Papua New Guinea - MV Sepik Spirit
The "MV SEPIK SPIRIT", constructed in 1989, is built to the specifications to suit the demands of a shallow draft expeditionary vessel for navigating inland waterways. Its shallow draft allows passage into the heart of the Sepik River and areas not otherwise accessible to larger vessels. The "SEPIK SPIRIT" complies with the most rigid of safety standards including both the American Bureau of Shipping and Papua New Guinea safety regulations. Refurbished in early-2006 to ensure that the SEPIK SPIRIT meets the expectations of the modern traveler.

The SEPIK SPIRIT accommodates 18 passengers in 9 deluxe and spacious twin bedrooms each with private bathroom. Onboard facilities include a dining room, lounge, bar, video and covered upper observatory deck. The entire vessel is air-conditioned. Because the SEPIK SPIRIT is custom designed for the rigors of operating on the Sepik River and her tributaries, she is the ideal size for exploration. This, combined with small passenger numbers allows the traveler an intimate experience to little visited areas, inaccessible by larger vessels.

Day trips from the Sepik Spirit are done in an 18-seater riverboat, also custom designed for operation on and around the Sepik River. The fast and comfortable riverboat allows access to the remotest corners of the region not accessible by larger boats or vessels. Their open-air design gives the traveler a sense of place, a feeling for the river and its people.

Areas that the SEPIK SPIRIT and her guests may visit are the Karawari River, Blackwater Lakes, Chambri Lakes, the Middle Sepik and the Upper Sepik. The river banks where the vessel operates are dotted with many large traditional villages each with its own unique "haus Tambaran" or spirit house decorated with ancestral figures, carvings, massive garamut drums and secretive ritual flutes. The Sepik is a gallery of tribal art, each village boasts a unique style, and every villager is an artisan. Mingle with the friendly people and experience a culture that encounters very few outsiders annually. Long after you have left the lush jungle, raucous birds, spirit houses and carvings, and endless waterways, the mysticism of the Sepik will remain unforgettably etched in your memory.