as far as we saw it is a fixed program of four tribes. do not matter if you have more time. since we arrived early afternoon and had half day ..they didn't have what to show us but only to be on the boat...to point for us on the tribes that we will see tomorrow and to talk...this is not enough...this is not fair. if you come that far the program should be better than that.

Perched high on the banks of the Karawari River, the Karawari Lodge has its charm but you will have to make some allowances for its remote location. The main lodge has its wall embellished with masks and carvings, many of them for sale but few of them small enough to fit into your charter aircraft weight allowance. It is modelled in shape on a spirit house. There is a pleasant outdoor terrace overlooking the river which was visited by the local hornbill, Joanne.
The rooms are in thatched huts, two rooms per hut separated by a nice sitting area, again overlooking the river and beyond, but you need to be in room 1-6. They are basically furnished with two single beds encased in mosquito netting. There is no air conditioning, just a ceiling fan that needs to work frantically between 6am and 10pm when the generator is on. The bathroom is clean and large enough, and filtered water is available for drinking and cleaning your teeth. Sadly for us we could get no hot water which would have been most welcome after our drenching during an afternoon village excursion.
Excursions are by boat and the transport is comfortable enough but your ride up to the lodge from the river is in the back of a four wheel drive vehicle along a bumpy and muddy track. The excursions were a little disappointing particularly compared to those offered by the Sepik Spirit, one was basically just a shopping exercise at a local fishing village. Supposedly there was to be a local ceremonial dance but it just didn't happen.
Our lunch was simple, pasta and salad with a vegetarian sauce plus some diced fruit. OK, good sized portions but pretty basic. Dinner was more elaborate, soup, a tasty chicken dish and a chocolate dessert. Plenty of cold beer and soft drinks are available, along with red and white wine.
The staff here were generally shy but friendly and they tried hard to make our stay enjoyable.
The term best available is used often here, we had a day here before our flight back to the highlands and we enjoyed the rustic nature of Karawari Lodge.