Venture to the mysterious and wild habitats of Papua New Guinea in the company of naturalist Mike Dilger on this extensive itinerary in search of birds of paradise and endemic birds.
New Guinea is the planet's second-largest island, next to Greenland, but when it comes to wildlife, this huge, rugged and remote location has a range of birdlife that can be simply described as 'out of this world'. The first European naturalist to observe the island's birds displaying for the first time was none other than the Naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace. He declared that their brilliant colours, intricate feather ornamentation and bizarre courtship behaviour led to him ranking birds of paradise as "the most beautiful and most wonderful of living things".
After an orientation and spot of birdwatching in the capital Port Moresby, an internal flight takes us up to the celebrated location of Mount Hagen, where our focus switches to charismatic species such as the King of Saxony and blue birds of paradise, in addition to the ribbon-tailed astrapia and brown sicklebill. We also have the opportunity to experience the island’s famed tribal cultures in this Highland setting too. From Mount Hagen, we then fly to the remote Karawari, in East Sepik, for some lowland forest birding, and an opportunity to see the greater and 12-wired birds of paradise and possibly even the stunning duo of flame bowerbird and southern crowned pigeon.
After all the hard yards - and amazing sightings - across PNG’s highlands and lowlands, what better way to unwind than on the island of New Britain, within the Bismarck Archipelago? Here some lowland forest birding will ensue, where we track down birds such as the blue-eyed cockatoo, wreathed hornbill and Nicobar pigeon. While staying at Walindi, we also have the opportunity for some world-class snorkelling. Following a flight back to Port Moresby, we then bid farewell to this fabulous island as home and reality sadly beckons.
Typical Itinerary
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Day 1:
Depart UK
This evening we depart the UK on an overnight flight to Singapore.
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Day 2:
Overnight in Singapore
We arrive in Singapore late in the evening and go to our accommodation nearby, where we spend the night.
Accommodation: Crowne Plaza Changi Airport, 1-night
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Day 3:
Depart Singapore
In the evening, we depart Singapore on an overnight flight to Port Moresby.
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Day 4:
Arrive Port Moresby
We arrive in Port Moresby, the capital city of Papua New Guinea, in the morning and are transferred to our accommodation, which is just a short drive away.
Accommodation: Airways Hotel, 3-nights
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Day 5:
Birdwatching around Port Moresby
This morning, we head out on an excursion to the Pacific Adventist University grounds for an introduction to the birdlife of Papua New Guinea. The beautiful grounds are easy to traverse, safe and host a wide array of bird species, providing us with the perfect taster of the wildlife of this captivating country.
This is followed by an afternoon visit to Varirata National Park, which is arguably the finest birdwatching location in the vicinity of Port Moresby.
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Day 6:
Visit Varirata National Park
Today's dedicated to exploring the famous Varirata National Park, just an hour's drive from our hotel in Port Moresby. Once at the park, we sample some of the well-maintained trails to observe the variety of birdlife found here, and a packed lunch enables us to maximise our time here.
Varirata National Park is considered one of the best locations to encounter the raggiana bird of paradise. A couple of the bird's lekking sites are in the park, giving us the best opportunity to glimpse this splendid bird.
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Day 7:
Fly to Mount Hagen
This morning, we catch a domestic flight to Mount Hagen in the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea. We're met on arrival and transferred to our accommodation at Magic Mountain Nature Lodge, where it’s possible to observe several species, including a couple of the more common species of birds of paradise as they visit the lodge grounds to feed.
Accommodation: Magic Mountain Nature Lodge, 2-nights
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Day 8:
Birding at Kumul Lodge
Today, we venture to Kumul Lodge, where there's the opportunity for some birding in the grounds. Some of the species we hope to see include the King of Saxony bird of paradise, short-tailed paradigalla, ribbon-tailed astrapia and black sicklebill. We return to our accommodation in the late afternoon.
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Day 9:
Transfer to Rondon Ridge
After our final birdwatching session from Magic Mountain Nature Lodge, we return to Mount Hagen and then continue to our next accommodation in the Western Highlands, at Rondon Ridge. We arrive for lunch and have some time to settle into our new accommodation before heading out again later in the afternoon.
Accommodation: Rondon Ridge Lodge, 3-nights
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Days 10-11
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Birdwatching from Rondon Ridge
For the next two days, we spend our time exploring the birding trails at Rondon Ridge. Short drives may be needed to reach the heads of trails, and we proceed at a slow pace to maximise our opportunity for sightings. The trails can be uneven in places and are likely to be wet underfoot, so we need stout footwear once again.
We hope to encounter a range of species along the way, with some of the targets being the King of Saxony bird of paradise, blue-capped ifrit and black pitohui, and should observe many species of birds that live in these high-altitude forests around Rondon Ridge. We may take a packed lunch with us so we can stay out in the field, or we can choose to travel back to the lodge to break up our birdwatching.
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Day 12:
Fly to Karawari
This morning, we depart Mount Hagen and fly by charter flight deep into the verdant vegetation of the East Sepik region. After landing, we're transferred from the airstrip to our next accommodation. Sitting on a ridge above the forest and the meandering river bearing the same name, Karawari Lodge boasts a spectacular view of dense tropical jungle. After settling in, we meet our local guide and set out for an afternoon of birding.
Accommodation: Karawari Lodge, 3-nights
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Days 13-14
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Birdwatching from Karawari
For the next couple of days, we rise early to begin full days of birding, both on the quiet waterways of the river and in the lush forest. With more than 200 species of birds recorded in the area, Karawari is an excellent location to seek lowland, rainforest and freshwater birds, particularly parrots; including lorikeets, eclectus, palm cockatoos, Edwards-fig parrot. There are also three birds of paradise, king, 12-wire and magnificent riflebird. Cassowaries, frog-mouths, owls, birds of prey, bowerbirds, honeyeaters and a whole host of others await us.
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Day 15:
Fly to New Britain
Today, we depart Karawari and return to Mount Hagen. From here, we fly to New Britain via Port Moresby. We land at the airport in Hoskins, and from there, we transfer to our accommodation overlooking the waters of Kimbe Bay. We arrive in the early evening in time for dinner.
Accommodation: Walindi Plantation Resort, 3-nights
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Days 16-17
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Birding from Walindi
Over the course of the next two days, we focus on the birds found both in the lowland forests and along the coasts of New Britain, which are home to several endemic species. With luck, we may see the endemic black honey buzzard soaring overhead, buff-faced pygmy parrots flitting amongst the foliage, Bismarck imperial pigeons perching inconspicuously on branches, and Papuan eclectic parrots screeching amongst the canopy, in addition to Blyth's hornbill, black-capped kingfisher, red-headed myzomela and blue-eyed cockatoo.
Afterwards, we return to our accommodation on the coast, where we can either relax for the rest of the day at the lodge or do some further birding in the grounds. It's also possible to go snorkelling from the lodge in the waters just offshore.
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Day 18:
Departure
Following breakfast, we leave Walindi and return to Hoskins in time to catch our domestic flight back to Port Moresby where we will have time to connect with our return international flights to the UK via Singapore.
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Day 19:
Arrive UK
