Adventures in a Traditional Sailing Canoe

An unforgettable expedition into mystery and adventure. With the chief’s blessing, we paddled across open ocean to hidden skull caves filled with human remains — relics of sorcery, cannibalism, and headhunting traditions. The journey home? A wild ride on a traditional sailing canoe skimming the reef edge. 🛶Episode 18 – Sailing Louisiades, Papua New Guinea 💡Join the Crew ⛵ PATREON ☞   / onceuponareef   Timestamps: 🌅 00:00 – Epic Day Begins in Paradise 🛶 00:45 – Kayaking Around Stunning Panasia Island 💀 03:10 – Chief Shows us Crushed up Skulls 🏝️ 03:29 – Paddling to a Remote Sand Cay 🎬 04:45 – Channel Intro – Meet the Crew! 🏖️ 05:14 – We Arrive at the Beautiful Sand Cay 👋 05:33 – Meeting the Friendly Island Locals 🌊 05:59 – Crossing Open Ocean — 3 on 1 Kayak (Nearly Sank!) 🙌 07:52 – Safe Arrival at Little Panasia Island! 🏞️ 08:11 – Trekking to the Mysterious Skull Caves 🔦 09:12 – Inside the Eerie Skull Caves 🚶‍♂️ 10:07 – Exploring Little Panasia Village 🎁 10:38 – Uncle John Gifts Poppy a Handmade Bilem 🚣‍♀️ 11:15 – Swapping Kayaks for a Traditional Canoe Ride ⛵ 11:21 – Adventures in a Traditional Sailing Canoe 🎶 16:06 – Local Jam Session Onboard — Island Vibes! With a special note from the chief granting us permission to visit the skull caves, we paddled 2 nautical miles to a sand cay to pick up our guide. He jumped on too, making it three of us in a single kayak — with the bung missing in the front. By the time we reached Little Panasia we were nearly going under. From there, we raced the tide on a scenic journey along sharp limestone cliffs, carved and shaped by the relentless embrace of the sea over countless years. Climbing up through the bush, we reached the hidden skull cave. We never imagined how many human bones would be inside. Their origins are shrouded in mystery — some believe they are remnants of ancestors who fell victim to sorcery, while others suggest they may belong to those consumed in times when cannibalism was still practiced. Intriguingly, many of the lower jaws were missing, perhaps taken as trophies during the days of headhunting, symbols of warriors’ prowess. On the way back, we were offered a ride on one of their traditional sailing canoes while two of our new friends paddled the kayak home. We couldn’t say yes quick enough. Soon we were sculling coconuts and setting off. It was a small canoe, just big enough for four of us. One man stood at the bow calling orders — wind changes, reefs to avoid, when to tack. Another steered at the stern with a massive paddle, half-held with his feet while also pulling ropes to shape the sail. The rest of us rotated bailing as we skimmed so close to the reef, dodging coral heads in the shallows. Back at our boat we jammed until sunset, then farewelled our friends with gifts to thank them for such an incredible day. This was truly a dream adventure — and a must-see episode. 🫶 Support Our Journey: ☕ Buy us a coffee ☞ https://buymeacoffee.com/onceuponareef 🎁 Send us a gift ☞ https://throne.com/onceuponareef 🌍 Follow Our Adventures: 📸 INSTAGRAM: @onceuponareef & @wheres.poppy 🎥 Poppy's YouTube Channel ☞    / wherespoppy   📧 BUSINESS INQUIRIES - [email protected] Hey there, we’re Ryan and Poppy, a couple of adventure junkie sailors out to explore the most amazing reefs and islands in the world. We hope by documenting everything this lifestyle encompasses, we will inspire, raise awareness and support on going research to do our part in protecting these natural life systems. 🧭 Subscribe and join the voyage! 📍 Location: Panasia Island, Louisiade Archipelago #AdventureTravel #Expedition #Documentary #KayakAdventure #SkullCaves #TribalHistory #PapuaNewGuinea #CulturalExploration #RemoteTravel #OceanAdventure #TraditionalCanoe #HeadHuntingHistory #CannibalismHistory #MysteryCaves #TravelDocumentary #IslandExploration