Maprik is not on the Sepik proper but in the rolling foothills north of the river, the centre of the Abelam people. The Abelam are famous for their long yam cult: a competitive horticultural and spiritual practice in which men grow extraordinarily long yams as ritual objects, decorate them with masks, and present them at clan festivals that mark the agricultural calendar.
The village haus tambarans here are different in style from those on the Sepik itself — slimmer, with vertical painted facades that face the sun and a triangular shape that ends in a steep gable. They are some of the most striking buildings in Melanesia. A side trip to Maprik takes a couple of days from Wewak by road; combine it with a Sepik river journey if you have the time. Avoid the wet-season months (December to March) when the road becomes impassable.