultural heritage of the Middle Sepik people. Crocodiles are animal totems symbolising strength and power. In the Middle Sepik crocodile cult villages of Yentchen, Palembei and Kanganaman, the attributes of the crocodile are so envied that the men even try to make themselves look like crocodiles. The initiation of boys into adulthood involves a painful scarification ritual during which dozens of small cuts are made all over the back from shoulders to hips, and pockets of skin are lifted away from the flesh. Upon healing, this leaves raised scars that resemble the bumpy back of the crocodile. Such initiations are carried out in secret only once or twice a year and outsiders are not normally allowed to witness the cutting ceremony. Back at Kanganaman, in the late afternoon you will observe sago being extracted from the pith of sago palms, and learn 20 ways to cook sago. In the evening you will sit outside the men’s spirit house and hear the elders recount tribal legends and play their bamboo flutes and beat their slit-log garamut drums. Overnight village guest house, Kanganaman (includes meals).
Fishing in the lakes during dry season Smoking Sepik River fish over the fire	DAY 4: MIDDLE SEPIK (Chambri Lakes and Tambanum) This morning your motorised canoe will transport you through narrow waterways that connect the main Sepik River to the Chambri Lakes. The Lakes may be semi-dry in the middle of the dry season (July/August) or filled to capacity and even flooded during the wet season (December to February). You will see a lot of bird life today, and locals fishing with nets. One of the lakeside villages, Aibom, is renowned for its clay pottery. You can see potters at work and purchase fired pottery. The villages along the shores of the Chambri Lakes have a distinct culture and artistic style – you will be able to purchase some of the unique local art. Few tourists visit the Chambri Lakes as it is off the main river so your visit will be a novelty for the locals. Exiting the Chambri Lakes and rejoining the main Sepik River you will arrive at Kaminabit village for overnight. Overnight village guest house, Kaminabit (includes meals).
Sepik village art Light aircraft at Timbunke airstrip	DAY 5: MIDDLE SEPIK / WEWAK First stop this morning is Tambanum, the largest village on the Sepik which also has the best selection of artefacts available for sale. Tambanum is nicknamed “the carving factory of the Sepik” as the men here are prolific craftsmen. From Tambanum, you will motor half an hour back upstream to Timbunke, a catholic mission station, arriving around noon. This afternoon a charter aircraft will pick you up from Timbunke for a 20-minute flight back to Wewak. If the aircraft is running late, wait at the airstrip until the aircraft arrives. Your guide will carry a satellite phone to coordinate with the charter aircraft as there is no landline or mobile phone connection at Timbunke. On occasion there may not be an aircraft available for charter on your scheduled day of return (eg Sundays). In this case you will motor back upstream to Pagwi and drive out to Wewak. Do not aim to fly out of Wewak this afternoon. Your arrival time in Wewak is not guaranteed and you must overnight in Wewak and fly out next day if you are not extending to the Wewak Islands. Overnight twin-share accommodation, Wewak (room only, pay-as-you-go for meals)
	DAY 6: WEWAK / FLY OUT OR TAKE OPTIONAL EXTENSION TO BLACKWATER LAKES AND/OR WEWAK ISLANDS Transfer to the airport for your onward flight from Wewak to Madang, Vanimo or Port Moresby. OR take the optional extension to Blackwater Lakes and/or Wewak islands.
	TWO NIGHTS EXTENSION TO BLACKWATER LAKES The Blackwater Lakes is a remote area of the Sepik Basin not usually visited by tourists. The cultural art in this district is unique and spectacular. Traditional dancing is exotic and initiation rites such as skin cutting are also practised here. DAY 5: MIDDLE SEPIK / BLACKWATER LAKES From Kaminabit, your motor canoe will travel up the Korosameri River for about four hours before arriving at Tungambit village in the Blackwater Lakes. This village has a little guest house from where you can base yourself while spending the rest of the day exploring the various hamlets at the edge of this ragtag collection of lakes whose shorelines change from year to year after flooding. Sangriman village next to Tungambit has a unique carving style and since tourists hardly ever make it this far so you are sure to stumble across something interesting to purchase. Overnight Tungambit village guest house (includes dinner and breakfast) DAY 6: BLACKWATER LAKES Spend a full day exploring the villages, culture and art of the Blackwater Lakes. Overnight Tungambit village guest house (includes dinner and breakfast) DAY 7: BLACKWATER LAKES / WEWAK Leaving Blackwater Lakes very early in the morning, you will motor back down the Korosameri River and rejoin the main Sepik River at the confluence near Mindibit village. From here is another hour downstream to Timbunke catholic mission station where you will arrive around noon. This afternoon a charter aircraft will pick you up from Timbunke for a 20-minute flight back to Wewak. If the aircraft is running late, wait at the airstrip until the aircraft arrives. Your guide will carry a satellite phone to coordinate with the charter aircraft as there is no landline or mobile phone connection at Timbunke. Overnight twin-share accommodation, Wewak (room only, pay-as-you-go for meals) DAY 8 WEWAK / FLY OUT Transfer to the airport for your onward flight from Wewak to Madang, Vanimo or Port Moresby.
Muschu Island Cultural performance at Kairuru Island Polen Guest House, Kairiru Island Hot springs bubbling into the sea at Victoria Bay, Kairiru Island	ONE-NIGHT EXTENSION TO WEWAK ISLANDS The two Wewak Islands are Kairiru and Muschu. Kairiru is a mountainous, forest-covered island with waterfalls and hot springs – the Japanese had an operations base here during World War 2. Muschu is a flat island with coconut plantations encircled by pretty beaches with great snorkelling reefs. DAY 6: WEWAK ISLANDS After breakfast, our local guide will meet you at the hotel and transfer you by open speed boat 30 minutes from Wewak to the offshore island of Muschu to spend the morning beachwalking, swimming and snorkelling (mask and snorkel is supplied). Village people at Muschu Island will provide coconut juice and fruit for your lunch. From Muschu it is another 20 minutes by boat to Shagur Village on the seaward (north) side of Kairiru Island. Here, the village people will await you with an enthusiastic traditional welcome. Shagur village Island is literally a tropical paradise situated amidst luscious green rainforest. The houses are all traditional style, made of bush materials only. This contrasts with the inland areas of the Sepik River where the topography is fairly flat and dry, despite the presence of the watercourse, and cultural entertainment is not as energetic due to the more regular tourist visits. As Ecotourism Melanesia is currently the only tour company arranging visits to Kairiru, the number of visitors going there is relatively small and each visit is special and personal for both the village people and the visitor. The people here have a well-prepared repertoire of cultural dances, songs and drama to perform for visitors – one of the best village cultural experiences anywhere in PNG. After a familiarisation walk around the village you’ll be led on a short hike east of the village to the waterfall for a refreshing splash, then hike around to the west of Shagur to explore tidal caves, ending up at Victoria Bay where there is a nice beach and a small bubbling hot spring emanating from a rocky outcrop on the sand. The hot spring empties into the sea which makes for a great mineral spa. From Victoria Bay, return by speed boat to Shagur Village. (If you are not a hiker you can be transferred by boat to and from Victoria Bay instead). Tonight you will be treated to a cultural entertainment extravaganza with all manner of traditional singing, dancing and drama skits portraying the island legends – be prepared to split your sides over some great slapstick comedy even if you can’t understand a word of what’s going on! Dinner tonight will be an island-style feast. Overnight Polen guest house, Shagur village, Kairiru Island
Speed boat transfer to Wewak	DAY 7: WEWAK ISLANDS / FLY OUT Transfer by speed boat direct to Wewak airport and check in for your outgoing flight. (If time allows, stop and see the site of the old Japanese base at St John, and/or stop at Muschu Island again for more snorkelling.) To see prices, trip notes and detailed list of inclusions, click here to download the full itinerary for EM3a in Acrobat (PDF) format.