Papua New Guinea Sepik River Crocodile Festival & East Sepik Province Tour

Saturday 1st August – Arrival in Port Moresby

• Arrive at your convenience into Port Moresby – the capital city of Papua New Guinea which is well connected with flights from Australia, Singapore, the Philippines and Hong Kong.
• Enjoy some lunch at your own convenience.
• Pre-tour meeting will be held at the lobby of our hotel at 3:00pm to discuss tour itinerary and to meet your fellow travellers and YPT guide.
• We’ll then head out to visit botanical park, and to the beachfront to take a photo in front of the Port Moresby sign.
• Dinner and drinks at the beautiful Yacht Club Waterfront.
• Overnight in Port Moresby.

Sunday 2nd August – Port Moresby – Wewak

Morning

• Leisurely breakfast in the hotel.
• Head to the airport for our departing flight at 11:15am arriving into Wewak at 12:35pm, overlooking the spectacular PNG landscape whilst in the air.

Afternoon

• Check into our hotel in Wewak and lunch on arrival
• Begin our afternoon city tour of Wewak by visiting the Father of the Nation Museum – commemorating the legacy of Papua New Guinea’s founding father, Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare. It serves as a tribute to his pivotal role in the country’s journey to independence, offering you a chance to reflect on his lasting influence.
• We’ll drive up to Mission Hill for breathtaking views over Wewak and its coastline, and to visit the Japanese WWII memorial. The memorial stands atop a former Imperial Japanese Army bunker, once used to spot incoming airstrikes from the Australian Air Force or ships from the US Navy.
• Visit the Holy Spirit Parish — also known as the prominent Catholic church on Wewak Hill. Established in 1971.
• Drive out to Cape Wom, located just west of Wewak on the Bismarck Sea. This site marks the place where Japanese Lieutenant General Hatazō Adachi formally surrendered to Australian forces on September 13, 1945 ending WWII operations in New Guinea. A memorial park lays here with leftover Japanese military weapons.
• Return to our hotel for dinner, drinks and overnight in Wewak

Monday 3rd August – Wewak – Pagwi – Ambunti

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel and begin our 4 hour drive from Wewak to Pagwi Station.
• Here we’ll board our local motorized long canoe designed specifically for the Mighty Sepik River. Our canoe can only take light luggage, so best to prepare accordingly for our stay out in the villages. Any large luggage can be left at the hotel in Wewak on our return.
• Boating from Pagwi to Ambunti upstream is one of the most scenic journeys in all of PNG, taking you deep into the heart of the country’s largest river system. As the long canoe winds downstream, you’ll pass traditional stilt villages, dense riverside jungle, and fishermen casting nets from dugout canoes. The trip offers glimpses of everyday life along the river and is a peaceful yet immersive way to experience the culture and landscapes of the Sepik. Takes approximately 4 hours. Time for a real adventure!

Afternoon

• Arrive in Ambunti, where the festival ground is located, and check into our guesthouse.
• Lunch and briefing for the festival starting next morning, so you know what to expect and bring.
• Hike up the mountain overlooking the village and the river for stunning sunset views
• Dinner and overnight in Ambunti Guest House.
• Please note the facilities of the guesthouse, shared toilet and shower facilities are very basic due to limitations of infrastructure in the village.

Tuesday 4th August – Sepik River Crocodile & Arts Festival in Ambunti: Day 1

Morning

• Breakfast at Village Guesthouse.
• Attend the opening ceremony of the festival.
• Experience traditional crocodile ceremonial performances and engage with local tribes. Being a sacred symbol in Sepik culture, the crocodile represents strength, resilience, and the spirit of the river. Sepik people have a deep spiritual and cultural connection to the crocodile (pukpuk in Tok Pisin).

Afternoon

• Lunch at the guest house
• Explore stalls featuring local artisans and their crafts. The festival is a platform to display intricate wood carvings, masks, and totems, each with its own story or spiritual meaning. Participate in workshops on traditional art forms.
• Dinner and overnight in Village Guesthouse in Ambunti

Wednesday 5th August – Sepik River Crocodile & Arts Festival in Ambunti: Day 2

Morning

• Breakfast at Village Guesthouse.
• Continue enjoying festival activities, including cultural dances and music performances, accompanied by chanting, drumming, and bamboo flutes. Dance movements often narrate myths, local legends, and historical events, providing a window into the oral traditions of the Sepik people.

Afternoon

• Lunch at the guest house
• Return to the festival for ongoing events
• Dinner and overnight in Village Guesthouse in Ambunti.

Thursday 6th August – Ambunti – Kanganamun

Morning

• Breakfast at Village Guesthouse.
• Board our private Sepik canoe and head downstream past Pagwi and onwards to Kanganamun village (takes approx. 5 hours)
• Kanganamun is our local partners home and so you’ll have special access to learn more about how the village functions and the significance this location has to the people

Afternoon

• Lunch on arrival at Kanganamun village
• Visit the two spirit houses of the village – these spirit houses towering over the village, are intricately carved buildings which serve as the cultural and spiritual heart of the village. Traditionally reserved for men, they are where elders pass down stories, initiate young men, and preserve sacred ancestral knowledge. One of the spirit houses is where the crocodile, eagle and pig clan meet. The other is for the cassowary. Both spirit houses offer unique masks which may be available to purchase.
• Dinner and overnight in Kanganamun. Please note the facilities of the guesthouse, shared toilet and shower facilities are very basic due to limitations of infrastructure in the village.

Friday 7th August – Kanganamun – Pagwi – Wewak

Morning

• Breakfast at the village
• Depart Kanganamun and travel on the motorized canoe back to Pagwi and return to Wewak by road on our private bus.

Afternoon

• Check back into our Wewak hotel and lunch on arrival
• One of the tour highlights apart from the festival is to take a private speed boat to the nearby coastal islands of both Mushu and Kairiru. Their white sand beaches are perfect for swimming, snorkelling, and sunbathing and ensure you bring home perfect postcard shots of untouched PNG paradise. On Kairiru we’ll pull up to a special spot where a natural hot spring is right on the beach and flows directly into the ocean providing a unique swimming experience for us.
• Return back to Wewak for dinner and overnight

Saturday 8th August – Wewak – Port Moresby

• Depart Wewak for Port Moresby on the 7:40am flight arriving at 9:00am (flight times to be confirmed)
• Tour concludes and YPT can arrange ongoing transport, optional tours of the area or advice on flights out.
• Optional: extend your stay to join the Mount Hagen Festival group