Founding the company

The company’s history stretches back to 25 May 1758 when Richard Cox was appointed as regimental agent to the Foot Guards by his mentor, Lord Ligonier, the commander-in-chief of His Majesty’s Armed Forces. The actual moment of appointment is captured in the allegorical scene shown in the painting above by the well-known military painter David Morier, in which Cox is deliberately positioned as Ligonier’s ‘right hand man’.
Today, Cox & Kings has built on the tradition of high quality service and attention to detail established by Richard Cox more than 260 years ago and it now provides travel arrangements of the highest calibre in many of the most culturally and naturally fascinating parts of the world. The company has extended its expertise to cover Africa, Australasia, the Caribbean, Europe, the Far East, the Indian Ocean, the Indian Subcontinent, Latin America, the Middle East and Canada.Papua New Guinea holidays by Cox & Kings

Papua New Guinea, composed of over 600 islands, lies 100 miles north of Australia. It can be a challenging destination for visitors as tourism is still very much in its infancy, but it is one of the most rewarding destinations in the South Pacific. Little is contrived for tourists and there is a huge range of unique flora and fauna to see. 

One of diving’s last frontiers Papua New Guinea plays host to a collection of the world’s finest reef diving regions. Here deep waters run adjacent to the mainland and neighbouring islands which in turn offers excellent chances of pelagic sightings such as sharks and rays. Combine this with pristine coral reefs and vibrant marine life and you have all the ingredients for a premier dive destination.

Kimbe Bay, Witu and Fathers Reef offer exceptional diving in the shape of huge soft corals and barrel sponges, big fish make for regular sightings in the open ocean north east of Kimbe with silvertips and grey reefs not uncommon.

We’ve handpicked a number of preferred operators throughout the region to offer a scope of the finest diving and land based opportunities. Walindi Plantation Resort is located in Kimbe Bay and is run in conjunction with FeBrina Liveaboard allowing easy access to local sites of New Britain and also the more remote regions of Witu and Father’s Reef.

Tufi Resort is easily accessed from Port Moresby on the north eastern coastline of the country, this is beautifully located resort is surrounded by inlets and dense tropical rainforest and offers superb diving. For land based we can arrange tours inland to Mt Hagan for authentic culture and beautiful topside vistas.

Authentic Experiences for Passionate Travellers

Do you yearn for the open road? Or do you prefer leaving logistics in the hands of an expert guide? Offering everything from escorted small-group holidays led by the best guides in the business to leisurely self drives, or how about a perfectly formed short break? We provide maximum choice and flexibility and we’ve been tailor making spectacular holidays for 35 years. We’ll show you hidden gems and take you on unforgettable adventures. We’ll recommend our favourite, tried-and-tested hotels and suggest itineraries and experiences that reveal the magic of a destination – whether you’ve got a few days to spare or several weeks to immerse yourself in a country.

Papua New Guinea Holidays

Mysterious, magnificent, yet rarely visited, Papua New Guinea can seem both irresistibly exotic and impossibly remote. By joining one of our expedition cruises, however, all logistics are taken care of as you set sail on a voyage rich in culture, history and natural beauty.

Both of our cruises begin with a charter flight from Cairns to Madang in northeast PNG. You have a choice of either a pioneering exploration of the 1,126km Sepik (the longest river in New Guinea) or a wider-ranging cruise along the island’s northern coast which culminates with a crossing of the Coral Sea and disembarkation in Cairns.

Virgin Australia Holidays is the holiday provider of Virgin Australia Airlines.

Enjoy five nights in Port Moresby and an Adventure tour up to eight days to explore Mount Hagen, the Karawari River, the Tari Valley and encounter the famous Huli Wigmen.

Contact Virgin Australia Holidays for more information, call:

In Australia 13 15 16 

Outside Australia +61 7 3295 3000

Sicklebill Safaris birding tours of Papua New Guinea takes you through the Highlands, the island of New Britain, Manus, Port Moresby observing some of the most fascinating birds in the world.

Try the ‘Taste of New Guinea’ tours or the ‘PNG Highlights’ and see a selection of famous and endemic bird life, plus cultural experience tours.

For more information and bookings, email: info@sicklebillsafaris.com or call +61 7 4093 7318

Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours offers memorable Papua New Guinea World War Two tours focused on the Battle of Kokoda and the Battle of Milne Bay.

The company’s leading War Historian will walk you through historic battlefield sites taking you back in time and bringing to life WWII memories of courage and sacrifice.

Kokoda Track Tours are available without the trekking. Email info@battlefields.com.au for information and bookings.

Naturetrek was founded in 1986 and our first tours specialised in birdwatching and botanical treks to remote and mountainous areas of the world. Thirty-two years later, we still offer many such treks, but our portfolio of holidays now includes 450+ holidays to over 90 different destinations worldwide. Today, we offer the world’s largest selection of professionally organised natural history holidays.

What Can I Expect on a Naturetrek holiday?

All of our holidays are expertly guided by a leading naturalist. In addition, we often take an expert local guide(s). Birds, mammals and plants are usually the main focus of our tours but we do incorporate as many other aspects of the natural world as possible, and many of our tours also include cultural highlights. Our holidays are often longer than other wildlife tours and, because they tend to be slower-paced (with the exception of our Bargain Selection), offer more time for detailed wildlife exploration, photography, relaxation and to take an interest in the region’s people, culture, history and architecture. We generally spend as much time as we can in an area searching for birds, mammals and plants on foot, though we do travel by minibus at least some of the time on most of our tours.

Papua New Guinea is one of the wildest and least explored regions on earth. Its astonishingly rich avifauna includes nearly 400 endemic species, amongst them the exquisite birds-of-paradise. This group of birds forms one of the principal objectives of this 16-day birdwatching tour. Starting in the capital Port Moresby, our tour visits Varirata National Park, Rondon Ridge, Karawari Lodge and finally the world-famous Ambua Lodge, encountering en route a wonderful variety of birds including many of the unique and fantastically plumaged birds-of-paradise. The lodge is situated at Tari Gap in the central highlands, home of the Huli tribe, or ‘wigmen’, known for their ornate ceremonial wigs, and dances and songs fashioned on the mating rituals of the birds-of-paradise.

Cruise Papua New Guinea with P&O Cruises.

P&O’s larger cruise ship options to Papua New Guinea are now at affordable prices.

Cruise the stunning islands and coasts of PNG: Alotau, Madang, Doini Island, Kavieng, Kawanasausau Strait and Milne Bay, Kiriwina Island, Kitava and Rabaul.

For bookings and information, email: information@pocruises.com.au or call 1300 159 454 (within Australia).

Crooked Compass is a boutique tour operator offering small group and customized tours encouraging you to experience the lesser known side of Papua New Guinea.

Sample a Crooked Compass itinerary that features a fascinating cultural festival. Be amazed by the unique cultures and traditions that this Melanesian country is renown for.

For information and bookings, email: info@crooked-compass.com or phone +61 1300 855 790

Wild Earth Expeditions is an all-inclusive boutique travel company offering the ultimate adventure with custom-designed expeditions that are operated to the highest standard.

Take advantage of the Wild Earth Expeditions Papua New Guinea itineraries that take full advantage of natural occurrences, marine and wildlife spectacles, local festivities and special events.

For further information and bookings, email: info@WildEarthExpeditions.com