Sepik is a region in the north of the main island, which is administratively divided into two provinces Papua New Guinea (PNG). The naming follows the river of the same name, which winds meandering and rich in water with a relatively low gradient 1146 km to the mouth at.
background
The German colonial administration established itself in Aitape in 1906. The area came under the Australian League of Nations mandate in 1919 and was occupied by the Japanese in 1942. The Allies bombed, but initially bypassed the troops here and did not fight here until April 1944.
East Sepik is more developed than that Sundaun-Province to the west.
places
Wewak
Dynamic cardsThe actual Wewak lies on a headland, which is bordered on the land side by a lagoon and swamp. Scenic Drive is the outer circular route. The transverse “the center” is the main shopping street. The rest of the city stretches to the east for four kilometers along the bay with the port and airfield.
Vanimo
Vanimo, with a population of 14,000, is also located on a hilly headland, the landside border of which forms the runway of the airfield.
- accommodation
Almost next to each other at the beach Vanimo Beach (☎ 675 457 1102) and Sundaun Surf Hotel (☎ 675 457 1000). The Christian Brethren Church runs an inexpensive guest house next to her church (☎ 675 7026 1552).
Other goals
There are different types of in villages village accommodation, either with families or at school or similar prices are a matter of negotiation 40-50 kina (with meal) are appropriate in 2017. In some tribal areas there are separate men's and women's shelters (for widowed and unmarried people), which are taboo for the opposite sex, but also serve as guest accommodation. Even in hotels, the quality never corresponds to the high price.
Aitape
1 Aitape
language
Is lingua franca Tok Piksi, On the coast, with taxi drivers and in hotels, you can get by with English. According to current knowledge, linguists have a total of 235,000 speakers of the 102 languages in the Sepik-Ramu group of Austronesian languages out. There are also three isolated languages, each with a few hundred speakers.
getting there
By plane
PNG Air served with stopovers Vanimo ↔ Wewak ↔ Madang ↔ Lae (↔ Pt. Moresby) and Pt. Moresby via Mount Hagen, a stretch that too Air Niugini has in the program.
Mission Aviation flies to more remote locations with small aircraft, usually once, at most twice a week. Short-term changes to the plan may occur due to the weather. The English Wikipedia provides an overview of the smaller airfields.
- Wewak
1 Wewak Airport (IATA: WWK) 
- Vanimo
By boat
Lutheran Shipping with headquarters in Madang went bankrupt in 2014, but is expected to resume operations in spring 2019 with government aid. Some of these are cargo ships with additional passenger traffic.
In the street
From, to Western New Guinea can be reached on land via the Skouw / Wutung border crossing. From Vanimo you have to organize a ride in a minibus (PMV; 16-20 Kina, 2013) yourself. About 1½ km before the border, the passports of foreigners are checked.
mobility
There is still no continuous tarred road connection between the two provincial capitals (but a miserable road that is not accessible during floods). However, in 2017, the existing loopholes in the Costal Highway between Vanimo and Wewak and on to Madang to close so that you can get between in a few years Jayapura and Lae will be able to drive the car.
PMVs run between all major villages on weekdays. Getting around on Saturday afternoon and Sunday can be difficult or impossible. It is always advisable to try to start early in the morning (the departure depends on whether the PMV is "full") that you will be at your destination before sunset.
- On the Sepik
During the drier season, the water levels can drop so far in August that tributaries are no longer navigable or fall completely dry.
It is much cheaper to organize tours in the country than to book in advance via the Internet.
Tourist Attractions
activities
Water sports enthusiasts mostly travel to PNG New Britain or New IrelandHowever, there are some surfing opportunities for the October to April season, especially before Vanimo.
kitchen
Starchy staple foods hardly differ from those in Western New Guinea. The choice of food in villages is rather limited. It makes sense to bring a few cans with you, if necessary as a gift.
respect
Nobody wears “traditional” clothes such as penis quivers in everyday life, they are only put on at parties or for tourists. People are to be asked for permission before taking pictures. Payment may be required in the highlands. It should be noted that these are often the only "tourist dollars" that the locals receive directly. There is no trade, the “second prize” is always “the best”, also for handicrafts.
The manners and customs regarding the Tambaran house vary from region to region. In any case the question must be asked whether and what (especially inside) may be photographed. Headgear must always be removed and women are not permitted in all villages.
In some places, alcohol is not viewed with pleasure. You should not leave the beaten track, you should also inquire about washing places by the river or toilets, as these are demarcated.
security
Outbreaks of violence between tribes, which recur, usually do not affect outsiders. In smaller communities, social controls work well enough to make crimes against visitors - aside from petty theft - a rare occurrence.
climate
The wetter season is December to April. However, it rains all year round, 18 to 20 days per month. Mosquito repellent is necessary all year round.
The sea temperature is 29 ° C all year round. Air temperatures on the coast are between 23-31 ° C.
Practical advice
EU citizens can cross the border into Indonesia without a visa, but only get 30 days that cannot be extended. If you want a 60-day visa, you can do so in 1 Indonesian Consulate, Vanimo (Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-12 a.m., 2 p.m.-4 p.m.).
In the country you should take enough small bills with you, change can be scarce. Prices in small village shops are fifty percent higher than in the towns on the coast.
literature
See also general travel guides too Papua New Guinea. Due to the colonial past, most German ethnological museums have appropriate exhibitions and information.
- Hauser-Schäublin, Brigitta; Cult houses in Northern New Guinea: Part I: Architecture, function and symbolism of the cult house among the Abelam, Part II: Comparative studies of cult houses in the Sepik area and on the north coast; Berlin 1989 (Akademie-Verl.); ISBN 3050003960
- Kelm, Heinz; Art from the Sepik; Berlin 1966-8 (Museum of Ethnology), 3 vols.
- Lutkehaus, Nancy C .; Sepik heritage: tradition and change in Papua New Guinea; Durham, NC 1990; ISBN 0890893225
- Peltier, Philippe; Dance of the Ancestors: Art from Sepik in Papua New Guinea; Munich 2015 (Hirmer); ISBN 9783777423395 [Exhibition catalog]
- Schmid, Juerg; Kocher-Schmid, Christin; Sons of the Crocodile: Man House Rituals and Initiation in Yensan, Central Iatmul, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea; Basel 1992 (Wepf); ISBN 3859771906
- Sociolinguistic Surveys of Sepik languages; Ukarumpa 1981 (Summer Inst. Of Linguistics)
- Maps
- Satellite map 1: 500,000 of Central New Guinea (Eastern Jayawijaya and Western Sepik regions); Berlin 1983 (Reimer), Sert .: People, culture and the environment in the central mountains of Western New Guinea,ISBN 3496015128
- US Army map sheets 1960s, 1: 500000
