Papua New Guinea & Indonesia · Sepik River, Baliem Valley & Bougainville
Oceania
Duration
12 days
Price per person
$5,600 / pers.
Intensity
Hard
Sessions
1 date
12 days across New Guinea: river villages on the Sepik, the Dani communities and festival of the Baliem Valley, and the island of Bougainville, one of the richest, most culturally diverse journeys on Earth.
Day 1
Trip briefing and preparation for the journey ahead.
Day 2
A flight to Wewak, then a road and river transfer to the first riverside village of stilt houses.
Day 3
Traveling the Sepik by motorized canoe, visiting spirit houses, and learning about the river's rich carving traditions. Village overnight.
Day 4
Remote Sepik villages known for their mask and carving culture, reached entirely by canoe.
Day 5
Leaving the river for a flight into the central highlands, with a dramatic shift in altitude and climate.
Day 6
Onward to Wamena, gateway to the Baliem Valley.
Day 7
Dani villages, ancestral smoked mummies, and highland gardens, ahead of the valley's famous festival.
Day 8
A full day at the Baliem Valley Festival: traditional dress, mock battles, and shared feasts.
Day 9
Trekking between Dani and Yali villages over suspension bridges, with a homestay in a traditional honai hut.
Day 10
A long transfer back through PNG to the island of Bougainville.
Day 11
Buka and Arawa, the Panguna mine, and a conversation on the island's path to independence and recovery.
Day 12
Return flight home. End of expedition.
Participation is subject to review. Selection is confirmed after internal validation.
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