png-highlands-birding
What you'll see
The journey, one day at a time
Arrive Kumul Lodge
Arrive in Kumul Lodge, met and transferred to your accommodation. Kumul's feeders turn a usually difficult quarry into close, repeatable views.
Kumul Lodge
Bird the montane forest around the lodge for highland species. Arrive at Port Moresby and transfer to Kumul Lodge. Watch ribbon-tailed astrapias and sicklebills at the feeders, then the trails.
Kumul Lodge
Relaxed feeder birding and gentle forest walks. Watch ribbon-tailed astrapias and sicklebills at the feeders, then the trails.
To Tari Valley
Transfer to Tari Valley. Bird the cloud forest for King of Saxony and blue birds-of-paradise. Arrive at Port Moresby and transfer to Tari Valley.
Tari Valley
Visit a Huli wigmen village, then the highland display trees. Work the high forest for astrapias and parotias. Nowhere fuses extraordinary culture and extraordinary birds like the Tari Valley.
Tari Valley
Work the high forest for astrapias and parotias. Dawn at the BoP display trees and a full highland birding day.
To Ambua Valley
Transfer to Ambua Valley. Bird the high mossy forest for sicklebills and astrapias. Arrive at Port Moresby and transfer to Ambua Valley.
Ambua Valley
Work the Tari Gap for superb bird-of-paradise and montane species. Cloud-forest trails and waterfalls at altitude. Ambua's altitude adds the upper-montane birds-of-paradise and the most beautiful forest setting in PNG.
Departure
A final morning in Ambua Valley — a last outing or a slow start as time allows — before the transfer onward and the journey home.
The season changes what you see.
Peak season
Drier highland season — best trail conditions.
Good season
The feeders draw birds in all months; cool and damp at altitude.
Hand-picked camps & lodges
Ambua Lodge
The iconic highland lodge on the Tari Gap — round-house chalets in cloud forest, serving both the Tari and Ambua birding.
Kumul Lodge
The famous feeder lodge near Mount Hagen — simple rooms, but ribbon-tailed astrapias at arm's length.
Highlander Hotel, Mount Hagen
A comfortable Mount Hagen town hotel, the highlands gateway for Kumul and the Tari flights.
McRoyal Hotel, Mount Hagen
A practical Mount Hagen hotel, a handy transit base in the Western Highlands.
Make it yours.
Add nights, swap a park, extend to the coast — this route is a starting point, not a fixed menu. Tell us how you travel and we'll route the rest.