Image by
courtesy of Dejan Stojanovic (Walindi Plantation Resort)
Kimbe Bay is a biodiversity hotspot, which boasts over 60 percent of the coral species of the entire Indo-Pacific, and is home to more than 860 coral reef fish species.
The relatively unexplored province of West New Britain consists of a mixture of pristine rainforest and oil palm plantations, home to prolific birdlife including many endemics. Kimbe, the capital of West New Britain, can be accessed on a direct flight to Hoskins from Port Moresby, and is the ideal base for a birdwatching holiday. Fringed by volcanic mountains – some still active - the scenery at Kimbe is breathtaking.
Many key birdwatching sites are within an hour’s drive of Kimbe, but it is necessary to drive through oil palm plantations before reaching the rainforest proper. Sites of interest include Pokili and Garu Wildlife Management Areas, and the buffer zones where Bismarck kingfishers can be seen. Within the wildlife management areas are sites for Melanesian scrubfowl, which are known for digging nest burrows in the volcanic soil to incubate their eggs below the ground. Once the rainforest proper is reached, the birdlife is extraordinary with sightings of Blyth’s hornbill, red-knobbed imperial pigeon and the colourful electus parrot.
The snorkelling and diving opportunities are excellent in this area, with more than 200 pristine reef and dive sites dotted across Kimbe Bay.
Secluded, untouched and home to many of the world's birds of paradise, Papua New Guinea is unlike anywhere else on Earth. Led throughout by TV naturalist Mike Dilger, this itinerary has been specially designed to maximise our chances of encountering birds of paradise and other endemic birds.
Find out more about Papua New Guinea’s Birds of Paradise with Mike Dilger
Destination: Papua New Guinea
Price
(inc. flights): 19 days
from £13,995
Trip type:
Group Tour
Tailor-made can be arranged
When to go:
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Suggested accommodation is shown below.
Please
contact us
for further recommendations.
Situated on the shores of Kimbe Bay, Walindi Plantation Resort is known for its quality of diving and its excellent birdwatching. Excursions on the north coast of New Britain and in the island’s rainforests boast numerous endemic species, such as the New Britain boobook and Bismarck kingfisher.
Find Out More about Walindi Plantation Resort
