25 Jun 2025 - 10 Jul 2025 (16 days)
USD7,595 - No Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Glen Valentine
Tour price (Per person): USD7,595 * GBP6,069 * EUR7,304 * AUD11,697
Single Supplement: USD520 * GBP415 * EUR500 * AUD801
Flight costs: USD890 * GBP711 * EUR856 * AUD1,371
24 Jun 2026 - 09 Jul 2026 (16 days)
USD7,900 - 4 Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Glen Valentine
Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated and dates may change*
Tour price (Per person): USD7,900 * GBP6,312 * EUR7,597 * AUD12,167
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
6 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
"This trip was my very first with Rockjumper and I was not disappointed. Birding and logistics were very well organized and everything was done to optimize our time in order to see as many species as possible while naturally giving priority to endemics. Glen Valentine is not only a top guide and a top birder, he is also a nice person excellent in communication, very friendly with a good sense of humor. I really enjoyed doing this trip with him as well as the good state of mind of the group. As a Frenchman I sometimes had difficulties speaking or understanding English and everyone was patient and helpful with me. Great! I got a large number of lifers in this trip and the search for endemics was exciting. A big thank you to Glen, our group members and Rockjumper!"
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!
Although the tour was a little more strenuous than I had anticipated, it was a fantastic tour. All of the endemics except for two very rare ones—more than I’d hoped to see in my wildest dreams. Glen is an excellent guide, the local guide a very positive addition, and the driving crew was just fabulous. And when things went awry with the cancelled flight and the steep increase in the fee for Komodo, Glen, our local guide and crew handled it in complete transparency to us, so that we didn’t miss a beat. Hats off to all involved!
I was extremely impressed with the organisational skills of all involved in this tour. All the guides Rockjumper and local were highly skilled and completely considerate of the non birding needs of the participants. I would like to say that not having an upset stomach at any point during the tour was a big plus to my enjoyment. There were some safely issues that in such a remote part of the world can only be expected, I was very happy to be part of this exciting tour and not sure that it would be possible to micro manage all the safety issues.
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!
Indonesia - Sumatra & Java 2024 - August 2024
Indonesia - Lesser Sundas Endemics 2024 - August 2024
Indonesia - Bali Birding Extension 2024 - August 2024
Indonesia - Sulawesi & Halmahera: Wallacean Endemics 2024 - July 2024
Indonesia - Highlights of the East: Sulawesi, Moluccas & Papua 2024 - July 2024
Indonesia - Buru Extension II 2023 - November 2023
Indonesia - Remote West Papuan Islands Cruise II 2023 - November 2023
Indonesia - Buru 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 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