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!
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.
Sulawesi Crested Macaque; Spectral Tarsier; Pantropical Spotted & Spinner Dolphins.
Montane and lowland forests, flooded rice paddies & wetlands, islands, beaches, mangroves
Mostly hot to humid with cooler nights and mornings in the highlands
8 with 1 Rockjumper leader and 1 local leader
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.
Most accommodations are reasonable to comfortable, but those at Lore Lindu & Subaim area are basic.
Birding can be demanding at some locations. Low density of several key species. Others require repeat efforts.
+-300
Photography can reasonable, some basic hides, predominant forest birding.
David and Lev are exception leaders and worked very hard to find the birds and get everyone onto them. A remarkable trip.
I have been on birding trips for many years, but this is the first time with Rockjumper. The trip was easily the best birding trip I have ever been on. In particular, both David and Glen made life so easy and their birding knowledge was remarkable. Other members of the group were very easy to get on with. The birding was quite remarkable and it is difficult to pick out a highlight from the Birds of Paradise, the Chinese Crested Tern or the Madanga. There is no doubt that I will travel with Rockjumper again.
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!
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!
14 Jul 2024 - 30 Jul 2024 (17 days)
USD7,595 - No Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Paul Varney
15 Jul 2025 - 31 Jul 2025 (17 days)
USD7,795 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Stephan Lorenz
Tour price (Per person): USD7,795 * GBP6,158 * EUR7,178 * AUD11,684
Single Supplement: USD820 * GBP648 * EUR755 * AUD1,229
Flight costs: USD1,300 * GBP1,027 * EUR1,197 * AUD1,949
Can be linked with: Indonesia - Highlights of the West: Greater Sundas & Dragons 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