EIGHT GREAT
watcher’s Holy Grail; it is, after all, home to the fabulous birds of paradise, cited by Sir David Attenborough as his greatest ever wildlife experience. The rugged, isolated valleys offer raw adventure for pioneering individuals prepared for the trouble and expense of getting there. The reward is not only the birds of paradise, among which many species flaunt their extraordinary plumes in spectacular breeding displays, but also numerous other gems – such as fire-maned bowerbird and brown-headed paradise kingfisher – found nowhere else. The island is also home to some of the world’s most isolated tribal communities, and any worthwhile trip will experience something of this unique culture
7 .
SELL IT: Audley Travel’s 13-day ‘Papua New Guinea Explorer’ visits Mount Hagen, the Sepik River and the Highlands in search of birds of paradise and tribal culture. Trips are tailored to birdwatching priorities. From £7,305pp, including international flights and transfers
audleytravel.com
SOUTH AFRICA In the heat of the Kruger bushveld, vultures watch bloated lions retreating to the shade and seize their
8
PAPUA NEW GUINEA This remote destination is something of a bird-
moment, sweeping down to claim the kill in a jostling, hissing huddle. Amid the heady floral carpet of a Cape headland, a sugarbird probes a king protea for its sweet nectar while African penguins emerge from their burrows below and waddle down onto the beach. In the Kalahari dusk, Namaqua sandgrouse gather at a waterhole, soaking their breast feathers and slaking their thirst before flighting back off into the desert night. These are just a few of the myriad delights that await bird-watchers in South Africa, where an amazing diversity of landscapes brings a different birding experience around every corner. SELL IT: Tasmanian Odyssey’s 10-night birding holiday in Tasmania takes in Narawntapau National Park, the Central Highlands, Mountain Valley Wilderness and a three-night expert guided tour of Bruny Island. The holiday is priced from £2,400, excluding flights.
abercrombiekent.co.uk
Main image: The male orange-breasted sunbird perching in fynbos vegetation South Africa Western Cape; Inset: Two of Ecuador’s velvet-purple Coronet hummingbirds fi ghting on a branch
W O R T H T H E J O U R N E Y
Falkland islands 54 Month 2013
www.sellinglonghaul.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78