Want to experience the Last Frontier of Papua New Guinea where few foreign visitors have ventured?

If so, this adventure is for you.

The Sepik River is one of the richest areas in PNG for traditional culture, rainforests and carvings. The Upper Sepik is particularly renowned for its ancestral ‘Men’s Spirit Houses’ and the ‘Insect Culture’ Clan (Swagup Village) as opposed to further down the river in the Middle Sepik region with Iatmul people with their ‘Crocodile Clan Culture’. The villages we visit in the Upper Sepik region are remote and located in a less populated area. The Upper Sepik villages tend to be smaller communities and are further apart in location to each other village than in the Middle and Lower Sepik regions. Some can take a day of canoe travel to reach but still offer very welcoming village people.

Due to the remoteness of this part of the river, villagers will seldom be informed of your arrival beforehand so we send you with a complete survival kit including mosquito nets, basic food provisions and bedding together with a true sense of adventure into the unknown!

Our English-speaking guides are from the area and in knowing the region and village people well, are totally trustworthy and friendly.

For those wanting to see as much of the river life as possible and are interested in varied styles of Sepik carvings and artefacts we offer this ‘Drive in to Pagwi, Drive out from Angoram’ expedition.

Starting from Pagwi (Middle Sepik), you will travel by motorized dugout canoe down the flowing river stopping off at villages along the way until reaching Angoram.

This part of the Sepik River has villages dotted along the riverbanks, each with its own distinctive style of artefacts and variations of culture. The area is steeped in rituals, ceremonies and customs that are still very much part of the villagers’ daily lives today as they have been for thousands of years.

The Middle Sepik is particularly renowned for its ancestral ‘Men’s Spirit Houses’, (Haus Tambarans), where for centuries the amazing ‘Crocodile Initiation Ceremonies’ have taken place, together with many other rituals. This scarification of the skin is made through hundreds of fine cuts to the torso and tops of the arms. When the skin has healed, the scars give an appearance of crocodile skin markings. These marks represent the initiation from boyhood into adult warrior thus bringing status and great respect.

This is our area of specialisation – giving people a true taste of PNG adventure! The villagers we visit are most welcoming hosts. Our experienced trained guides will explain the customs, answer your questions and assist you with everything, including help with the purchasing of any artefacts you may be interested in.

We can also include visiting the Chambri and Blackwater Lakes Region.

There will plenty of opportunity for trekking through the jungle, seeing wild orchids, beautiful birds, catching fish for the evening meal, going crocodile hunting with the young men, viewing and buying carvings, and experiencing each village’s distinct idiosyncrasies. No two villages are alike.

We highly recommend that after returning from your Sepik River adventure, to take one or two (or more…) days on pretty YUO ISLAND – a 40 minute boat crossing from Wewak town. The tranquil island guesthouse is situated in a small, picturesque bay, on a white sandy beach. It even has a simple flush toilet and running shower, (luxuries after the river villages!).

Very friendly Robert and his delightful family offer a warm welcome to all visitors while cooking and serving delicious meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They will look after your every need whilst you simply relax at the water’s edge in hammocks, snorkel in the blue, pristine shallow waters or explore this small island.

This is the perfect way to ease back into the world after your remote river experience.

The Ambunti Crocodile Festival began 14 years ago and is held in the Upper Sepik region.

PNG Frontier Adventures offers a 9-day/8-night river expedition, including a visit to the Crocodile Festival and Wagu Lagoon. Wagu Lagoon is home to the “Regina Birds of Paradise”, which can be seen performing their dawn chorus in the rainforest canopy.

A special opportunity to combine a Middle Sepik River expedition and then travel on to the PNG Highlands to attend the 2027 Mt. Hagen Show.

The Mt. Hagen Show runs for three full days in August 2027. More than 80 different cultural groups perform, showcasing their stunning costumes, traditional songs and dances. The Paiya Mini Show coincides with the festival. This “Up Close and Personal” experience is held in a village setting the day before the Mt. Hagen Show on Friday, and attendance is included in the itinerary and overall price.

For adventure seekers and “Culture-Vultures” wanting to see as much river life as possible and interested in the varied styles of Sepik carvings and artefacts, followed by a flight to the PNG Highlands to attend the annual “Mt. Hagen Cultural Show”, this expedition is for you.

Choose the order of travel that suits you. Both 10-day expeditions combine the Sepik River with the 2027 Goroka Show on 18 and 19 September.

FA09A — Goroka Show first: Attend the Goroka Show, then fly to Wewak and continue through the Middle Sepik by river.

FA09B — Sepik River first: Begin with the Middle Sepik river expedition, then travel to Goroka for the show.

Use the links below to view the full itinerary and indicative prices for each option.