Sepik River
Papua New Guinea · East Sepik · 30 m
Description
The Sepik is the largest river in New Guinea and runs eleven hundred kilometres without a single bridge or road along it, which has kept the villages on its banks reachable only by canoe. Its carving tradition is regarded as the finest in the Pacific, and each village works in a recognisable style. Spirit houses called “haus tambaran” stand on stilts above the settlements, their gables carved and painted with clan faces, and men are still initiated inside them with crocodile scarring cut into their backs. Travel here is measured in days on the water rather than in kilometres.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 3 to 10 days (optimal 5 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: May – October
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Haus tambaran spirit houses
- Canoe journey between the river villages(Multi-day trip)
- Sepik carving and the village workshops
- Crocodile scarification initiation
- Chambri lakes and the floating grass islands
- Karawari tributary and its limestone caves
- Village stays on stilts above the water
- Birdwatching in the river swamps
- Sago processing and river cooking
- Crocodile festival at Ambunti (August)