Australasia
Papua New Guinea
Birds of Paradise
NEW
✓ Search for splendid birds of paradise and view their mating rituals ✓ Immerse yourself in Papua New Guinea’s many fascinating cultures ✓ Discover the island's varied ecosystems and rich avifauna
Papua New Guinea, with an unparalleled array of natural beauty and exotic wildlife, is one of the world's last frontiers. Lying just north of Australia, occupying roughly half of the world's second largest island, this is a land of extraordinary contrasts with 4,500 metre high mountains, vast expanses of rainforest, huge river systems and pristine coral atolls. With one of the world’s richest and most varied avifaunas, it possesses more than 700 species that include seven endemic families, and 38 of the world’s 43 bird of paradise species. There are kingfishers, doves, berrypeckers and fairywrens, and the air is filled with a cacophony of sounds from cuckoo shrikes, cassowaries and fantails. Raptors include the magnificent New Guinea harpy eagle. The indigenous population is extremely diverse, and more than 700 languages are spoken. Age-old traditions remain very much at the heart of everyday life, and people share their heritage with genuine openness. Scattered wilderness lodges in remote areas provide our bases for sampling indigenous culture and witnessing the various ecological niches. From Port Moresby, the capital, we fly to Tari in the Central Highlands to stay at Ambua Lodge. The Tari Valley is home to the Huli Wigman tribe, so called on account of their ornate ceremonial wigs, and whose song and dance is based around the mating ritual of birds of paradise. During our time in the Tari Valley we hope to view the crested bird of paradise and King of Saxony bird of paradise along with short-tailed paradigalia, ribbon-tailed astrapia and Lawe’s parotia. Continuing by chartered light aircraft to Karawari, we explore the Sepik River and enjoy its jacanas and colourful array of kingfishers. Here we witness a way of life that has only opened to the outside world since the 1930s - local people still live entirely off the land and perform their ceremonial dances as they always have done.
Another light aircraft flight sees us travel to the Western Highlands basing ourselves at Kumul Lodge, famed for its bird-feeding table where we may see smoky honeyeater, Brehm’s tiger parrot, Belford’s melidectes, brown sicklebill, and ribbon-tailed astrapia among other species, and have an opportunity to learn about the Melpha people. We end our time in Papua New Guinea with an overnight stay in Port Moresby with visits to nearby Varirata National Park, home to great and slender-billed cuckoo doves, olive flyrobins, and the minuscule bull-faced pygmy parrot, plus a morning spent at Port Moresby Nature Park to learn more about this fascinating country’s regional flora and fauna. OUTLINE ITINERARY Day 1 Fly overnight to Singapore Day 2 Fly overnight to Port Moresby Days 3-5 Fly to Tari; stay at Ambua Lodge Days 6-9 Charter flight to Karawari; explore Sepik River Days 10-12 Charter flight to Mt Hagen; stay at Kumul Lodge Day 13 Fly to Port Moresby; visit Varirata National Park Day 14 Morning visit to Port Moresby Nature Park; fly to Singapore & overnight flight arriving Day 15
DEPARTURES ACCOMMODATION PRICE FROM SINGLE SUPP PRICE INCLUDES GROUP SIZE LEADER TOUR CODE
Wed 25 July - Wed 8 August 2018 Good city hotels & rustic rainforest lodges £9,395 £1,110 Flights, transfers, accommodation, all meals & guided activities 8 Barrie Cooper PAPU2
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