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

© Red Bird-of-paradise by K. David Bishop
Indonesia - Highlights of the East: Sulawesi, Moluccas & Papua 2025

15 Jul 2025 - 31 Jul 2025 (17 days)

USD7,795 - 1 Space Available

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Tour Leader: Stephan Lorenz

Tour price (Per person): USD7,795 * GBP6,216 * EUR7,501 * AUD12,516

Single Supplement: USD820 * GBP654 * EUR789 * AUD1,317

Flight costs: USD1,300 * GBP1,037 * EUR1,251 * AUD2,087

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 * GBP6,459 * EUR7,795 * AUD13,005

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. Many long days with early starts, several flights.

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

Glen Valentine
SL - Indonesia: Sumatra & Java 2019

This [was] my second tour with Glen Valentine and he is the most professional guide I have ever traveled with. It goes without saying (but shouldn't) that he knew every single species on the tour including all their calls. He found birds when I saw nothing and then managed to get all guests onto the birds. This was impressive in itself, however there were many secretive birds that made guiding much harder. We had few problems on the tour, but I don't doubt that he would have handled it without problem. He is to be highly commended for his guiding on this very tiring trip, especially considering he was not well. Paul was also a really great training guide and I thoroughly enjoyed his company.

David Hoddinott
JT, Indonesia 2022

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.

Glen Valentine
JA & DR, Remote West Papuan Islands 2018

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.

Adam Walleyn
RL Indonesia 2019

This was an outstanding trip among many great RJ trips. The guides, Adam and Lev were wondering in their ability to identify and everyone onto the irds and ammals.

Glen Valentine
MB - Lesser Sundas 2022

"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!"

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