Located along the Karawari River in the middle of the country, the Sepik region of Papua New Guinea gave me the most remote travel experience I’ve ever had. To get there, we took a charter flight over the mountains down to a grass landing strip. From there, we walked to the Karawari River, hopped on a boat and cruised up the windy river to the dock for the Karawari Lodge. This lodge was the only place you could stay for miles, and the only establishment with electricity. It was perfect with its open-air rooms, river views and majestic central lodge covered in local carvings and masks. It was infused with Sepik culture and made our experience in this region come alive.
Each day, we stepped onboard a riverboat and slowly cruised along the main artery of this area. The villages of the Sepik rely on the river for everything—namely food, water, sanitization, and transportation. Our daily schedule included visiting several villages, speaking to the villagers about their lives, seeing their homes and spirit houses, admiring their handicrafts, and in general taking in a firsthand experience of Karawari life.
Spend a day on the Karawari for yourself in this video—and see below for more!
In Part 5: Food of Papua New Guinea.
For Ian Livingston’s recent series on Papua New Guinea, start here. For more on guided travel in Papua New Guinea, visit USTOA.com. For more on the specific itineraries and guides from Kelley’s video, check out swaindestinations.com.
