TRIP TO
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
1st Date: 10th-25th May 2027
2nd Date: 26th May-11th June 2027
9.560 €
Papua New Guinea has long had a reputation as a tough destination for mammalwatchers. PNG is physically tough. It is tough to see mammals. And finding decent food and accommodation can also be tough. This trip will challenge all of these assumptions!
Get ready for an incredible adventure, looking for some of the most amazing mammals on Earth with the finest experts in the region.

Arrival into Port Moresby, where we will stay overnight. Night at Port Moresby, near the airport.

This morning we take a 45-minute helicopter flight to a remote location near the Kokoda trail, where we will be camping for the next 8 nights.

Welcome to mammal nirvana! This place, which took a lot of effort to and research to discover, is a mammalwatcher’s Disneyland. Our previous survey has showed the potential here, with Doria's Tree Kangaroo taking pride of the place within a short walk from the camp. But this forest is home also to Small Dorcopsis, Mountain, Ground, Silky and Eastern Common Cuscuses, Painted and Plush-coated Ringtail Possums, Long-fingered Triok, Long-tailed Pygmy Possum, Feather-tailed Possum, Hobbit Blossom Bat, Flores and Mountain Tube-nosed Bast, Mountain Pipistrelle, De Vis's Woolly Rat, Moss-forest Rat, Eastern Rat, Mountain Paramelomys, New Guinea Jumping Mouse, Black-tailed Giant Rat and who knows what other surprises! We expect to find many of these species. We will also keep our eyes open for the awesome Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo as we are in range though we have yet to find the species here and locals tell us it is much more difficult than Doria's. When we are not marveling at the mammals, we will be enjoying our very well- appointed camp with excellent food and even charging facilities! Birds are also on display and we can expect a fantastic selection of them, including Lawes’s Parotia, Streaked Bowerbird, Dwarf Cassowary, Stephanie’s Astrapia, Wattled Ploughbill or Forbes’s Forest Rail, just to name a few.

Today we fly back to Moresby, where we will enjoy a well-deserved hot shower, a la carte menu and as much luxury as possible. And for those who have had enough luxury by dinner time there might be an opportunity to explore a nearby forest patch if the local conditions are good. Night in Moresby Noche en Manokwari.

Today we fly to the central highlands, where we are hoping for a new set of mammals. Our recce trip delivered a nice set of megas including the endangered – and beautiful - Calaby's Pademelon; Coppery, Masked and Pygmy Ringtail Possums; and Speckled Dasyure. But we know that other exciting mammals are lurking in those woods so we will try hard to get even more species. Night in a comfortable mountain lodge

We have another two nights in the area to make sure we find all the important mammals. Birding is usually fantastic and not only at the well-known feeders but also at the lodge gardens, where Blue-capped Ifrit, Lesser Melampitta, Feline Owlet Nightjar, Brown Sicklebill, Crested Satinbird or Ribbon-tailed Astrapia can be easily spotted.

Today we fly back to Port Moresby and drive to Varirata, where we are will spend the night. Here we can target Grey Dorcopsis, Dusky Pademelon, Eastern Common Cuscus and hopefully, Black-spotted Cuscus plus one or two surprises. Night near Varirata

After a last morning in Varirata, exploring the different trails of the park, we return to Port Moresby for a final dinner before the tour ends

End of the tour
Information about the tour
Accommodation
Well-appointed camping in individual tents during the first part of
the trip. The camp comprises individual tents with inflatable mattress. And a
generator means we can keep our gear charged. After some difficult experiences
in PNG with food I am determined to ensure we have a nice menu and plan to
bring some provisions with me from Spain!
We stay in a very nice hotel in Port Moresby and in basic lodges in the central
highlands and Varirata.
Walking difficulty
Walks and trails are often steep and nearly always sippery. You can expect long walks every single day of the trip. The Arfaks are very steep and/or muddy. As such, good balance is essential for a number of bridge crosses. The walks around Klalik- Malagufuk will be easier and relaxed. That said, we always walk very slowly at night as we search everywhere for animals with flashlights and thermal scopes.
Expected number of species
Tour cost includes ✅
All accommodation, meals, drinking water, internal flights (as stated in itinerary), overland transport, tips to local drivers and guides, travel permits, entrance fees, and guide fees.
Tour cost excludes ❌
Flights before and after the tour starts/ends, visa, travel insurance, tips to tour leaders, laundry, drinks and other items of a personal nature.
Price
9560 euros
Group Size Limit
6 people.
Dates
Two dates:
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