Ambunti Crocodile Festival
7 Days Starting and ending in Wewak, Papua New Guinea
Visiting: Wewak, Ambunti, Sepik River, Middle Sepik
Tour operator:
Tour code:
2599
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Special diets catered:
Vegetarians
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
Tour Overview
- Enjoy the fascinating lifestyle and culture of remote communities in the Sepik River
- Experience the Ambunti Crocodile Festival
- Witness initiation ceremonies and spirit houses
- Explore traditional villages and exceptional bird life
- Engage with communities only accessible by canoe
A cultural and environmental celebration, the Sepik River Crocodile Festival takes place over three days in August, highlighting the importance of the crocodile and its cultural significance amongst Sepik River communities.
In the Sepik culture, man and crocodile share a special bond, as the crocodile symbolises strength, power and manhood. This festival features live crocodile encounters, traditional dancing, colourful costumes and visits the sacred spirit houses where men undergo intensive initiation rituals.
The Sepik River hosts some of the world’s largest saltwater and freshwater crocodile population’s and the richness of life in this area is celebrated during the WWF supported festival. This is your opportunity to witness this region of Papua New Guinea, where humanity has frozen in time.
**Please note single supplements are only possible in Wewak**
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive Wewak
Location: Wewak
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Wewak Hotel or similar.
Meals Included: Dinner
Welcome to Papua New Guinea and the town of Wewak, the capital of the East Sepik Province. Feel free to arrive anytime today. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel.
This evening you will enjoy a welcome dinner which will give you a chance to meet your fellow travellers.
Meals
Dinner
Accommodation
Wewak Hotel (or similar)
Services
Private airport transfer
Day 2 - Ambunti
Location: Ambunti
Accommodation: Lodge, Lodge
Accommodation Name: Local village huts (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
This morning you will depart Wewak by 4WD vehicle, and drive to Pagwi, a village located on the Sepik River. Upon arrival in Pagwi, your transport will change from vehicle to motorized canoe. For the next five days, you will use this mode of transport as you continue deeper into the Sepik and explore the surrounding villages. Motorised canoes are open to the elements, so you are encouraged to bring an umbrella for shade, and a cushion to sit on.
Sepik River
The main Sepik River can become monotonous meandering through floating logs and floating islands as you travel to Ambunti. In the evening the river will rupture into a vast environment of herons, cormorants, wild ducks, egrets, kites and over a thousand other species of water birds.
Upon arrival you will check into your lodge.
Half day tour to Remote Communities in Eastern Sepik
Enjoy a half-day tour to the remote communities of Meno, Tongijamp Yesan, and Mayo in the Eastern Sepik. These communities only recently began interacting with the outside world, offering a fascinating lifestyle and culture for you to discover.
Evening Crocodile Spotting
This evening you will have the chance to go crocodile spotting on the river.
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Local village huts (or similar)
Services
Half day tour to Remote Communities in Eastern Sepik
Evening Crocodile spotting
Private transport by vehicle and motorised canoe
Day 3 - Sepik River Crocodile Festival
Location: Ambunti
Accommodation: Lodge, LodgeLodgeLodge
Accommodation Name: Local village huts (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today you will have a full day to experience the Crocodile Festival.
Wagu Lake
Start off with an early morning trip to Wagu Lake where you will have the opportunity to witness the bird of paradise. The bird watching in Papua New Guinea is unlike anywhere else in the world, and the best time to see and hear this spectacle is between 5.30 – 6.30am.
Sepik River Crocodile Festival
You will return to Ambunti where you will witness the locals display their unique cultures of the mighty Sepik River in competition with each other to show their superiority among their tribal clans. Learn about the ancient traditions as your guide explains the day’s activities and get up close with the locals, sing-sing groups and crocodile Spirit dancers.
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Local village huts (or similar)
Services
Wagu Lake Visit
Sepik River Crocodile Festival
Private transport by motorised canoe
Day 4 - Sepik River Crocodile Festival
Location: Sepik River
Accommodation: Lodge
Accommodation Name: Local village huts (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Sepik River Crocodile Festival
After breakfast you will transfer to the Crocodile Festival where you will enjoy the festival until noon.
Traditional Village Visit
Visit the traditional villages Malu and Avative. Both are known for their fishing and unique burial grounds.
In the evening, return to your lodge.
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Local village huts (or similar)
Services
Sepik Crocodile Festival
Traditional Village Visit
Private transport by motorised canoe
Day 5 - Sepik River Crocodile Festival
Location: Sepik River
Accommodation: Lodge
Accommodation Name: Local village huts (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Crocodile Festival
Enjoy a full day at the festival where you may witness a series of fun dugout canoe races, and sing-sing groups from different villages trying to outdo one another in decorative display, using the power of the dance and in sheer good-natured exuberance.
Haus Tambaran (Spirit House) Visit
You may have the opportunity to visit the haus tambaran or ‘spirit house’ is – as the name implies it is the home of the spirits; of ancestors, progenitors, crocodiles and other animals. Upstairs in these houses, carvers and other artisans sit quietly next to their creations – an astonishing array of figurines
half-bird, half-mammal; or half-human, part-animal and so forth. (Women require permission to enter the spirit houses).
Return to your accommodation in the evening.
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Local village huts (or similar)
Services
Sepik River Crocodile Festival
Haus Tambaran (Spirit House) Visit
Private transport by motorised canoe
Day 6 - Middle Sepik
Location: Middle Sepik
Accommodation: Hotel, LodgeLodge
Accommodation Name: Wewak Hotel or similar.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Middle Sepik Full Day Excursion
Today following breakfast, it is a full day to the Middle Sepik by motorised canoe. You will visit Palimbe, Yenchan and Kanganamun. These villages have stood firm against the invasion of Christianity. They still have their Haus Tamarans and practice their customs including the initiation and scarification on young boys that depict the crocodile as a symbol of power and strength. The villages are also famous artists and they make carvings with the heads of birds.
Return to Pagwi this afternoon where you will meet your vehicle and transfer back to Wewak.
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Wewak Hotel (or similar)
Services
Middle Sepik Full Day Excursion
Private transport by vehicle and motorised canoe
Day 7 - Departure
Location: Wewak
Meals Included: Breakfast
The day is yours until it is time to transfer to the airport for your flight back to Port Moresby (flight not included)
Meals
Breakfast
Services
Airport transfer
What's Included
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Meet and greet service on arrival in Wewak
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6 nights accommodation
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6 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches, 5 Dinners
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English speaking local guide
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All activities as per itinerary
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Private transportation
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Entrance fees, sightseeing and permits
What's Not Included
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International and domestic flights
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Visas
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Travel and medical insurance
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All services, meals other than those indicated above
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Personal porters
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Any changes to the proposed and confirmed program.
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All items of a personal nature e.g. drinks, laundry, telephone calls, tips etc
Check out our Q&As
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What type of transportation is used during the Ambunti Crocodile Festival tour?
The tour uses private transportation, including 4WD vehicles and motorized canoes, to explore the remote communities and the Sepik River.
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What kind of accommodation can I expect on this tour?
You will stay at the Wewak Hotel and local village huts, providing a blend of comfort and authenticity, allowing you to immerse yourself in the local culture.
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What activities are included in the Sepik River Crocodile Festival?
The festival includes witnessing local cultures in competition, sing-sing groups, crocodile spirit dancers, and possibly visiting spirit houses. There are also fun activities like dugout canoe races.
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Will I have the opportunity to see wildlife during the tour?
Yes, you will have the chance to see a variety of bird species, including the bird of paradise at Wagu Lake, and you can go crocodile spotting on the Sepik River.
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Are meals included in the tour package?
Yes, the tour includes 6 breakfasts, 5 lunches, and 5 dinners.
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What cultural experiences are part of the tour?
The tour includes visits to remote communities, traditional villages, and the Sepik River Crocodile Festival, where you can engage with local cultures and witness initiation ceremonies and spirit houses.
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes. Focusing on providing authentic experiences where ever you are in the world, Crooked Compass has access to a vast array of accommodation styles. From boutique properties in larger cities to local guest houses and home stays within small villages. Crooked Compass ensures that local authenticity flows through your accommodation throughout your tour without compromising standard.
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What sort of transportation is used for your tours?
Transportation utilised on a Crooked Compass escorted small group tour is a combination of a private air conditioned vehicle and local transport where appropriate. This may include a local bus ride, use of the cities metro system, a domestic flight to another city or overnight train ride.
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Crooked Compass strives to be a leader in sustainable tourism. Crooked Compass is firmly committed to the principles of ethical travel. Our comprehensive Sustainable Tourism Practices policy summarises our commitments and actions. Although the very basis of our ground operations lends itself to the ethos of sustainable tourism, this policy re-iterates our commitment to: Use locally owned hotels Use locally owned ground agents Use local guides and drivers Promote community tourism projects from homestays to craft shops Support charities that work within the destinations that we travel to Carbon offset our travels
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Who runs your tours and are they experts in their fields?
Crooked Compass works with the worlds best operators who are specialists in their country, region and cities providing you with in depth local knowledge. We use local guides who live and breathe the areas they work in, making sure you experience their region, their way. We believe it is far better to have a local guide who knows a lot about a little than a text book trained Western tour guide who knows a little about a lot. Using local guides also ensures that money stays within local communities and supports the regions we visit.
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What can I expect from a Crooked Compass tour that I wouldn't get from travelling with an alternative company?
Crooked Compass provides a sensory way to understand the world – we help you live like a local, eat like a local, do what the locals do and seek the faces behind the places whilst discovering untouched lands and natural beauty. Crooked Compass tours delve deep into the heart and soul of a destination ensuring you get out of your journey all you intended and much, much more. Our intriguing itineraries have been created by travellers for travellers. Steering travellers to follow a different path, Crooked Compass’ itineraries allow you to experience the world’s most fascinating destinations in ways you never dreamed possible. It brings to life those ‘bucket list’ experiences you have yearned to do and separates the travellers from the tourists. Crooked Compass tours are culturally rich, reward travellers with unexpected encounters and uncommon rendezvous, creating truly unique, authentic travel experiences.
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Who do your tours cater for?
Crooked Compass escorted small group tours cater for those who are well travelled seeking the what’s next and what’s new. Our travellers are curious minded soft adventurers who want to uncover something more than the mainstream tourist trail. Crooked Compass tours draw travellers with an interest in sustainable tourism and conservation for the areas they visit. A Crooked Compass traveller is someone who is seeking something fresh and unique, who has a yearning for authenticity and discovery, with an appreciation for cultures, tradition and the natural world. We call them Cultural Purists.
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I am concerned about my impact on travelling through untouched regions. Can I offset?
Yes. All travellers on Crooked Compass tours have the option to offset their part of their tour’s carbon footprint by donating $4AUD (tax-deductible) at time of booking. 100% of these funds are donated to Greenfleet, an environmental non-profit organisation dedicated to protecting our climate by restoring our forests. By partnering with Greenfleet, we are confident that our carbon offset program provides genuine and lasting environmental benefits. Your offset donation funds plant trees and restore permanent native forests in Australia and New Zealand. As they grow, these forests provide many community and environmental benefits by absorbing carbon emissions, protecting our unique biodiversity, restoring habitat for native wildlife, preventing soil salinity and erosion, improving water quality and much more. If you’d like to find out more and offset the rest of your carbon emissions, visit www.greenfleet.org.au
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of crooked compass charges.
Up to 61 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.