ECOTOURISM MELANESIA LTD - HOME EM211 2012 SEPIK AND KARAWARI RIVER EXPEDITION 13 nights Port Moresby, Madang, Wewak, Kairiru Island, Middle Sepik, Karawari River, Mt Hagen Fully escorted sign-up soft adventure tour, group size minimum 6 maximum 8 TOUR DATES: TUE13MAR-MON26MAR TUE01MAY-MON14MAY TUE06NOV-MON19NOV This escorted small group tour explores the Sepik River, its lakes and tributaries between Pagwi and Karawari, travelling in local style motorised canoes and sleeping in basic village huts en route. The expedition culminates in a Dr Livingstone-style arrival at the award winning three star wilderness lodge at Karawari which is normally accessed by air - it is quite unusual to see a group of tourists arriving so far up the Karawari River by longboat. As there are no telephones in the Blackwater Lakes and Karawari River areas it is not possible to pre-warn villagers of the expedition’s impending arrival, which provides for spontaneous, un-staged interactions with local people living along the riverbanks and within the Blackwater Lakes. There will be opportunities to buy splendid samples of Sepik artifacts direct from village artisans in tributary areas well away from the picked-over tourist villages along the Sepik’s “main drag”. The tour also features village stays at Madang and Kairiru Island near Wewak which offer contrasting cultural immersion experiences, and one night at a verdant nature lodge near Mt Hagen. TOUR COST: PGK 18,500 per person (twin-share, includes domestic flights and most meals) Single supplement is +20% See the bottom of our website home page for conversion rates to AUD, USD and EUR. To download the full, detailed itinerary for EM211 with list of tour inclusions and trip notes, click here (Adobe Acrobat PDF format, opens in a new window) ITINERARY:
Urban Motuan village on stilts, Port Moresby Ponderosa Family Hotel 3 star room	DAY 1: TUESDAY PORT MORESBY Arrive in Port Moresby on your flight from Singapore or Australia. Ecotourism Melanesia staff will meet you on arrival (holding a sign with your name) and transfer you to your hotel for check-in and rest. The program today (and on Day 14) will be informal sightseeing around Port Moresby which may include a drive around the city, a visit to the museum and parliament house (if open), a walk through the botanical gardens and a stop at the PNG Art artifacts warehouse, depending on what time of the day you arrive and how tired you are. Depending on your flight departure time on Day 14 we may be able to show you some more city attractions on the last day. Our tour guide will try to accommodate everybody’s preferences. A complimentary packed lunch is provided on board the tour bus. 19:00 Dinner and tour briefing at the Ponderosa Family Hotel dining room. Overnight Ponderosa Family Hotel (3 star air-conditioned room, twin share)
Madang markets Barum village sing-sing	DAY 2: WEDNESDAY PORT MORESBY / MADANG (village stay) 07:00 Group breakfast at Ponderosa Family Hotel (included) 08:00 Check out and depart hotel by shuttle bus to Port Moresby airport to catch the morning flight to Madang. 10:00 Air Niugini flight PX910 departs Port Moresby for Madang (aircraft: Dash 8 – Q400 with 70 seats) 11:15 On arrival in Madang we transfer by bus to the Madang Resort Hotel for lunch followed by a brief sightseeing tour of Madang town then a 90 minute drive up the Gogol River valley (locally known as “The Trans Gogol”) to the village of Barum where we will spend the next two nights. On arrival at the village the local people will welcome us with a traditional sing-sing and drama performance and take us on a familiarisation tour of the village before we settle into the village guest house for the night. A local-style dinner is prepared with foods dry roasted under hot river stones either wrapped in banana leaves or stuffed into giant bamboo stalks. Overnight Barum village, Madang (basic village guest house, includes local style meals)
Barum village riverside banana gardens	DAY 3: THURSDAY MADANG (village stay) Today we spend a full day immersed in the daily activities of the village, with opportunities to visit and observe the village school, village health aid post, men and women at work in the gardens, women preparing food, menfolk tending cash crops like tobacco, and possibly some fishing in the river or hunting for wallaby or cuscus (yes unfortunately the cute furry animals of the rainforest often under up on the dinner table here). There will also be an opportunity to take a nature walk in the forest with villagers as guides, swim in the river and shower under a waterfall. Overnight Barum village, Madang (basic village guest house, includes local style meals)
Barum village kids	DAY 4: FRIDAY MADANG / WEWAK We spend the morning at the village – by now the village people will have warmed up to us and there will be much better opportunities for personal interaction and candid photography. At noon we will have a final lunch with the village people then at 13:00 we depart Barum village for the 90 minute drive to Madang airport. 15:00 Check in at Madang airport 16:55 Air Niugini flight PX126 departs Madang for Wewak (aircraft: Fokker F100 with 98 seats) 17:35 On arrival in Wewak we will transfer by hotel shuttle bus to our overnight accommodation. Overnight Windjammer Beach Hotel, Wewak (3 star twin share rooms, includes set-menu dinner and breakfast
Beautiful Muschu Island Cultural performance, Kairiru Island	DAY 5: SATURDAY WEWAK / KAIRIRU ISLAND 08:00 Depart Windjammer Beach by open speed boat for Muschu Island (30 min) to spend the morning enjoying the beach and light rainforest on this large flat coral island. Swimming, snorkelling, beach combing, walking through coconut plantations and a local style lunch at the Sup village guest house are all included. 13:00 Depart Muschu Island and continue 45 minutes further by boat to Shagur village on the north side of mountainous Kairiru Island. 14:00 On arrival at Shagur village we will be treated to a traditional welcome with warrior challenge, flowers, dancers and drums. 15:00 Village tour and hike to waterfall, rainforest walk, climb to Japanese observation point, visit gardens, see locals making handicrafts, repairing houses, handling fishing catches 19:00 Dinner – fish and vegetables dry roasted under hot stones – followed by a cultural program by lamp light and bonfire light – traditional dances, songs and drama, said by some visitors to be the best village cultural performance in PNG. Overnight village guest house, Kairiru Island (2 star twin share accommodation, includes local style meals)
Village guest house, Kairiru Island Victoria Bay hot springs, Kairiru Island	DAY 6: SUNDAY KAIRIRU ISLAND / WEWAK This morning after breakfast we have the option to attend a village church service (Catholic tradition) before departing on a scenic hike around the eastern coast of Kairiru Island to the hot springs at Victoria Bay. The hike is quite challenging, following the undulating coastal path along cliff tops and through sections of rainforest. There are blow holes in the cliffs that will spray water beneath us if the waves are right. It’s a very pretty hike with much coastal ocean scenery and verdant light rainforest. At one point we will be “up lifted” by our speed boat across a difficult section of the walk. By early afternoon we arrive at beautiful Victoria Bay where a picnic lunch is served under the shady trees growing along the beach. Enjoy a swim in the bay where cool sea waters mix with hot spring water that gurgles out of rocks on the beach and drains into the bay. 14:00 Depart Victoria Bay for Wewak, alighting on Windjammer Beach and checking back into the same hotel in time for sundowners at the patio bar. Overnight Windjammer Beach Hotel, Wewak (3 star twin share rooms, includes set-menu dinner and breakfast
Men's spirit house (Haus Tambaran), Kanganaman village Kanganaman village guest house	DAY 7: MONDAY WEWAK / SEPIK RIVER (MIDDLE SEPIK) 07:00 Breakfast and check out of the hotel. 08:00 We board our mini bus and commence our 4-hour drive from Wewak to Pagwi, our jumping off point on the Sepik River. The road from Wewak to Pagwi is bitumen sealed most of the way and quite a pleasant journey. First we climb steep winding curves from the steamy coastal strip to the cool forests of the undulating Prince Alexander Range. Two hours into the trip we will stop at a roadside market where you can buy tropical fruits, cooked vegetables and delicious green coconuts to snack on (pay as you go). Back on the road, we 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, we pass through a number of villages before arriving at Pagwi mission station on the Middle Sepik by midday. At Pagwi we transfer to our waiting motor canoes (4 passengers plus crew to each canoe) and head down-river approximately two hours to Kanganaman village where fresh fruit, dried fish and cooked sago will be awaiting us for late lunch. The main attraction at Kanganaman is the huge spirit house, the largest on the Sepik. A local guide will introduce us to the spirit house and its purpose, and allow us to take a look inside where artifacts hang from the walls and ceiling. In the evening we will sit around the men’s spirit house and hear the elders recount tribal legends and play their bamboo flutes and “garamut” log drums. Overnight village guest house, Kanganaman (includes meals).
Smoked fish - a staple food on the Sepik Middle Sepik crocodile dance	DAY 8: TUESDAY SEPIK RIVER (MIDDLE SEPIK) This morning our local guide will show us more of the Middle Sepik tradition of “crocodile cult”. TOUR NOTE: 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. After lunch we will head off further downstream to another Middle Sepik village, Kaminabit, where we will be welcomed with a colourful Sepik sing-sing. Here at Kaminabit there is an excellent village carver’s hut with a wide range of Sepik carvings and woven crafts at very good prices. In the late afternoon we will observe a demonstration of sago being extracted from the pith of sago palms, and learn different ways to cook sago and even the sago grubs which are very similar to the “witchetty” grubs consumed by Australian aborigines. Overnight village guest house, Kaminabit (includes meals).
Traversing the Sepik river system by motor canoe	DAY 9: WEDNESDAY SEPIK RIVER (MIDDLE SEPIK / BLACKWATER LAKES) 07:00 Depart Kaminabit by motor canoe and head downstream 1 hour to the confluence of the Sepik and Korosameri rivers. Turn right up the Korosameri and proceed 3 hours upstream to a channel leading into the Blackwater Lakes. One of the first stilt villages we come to is Sangriman where we will spend the night. 12:00 Lunch at Sangriman village 13:00 Spend the afternoon touring Sangriman and nearby Blackwater villages. This is a seldom-visited part of the Sepik Basin and your visit here will be a cause of excitement among the villagers. Overnight village huts, Sangriman village (includes meals)
Children in canoes - Blackwater Lakes stilt houses	DAY 10: THURSDAY SEPIK RIVER ( BLACKWATER LAKES) A full day exploring the Blackwater Lakes villages, their culture and arts. Overnight village huts, Sangriman village (includes meals)
Riverbank village	DAY 11: FRIDAY SEPIK RIVER (BLACKWATER LAKES / KARAWARI RIVER) 06:00 Depart Sangriman for the long canoe trip up the Karawari River to Karawari Lodge (two hours downstream to the confluence of the Korosameri and Karawari Rivers then four hours up the convoluted Karawari, including some village stops). 12:00 Arrive at the Karawari Lodge jetty, farewell your boat crew and Sepik guide then transfer by Lodge vehicle up to the Lodge which is situated on a ridge overlooking the river. Check into rooms. 13:00 Late lunch at Karawari Lodge. 14:00 Afternoon excursion provided by Karawari Lodge to a typical Karawari River village. Overnight Karawari Lodge (includes meals)
Charter flight to Mt Hagen (PAC750 9 seater) The chief of Paiya village and his three wives	DAY 12: SATURDAY SEPIK RIVER / MT HAGEN 09:00 Depart Karawari airstrip by light aircraft for Mt Hagen. 10:00 On arrival in Mt Hagen, we take a drive-around tour around the city including a stop at the huge produce market, then continue a very scenic drive with photo stops out the Nebilyer Valley to Magic Mountain, a small mountain that is so-named because (apparently) it looks the same regardless of the angle from which it is viewed. 13:00 Check in at Magic Mountain Nature Lodge in time for lunch. In the afternoon we walk or drive a short distance to Paiyakona (Paiya) cultural village and see the ancestors skull house and men’s culture house, meet the chief and his three wives and see a demonstration of wig making. From Paiya we will take a two hour nature hike downhill through the forested valley to the waterfall where we will be picked up by a vehicle for the drive back up to the lodge. We should have a clear view of the mountain summit from the lodge until around 5pm when the mountain and the lodge will be enveloped in mist. Then we will bunker down in our cosy cottages and limit our exploration to the native plant gardens around the lodge which feature many varieties of orchids, ferns, colourful funghi, lichens and mosses. Overnight Magic Mountain Nature Lodge (2.5 star twin en-suite bungalows, includes meals)
Paiya village near Mt Hagen Raggiana bird of paradise - common around Mt Hagen	DAY 13: SUNDAY MT HAGEN / PORT MORESBY 05:00 Optional early morning bird watching excursion for the VERY keen. 07:00 Breakfast at the lodge. 08:00 This morning a nature hike is arranged to a forested area where we should be able to view native fauna in the wild. The raucous Raggiana bird of paradise is common in this area and they are often quite active in their nesting areas, jumping from branch to branch and are not easily startled by human onlookers. Other animals endemic to this area are the cuscus, tree kangaroo, flying fox and various species of possum, lizard and anteater. Walking time is aimed to be 3 to 4 hours but we can split the group and offer an alternative excursion with less walking, on request (ie operate one longer walk and one shorted walk). 13:00 Lunch at the lodge. 14:00 Depart Magic Mountain Nature Lodge for the 90 minute drive to Mt Hagen airport 15:30 Check in at Mt Hagen airport 16:55 Air Niugini flight PX183 departs Mt Hagen for Port Moresby (aircraft: Dash 8 – Q400 with 70 seats) 18:05 On arrival in Port Moresby we transfer to the Ponderosa Family Hotel to check in and get changed then we drive 5 minutes to the nearby Gateway Hotel for a farewell buffet dinner (included)
Parliament House, Port Moresby Bomana War Cemetery, Port Moresby	DAY 14: MONDAY PORT MORESBY / FLY OUT Today is departure day and the tour group members will fly out on various flights to Australia and Asia. Breakfast today is the last meal included in the tour package but we will also be happy to provide a complimentary packed lunch at the airport for anybody waiting for an afternoon flight. Catering at the airport is not very appealing. If time allows before your flight we will be happy to take you for some additional sightseeing or souvenir shopping around Port Moresby. Some suggestions: - the national museum (mainly cultural displays and takes about 1 hour to look through) if you missed it on Day 1 - the PNG Art artifact warehouse which has the largest range of artifacts, arts and crafts from all over the country. They will fumigate, pack and ship your goods overseas so you can avoid carrying stuff with you on the plane if you wish. - the rare books section of the University bookshop which has several cabinets of out-of-print goodies scoured from the internet including Papua New Guinea biology, anthropology, ethnomusicology, geology, sociology and modern history. Mainly in English but some German and French texts. Expect to pay USD70-200 per out-of-print volume. - the Port Moresby botanical gardens (adjacent to the university) which also has a small zoo with native PNG animals and a walk-through aviary with several species of bird of paradise - the Bomana War Cemetery which is mainly of interest to Australians. Almost 3400 graves of mainly Australian servicemen killed in action in World War 2, including 600 on the infamous Kokoda Track TOUR ENDS
To download the full, detailed itinerary for EM211 with list of tour inclusions and trip notes, click here (Adobe Acrobat PDF format, opens in a new window) ECOTOURISM MELANESIA LTD - HOME