Indonesia - Highlights of the East: Sulawesi, Moluccas & Papua 2025

15 Jul 2025 - 31 Jul 2025 (17 days)

USD7,795 - 3 Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Stephan Lorenz

Tour price (Per person): USD7,795 * GBP5,964 * EUR7,123 * AUD11,555

Single Supplement: USD820 * GBP627 * EUR749 * AUD1,216

Flight costs: USD1,300 * GBP995 * EUR1,188 * AUD1,927

Can be linked with: Indonesia - Highlights of the West: Greater Sundas & Dragons 2025

Indonesia - Highlights of the East: Sulawesi, Moluccas & Papua 2026

31 Jul 2026 - 16 Aug 2026 (17 days)

USD8,100 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Stephan Lorenz

Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated and dates may change*

Tour price (Per person): USD8,100 * GBP6,198 * EUR7,402 * AUD12,007

Can be linked with: Indonesia - Highlights of the West: Greater Sundas & Dragons 2026

As a result of the remarkable biogeography of the region, our Highlights of the Eastern Indonesian archipelago provides very little overlap in bird species to our Highlights of Western Indonesia, with a phenomenal number of special and endemic birds.

We begin by exploring the prime highland site of Lore Lindu National Park on the island of Sulawesi. Boasting over 70 endemic species, the exceptional range of highly desirable birds we will seek include the endemic Hylocitrea, now placed in its own monotypic family, the indescribable Purple-bearded Bee-eater, bizarre and unique Geomalia, Fiery-browed Starling, Satanic Nightjar, Ivory-backed Woodswallow and the impressive Knobbed Hornbill.

We then wing our way to the nearby island of Halmahera, where we visit a lekking site for the highly sought-after Standardwing, surely one of the most bizarre birds-of-paradise! Here we also seek a mind-boggling number of Moluccan endemics including the spectacular Ivory-breasted Pitta, White (Umbrella) Cockatoo, Azure Dollarbird, Chattering Lory, Halmahera Boobook and Moluccan Owlet-Nightjar.

Moving further eastwards, we again enter a completely new biological zone as we arrive in Sorong, on the extreme western tip of New Guinea. Here we bird the famous Vogelkop, hosting a veritable feast of incredible highlights such as Magnificent and King Bird-of-paradise, numerous imperial pigeons, fruit doves (Wompoo, Superb, Orange-bellied and Pink-spotted Fruit Doves to name a few), parrots (including the localized Black Lory and Moluccan King Parrot) and kingfishers (Red-breasted Paradise and Blue-black Kingfishers being two of the prime targets.)

We conclude our tour on the Raja Ampat Island of Waigeo, famed for the best snorkelling in the world! Here our targets in this tropical island paradise include Red Bird-of-paradise, the incredible Western Crowned Pigeon, Palm Cockatoo, Raja Ampat Pitohui, Waigeo Shrikethrush, Brown-headed Crow and much besides. And, as a way of celebrating the finale of this remarkable tour we will visit the display ground of quite possibly the most spectacular bird on Earth – Wilson’s Bird-of-paradise!

Top Birds

Wilson’s, King & Red Birds-of-paradise; Glossy-mantled Manucode; Standardwing; Paradise-crow; Papuan Dwarf, Blue-and-white, Lilac, Yellow-billed, Green-backed, Hook-billed, Beach & Blue-black Kingfishers; Red-breasted Paradise & Common Paradise Kingfishers; Rufous-bellied Kookaburra; Scarlet‐breasted, Blue‐capped, Grey‐headed, Wompoo, Superb, Pink-spotted, Orange-fronted, Beautiful, Dwarf & Orange-bellied Fruit Doves; White‐bellied, Purple-tailed, Pinon’s, Zoe’s & Grey-headed Imperial Pigeons; Western Crowned Pigeon; Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot; Moluccan & Great Hanging Parrots; Orange-breasted & Large Fig Parrots; Palm & White Cockatoos; Emperor Fairywren; Black Berrypecker; Pygmy Longbill; Southern Variable, Raja Ampat & Rusty Pitohuis; Lowland Peltops; Golden & Pale-blue Monarchs; Sulawesi & White-necked Mynas; Sulawesi Serpent Eagle; Sulawesi Hawk-Eagle; Barred Honey Buzzard; Yellow-sided, Crimson-crowned, Olive-crowned & Halmahera Flowerpeckers; Fiery-browed, Moluccan & Grosbeak Starlings; Ivory-backed Woodswallow; Golden-mantled Racket-tail; Malia; Black-billed Koel; Black Lory; Sulawesi Myzomela; Lemon‐bellied, Mountain, Streak-headed, Cream-throated & Black-crowned White‐eyes; Sulawesi Blue, Blue-fronted Blue & Turquoise Flycatchers; Sulawesi Cicadabird; Purple-winged Roller; Azure Dollarbird; Cinnabar, Papuan & Speckled Boobooks; Eastern Grass Owl; Great Eared & Satanic Nightjars; Wallace's & Moluccan Owlet-nightjars; Great Shortwing (Heinrichia); Pygmy, Halmahera, Golden & Cerulean Cuckooshrikes; Sulphur-vented, Island & Maroon-backed Whistlers; Rusty-bellied & Arafura Fantails; Citrine Canary-flycatcher; Dark-eared & White-eared Myzas; Purple-bearded Bee-eater; Chestnut-backed (Sulawesi) Bush Warbler; Geomalia; Citrine, Red-flanked & Ornate Lorikeets; Hylocitrea; Sulawesi Thrush; Ivory-breasted, Papuan & North Molucccan Pittas; Eclectus & Great‐billed Parrots; Dusky Friarbird; Goliath Coucal; Long‐billed & Brown-headed Crows; Moustached Treeswift; Gurney’s Eagle; Yellow‐billed Malkoha; Sulawesi Pygmy & Ashy Woodpeckers; Spot-tailed & Dwarf Sparrowhawks.

Top Mammals

Sulawesi Crested Macaque; Spectral Tarsier; Pantropical Spotted & Spinner Dolphins.

Habitats Covered

Montane and lowland forests, flooded rice paddies & wetlands, islands, beaches, mangroves

Expected Climate

Mostly hot to humid with cooler nights and mornings in the highlands

Max Group Size

8 with 1 Rockjumper leader and 1 local leader

Tour Pace & Walking

Moderately difficult birding, combined with some basic accommodations are taxing. Some steep hikes, with long days. Optional early starts and late finishes to days due to night-birding options.

Accommodation

Most accommodations are reasonable to comfortable, but those at Lore Lindu & Subaim area are basic.

Ease of Birding

Birding can be demanding at some locations. Low density of several key species. Others require repeat efforts.

Number of Species Expected

+-300

Photographic Opportunities

Photography can reasonable, some basic hides, predominant forest birding.

What our clients say about us

Lev Frid
MT, Indonesia 2022

This is a fantastic tour and it gave us a rare, unique and unforgettable experience. We are in awe of the complex logistics required to make this tour run so smoothly. Everything ran like clockwork. The leaders, Lev and David, the ship’s crew, the local teams of guides and the lovely drivers were amazing. Everyone was so friendly. The efforts that everyone went to to find the special birds of these remote islands were above and beyond! The food was very good throughout, in summary the experience was amazing!

Lev Frid
AS & FS, Indonesia 2022

We had a fantastic time. Everyone looked after us so we’ll, very well organised! Many thanks for putting a together a brilliant birding tour. It was everything we hoped for and more

David Hoddinott
MT, Indonesia 2022

This is a fantastic tour and it gave us a rare, unique and unforgettable experience. We are in awe of the complex logistics required to make this tour run so smoothly. Everything ran like clockwork. The leaders, Lev and David, the ship’s crew, the local teams of guides and the lovely drivers were amazing. Everyone was so friendly. The efforts that everyone went to to find the special birds of these remote islands were above and beyond! The food was very good throughout, in summary the experience was amazing!

Glen Valentine
MG - Lesser Sundas 2022

"Glen Valentine is an amazing guide and really made the trip special. He is personable, patient and unflappable. He did a fantastic job of getting everyone on the birds and this was really challenging in many cases. One of the best I’ve experienced. Our local guide was also very good at leading us to key areas and finding difficult birds. Some of the trip was challenging in Sumba, but well worth the effort. Overall, this was a fascinating and rewarding trip to a little known part of the world with lots of really exciting endemic birds!

Lev Frid
EL, Indonesia 2022

David and Lev are exception leaders and worked very hard to find the birds and get everyone onto them. A remarkable trip.

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