Of all the world’s birding destinations, Papua New Guinea must certainly rank amongst the most fascinating and exotic. The second largest island on Earth, New Guinea was the last inhabited island to be explored by Europeans, and even today many areas have little or no exposure to Western influence. The virtually untouched forests come alive with incredible fruit doves, fig parrots, fairywrens, jewel-babblers, pittas, honeyeaters and berrypeckers, while over twenty species of dazzling birds-of-paradise present sometimes unbelievably iridescent colours and wild tail plumes in one of the most astonishing exhibits of the natural world!
Travelling by air, road, and boat we will explore the diverse habitats of the country, from winding lowland rivers and sprawling grasslands, to the richly forested highlands. Native tribes still dress themselves to mimic the island’s fabulous birds, adorned with elaborate head plumes made from the feathers of parrots and birds-of-paradise. Our eighteen-day tour covers the highlights of this enchanted and little-travelled country. We can expect a phenomenal variety of remarkable birds in and amongst vast regions of immaculate forests that have been experienced by few people on earth!
King of Saxony, Magnificent, King, Twelve-wired, Greater, Raggiana, Lesser & Blue Bird-of-paradise; Magnificent & Growling Riflebirds; Black, Brown & Black-billed Sicklebills; Superb Lophorina; Glossy-mantled, Crinkle-collared & Trumpet Manucodes; Ribbon-tailed & Princess Stephanie's Astrapias; Queen Carola's & Lawes's Parotias; Salvadori's Teal; Forest Bittern; Papuan, Pygmy & Gurney's Eagles; Doria's & Black-mantled Goshawks; Papuan Harrier; New Guinea Flightless Rail; New Guinea Woodcock; New Guinea Bronzewing; Cinnamon Ground Dove; Pheasant Pigeon; Sclater’s Crowned Pigeon; Wompoo, Pink-spotted, Ornate, Orange-fronted, Superb, Coroneted, Beautiful, White-bibbed, Orange-bellied & Dwarf Fruit Doves; Purple-tailed, Rufescent, Pinon's, Collared, Zoe's & Torresian Imperial Pigeons; Papuan Mountain Pigeon; Papuan Boobook; Marbled & Papuan Frogmouths; Archbold's Nightjar; Feline, Starry, Wallace's, Mountain & Barred Owlet-Nightjars; Hook-billed, Common Paradise, Little Paradise, Buff-breasted Paradise, Brown-headed Paradise, Forest, Torresian, Yellow-billed, Mountain, Papuan Dwarf & Azure Kingfishers; Shovel-billed, Blue-winged & Rufous-bellied Kookaburras; Pesquet's, Yellow-capped, Buff-faced Pygmy, Orange-breasted Fig, Papuan King & Brehm's Tiger Parrots; Papuan Eclectus; Striated, Red-flanked, Fairy, Papuan, Yellow-billed & Orange-billed Lorikeets; Purple-bellied, Dusky, Goldie's & Coconut Lorikeets; Papuan Pitta; Archbold's, MacGregor's, Flame, Yellow-breasted & Fawn-breasted Bowerbirds; Papuan Treecreeper; Wallace's, Emperor, White-shouldered & Orange-crowned Fairywren; Goldenface; Papuan Babbler; Papuan Logrunner; Loria's & Crested Satinbirds; Tit & Crested Berrypeckers; Papuan Whipbird; Spotted, Blue & Chestnut-backed Jewel-babbler; Painted Quail-thrush; Mottled Berryhunter; Papuan & Black Sittellas; Wattled Ploughbill; Rufous-naped Whistler; Crested Pitohui; Lesser & Greater Melampittas; Blue-capped Ifrit; Mountain Firetail; White-spotted, Great-billed, Grey-headed, Hooded & Chestnut-breasted Mannikins.
Spectacled Dasyure; Black-tailed Giant Rat; Agile Wallaby; Great Flying Fox.
lowland and montane rainforest, Eucalyptus savanna, mangroves, grasslands, wetlands, islets
hot and humid with tropical showers, cooler in the highlands
8 with 1 Rockjumper Leader / 10 with 2 Rockjumper leaders
moderate pace with some longer hikes
comfortable to good hotels and lodges with one basic lodge
moderate, can be challenging at times
300 - 350
traditional carvings, spectacular forest vistas and mountain scenery
good
Glen Valentine was excellent, seeing and hearing most of the target birds, despite a very chatty, enthusiastic group that must have been very challenging at times.
Both Lev Frid and Andre Bernon were excellent guides. Lev was particularly emphatic about the vagaries of travel in PNG and the propensity for things to go wrong. Despite his warnings, the trip went extremely smoothly; the accommodation was all great be it the highly rustic (Kwatu) or high end (Walindi); the Papuan guides and ground team were very good; it was nice to see that Rockjumper was clearly supporting the local organisations; and overall both the Rockjumper guides and the Papuan bird guides were very knowledgeable. Overall, a really excellent experience on the ground.
The birds were magnificent, and when you combine this with the awesome guide combo of Adam Walleyn and the 'Big G' (Gareth Robbins), it made for a once in a lifetime trip. Thanks again Rockjumper for delivering a first-class birding experience.
Andre and Lev were excellent guides, and ensured we had a great time, even when birding, the weather, or the inevitable logistical challenges of travel within PNG seemed to do their best to thwart us. They did an excellent job of managing expectations, but also ensuring that as many people in the group got to see the birds, while also understanding that not everyone would see ingle bird. Difficulties, whether with accommodations, weather, or even participants, were dealt with quickly, and I have no doubt far more issues were cleared before the group was even aware they existed! I look forward to returning to New Guinea (including West Papua) with Rockjumper soon, and also exploring more birding destinations with Lev and Andre or the other excellent guides you have!
We thought the birding went very well. Both Dusan and Stephan were great guides - very knowledgeable, very dedicated, quite determined to get everyone onto pretty much everything, and they combined very well. And, they both tried very hard to help all the participants who needed it, whether it was locating a bird, getting up a steep section or getting in or out of the boats. They did an admirable job.
02 Jun 2024 - 19 Jun 2024 (18 days)
PGK47,950 - No Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Erik Forsyth
Tour price (Per person): PGK47,950 * USD12,617 * GBP10,200 * EUR11,833 * AUD19,665
Single Supplement: PGK4,950 * USD1,302 * GBP1,053 * EUR1,222 * AUD2,030
Flight costs: PGK5,950 * USD1,566 * GBP1,266 * EUR1,468 * AUD2,440
Can be linked with: Papua New Guinea - New Britain I 2024
02 Sep 2024 - 19 Sep 2024 (18 days)
PGK47,950 - No Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Stephan Lorenz
Tour price (Per person): PGK47,950 * USD12,617 * GBP10,200 * EUR11,833 * AUD19,665
Single Supplement: PGK4,950 * USD1,302 * GBP1,053 * EUR1,222 * AUD2,030
Flight costs: PGK5,950 * USD1,566 * GBP1,266 * EUR1,468 * AUD2,440
Can be linked with: Papua New Guinea - New Britain III 2024
09 May 2025 - 26 May 2025 (18 days)
PGK39,450 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Julian Parsons
Tour Leader: Paul Varney
Tour price (Per person): PGK39,450 * USD10,380 * GBP8,392 * EUR9,735 * AUD16,179
Single Supplement: PGK4,950 * USD1,302 * GBP1,053 * EUR1,222 * AUD2,030
Flight costs: PGK3,400 * USD895 * GBP723 * EUR839 * AUD1,394
Can be linked with: Papua New Guinea - New Britain I 2025
18 Jul 2025 - 04 Aug 2025 (18 days)
PGK39,450 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Amanda Guercio
Tour Leader: Lev Frid
Tour price (Per person): PGK39,450 * USD10,380 * GBP8,392 * EUR9,735 * AUD16,179
Single Supplement: PGK4,950 * USD1,302 * GBP1,053 * EUR1,222 * AUD2,030
Flight costs: PGK3,400 * USD895 * GBP723 * EUR839 * AUD1,394
Can be linked with: Papua New Guinea - New Britain II 2025
20 Aug 2025 - 06 Sep 2025 (18 days)
PGK47,950 - 1 Space Available
Tour Leader: Erik Forsyth
Tour price (Per person): PGK47,950 * USD12,617 * GBP10,200 * EUR11,833 * AUD19,665
Single Supplement: PGK4,950 * USD1,302 * GBP1,053 * EUR1,222 * AUD2,030
Flight costs: PGK3,400 * USD895 * GBP723 * EUR839 * AUD1,394
Can be linked with: Papua New Guinea - New Britain III 2025
Papua New Guinea - Birding in Paradise (Small Group) II 2023 - August 2023
Papua New Guinea - Highlights II 2023 - August 2023
Papua New Guinea - New Britain III 2023 - August 2023
Papua New Guinea - Birding in Paradise IV 2023 - August 2023
Papua New Guinea - Adelbert Range & Huon Peninsula 2023 - July 2023
Papua New Guinea - Birding in Paradise III 2022 - July 2022
Papua New Guinea - New Britain II 2022 - July 2022
Papua New Guinea - Birding in Paradise II 2022 - June 2022
Papua New Guinea - Huon Peninsula Extension I 2022 - June 2022
Papua New Guinea - Highlights I 2019 - September 2019
Papua New Guinea - New Britain III 2019 - August 2019
Papua New Guinea - Birding in Paradise V 2019 - August 2019
Papua New Guinea - Huon Peninsula Extension II 2019 - August 2019
Papua New Guinea - Birding in Paradise IV 2019 - July 2019
Papua New Guinea - Birding in Paradise III 2019 - June 2019
Papua New Guinea - Huon Peninsula Extension I 2019 - June 2019
Papua New Guinea - Highlights 2018 - September 2018
Papua New Guinea - New Britain III 2018 - August 2018
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