Sepik email address for Joseph Kone

I want to do a Sepik tour of a few days in late September. I am booked to arrive in Wewak late on Sep. 23 and leave 1 October.
I am elderly and this is a problem but I am an old traveller in more ways than one. I am looking for a tour without much walking and not too tough. Would like to join others but realise I will not be able to fit in with everyone.
Has anybody got any ideas, other than "stay at home old lady!"

This is a P .S. to my message...Yes, I would like an email for Joseph, the one I have 'josephykone@yahoo.com.au" has come back twice.

Lenore,
Joseph Kone can still be contacted at joesephykone@yahoo.com.au but he is only able to check his email when he has made the long trip over to Wewak. I had difficulty in getting him hold of him before my trip but I was glad that I persevered. I spent 10 days on the Upper Sepik with him last month and he took me to Wagu, Mino, Tangujamb, Yanan, Kumbawe, Swagup, Biaga, Paru, and Sio. He is a thoroughly decent and capable guide. He worked tirelessly in ensuring that I was able to have a rich and fulfilling Sepik experience. He was greatly respected by the villagers whom we met along the way and he distributed clothes, second hand reading glasses, and food stuffs which those remote areas have difficulty in obtaining.
You can drop him a line by post to Joseph Kone, P.O. Box 46, Ambunti, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea. You can also text or call him on 71214829.
Have a very enjoyable trip.
Dom

Lenore,
on the subject of visiting the Sepik as an elderly traveller you must consider that the Sepik is not the most comfortable region to tour around. Mossies are plentiful and there will be an absence of electricity and comfortable sleeping options if you stay in the villages. Please forgive me for stating the obvious but medical help may be days away if any health problems develop. It is also extremely hot and humid and hygiene conditions are poor. You may want to consider one of the large tourist vessels as I imagine they will offer a higher level of comfort. Some of the walks through the villages can be tough having to negotiate thick jungle. I am not attempting to discourage you but you need to consider these points if you haven't already.
Regards,
Dom

Hi Dom,
Many thanks for your reply.
I will write to Joseph as the yahoo emails returned immediately. I did not expect a quick reply but if they don't accept them..........
After some study of LP and other sources I think the Lower Sepik around Angoram might be more within my scope, maybe not so much walking etc. but I will sound Joseph out and maybe he can also guide in that area. I have a few months to set something up and am very excited to be planning it.
Thanks again.
Lenore

Dom,
Have just seen your second email.
Yes, I know what you say is correct but I cannot afford a tour and am only thinking of a few days, 3 to 5 in the Sepik area, just a little taste, then back to Wewak to fly out. The sort of trip you did would be quite beyond me now but I think I can cope with a 'taste' as long as not too much rugged walking. I used to be a good walker and it hurts not to be one now.
Lenore

Lenore,
I admire your adventurous spirit and I am sure you will get a lot out of your forthcoming trip.
Regards,
Dom

Please keep us updated, Lenore. I am "too old" also and I plan to just visit Madang and travel timidly up the coast. I would so love to do the Sepik trip but know it would be too uncomfortable. Young people, do it ALL while you can!!!

Leonore, I have just come back from the Sepik so I might have a few words of advice that might be helpful for you.

I hired a guide when I was at Ambunti : his name was Cosby Marek, and he was recommended by the Lonely Planet. I found him to be a complete waste of Money. He promised to take us to Wagu, take us crocodile hunting and to see birds of paradise. All of which we did. However he did not tell us that we would also have to pay the landowner / guesthouse owner to go crocodile hunting, fishing or spotting birds of paradise. So we effectively paid for the one service twice. What I hadn't realised is that we could have arranged with the guesthouse to pick us up for a small fee. Had we done that we would not have needed a guide and we would have saved ourselves half the money.

If you are going to hide a guide write down exactly what your expectations are and exactly what it's going to cost. Our guide changed the goalposts half way through our trip and screwed us for more money.

Buy your petrol at Angoram or Wewak if possible.

I wouldn't worry too much about strenuous hikes ... most of the things you can do on the Sepik involve sitting on a boat and taking in the beautiful pristine surroundings. Bring a parasol and plenty of sunscreen though.

If you are interested in going to Wagu which is a stunning lagoon just above Ambunti with a really great guesthouse, comfortable with Mossie nets, and good toilet and shower here are some details.

Matthew Yafei
Tuhiyo Guest House
Wagu Village
Ambunti
ESP
PNG
Mobile : 76227658

Accomodation : K50
Birds of Paradise: K15
Water Falls : K15
Bush Walking : K35
Fishing Trip : K20
Sago making : K25
Crocodile Trips : K20
Traditional fire : K15

Bring your own rice and noodles if you want to keep food costs down.

Hope you enjoy it!

Hi, Thanks so much for your info. I have not checked in for a week or so as I had a bad fall and somewhat out of action. I have now made first contact with Joseph Kone and will ring him tonight. I am going ahead with plans.

I intended going from Madang to Goroka by road and am now getting strong advice not to do so. Hard to know what to do. Did you do this leg?
Lenore

Hi Lenore

we are a senior couple and plan to travel to the Sepik in the same time . Have you got an answer from Joseph Kone ?

Hi,
Yes, I got an email from Joseph with two phone numbers - 675 7627 6092 and 675 7121 4829. He said he was free to guide me at time I had said. I have tried both numbers several times but always get "Your call could not be connnected etc...." In trying to get numbers at Goroka it was the same and I was charged for all the non connections so I am being a bit stingy with calls.
BUt I have written another letter to Joseph at P.O. Box 46, Ambunti East Sepik Province explaining that I was not 100 % sure I could make the trip.
On June 16 I had a bad fall with a sudden unprecedented vertigo attack, have had a lot of pain and yesterday saw a specialist at Balance Clinic and I am booked for cat scan and bone scan next week. Possibly I have cracked vertebra. So my plans are on hold.
I will email Joseph again today although I know he can not often check them.
I had another reply to my thread from Cedric Kulimbua (ckulimbua@yahoo.com.au) with many ideas and have had to tell him all is 'on hold' too.
It would be good to hear your plans.
Lenore

Hi Leonore

our plan for PNG is :

Weekend 23.and 24.10.10 visiting the Morobe Show in Lae

Monday 25.10 flight Lae - POM and POM - Wewak

Then we have time for a Sepik Tour for about 3 or 4 days with overnighting in Ambunti and only day excursions from Ambunti.

We have to return latest at Wednesday 03.11.10 from Wewak to POM , because we are flying to the
Canoe and Kundu Festival in Alotau

We now try to get contact to MAF in Wewak .to check the possibility for flying from Wewak to Ambunti
and to get informations for overnighting and guides in Ambunti.

For more details send me an e-mail to digoebel@yahoo.de

Dieter

My girlfriend and I traveled the Upper Sepik River (Pagwi to May River to Itali) with Joseph Kone as our guide for 12 days in October 2010 and had an excellent, amazing experience. Joseph is completely reliable, competent and knowledgeable - so much so that I am thinking about adventuring with him again in 2011. On our trip I met many of Joseph's family (wife, children, sister, mother and father, brother, etc) - all loverly and hospitable people.

The purpose of this thread is to ensure that everyone knows how to contact Joseph - his old e-mail address is out of service and he asked me to post his new coordinates, as follows:

joseph.kone6@gmail.com
675-71214829
675-76276092

As you may know, Joseph lives in Ambunti and his internet communications are in Wewak. As such, he does not have daily contact via internet so you must be patient if you communicate by e-mail. That said, he is on his cell phone constantly (when within range) so phoning him is a good back-up option.

I will be writing up some of the details and highlights of our trip in this forum (likely under the title "Upper Sepik - Adventure Off the Tourist Track" if you are interested...
Steve

Hey there

I am currently in the Solomon Islands and looking to do an Upper Sepik River Trip. To assess the fesibility f this for us - can you please indicate costs be it the overall cost for your trip and what that included, or the daily rate. Joseph sounds great so i'd be keen to use him, I presume you had no problem with raskols on the Upper Sepik? Did you go as far as Green River?

Thank you s much in advance

Catherine

We unfortunately had a very bad experience with Joseph Kone, and met other tourists who said the same. I wish someone had warned us. Seems like only those with positive experiences post here on Thorn Tree. :(
Feel free to send me a message if you have any questions or want recommendations on the good guesthouses & villages to visit in the Sepik River.