Sepik River & Crocodile Festival Package (August 1)

A boat navigates through a narrow river channel bordered by lush green vegetation under a cloudy sky, likely on the Sepik River.

Here's a description of the image within the character limit:An aerial view of a winding, muddy river cutting through a dense, green rainforest, with clouds partially obscuring the scene.

A man with scarification on his back stands in a canoe, facing a traditional, thatched-roof spirit house in a lush, tropical setting.

Here's a description of the image:An aerial shot of a meandering Sepik River cutting through a lush, green rainforest.

A group of men in traditional attire, including body paint, feathered headdresses, and grass skirts, are in canoes on a river, possibly participating in a festival, holding spears and a large, decorated board.

A person is paddling a small canoe on a calm river, with misty hills in the background.

Here's a description of the image:A young boy stands in a dugout canoe on the Sepik River, using a long pole as a paddle, with foliage around his waist and the riverbank in the background.

A group of children, likely in Papua New Guinea, are dressed in traditional attire with painted faces and grass skirts, standing in a field, possibly for a cultural event related to the Sepik River or Crocodile Festival.

Certainly! Here is a description of the image within the character limit:A man dressed in ceremonial attire sits in front of a large, elaborate wooden mask, likely a part of the Sepik River Crocodile Festival.

A stilt house with a thatched roof stands in a grassy area, surrounded by lush tropical vegetation, with palm trees visible in the background.

Close-up of a person's back showing traditional scarification patterns, including raised bumps and a star-shaped design, which may be related to rituals or cultural identity along the Sepik River.

Duration: 7 Days (approx.)
Location: Wewak
Product code: crocfestpngvt

Sepik River and Crocodile Festival Package

Sepik River Ritual & Crocodile Festival 2020 Value Package (August 5th - August 7th)

(Dates NOT flexible. Please book early! First come first served basis!)

DAY 1 August 3rd: PORT MORESBY – WEWAK

Today upon arrival in Wewak, you will be met by our representative at the airport and then transfer to the hotel. Here you will discuss with your guide what to expect the following day before departing for rest.

Meals not included today.

DAY 2 August 4th: WEWAK - AMBUTI

From the hotel this morning you will depart and make your way to Pagwi in a 4 wheel drive. At Pagwi, you will transfer by motor canoe to Ambunti. Along the way you will stop at Avatip village - this is the biggest village along the Sepik River. Enjoy the chance to stretch yout legs and experience a bit of the local life before we depart for Ambunti. once you arrive in Ambunit you will check into the guesthouse for the evening.

Accommodation, lunch, and dinner included today.

DAY 3 August 5th: AMBUNTI - MALUEI

Today is the first day of the crocodile festival, enjoy the morning at the festival grounds, after lunch, we will board our motorized canoe and travel to visit the Maluei culture and spirit house.

Late this afternoon, you will return back to Ambunti to your guesthouse for the night.

Accommodation, lunch, and dinner included today.

DAY 4 August 6th: AMBUNTI - WAGU LAKE

This morning will be an early one as you will depart early for a chance to see the Birds of Paradise at Wagu lake, the best time to see the birds of paradise is in the early morning. After the small trek this morning you will return to the guest house to enjoy breakfast before departing for the crocodile festival for day two. The entire day will be spent at the crocodile grounds today. Later this afternoon you will return to the guesthouse for the night.

Accommodation, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included today.

DAY5 August 7th: AMBUNTI - PAWGI

Today is our last day at the festival, we enjoy a half-day here and as speeches and closing preparation get underway, we will depart for Pagwi by canoe. Once we arrive back at Pawgi, you will transfer by 4wd to Wewak. The drive today will be about 4 hours. Upon arrival, you will check-in the hotel for the night.

Accommodation, breakfast, and lunch included today. Dinner at your own cost.

DAY 6 August 8th: DEPART WEWAK

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight out either to Port Moresby or to Mt Hagen.

**If you would like us to coordinate your accommodation in Port Moresby on either end of your trip, do not hesitate to ask!

IMPORTANT: This tour involves climbing in and out of motor canoes, sometimes walking through mud, some scrambling up riverbanks, and sleeping in basic huts without electricity several nights in a row so some physical agility and mental resilience is required. The guest house is powered by diesel generators producing lights and chances of charges mobile phones or cameras.

Included:

Transfers as listed within the itinerary
Meals as listed within the itinerary
Accommodation as listed
Guide feels
Bottled water throughout Sepik Tour
Festival Fees
Tours as listed within the itinerary

Excluded:

Travel/medical insurance
Flights (domestic/international)
Meals and accommodation not included in the itinerary
Visas
Personal items such as sunscreen, insect repellant, umbrellas, souvenirs, etc

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Reviews

4.7/5 - (6 votes)

“Hi, Jasmine.Here are a few of my favorite moments...and my photos (public Facebook albums)Hogave, Lufa

Day 1: I am warmly greeted by David Kima, who recounts the story and conservation movement of Hogave. We arrive in the middle of the local village mourning of a recently deceased member, a very rare and local experience, totally unplanned. After 3 hours of very rocky road driving, I arrive at the Hogave Conservation Centre welcomed by two villagers who performed a traditional wind instrument that very few locals can play, and incredibly, I become only the second (or third) tourist ever to stay here.
Day 2: I trek through a truly "virgin" rain forest, one of very few remaining in the world (Congo, Amazon, and PNG), guided by three locals bushwhacking the way with machetes, climb a very wild and steep mountain side equivalent of 200 floors (according to my iPhone) to become the first tourist to reach the top of Mt. Michael. (The way down in the pouring rain was our least favorite moment.) As someone who has summited Mt. Kilimanjaro, I can truthfully say this was a much more challenging level of difficulty - There the most I've climbed in one day was 134 floors, 3-4 hours max, with a different day dedicated to a descent, but in Michael, it was 200 floor, up and down in one day, for 10-12 hours, with far steeper and unpaved paths without camps. This hike/trek is only for the fittest of the fit!
Day 3: I become the first tourist to visit and stay overnight at Hogave Village, an isolated and remote hour-and-a-half walk from HCC, and join the villagers in peeling potatoes and taro, preparing, and eating mumu. I stay overnight with David (another David) and his family.
Day 4: I join the villagers gathered to enjoy a traditional hunting performance
Day 5: I get cellular reception for the first time since I arrive in PNG and get to upload and share my first batch of photos with my friends. https://www.facebook.com/grace.forker.7/media_set?set=a.837672754956.1073741876.3501655&type=3

Rabaul/Kokopo

Day 1: I ride a local bus (!) with my guide Pauline Puipui to Ratavul where I visit to stay with her family. I visit the local beach, listen to the stories of Pauline's parents, and join them for dinner which is mumu with the biggest giant claims I've ever seen in my life! I stay overnight at an authentic hut and bed made of woven coconut leaves.
Day 2: I try weaving coconut leaves, scraping coconuts, etc. in preparing mumu that we enjoy with the family and neighbors, then string together local currency of shells. https://www.facebook.com/grace.forker.7/media_set?set=a.836154502546.1073741875.3501655&type=3
Day 3: I am amazed by the first day of Mask Festival with the early morning Kinavai and nighttime Baining Fire Dance. https://www.facebook.com/grace.forker.7/media_set?set=a.837870833006.1073741880.3501655&type=3 In between during the day, I snorkel and sail with dolphins on the way to/from Duke of York Islands where I explore and picnic at the beach. https://www.facebook.com/grace.forker.7/media_set?set=a.836148634306.1073741874.3501655&type=3
Days 4-5: More amazing moments at the Festival
Day 6: I climb to the top Mt Tavurvur volcano and explore Rabaul, including the Japanese bunker and barge tunnels, and Rabaul Museum/Rabaul Hotel. What a history! https://www.facebook.com/grace.forker.7/media_set?set=a.837875388876.1073741881.3501655&type=3

I hope this is helpful. Please feel free to contact me if I can add more information for future visitors.Thank you for the one-of-a-kind memories!"

-Grace Forker, Comprehensive Multi-Destination PNG Expedition

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Last-Minute Goroka Show Package - Budget

Itinerary:

Day 1:Friday, September 19

Upon arrival in Goroka, you will be picked up from the airport and transferred to your guesthouse. Enjoy dinner and settle in for your first night in preparation for the festival.

Day 2: Saturday, September 20

Begin your first full day at the Goroka Show with VIP access and your guide. Experience the vibrant traditional dances, colorful costumes, and cultural performances. A packed lunch will be provided to take along, and you will return to your guesthouse in the afternoon.

Day 3: Sunday, September 21

Spend your second day at the festival exploring more performances and traditional displays. Visit the John McCarthy Museum within the festival grounds while enjoying VIP entry and the guidance of your expert host. A packed lunch is included, and you will return to your guesthouse in the afternoon.

Day 4: Monday, September 22

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Goroka Airport for your departure. (Overnight accommodation in Port Moresby is not included.)

Included:

This package includes three nights of basic accommodation in Goroka, VIP passes to the Goroka Show, expert guides throughout the festival, and transfers to and from the Showgrounds.

Not Included:

This package does not include domestic or international flights, accommodation in Port Moresby, meals and drinks outside of the included dinner and breakfast, medical, cancellation, or travel insurance, or tips.

**2025

SAFETY NOTICE

PLEASE READ, ALL OF THIS, THEN PROCEED:

Welcome to Papua New Guinea from the team at PNGVT. Here we use expert guides who grew up in each respective region of the island we offer trips in, both local and international staff, who have all guided for decades, including for government, PNG National Tourism, celebrities, companies, cruise ships, families and businessmen, miners and divers, as well as solo travelers. We have run trips in every region of PNG each year, including some that no other company can. But...

That is because PNG is one of the most difficult, and one of the most expensive countries, on earth. This is unique and this is probably the last country you should visit on your list, because it will really not be easy. This is the final frontier. The trip prices here are the minimum viable cost of the tour with a guide and organization. (PNG is NOT a safe place for independent travelers except for a few places)

We realize if you are interested in PNG you may consider yourself adventurous or well-traveled, or smart and knowledgable about how to do any trip. This is ok, and respect due and many of us here share those values - However if you are looking for a tour operator you can use to spend as little as possible, feel entitled to foist your whims on the guide or staff and use them, or to change your tour at will on the fly, we kindly request you consider a different country. If you were shopping to get a Southeast-Asia, African Safari, or backpacker-priced package trip...where everything goes exactly to an itinerary, without flexibility, then we and PNG are probably not for you.

PLEASE READ and re-read the briefing room. Do you understand the rules and terms and conditions? (https://pngvaluetours.com/briefing-room/)

OUR TOURS ARE THE CHEAPEST TOURS ON EARTH, IN NATION, AND IN THE WORLD, FOR PNG. PERIOD.

Try to calculate and plan this trip out for yourself before you ask for any discounts. The prices here are final, do not need a group to go, and do not have set dates (You can go any date you want and tours are private tours!) Sorry but we will not entertain versions of these trips you have heard on Lonely Planet Thorntree or TripAdvisor . Any traveler is free to attempt this destination on their own, and we wish them luck.

Also, beware of a lot of blacklisted resellers as well as fake competitors selling their own tours on forums pretending to be "travel community" that are more expensive competing tour companies, such as "PNG Travel Geek," "TravelatiPNG," "PNGTourismGovOfficials" and other fake aliases on forums - spamming the web and us. There is a lot of mis and disinformation about PNG. Such as here.

We do have some comfortable, relaxing, even some luxury trips on the coasts and in the dive spots that are not in the interior, mostly, where we can get great discounts, but FOR STANDARD PRICED, RATHER THAN BUDGET-PRICE TRIPS IN PNG, PLEASE VISIT TNT - www.pngtours.com (not www.pngvaluetours.com - we are NOT the same company.) TNT (transniugini tours) under PNG National Tourism is recommended, and do a good job.)

We apologize for the screening process here, but it is for your own sake and since we have already had dangerous clients (usually solo travelers in these cases) who have caused problems here for themselves and their guides by not reading what they are doing, where they are going, and the rules, and being dishonest to get discounts or compensation for their own changes or choices, or general intent. You are welcome if you follow the rules and understand where you are going. We would rather you not travel with us if you are going to be an reckless, entitled, or don't do your homework. This is important - Thanks for your understanding.

This will be one of your favorite countries by the time you depart. We do commit that to you, regardless of how many you saw on the map, and if you are serious, please first decide on a trip with us, and then we may have somebody in PNG in that region speak to you on the phone and make sure you are prepared to go.

Thanks from the entire team, and...

Welcome to Papua New Guinea!!!!

“You were quick as I was about to email you myself with information regarding my tour last Saturday Chris.On a good point I get your message - Your guide Florence Bunari was outstanding.Florence was an amazing source of valuable information, and we laughed a bit at my wish list of things to find. The driver and the other guy in the van were also great. Helpful and smiling all through the tour.The War Cemetery was so special and peaceful. We did see from the outside the Parliament House.By far my favourite place was the wonderful Port Moresby Nature Park (they have recently changed its’name). Plants, flowers, animals - absolutely terrific.The security is such a sad part of life in Port Moresby and the scary prices of EVERYTHING, guarantee ones stay will be brief ! I am presuming that this huge security staffing makes all things so massively expensive. I can’t see any other reason why the prices are sky high !It certainly will put visitors off from exploring Port Moresby and I wasn’t aware of seeing any tourists at all in my stay. Everyone I spoke to were there on business. PNG value tourism is therefore so so needed!While I will discuss should anyone enquire, what my trip was like, Please give my best wishes to Florence and as a big traveller ( I have been to 55 countries ) Africa, India, Myanmar , Indonesia, Solomon Islands, etc etc wont bore you - Florence was the best tour person I have ever had. A nice person, educated and I admire her for actually walking the Kokoda Track - sadly I think I’m a bit too old although fit, to do it myself. My days of backpacking are now over.Thank you for organising the tour."

-Richard Bitot, Port Moresby and Jackson Field Culture and history tour, UK