Enquire
Itineraries  /  Ultimate Birds-of-Paradise Expedition
ID04 · Indonesia · Birding Expedition

Ultimate Birds-of-Paradise Expedition

Arfak Mountains · Nimbokrang · Waigeo Island · Raja Ampat
Duration
15 Days · 14 Nights
The route
Arfak Mountains · Nimbokrang · Waigeo Island · Raja Ampat
Style
The full West Papua bird-of-paradise circuit
Best season
April – October · best
The route

14 nights, 4 stops — the full west papua bird-of-paradise circuit.

Arfak Mountains → Nimbokrang → Waigeo Island → Raja Ampat.

Round trip · returns to Arfak Mountains

Arfak MountainsNimbokrangWaigeo IslandRaja Ampat
What you're tracking

What you'll see

Vogelkop bowerbird
Builder of the maypole bower.
Western parotia
The dancing bird-of-paradise.
Arfak astrapia
A montane endemic.
Long-tailed paradigalla
In the high forest.
Day by day

The journey, one day at a time

01Arrive Arfak Mountains

Arrive Arfak Mountains

The journey begins.

Arrive in Arfak Mountains, met and transferred to your accommodation. The Arfak's bowers and dances are among the most astonishing displays in the bird world.

02Arfak Mountains

Arfak Mountains

A full day in the field.

Bird the steep cloud-forest trails for montane endemics. Dawn and dusk at the display grounds and bowers.

03Arfak Mountains

Arfak Mountains

A full day in the field.

Dawn and dusk at the display grounds and bowers. Sit at a forest hide for the Vogelkop bowerbird and Western parotia.

04Arfak Mountains → Nimbokrang

To Nimbokrang

On to the next.

Transfer to Nimbokrang. Dawn at the twelve-wired bird-of-paradise display, then forest birding. Work the canopy leks for the lesser bird-of-paradise.

05Nimbokrang

Nimbokrang

A full day in the field.

Work the canopy leks for the lesser bird-of-paradise. Search the lowland forest for pittas, jewel-babblers and parrots. Nimbokrang's lowland birds round out the Arfak's montane species for a full Papua list.

06Nimbokrang

Nimbokrang

A full day in the field.

Search the lowland forest for pittas, jewel-babblers and parrots.

07Nimbokrang → Waigeo Island

To Waigeo Island

On to the next.

Transfer to Waigeo Island. A pre-dawn forest trek for Wilson's and red birds-of-paradise. Bird the lowland forest, then snorkel the island reefs.

08Waigeo Island

Waigeo Island

A full day in the field.

Bird the lowland forest, then snorkel the island reefs. Search the canopy for displaying birds-of-paradise. Waigeo offers two of the planet's most spectacular birds within reach of the world's best reefs.

09Waigeo Island

Waigeo Island

A full day in the field.

Search the canopy for displaying birds-of-paradise.

10Waigeo Island

Waigeo Island

A full day in the field.

A pre-dawn forest trek for Wilson's and red birds-of-paradise.

11Waigeo Island → Raja Ampat

To Raja Ampat

On to the next.

Transfer to Raja Ampat. Dive or snorkel the world's richest reefs, then kayak the karst lagoons. A boat day among the islands, with mantas and reef life below.

12Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat

A full day in the field.

A boat day among the islands, with mantas and reef life below. An early forest walk for Wilson's bird-of-paradise, then the sea. Nowhere on earth packs more marine life into one place — Raja Ampat is the global summit of reef biodiversity.

13Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat

A full day in the field.

An early forest walk for Wilson's bird-of-paradise, then the sea. Explore hidden lagoons and viewpoints across the archipelago.

14Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat

A full day in the field.

Explore hidden lagoons and viewpoints across the archipelago.

15Depart Raja Ampat

Departure

The journey ends.

A final morning in Raja Ampat — a last outing or a slow start as time allows — before the transfer onward and the journey home.

When to travel

The season changes what you see.

April – October

Peak season

Drier highland weather — the best window for the steep forest trails.

Year-round

Good season

Birds display in most months; expect mist and rain at altitude any time.

Wildlife you may see
Birds

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.

Field notes, now and then.

Where to go · When to go · Wildlife in season

A few times a year, never more. Unsubscribe anytime. See our Privacy Policy.