Nestled in the tropical waters of Wallacea, the islands of Sulawesi and Halmahera are seldom-visited parts of the Indonesian archipelago as varied in habitat as they are rich in special and endemic birds. From the highland mountains and luxuriant lowland rainforest of Sulawesi to the Australasian influenced Halmahera in the Moluccan ‘Spice Islands’, our tour covers a comprehensive view of the available habitats, maximising our chance of finding the more than one hundred range-restricted bird species confined to this region. A colourful host of parrots, fruit doves, and an awesome assortment of endemic kingfishers are combined with such sought-after avian gems as Ivory-breasted and Sulawesi Pittas, the incredible Maleo, brilliant Purple-bearded Bee-eater, remarkable Knobbed and Sulawesi Hornbills, Purple-winged Roller, monotypic Hylocitrea and an opportunity to watch an extraordinary bird-of-paradise, the Standardwing at its display site.
The largest island of the Moluccan Archipelago, Halmahera was once a vital part of the historical trade of cloves, nutmeg and mace that gave this region the nickname ‘Spice Islands’. The flight into Ternate is spectacular due to its location on an imposing cone-shaped volcanic island, rising over 1,700m above the surrounding sea.
Hylocitrea; Maleo; Geomalia; Malia; Standardwing; Sulawesi & Ivory-breasted Pittas; Knobbed & Sulawesi Hornbills; Moluccan & Sulawesi Scops Owls; Sulawesi Masked Owl; Ochre-bellied, Cinnabar, Halmahera & Speckled Boobooks; Sulawesi & Satanic Nightjars; Purple-bearded Bee-eater; Purple-winged Roller; Moluccan Goshawk; Sulawesi Serpent Eagle; Isabelline Bush-hen; Yellow-flanked Whistler; Black-faced & Pale-headed Munias; Black‐ringed White‐eye; Sulawesi Ground Dove; Grey-headed & Silver-tipped Imperial Pigeons; Sombre Pigeon; Sulawesi Babbler; Fiery-browed Starling; Pale-bellied Myna; Sulawesi Myzomela; Sulawesi & Red-backed Thrushes; Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker; Lilac, Scaly-breasted, Green-backed & Sulawesi Dwarf Kingfishers (amongst 12 species of possible kingfishers); Matinan Blue Flycatcher; Lompobattang & Sulawesi Streaked Flycatchers; Lompobattang Leaf Warbler; Ashy Woodpecker; Yellow-breasted & Golden-mantled Racket-tails.
Celebes Crested, Moor & Tonkean Macaques; Spectral Tarsier; Bear Cuscus; Sulawesi Dwarf Squirrel; Montane & Lowland Long-nosed Squirrels.
montane and lowland forests, volcanic mountains, rice paddies, rivers, islands, beaches
mostly hot to humid with cooler nights and mornings in the highlands
8 with 1 Rockjumper leader & local birding leader
moderate pace with some longer hikes
mostly rustic yet clean and comfortable, including some nights in excellent accommodation
moderate but can be challenging at times
+-240 (with over 80 possible endemics!)
average to reasonable
Glen and Keith Valentine worked seamlessly together to make this one of the best Rockjumper trips! The logistics went well, local guides were great, and the boat was quite comfortable and offered good food and variety. Best of all, the birds were plentiful and everyone got lifers galore. The bros Valentine did everything possible to be sure that everyone got onto the birds and they worked tirelessly doing so. I would travel with either or both of them anywhere, thanks guys!
Stephan Lorenz was excellent in all respects, he went out of his way to try and find a way for me to continue with the tour and then helped with my arrangements in getting home.
This was a fabulous tour! Living on the Seahorse and going ashore each day to explore, in many cases, remote and under-birded locations was a truly exciting and wonderful experience. In addition, it was a fabulous and memorable experience to have Glen and Keith Valentine as leaders. They teamed seamlessly and ensured that everyone had a wonderful and got on to the birds. Oh, and of course, the sight of at least 4 male Wilson's Birds-of-Paradise displaying to multiple females was the stuff of dreams! Truly spectacular! And the local guides and drivers were all great, not forgetting the Skipper and crew of the Seahorse! The Buru extension for the Madanga and some of the owls was also so memorable, as were the few days in West Papua. All things considered, a truly wonderful and memorable tour!
Glen Valentine and Adam Walleyn were superb guides — honestly, they saw birds before they appeared! The local guides were outstanding and the logistics and accommodations were exceptional given our locations.
Expert guiding by Keith and Glen Valentine, aided by fabulous local talent, ensured we saw the maximum number of endemics and other birds and mammals. Perhaps more importantly, these two brothers enjoyed their time together and provided a warm, friendly and caring environment in which we all had a good time with lots of laughs, and looked out for each other to ensure everyone got on the birds and did not falter on a tough hike or challenging car ride.
17 Jul 2024 - 01 Aug 2024 (16 days)
IDR93,950,000 - No Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Forrest Rowland
Tour Leader: Ryan Tyrer
Tour price (Per person): IDR93,950,000 * USD5,804 * GBP4,646 * EUR5,414 * AUD8,922
Single Supplement: IDR7,250,000 * USD448 * GBP359 * EUR418 * AUD689
Flight costs: IDR8,500,000 * USD525 * GBP420 * EUR490 * AUD807
Can be linked with: Indonesia - Bali Birding Extension 2024
25 Jun 2025 - 12 Jul 2025 (18 days)
USD7,595 - No Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Glen Valentine
14 Jul 2025 - 31 Jul 2025 (18 days)
USD6,595 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Julian Parsons
Tour price (Per person): USD6,595 * GBP5,279 * EUR6,152 * AUD10,138
Single Supplement: USD520 * GBP416 * EUR485 * AUD799
Flight costs: USD890 * GBP712 * EUR830 * AUD1,368
Can be linked with: Indonesia - Bali Birding Extension 2025
Indonesia - Buru Island Extension II 2023 - November 2023
Indonesia - Remote West Papuan Islands Cruise II 2023 - November 2023
Indonesia - Buru Island Extension I 2023 - November 2023
Indonesia - West Papua: Arfak Extension 2023 - October 2023
Indonesia - Remote West Papuan Islands Cruise I 2023 - October 2023
Indonesia - Remote West Papuan Islands Cruise IV 2023 - October 2023
Indonesia - Buru Island Extension III 2023 - October 2023
Indonesia - Kai Islands Extension 2023 - September 2023
Indonesia - Banda Sea Cruise 2023 - August 2023
Indonesia - Allanson - Flores Endemics 2023 - August 2023
Indonesia - Sulawesi & Halmahera: Wallacean Endemics (Small Group) 2023 - July 2023
Indonesia - Highlights of the East: Sulawesi, Moluccas & Papua II 2023 - July 2023
Indonesia - Sulawesi & Halmahera: Wallacean Endemics 2023 - July 2023
Indonesia - Knox (Lesser Sundas) 2023 - January 2023
Indonesia - Remote West Papuan Islands Cruise III 2022 - November 2022
Indonesia - Buru Island Extension II 2022 - November 2022
Indonesia - Remote West Papuan Islands Cruise II 2022 - November 2022
Indonesia - Buru Island Extension I 2022 - November 2022
Indonesia - Remote West Papuan Islands Cruise I 2022 - October 2022
Indonesia - Sulawesi & Halmahera: Wallacean Endemics (Small Group) 2022 - August 2022
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