phone-icon 1-888-990-5552 email-icon info@rockjumper.com
user-icon
Log in / Register

Indonesia - Sulawesi & Halmahera: Wallacean Endemics (Small Group)

© Scaly-breasted Kingfisher by David Hoddinott
Indonesia - Sulawesi & Halmahera: Wallacean Endemics (Small Group) 2027

15 Jul 2027 - 30 Jul 2027 (16 days)

USD8,495 NO SPACES AVAILABLE

client-img

Tour Leader: Julian Parsons

Wait List

Tour Price (Per person): USD8,495 (GBP6,527 * EUR7,582 * AUD12,478)

Single Supplement: USD570 (GBP438 * EUR509 * AUD837)

Flight costs: USD850 (GBP653 * EUR759 * AUD1,249)

Indonesia - Sulawesi & Halmahera: Wallacean Endemics (Small Group) 2028

13 Jul 2028 - 28 Jul 2028 (16 days)

USD8,600 SPACES AVAILABLE

client-img

Tour Leader: Stephan Lorenz

Book Now

Tour Price (Per person): USD8,600 (GBP6,608 * EUR7,676 * AUD12,632)

This tour pairs with: Indonesia - Bali Birding Extension 2028

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

Indonesia - Sulawesi & Halmahera: Wallacean Endemics (Small Group) 2029

12 Jul 2029 - 27 Jul 2029 (16 days)

USD9,100 SPACES AVAILABLE

client-img

Tour Leader: Julian Parsons

Book Now

Tour Price (Per person): USD9,100 (GBP6,992 * EUR8,122 * AUD13,367)

This tour pairs with: Indonesia - Bali Birding Extension 2029

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

Nestled within the tropical waters of Wallacea, Sulawesi and Halmahera are among the most distinctive and rewarding birding destinations in the Indonesian archipelago. Their long isolation and position between the Asian and Australasian biogeographic regions have produced an extraordinary concentration of endemic and range-restricted birds, many of which occur nowhere else on Earth.

Our tour begins in the North Moluccan “Spice Islands”, travelling from the spectacular volcanic island of Ternate across to Halmahera. Here, we explore the lowland forests and foothills around Foli, Gunung Uni-uni and Gunung Roni in search of the island’s exceptional endemic avifauna. Foremost among our targets is the remarkable Standardwing, an extraordinary bird-of-paradise that we hope to watch displaying at its traditional lek. Other possibilities include Ivory-breasted and North Moluccan Pittas, Goliath Coucal, Azure Dollarbird, Purple-winged Roller and an impressive variety of parrots, fruit doves and kingfishers.

We then continue west to northern Sulawesi, where the forests of Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park, Tangkoko National Reserve and Gunung Mahawu provide access to a wide range of habitats, from luxuriant lowland rainforest to montane forest. These renowned birding areas support many of Sulawesi’s most sought-after species, including the extraordinary Maleo, Sulawesi Pitta, Purple-bearded Bee-eater, Knobbed and Sulawesi Hornbills, and numerous endemic kingfishers, owls, parrots and passerines.

After crossing to South Sulawesi, we visit the limestone forests of the Karaenta area before flying onward to Central Sulawesi and the highlands of Lore Lindu National Park. The tour concludes among Lore Lindu’s cool montane forests, home to an entirely different suite of endemics, including the monotypic Hylocitrea and several highly localised species restricted to Sulawesi’s central mountains.

Covering Halmahera and the northern, southern and central regions of Sulawesi, this comprehensive itinerary samples an exceptional diversity of landscapes and habitats. In doing so, it maximises our chances of encountering well over one hundred range-restricted species and offers an unforgettable introduction to the remarkable birds, forests, islands and volcanic scenery of Wallacea.

Top Birds

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; Sulawesi Streaked Flycatchers; Ashy Woodpecker; Yellow-breasted & Golden-mantled Racket-tails.

Top Mammals

Celebes Crested, Moor & Tonkean Macaques; Spectral Tarsier; Bear Cuscus; Sulawesi Dwarf Squirrel; Montane & Lowland Long-nosed Squirrels.

Habitats Covered

montane and lowland forests, volcanic mountains, rice paddies, rivers, islands, beaches

Expected Climate

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

Max Group Size

6 with 1 Rockjumper leader & local birding leader

Tour Pace & Walking

DIFFICULT: This is a high-intensity “mega” tour designed for passionate listers and serious birders who enjoy a fast-paced schedule. Due to its demanding nature, it’s not recommended for avid photographers, inexperienced birders, or anyone with mobility or health limitations.

This is an intensive tour involving several early starts, long birding days, night-birding sessions and some demanding travel days with lengthy drives, boat transfers and domestic flights. Most walking is moderate, although trails may be muddy, uneven or steep in places.

Accommodation

Accommodation is mostly comfortable, although the guesthouses in the Subaim and Lore Lindu areas are simple but functional. Hot running water is not available at every property

Ease of Birding

Moderate to difficult. Much of the birding takes place in forest, where many targets occur at low density or are shy, unobtrusive, canopy-dwelling or most active around dawn and dusk. Finding certain

Number of Species Expected

+-240 (with over 80 possible endemics!)

Photographic Opportunities

Photography can be rewarding, particularly at feeding stations and for larger forest birds, parrots, hornbills and mammals. However, this is not a dedicated photography tour, and many targets occur in

What our clients say about us

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!"

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
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!

xTuomas Seimola
SC & IC - Sulawesi

I am writing to let you know what an amazing trip we had with David Erterius and Tuomas Seimola. They are both outstanding bird guides and a pleasure to travel with.

Glen Valentine
NH, Indonesia - West Papua Cruise 2016

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 field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

  • Your details

  • This field is hidden when viewing the form

  • Contact permission

    We would love to send you Newsletters (twice yearly).via Type a message, Promotions/Discounts (weekly), Blog Articles/Image of the Month (monthly) and other content that we think you would find interesting. If you are happy with this then please select your preferences below. If you would like to unsubscribe from previous subscriptions, or leave our mailing list entirely, then please do so by visiting the Preference Centre link at the bottom of these emails.

Route Map

Tour Route Map