“Papua New Guinea 🇵🇬 ~Part 1 of 2 Our Expedition by Dugout Canoe on the Sepik River”
This expedition was spectacular on so many levels, and also the hardest adventure we have ever endured. My saying this, is not to discourage anybody from going, only to prepare you for roughing it!
“It’s Go-Time!”
We can hardly believe the time has come to pack up for our Papua New Guinea 🇵🇬 Expedition!
There have been a few ups and downs through the planning phases of this particular adventure, and unlike any other trip, this has many unknowns, due to the nature of the area, (all the way to the upper Sepik River) as well as the fact we are traveling where few foreigners travel
We leave with an open mind, and reasonable expectations. This was key to having the best experience you can possibly have
*We might have 4G on part of the river, but that may be a myth
*We may or may not have swarms of mosquito. Less would be better, but we are told there are mosquito nets for sleeping. A bed? We are hoping for at least a mattress on the floor
*There are still headhunters in the region we will be exploring, but the numbers have dwindled down, now to only ten percent
*The temperature during the day may be scorching, as we travel by dugout canoe for hours on end; traveling between six tribal villages. (hats and umbrella, indeed)
*Though we will not be eating the tribal meals (our guide cooks with oils and foods foreigners can handle much better); Crocodile meat WILL be on the menu
*We are told there will be enough generators along the way to keep our camera batteries charged (hope so)
*Our showers will be from a bucket, and/or being in the Sepik River. Given the river is teeming with crocodiles, we will take the bucket option.
*No clue what the privy situation will be, but we will cope
*We will be going Crocodile hunting at night, if we want
*There are more Crocodile 🐊 in the Sepik River per capita, than anyplace else in the world. (hands and feet inside the canoe at all times)
*While tribal woman are never allowed in the sacred “Spirit Houses” of each village, I will be able to enter; because I’m white. This is what I was told
*We are told there will be traditional cultural dances and ceremonies to watch, and photograph. We certainly hope so!
This is one of the few, last frontiers left in the world, and the only one, where tribal villages allow guests to stay over; for a price of course.
We will be a couple days traveling; in from the Philippines 🇵🇭 to Port Moresby, PNG, before arriving in the final town of Wewak, by the 9th of May. On the 10th, we begin our nine-day expedition!
*****
We lived in eight different tribal villages, with the tribes who live a very primitive lifestyle. It truly was like going back in time. Life has not changed in these parts in thousands of years! We were warmly welcomed at each village we entered. Families would generously give up their own huts to accommodate us. We slept on the floor with thin mats and a mosquito net over us. It was hot and miserable in that sense; 24/7, unless in the canoe, on the water. Lots of bugs, including swarms of mosquitoes, but once in awhile, we pay for fuel for a convenience of a generator to charge batteries. Food was sparse and both of us lost weight over the course of our visit to Papa New Guinea.
Yes, 25% of the tribes are still cannibals. We avoided those villages.
Since we created this travel website, after we completed our expedition, here are links to click on, to show the villages and tribes visited:
First Stop ~Upper Sepik River Wagu Lake Village ~Yambun Tribe:
Early morning canoe ride, then hike, to see the elusive Birds of Paradise:
Second Stop ~Upper Sepik River Tangujam Village ~Koma Tribe:
Spirit House:
Sing Sing Tribal Dance Custom:
Third Stop ~Middle Sepik River ~Kanganam Village ~Yatmul Tribe: 
Spirit House:
Fourth Stop ~Middle Sepik River ~Palimbi Village ~Yatmul Tribe
Spirit House 1:
Spirit House 2:
Fifth Stop ~Middle Sepik River ~Aibom Village ~Pottery-Making Yatmul Tribe
Sixth Stop ~Middle Sepik River at Chambri Lakes Village ~Andano Tribe:
Spirit House:
Sing Sing Tribal Custom:
Seventh Stop ~Lower Sepik River ~Gavamas Lake Village ~Kanda Tribe:
Totem Pole Spirit Grounds:
Sing Sing Tribal Dance Custom:
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About Us
About Us
Hello and Welcome to our Travel Blog Website, We enjoy writing about our experiences and taking photos of our adventuring along the way. Our names are: Daryl and Pen, but Daryl calls me “Bunny.” We met, quite randomly, whilst both… Read More