Depart Heathrow on your Singapore Airlines overnight service to Singapore.
Arrive mid-afternoon in Singapore and proceed through immigration and baggage collection.
You will be met in the arrivals hall by your driver, who will transfer you to your nearby hotel for 1 night to "break the journey" and to acclimatise a little to the time zone.
Doinner at your leaisure.
You have a full day in Singapore to enjoy the sights, or to rest by the pool - whichever you choose to best acclimatise yourselves, and to relax a little before your onward journey.
We can organise several different sightseeing options for you in Singapore:
- City sightseeing
- Museum visits
- Changi Prison visit and British and Commonwealth War Graves Memorial Site
- National Orchid Garden
Later afternoon/early evening transfer from your hotel to Singapore's nearby Changi International Airport.
Check-in for your overnight Air Niugini flight to Port Moresby.
On arrival in Port Moresby, you will be met by our agent and assisted with your connection to your onward flight to Mount Hagen.
Upon arrival in Mount Hagen, you will be driven up the scenic mountain road to Rondon Ridge Lodge. The Lodge is nestled on the edge of the Waghi valley above the city of Mount Hagen, offering a stunning vista of the surrounding Highland-style houses and gardens set amongst the green rolling hills and forests. If time permits, you can meet with your guide and wander the grounds around the lodge in hopes of spotting a few of the twelve varieties of Bird of Paradise that can be found here, including the Blue Bird of Paradise and the Superb Bird of Paradise.
Depart the lodge early this morning to catch the waking birds as the dawn breaks. Spend the morning climbing the trails up the mountain at a leisurely pace, following the melodic song of the birds as they grace the morning. In the cool of the forest birders may chance to see the Black and Brown Sicklebill Bird of Paradise, the King of Saxony Bird of Paradise, Stephanies Astrapia Bird of Paradise, MacGregors Bowerbird, the Papuan Parrot-finch, to name a few of the many varieties of birds found in these tranquil forests. Birders may spend a full day exploring the many species of birds that live in these high-altitude forests, taking packed breakfast and/or lunch with them for the day or can choose to travel back to the lodge for meals before continuing with a full day of exploration.
Rise early to the deep silence of the mountains, before departing on a short ride down the winding mountain road, passing quaint Highlands’ farms, rushing mountain streams and stunning views of the Waghi valley. Today will be spent wandering through the lowland regions of the valley (5500 feet) where birders will have the opportunity to see a diverse range of birds that occupy the valley. This area is home to a wide variety of lowland birds and boasts a beautiful Raggiana Bird of Paradise display tree.
Depart early this morning to make the drive to Kumul Birding Lodge, located on the border of the Enga Province. Kumul Lodge hosts a variety of different birds on site and in the surrounding areas, including the female Brown Sicklebill Bird of Paradise, the Ribbon-tailed Astrapia Bird of Paradise and Archibald's Bowerbird, to name a few. Kumul has a well-established bird feeding station where guests can often see birds at close range. Guests will enjoy the trails that surround the lodge accompanied by your Rondon Ridge guide as well as a guide from Kumul Lodge. Other species, such as the Blue Bird of Paradise, can be viewed in the Tonga village in the lower-altitude areas close to Kumul.
This morning fly by charter flight into the deep heart of the jungle where your wondrous journey continues at the Karawari Lodge in the Sepik region. Sitting on a ridge above the Karawari River, the lodge boasts a spectacular view of hundreds of kilometers of dense tropical jungle. After settling in you will meet your guide and set out for an afternoon of birding.
Rise early to begin each full day of birding both on the quiet waterways of the river and in the thick Karawari jungle. With some 225 species of birds, Karawari is an excellent location to seek lowland, rainforest and freshwater birds, particularly parrots, including lorikeets, Eclectus, Palm Cockatoos, and Edwards-Fig Parrot. There are also three Birds of Paradise, the King, Twelve-Wire and the Magnificent Riflebird. Cassowaries, frog-mouths, owls, birds of prey, bower birds, honey eaters and a whole host of others await the intrepid birder.
Rise early to begin each full day of birding both on the quiet waterways of the river and in the thick Karawari jungle. With some 225 species of birds, 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, the King, Twelve-Wire and the Magnificent Riflebird. Cassowaries, frog-mouths, owls, birds of prey, bower birds, honey eaters and a whole host of others await the intrepid birder.
This morning you will be transferred to Karawari Airstrip for your charter flight to Mt Hagen, meet and transfer to your domestic flight departure for Port Moresby on Air Niugini. Upon arrival in Port Moresby, you will be met by Trans Niugini Tours staff and transferred to the Airways Hotel. The afternoon is spent exploring the Nature Park and other interesting landmarks.
Full day tour to the Sogeri Plateau or visit the Bomana War Cemetery, Port Moresby Art Gallery, Port Moresby Nature Park.
Transfer from your hotel for your domestic flight to Hoskins Airport in New Britain. On arrival, transfer to the Walindi Plantation Resort.
Afternoon birding in the lowlands.
You will spend four full days at different birding spots; New Britain, in the Bismarck Archipelago, is a geological hotspot that holds many endemic species and contributes significantly to the avian diversity of the New Guinea region.
A birdwatching tour to Papua New Guinea is not complete without a visit to the Bismarck Archipelago. Walindi offers the best location for exploring the north coast of New Britain and the Bismarck Sea in comfort. Tours are offered to nearby rainforests and small islets in Kimbe Bay for a host of exotic Bismarck and New Britain endemics. Exciting species include Heinroth's Shearwater, Golden Masked Owl, New Britain Pitta, Nicobar Pigeon, Blue-Eyed Cockatoo, twenty pigeons and doves, nine kingfishers including the Black-Headed Paradise Kingfisher and a host of little-known passerines.
Fly from Hoskins Airport to Port Moresby. On arrival, transfer from the airport to your hotel.
Afternoon at leisure.
Morning at leisure, after which you will be collected from your hotel and transferred to Port Moresby airport, for your day-time flight with Air Niugini to Singapore.
In Singapore, you will have sufficient time to arrange your overnight flight to London Heathrow.
Arrive home, with memories of what truly must rank as the most unforgettable and exotic trip of a lifetime to Papua New Guinea.
