Jose Ramon
Well-known member
Hi everyone,
I am planning a "budget" birdwatching tour to PNG. I have checked the ones available tours organised by birding tour operators and the prices are really high and I would not like to spend such an amount of money.
I have been reading about the Indonesian part of the island (western part of the island) where budget tours are available but it seems that birding in PNG (easter part of the island) is much better.
I would try to watch at least one specie of all the endemic families that the island has that according to I.O.C. 5.1 are:
Satinbirds ---- Cnemophilidae
Berrypeckers, Longbills --- Melanocharitidae
Painted Berrypeckers --- Paramythiidae
Melampittas --- Melampittidae
Ploughbill --- Eulacestomidae
Mottled Whistler --- Rhagologidae
Ifrita --- Ifritidae
and of course many very interesting birds like crowned dove, Birds of Paradise, ... and many others.
I would not mind to add to the list a bird of two families that PNG shares with the North of Australia, a part of Australia that I have not visited yet.
These two families are:
Cassowaries --- Casuariidae
Boatbills --- Machaerirhynchidae
althoug these two are not essential due to the fact that I am planning to visit NE Australia in the future.
I have been told that the reason for the high prices are mainly:
- Internal flights that are very expensive because they do not have low-cost companies. All flights are serviced by Air Niugini (that is the stated owned one), airlines PNG that seens to be a bit cheaper and a third one called MAF Papua New Guinea that only flights from time to time. It seems that there is not any other option to move around: quality of the roads are very bad and distances are long.
- Lodges are very expensive. As PNG has not too much offer so there is not too much competence. So the prices are very high due to the fact that it is the only option if you want to have a quality lodging.
But I have also been told that reciently some budgets hotel have been opened that are much cheaper that the luxury lodges.
I have been consulting checklist and checking ditribution maps and observation records in places like eBird, I.B.C, ... and it seems the three place should be enought to achieve muy goal:
- Port Moresby visiting Varirata N.P staying in a budget hotel in Port Moresby that could be even booked in any website as booking.com
- A place in the highlands in the centre of the island like Mount Hagen where some budget hotels are also available.
- A place in western PNG, close to the border with Indonesia where options are limited. I have been told about Kiunga Nature Tours in the area of Kiunga and Tabubil. I do not know if they are cheap or expensive but I cannot find any other option.
So, if any of you have been to PNG and have information about budget hotels, birding guides, places to visit, logistics, ... I would thank you a lot if you help me with the organization of the tour.
Thanks in advance,
I am planning a "budget" birdwatching tour to PNG. I have checked the ones available tours organised by birding tour operators and the prices are really high and I would not like to spend such an amount of money.
I have been reading about the Indonesian part of the island (western part of the island) where budget tours are available but it seems that birding in PNG (easter part of the island) is much better.
I would try to watch at least one specie of all the endemic families that the island has that according to I.O.C. 5.1 are:
Satinbirds ---- Cnemophilidae
Berrypeckers, Longbills --- Melanocharitidae
Painted Berrypeckers --- Paramythiidae
Melampittas --- Melampittidae
Ploughbill --- Eulacestomidae
Mottled Whistler --- Rhagologidae
Ifrita --- Ifritidae
and of course many very interesting birds like crowned dove, Birds of Paradise, ... and many others.
I would not mind to add to the list a bird of two families that PNG shares with the North of Australia, a part of Australia that I have not visited yet.
These two families are:
Cassowaries --- Casuariidae
Boatbills --- Machaerirhynchidae
althoug these two are not essential due to the fact that I am planning to visit NE Australia in the future.
I have been told that the reason for the high prices are mainly:
- Internal flights that are very expensive because they do not have low-cost companies. All flights are serviced by Air Niugini (that is the stated owned one), airlines PNG that seens to be a bit cheaper and a third one called MAF Papua New Guinea that only flights from time to time. It seems that there is not any other option to move around: quality of the roads are very bad and distances are long.
- Lodges are very expensive. As PNG has not too much offer so there is not too much competence. So the prices are very high due to the fact that it is the only option if you want to have a quality lodging.
But I have also been told that reciently some budgets hotel have been opened that are much cheaper that the luxury lodges.
I have been consulting checklist and checking ditribution maps and observation records in places like eBird, I.B.C, ... and it seems the three place should be enought to achieve muy goal:
- Port Moresby visiting Varirata N.P staying in a budget hotel in Port Moresby that could be even booked in any website as booking.com
- A place in the highlands in the centre of the island like Mount Hagen where some budget hotels are also available.
- A place in western PNG, close to the border with Indonesia where options are limited. I have been told about Kiunga Nature Tours in the area of Kiunga and Tabubil. I do not know if they are cheap or expensive but I cannot find any other option.
So, if any of you have been to PNG and have information about budget hotels, birding guides, places to visit, logistics, ... I would thank you a lot if you help me with the organization of the tour.
Thanks in advance,
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