Take a trip to Papua New Guinea for magnificent natural scenery
ET CONTRIBUTORS|
Updated: Oct 05, 2017, 08.42 AM IST
Nature trail in the forest
Region: PNG
There is a huge variety of tropical birds to be found on the islands including the often-spotted Blyth's Hornbills, Black capped Loris, four kinds of kingfishers, cockatoos, eclectus parrots, and so on. However, the star of the show remains the Birds of Paradise. Papua has been gifted with 39 out of the 42 species of these incredible creatures, which upholds an extraordinary example of evolutionary adaptation. Having lived on these islands for centuries, the birds with no natural predators have evolved with fantastic displays of colour, sound, and motion that sets them apart from anything else ever witnessed.
Male birds-of-paradise are precision tuned performers. Their unrivalled displays combine extreme feathers, dazzling colours, piercing sounds, and precise movements. These are all adaptations to attract mates.
The People: The Papuans are a rare breed of people in today's time. They prioritise the pursuit of happiness and pleasure above all else, and they seem to have found a way of achieving this without the greed of money and material possessions. They work just a few hours a day to provide their families with a comfortable life. They are particular about their afternoon nap and by 5pm they are out by the beach enjoying the technicolour sunsets and the gentle lapping waves. It is tremendously refreshing to immerse oneself into this alternate lifestyle, albeit for a short while. It provides perspective and opportunity to truly introspect on fundamental principles we hardly every pause to think about, let alone question.
Papuans are a friendly and curious lot, especially the children. They welcome tourists and invite them to their homes. Some families extend hospitality by making traditional local meals and personally show visitors around their spotless village.
Contributed by ET-Panache Travel reader Kunal Guha who is a big photography enthusiast.
Region: PNG
There is a huge variety of tropical birds to be found on the islands including the often-spotted Blyth's Hornbills, Black capped Loris, four kinds of kingfishers, cockatoos, eclectus parrots, and so on. However, the star of the show remains the Birds of Paradise. Papua has been gifted with 39 out of the 42 species of these incredible creatures, which upholds an extraordinary example of evolutionary adaptation. Having lived on these islands for centuries, the birds with no natural predators have evolved with fantastic displays of colour, sound, and motion that sets them apart from anything else ever witnessed.
Male birds-of-paradise are precision tuned performers. Their unrivalled displays combine extreme feathers, dazzling colours, piercing sounds, and precise movements. These are all adaptations to attract mates.
The People: The Papuans are a rare breed of people in today's time. They prioritise the pursuit of happiness and pleasure above all else, and they seem to have found a way of achieving this without the greed of money and material possessions. They work just a few hours a day to provide their families with a comfortable life. They are particular about their afternoon nap and by 5pm they are out by the beach enjoying the technicolour sunsets and the gentle lapping waves. It is tremendously refreshing to immerse oneself into this alternate lifestyle, albeit for a short while. It provides perspective and opportunity to truly introspect on fundamental principles we hardly every pause to think about, let alone question.
Papuans are a friendly and curious lot, especially the children. They welcome tourists and invite them to their homes. Some families extend hospitality by making traditional local meals and personally show visitors around their spotless village.
Contributed by ET-Panache Travel reader Kunal Guha who is a big photography enthusiast.
