Ambunti Crocodile Festival

Ambunti Crocodile Festival

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tourhub | Crooked Compass | Ambunti Crocodile Festival | 2599
tourhub | Crooked Compass | Ambunti Crocodile Festival | 2599 tourhub | Crooked Compass | Ambunti Crocodile Festival | 2599

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tourhub | Crooked Compass | Ambunti Crocodile Festival | 2599
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7 Days
From

$4019

$3818

Ambunti Crocodile Festival

7 Days Starting and ending in Wewak, Papua New Guinea

Visiting: Wewak, Ambunti, Pagwi

Tour operator:

Crooked Compass

Tour code:

2599

Guide Type:

Fully Guided

Group size:

4 - 12

Physical rating:

Medium

Special diets catered:

Vegetarians

Tour operated in:
English
Trip Styles:

Active, Special Events

From:
$4019
$3818 (USD) The Big ADVENTURE Sale: -$201

This tour is no longer available, please see similar tours below or send an enquiry

Tour Overview

Enjoy the fascinating lifestyle and culture of remote communities in the Sepik RiverExperience the Ambunti Crocodile FestivalWitness initiation ceremonies and spirit housesExplore traditional villages and exceptional bird lifeEngage with communities only accessible by canoeA 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.

Highlights

  • 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

Itinerary

Expand All
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. Feel free to arrive anytime today. A welcome dinner is included this evening which will give you a chance to meet your fellow travellers.

Day 2 : Ambunti
Location: Ambunti
Accommodation: Lodge, Lodge
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning you will depart Wewak and make your way to Ambunti. The main Sepik River can become monotonous meandering through floating logs and floating islands until you reach Ambunti. In the evening, it will rupture into a vast environment of herons, cormorants, wild ducks, egrets, kites and +1000 species of water birds.

Check into your lodge before enjoying a half day tour to Meno, Tongijamp Yesan and Mayo which are remote communities within the Eastern Sepik. They had not had interaction with man until only recently and have an extremely fascinating lifestyle and culture which you will learn about.

This evening, there is an option to go crocodile spotting on the river.

Day 3 : Sepik River Crocodile Festival
Location: Ambunti
Accommodation: Lodge, LodgeLodgeLodge
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

oday you will have a full day to experience the Crocodile Festival. Starting off with an early morning trip to Wagu Lake where you will have the oppotunity 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. From here, it is time to 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 days activities and get up close with with the locals, singsing groups and crocodile Spirit dancers.

Day 4 : Sepik River Crocodile Festival
Location: Ambunti
Accommodation: Lodge
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Following breakfast before being transferred to the Crocodile Festival. Enjoy the festival until noon when you depart to visit the traditional villages – Malu and Avative both known for the fishing and unique burial grounds. In the evening, return to your lodge.

Day 5 : Sepik River Crocodile Festival
Location: Ambunti
Accommodation: Lodge
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Enjoy a full day at the festival where you may witness a series of fun dugout canoe races, 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.

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 lodge this evening.

Day 6 : Middle Sepik
Location: Pagwi
Accommodation: Hotel, LodgeLodge
Accommodation Name: Wewak Hotel or similar.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today following breakfast, it is a full day to the Middle Sepik. 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.

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).

What's Included

  • Meet and greet service on arrival in Wewak

  • 6 nights accommodation

  • 6 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches, 5 Dinners

  • English speaking local guide

  • All activities as per itinerary

  • Entrance fees, sightseeing and permits

  • Private transportation

What's Not Included

  • International and domestic flights

  • Visas

  • Travel and medical insurance

  • All services, meals other than those indicated above

  • Personal porters

  • Any changes to the proposed and confirmed program.

  • All items of a personal nature e.g. drinks, laundry, telephone calls, tips etc

Check out our Q&As

  • Are all entrance fees included in the price?

    Yes, Entrance fees, sightseeing and permits are included.

  • Is there any free time to explore places during the tour?

    As detailed in itinerary

  • Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?

    Yes, English speaking local guide is on the tour.

  • Are flights included in this tour?

    International and domestic flights are not included.

  • Are airport transfers included in this tour?

    Yes

  • What is the fitness level required to do this tour?

    This category of tours involve trekking, kayaking and cycling for period of 6 to 8 hours a day at a fairly consistent pace. Ideal for people looking to slightly increase the heart rate. For our moderately rated tours, you must have a good level of fitness and also be in good health. It is also important to be prepared for variable weather conditions. Altitude may also come into play. This category of tours may involve visiting remote areas where facilities can be quite basic. Accommodation may also involve camping, homestays or basic accommodation where facilities may not be considered of western standards. To enjoy this style of travel, it is suggested for travellers to have a reasonable level of fitness and health, a positive attitude, as well as a fairly active lifestyle. An open mind is also required.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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

Reviews of this Operator

Jeff Rehn  

A wonderful trip to Saudi Arabia organised by Crooked Compass

07-Apr-2022

A wonderful trip to Saudi Arabia organised by Crooked Compass. Considering the country is just opening up to tourism everything went very well - flights, trips, transfers, guides and accommodation - thank you CC - highly recommended

Tripadvisor
Pauline Mavis Rusby  

We were kept safe at all times.

09-May-2022

We were kept safe at all times. When unexpected hurdles appeared they were handled without fuss. Our tour was informative, picturesque and comfortable.

Tripadvisor
Tina Watts-Seale  

Family holiday to Vietnam

01-Aug-2022

We booked a family holiday to Vietnam with Crooked Compass and it was perfect. The booking process was easy and Lisa took all of our requests on board so that the trip was exactly what we wanted. All flights, transfers, accommodations, guides and activities were fantastic, with great communication throughout the whole trip. Would highly recommend, we will be booking again soon!

Tripadvisor

Dates & Availability

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Instant Booking Available

Saturday - Friday

Aug 03, 2024 - Aug 09, 2024
$4019 $3818 (USD)

The Big ADVENTURE Sale: -$201 (USD)

Book with Confidence

  • Low Deposit

    Crooked Compass requires a minimum deposit of 20% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 60 days before departure.

  • 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.

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