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Short tour to PNG in July 2019 (1 Viewer)

Jose Ramon

Well-known member
Hi all,

we are a group of three birders who are planning to short tour, about 8 days, to PNG in the first half of July 2019.

Our plan is to visit the areas of Port Moresby and Mount Hagen.

One of the aims of the tour is to try to watch all the endemic families of birds in PNG and as many birds as possible, of course. For that reason we will try them Kumul Lodge feeders and in Rondon Ridge in Mount Hagen area.

In addition, we will bird for a few days in the area of Port Moresby, Varirata National Park, PAU University gardens, ....

The tour will be fully guided with local guides that we have already arranged.

It will be necessary to take a domestic flight from Port Moresby to Mount Hagen.

Of course, you are free to extend the tour as much as you want or to arrive in advance.

PNG is expensive, mainly the price for the domestic flights and the nights in Rondon Ridge. Because of that, we are planning to go in double rooms, as a single room will cost a lot of money for a single person.

We are already three gentlemen, so we are looking for a birder to join us. This person will share room with one of the gentlemen.

We could accept also a maximum of three birders, one to share the room with one of the gentlemen and the other two will share their own room (or pay for an expensive single room. In this case, it could be only one person).

This could be a great opportunity from somebody from Australia who wants to take a short visit to PNG to watch all the endemic families and many other birds but also to somebody from anywhere else in the World. In fact, two of us are going from Europe.

If you are interested, please send me a PM.

Regards,
 
Arbu,

the problem about staying any longer is the cost.

Even if you organize the tour by yourself with local guides without any tour leader, if you are coming from Europe expect to spend at least 1.500 euros in the international flight, plus 300 euros in an internal flight, plus the guides fees, plus the stay at Kumul Lodge (not so expensive) plus the stay in the very expensive Rondon Ridge Lodge ($500 per night per person) plus a stay near Varirarata NP in Port Moresby.

So at the end expect to spend at least 4.000 euros in 8 days per person.

If you plan to stay any longer in any other place in PNG expect to pay 300 additional euros for a second internal flight plus the guides. We look for an extension in a lodge near the border with Indonesia and we should add 1.500 additional euros for 5 more days.

I would like to get a budget tour but it is not possible. PNG is very expensive for tourism as there is no competence and the services are only for tourists. Something amazing if you take into account that PNG is a very poor country.

I would like to organize the tour again for July 2020. If you or anybody else is interested, we may talk about staying any longer and spend more money or take a shorter “budget” tour.

Regards,
 
I'd recommend West Papua for doing things at least a bit cheaper. I did three weeks there (four of us) and it cost less than 4000 euros per person.
 
Andrew,

yes, but as far as I know, the endemic families of the island of New Guinea are not so achivable in the Indonesian side.

Both sides share many birds but it seems that the specific birds that you need to see to get the families are easier in the area of Mount Hagen in PNG that in the equivalent area in Indonesia.

Regards,
 
Andrew,

yes, but as far as I know, the endemic families of the island of New Guinea are not so achivable in the Indonesian side.

Both sides share many birds but it seems that the specific birds that you need to see to get the families are easier in the area of Mount Hagen in PNG that in the equivalent area in Indonesia.

Regards,

That might be true, although I reckon my chances of getting most/all of the families would be higher if I can spend three weeks in New Guinea rather than eight days, even if it's not in the optimum areas. If I can do that for the same price, I think it's a better bet.
 
Families-wise, if you split Greater Mega(la)mpitta and Wattled Ploughbill, the former stakeout of the first seems to be unreachable and the other one is very unreliable.
 
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