Birds of Paradise: Birdwatching Papua New Guinea

Today you begin your birdwatching in earnest at Varirata National Park, a beautiful area of forest and grassland in the hills near Port Moresby, and one of the most accessible and rewarding birding sites in the country. Rising early, you venture into the park with your expert birding guide, seeking out an extraordinary array of birds, including the possibility of the Raggiana Bird of Paradise (the national bird) at a display ground, flashing its dazzling orange plumes, as well as the beautiful Growling Riflebird, bowerbirds, parrots, kingfishers, honeyeaters and countless other species. The park's forest and its birdlife are a wonderful introduction to the extraordinary avifauna of Papua New Guinea, and Varirata offers some of the best and most accessible birding in the country. Your expert guide brings the birds and their behaviour to life. As the day ends, you return to Port Moresby, exhilarated by your first sightings, and rest ahead of flying into the highland forests of Tari tomorrow, the heart of bird-of-paradise country.

This morning you fly into the spectacular highlands, landing near Tari and transferring to a lodge set high in the misty mountain forests, the heart of bird-of-paradise country and one of the finest birdwatching destinations on earth. The change is dramatic, cool mountain air, misty forests dripping with moss and orchids, and a landscape of soaring ridges and deep valleys. This is the world of the Huli wigmen, one of the most striking cultures on earth, and of an extraordinary array of birds of paradise. In the afternoon, you venture into the cool, ancient forest with your expert guide, seeking your first highland birds and, with luck, a first bird of paradise, perhaps the Ribbon-tailed Astrapia with its impossibly long white tail. The pristine highland forest and its extraordinary birdlife are captivating. As the sun sets over the highland valleys, you settle into your lodge, immersed in the beautiful, bird-rich world of the Tari highlands, and the anticipation of the days of birdwatching ahead builds.

A full day birdwatching in the extraordinary montane forests around Tari, one of the world's great birding destinations, seeking out the dazzling birds of paradise and other highland species. Rising at dawn, you venture into the cool, misty forest with your expert guide, seeking out the King of Saxony (with its bizarre head-wires), the Ribbon-tailed Astrapia, the Blue, Superb, Brown Sicklebill and Loria's birds of paradise, as well as a wealth of other highland birds, honeyeaters, parrots, robins, berrypeckers and more. With patience and expert guidance, you may witness the males' extraordinary display dances, flashing their dazzling plumes at a forest display ground, a profound and unforgettable wildlife experience. The pristine highland forest, misty, ancient and beautiful, and its extraordinary birdlife, are captivating. Your expert guide brings the birds and their behaviour to life throughout. As the sun sets over the highland valleys, you return to your lodge, exhilarated by the day's sightings, having experienced some of the finest birdwatching on the planet in the heart of bird-of-paradise country.

Another day birdwatching in the Tari highlands, combined with an encounter with the extraordinary Huli culture, for the birds of paradise and the Huli people are deeply intertwined. In the morning, you continue your birdwatching in the montane forest, seeking more birds of paradise and highland species and, with luck, more display dances. In the afternoon, you visit a Huli community, encountering one of the most striking cultures on earth, the wigmen famous for their elaborate wigs and ceremonial dress adorned with the very bird-of-paradise plumes you seek in the forest. You witness their wig-making, meet the villagers, and learn about their deep connection to the forest and its birds, whose plumes are prized for ceremonial headdresses. This combination of world-class birdwatching and extraordinary living culture, unique to Papua New Guinea, is fascinating and rewarding, revealing the deep, ancient relationship between the Huli people and the dazzling birds of paradise. As the sun sets over the highlands, you return to your lodge, immersed in the birds and culture of this extraordinary region.

A final full day birdwatching in the extraordinary highland forests around Tari, seeking out more of the region's dazzling birds of paradise and highland species. Rising at dawn, you venture once more into the cool, misty, ancient forest with your expert guide, seeking any birds of paradise you have yet to see, more display dances, and the wealth of other highland birds, and savouring the pristine beauty and extraordinary birdlife of one of the world's great birding destinations. With patience and expert guidance, the highland forests around Tari reward the birdwatcher richly, and every day brings new and dazzling sightings. Your expert guide brings the birds and their behaviour to life throughout. As the sun sets over the highland valleys, you return to your lodge for a final highland evening, reflecting on the extraordinary birds of paradise and other species you have witnessed in the heart of bird-of-paradise country. Rest well, for tomorrow you fly to the lowland rainforest of the Karawari, for a different array of extraordinary birds.

Today you fly from the highlands to the lowland rainforest of the Karawari, a tributary of the Sepik, for a completely different array of extraordinary lowland birds. You land and transfer by boat to a lodge set high above the river and rainforest, deep in the steamy lowlands. The change from the cool highlands to the hot, humid lowland jungle is dramatic, and the lowland rainforest teems with a different wealth of birdlife. In the afternoon, you venture out with your expert guide, seeking lowland birds of paradise, the spectacular crowned pigeons (among the largest and most beautiful pigeons on earth), a dazzling array of parrots, lorikeets, kingfishers, hornbills and countless other lowland species. The pristine lowland rainforest and its extraordinary birdlife are captivating, and the birding rich and rewarding. As the sun sets over the river and the sounds of the rainforest rise, you settle into your lodge, immersed in the bird-rich lowland world of the Karawari, a wonderful counterpoint to the highland forests.

A full day birdwatching in the pristine lowland rainforest of the Karawari, seeking out its extraordinary array of lowland birds, alongside a taste of the region's rich culture. Rising at dawn, you venture into the steamy jungle and along the river with your expert guide, seeking lowland birds of paradise, the spectacular crowned pigeons, a dazzling array of parrots, lorikeets, kingfishers, hornbills, and countless other lowland species, as well as watching for other wildlife, tree kangaroos, cuscus and more. Gliding the river and its tributaries in canoes, you seek waterbirds and river life, and take in the wild beauty of the rainforest. You may also visit a riverside village, experiencing the warm culture of the Sepik region, a rich human counterpoint to the birdwatching. The pristine lowland rainforest, teeming with extraordinary birdlife, is captivating. As the sun sets over the river and the rainforest sounds rise, you return to your lodge, exhilarated by the day's sightings, having experienced the extraordinary lowland birdlife of Papua New Guinea.

Today you leave the bird-rich lowland rainforest of the Karawari and fly back to Port Moresby, reflecting on the extraordinary birdwatching you have experienced across the highlands and lowlands of Papua New Guinea. On arrival, you transfer to your hotel, with the afternoon free to relax, do some last souvenir shopping, or reflect on your birding journey through the land of the birds of paradise. This evening, a farewell dinner celebrates the extraordinary birds you have witnessed, the dazzling birds of paradise and their display dances, the bowerbirds, crowned pigeons, parrots and hundreds of other species, in the pristine forests of one of the richest avian paradises on earth. As you toast your journey, the memory of the dancing birds of paradise, their flashing plumes and elaborate postures, and the extraordinary richness of Papua New Guinea's birdlife stays with you. Rest well ahead of your departure tomorrow, carrying home a bird list, and memories, to treasure for a lifetime.

After a final morning in Port Moresby, perhaps some last birdwatching in the gardens and parks, you are transferred to the airport for your onward international departure. You leave having experienced one of the greatest birdwatching journeys on earth, in the land of the birds of paradise, having sought out these most extraordinary and beautiful of birds, witnessed their astonishing courtship displays, and encountered hundreds of other spectacular species across the pristine highland and lowland forests of Papua New Guinea. The images stay vivid long after you land, the dancing birds of paradise flashing their dazzling plumes, the Ribbon-tailed Astrapia with its impossibly long tail, the crowned pigeons, the Huli wigmen adorned with the very plumes you sought in the forest. Papua New Guinea offers one of the richest and most extraordinary avian paradises on the planet, and you depart with a bird list to treasure, already dreaming of a return to the land of the birds of paradise, one of the great birdwatching adventures of the world.