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PNG 6th July - 27th July 2011 £4500

Excluding international flight.

All internal flights, all food and  all accommodations are included

The best value tour to PNG - 21 DAYS

with Ashley Banwell and expert local guides

Papua New Guinea

Day 1 arrive into Port Moresby and transfer to Hideaway Hotel, after check in proceed to  Pacific Adventist University Grounds. Here we shall be looking for the day roost of Papuan Frogmouth. We shall also see a good selection of water birds including Spotted Whistling Duck, Pacific Black Duck, Pied Heron, Rufous Night Heron, Comb-crested Jacana. Other goodies include Torresian Imperial Pigeon and Grey headed Munia. Overnight Hideaway Hotel

Day 2 Varirata, an early moring start should see us at Varirata for dawn. Here we should see Ragianna BoP's displaying. Other species we will search for include Forest Bittern, Painted Quail Thrush, Northern Scrub Robin, Brown-headed Paradise Kingfisher, Pheasant Pigeon and Barred Owlet-nightjar. In 2010 we found a flock of 25 Grand Munias which we will search for again.

Day 3 fly to Tari and transfer to Warili Lodge. Overnight Warili Lodge (4 nights)

Day 4 - 6  Tari Valley here we shall have some best birding in PNG, among the many star species here are: Blue, King-of-Saxony and Superb BoP's, Short-tailed Paradigalla, Black and Brown Sicklebills, Ribbon-tailed and Stephanies Astrapias and Archibolds Nightjar. If we are lucky we shall see Mountain Kingfishers but they are tricky. Other goodies we search for include Greater Sooty Owl, Blue-capped Ifrita, Wattled Ploughbill and Macgregor's Bowerbird.

Day 7  Overland transfer to Kumul Lodge, we shall make a few quick roadside stops to look forTorrent Flycatcher en route. We should arrive at Kumul mid afternoon, we can then relax watching Sanford's Bowerbird, Brown Sicklebill and Brehm's Tiger Parrots feeding on the bird table. Night birding for Mountain Owlet-Nightjar. In 2010 we found an active nest of Crested Bird of Paradise with the male feeding nearby.

Day 8 birding around Kumul, An early morning start will have us in position for the Lesser BoP display, sometimes a Magnificent BoP pays us a visit here. On our return we shall stop for Yellow-breasted Bowerbird. After lunch we shall explore the nearby trails where Lesser Melampitta, Orange-crowned Fairywren and Wattled Ploughbill can be seen.

Day 9 Transfer to Tabubil and then transfer Hotel Cloud lands for 3 nights

Day 10 - 11 Full days birding around Tabubil

Day 12 Road Tour Tabubil to Kiunga. Birding enroute. Overnight Kiunga Quest House. (2 nights)

Day 13 Boystown Rd, Km 17

Day 14 Early morning departure by boat along the Elevala River to the locally owned Ekame Lodge, here we stay close to nature for 4 nights. Nobody goes away without some fantastic memories. During the day we shall watch Twelve-wired and King BoP's doing their stuff, along the trails we shall search for Blue Jewel-babblers, Hooded Pitta, Glossy-mantled Manucode, Little and Common Paradise Kingfishers, Hook-billed Kingfisher, New Guinea Babbler and Hooded Monarch amongst many others. Southern Crowned Pigeons will be one of the many exciting target searched for from the boats. We should see some New Guinea Crocodiles here as well. Our night time birding will have us out searching for such mega and seldom seen species like Starry and Wallace's Owlet-nightjars, Papuan Hawk Owl, Papuan Bobook and Marbled Frogmouth!! we are going to be busy. In 2010 we were the first group to bea ble to watch New Guinea Flightless Rails feeding in front of a newly constructed hide, we have a very high chance of seeing them again on this trip.

Day 15 -17 Ekame area

Day 18 Early morning birding around Ekame Lodge. PM you will return down river by boat to Kunga-Overnight Kiunga Quest House.

Day 19 Transfer to Kiunga and then on to Port Moresby, transfer to Hotel. Overnight Hideaway Hotel.

Day 20 - 21 Varirata and Brown River

The final dates may change slightly depending on internal flights but we shall as near as I can make it to the same number of days at each site as shown above