Birding Period : 26 June - 2 July 2016
Participants : 4 Pax
VIT’s Local Bird Guide : Idris and Sam Ungke
Office Escort : Darwin Sumang

This is a short birding tours for Sulawesi with the itinerary 26 to 28 in Lore lindu National park, 29 June from Lore Lindu then take an afternoon flight by Lion Air to Makassar Airport transit then continue flight to Manado by Lion Air. So 29 June  to 2 July Birding on Tangkoko Nature Reserve. The participants: Adam Riley of Rockjumper Birding Tours, Steffen Marsha, David Semler and Eric Pozzo. Eric Pozzo just doing the birding on Lore Lindu Only.

Birding Period : 30 January - 15 February, 2016
Participants : 5 Pax + 1 Tour Leader
Local Guide : Idris Tinulele for Karaenta and Lore Lindu Part, Hendry Palamia for Dumoga Bone NP, Tangkoko Nature Reserve and Halmahera
Office Escort : Adri  F. Boka,
Tour Leader : Thomas W. Johansen.

The participants: Thomas W. Johansen as a Tour Leader, Klaus Nielsen, Freddy Jorgensen, Mads Smedman, Poul Jorgensen, and Skov Soren. This tours starting point in Makassar, VIT Team was meet them in the airport of Makassar then transfer to the newest hotel near the airport in Makassar (Grand City Hotel) on January 30th, 2016. The hotel was comfortable for the birders. We have dinner together the group in the night and the next day 31 January 2016 flew to Palu about 1 hour flight. The group stay on Lore Lindu until 3 February then return to Palu and overnight at Sutan Raja Hotel. On February 4th the group flew to Manado transit in small airport of Luwuk then continue to Manado. Adri Boka as an office escort to connect to other VIT Teams in Manado, Albert and his wife Anne was waiting in the Manado airport. Once the group arrived in Manado then drive to Kotamobagu town and stay at Senator Resort. The Senator Resort Hotel is the accommodation of the group. The group visited Tambun Nature Reserve for the target birds is Maleo. After a few day here then continue to Tangkoko Nature Reserve before flight to Halmahera. On Feb 9th the group flight to Ternate then continue to Halmahera island for the wallacean standardwing as target bird to see. The group overnight at wisma Kita Subaim https://wismakitasubaim.wordpress.com  After a few days on Halmahera then return to Ternate for 4 person only but Thomas and Poul continue to Weda Resort for another birding site until 17 of Feb 2016 meanwhile the other 4 person flght to manado 14 Feb 2016. Thomas and Poul return to Manado 18 Feb 2016.

Birding Period : 1 January 2016
Participants : 2 pax
Local Guide : Kt. Wahyudi
Office Escort : I Nyoman Begeh

Mr Gaetan and his wife Christine from Canada take 1 day birding on Bali on January 1st, 2016. A professional Bird guide Kt. Wahyudi met them in the Benoa Cruise Harbour at 07h00. They do birding on Tanah Lot forest, Sarangan Island and the Kedaton Forest.

Birding Period : 26 August - 14 September 2015
Participants : 5 Pax + 1 Tour Leader
Local Guide : Kt. Wahyudi on West Bali, Freddy on Sumba, Idris on Timor and Flores
Office Escort : Ali Munthaha

Basically this tour participants is 6 person but 1 of the participants can not come, Mr Tony Niilus. So the participants 5 person: Peter Gilchrist, Kenneth Chapman, Elisabeth Berger, Jean Drumm, Ellen Vahan. We starting the trip to Western Bali or called Bali Barat on 26 August drive about 4 hours via Pupuan. We overnight at the Jubawa Homestay. This homestay is cool and friendly people, just 50 metres from Adi Assri Hotel at Pemuteran, Gerokgak, Singaraja. The main Target is Bali sterling, all participants can be seen the bali sterling and other birds on Bali. The 28 August we fly to Waingapu on Sumba island. Once arrive in Sumba then the clients directly drive 35 minutes to Yumbu where the home of Sumba Buttonquail. The group seen them them have lunch at the newest restaurant called Sacca Resto. After Lunch then drive to Lewa. We stay 2 days on Lewa then return to Waingapu and overnight at the most nice hotel on Waingapu is Tanto Hotel. The 2nd September then we fly to Kupang by Wings Air then birding on Baumata forest close to Eltari Airport Kupang before checkin on the Swisbellin Timor Hotel. We spent 3 days here for birding on Bipolo, Pariti and Camplong. On Sept 5 we drive to Soe and birding on Oelamasi forest for Timor Black Pigeon. We overnight at Bahagia 2 Hotel the new and best hotel on Soe. The next day then birding on Mutis. On Sept 7 return to Kupang then 8 Sept we flight to Ruteng, Flores directly to Ranamese lake and overnight at Hotel Kasih Sayang. The next days 9 sept drive to ruteng for 2 nights. The group birding on Pagal and Gololusang. The 11 of Sept the group drive to Labuan bajo and overnight at Bintang Flores Hotel for 3 nights. Here the group birding on Puarlolo, Gorontalo and Patawangka. On Sept 13th by Marcopolo (Local Boat) to visit Komodo 6 pax + Peter’s wife - Pia. Sept 14th the group flight to Bali. For more info and report please contact Peter Roberts from the U.K, his email : cisticolas4ever@btinternet.com

Birding Period : 09 - 26 August 2015
Participants : 8 Pax + 1 Tour Leader
Local Guide : Idris and Hendry Palamia

In 2015 as the 6th times Rockjumper Birding Tours to Sulawesi and Halmahera. Today the Tour Leader is Mr David Erterius. The participants Fritz Furrer, Amy Worell, John BakerLynne Ehlers, Francis Argyle, Nigel Mathews, Marvin Cooper, and Sue Schuble. This trip also starting point in Makassar 9 August and flight to Palu 10 August for Lore Lindu National Park. 14 August flight to Manado via Makassar then drive about 5 hours to Kotamobagu. 17 August drive to Tangkoko then 19 August flight to ternate then 25 August flight to Manado. The trip end 26 August 2015. All participants are happy because they have seen most of Endemic birds in Sulawesi and Halmahera. For the trip report you can see and dowload the recent trip report on http://www.rockjumperbirding.com/

Birding Period : 20 July - 7 August 2015
Participants : 3 Pax
Local Guides : Idris Tinulele and Hendry Palamia

Basically this trip will starting point in Ternate on July 20th, because of the Gamalama Volcano was erupted so that the starting point changed in Makassar first then the last days in Ternate. This is a scouting trip of 3 swedish group, David Erterius, Dag and Karl Sjolund. In Makassar we visit Patene where the pale bellied myna spot and also visit Karaenta forest where the black ringed white eye spot early morning before flight to Palu for Lore Lindu National Park. The local bird guide was Idris Tinulele for the Karaenta and Lore Lindu Part. The 27 July flight to Manado then continue to Dumoga Bone National Park before flight to Ternate 2 August. This trip end of July 6 then the next day flight to Makassar. One of the participants, David Erterius also the Tour Leader of Rockjumper Birding Tours stayed in Makassar for Leading the regular trip Sulawesi and Halmahera The local bird guide for Dumoga, Tangkoko and Halmahera is Hendry Palamia

Birdwatching Tours on Sulawesi and Halmahera in 2013-2014 as you can see below, We also combined the birding with visiting local cultures such as visiting Toraja in the South of Sulawesi. The Trip, duration and the participants as follows:

1. Sulawesi and Halmahera
   Birding Period : March 27 to April 7, 2013
   Participants : Rob Weis, Jeremy Weiss and David Miller

2. Sulawesi and Halmahera
   Birding Period : July 26 - August 14, 2013
   Participants : Brian James, Chuck Trost and Daniel Taylor

3. Sulawesi and Halmahera
   Birding Period : August 17 - September 03, 2013
   Participants : Rockjumper Birding Worlwide:
   Tour Leader David Hoddinott, David Quady, Edith Elaine Nye, Graham
   Sparkes, Jon Erling Krabbe, Mary Sparkes, Robert Brandriff, Stephen
   Bayley, Ulrik Andersen

4. Lore Lindu (Sulawesi) Birding Tours
   Birding Period : 13 - 19 September, 2013
   Participants : Simon Van Der Meulen

5. Lore Lindu (Sulawesi) Birding Tours
   Birding Period : October 15 - 22, 2013
   Participants : Rob Weiss

6. Lore Lindu (Sulawesi) Birding Tours
   Birding Period : December 11 - 15, 2013
   Participants : Phil Hansbro

7. Lore Lindu (Sulawesi) birding Tours
   Birding Period : March 29 - April 4, 2014
   Participants : Thomas Bravo

8. Lore Lindu (Sulawesi) Birding Tours
   Birding Period : June 25 - July 1, 2014
   Participants : Rockjumper Custom Tours: Jeane Martin and Frank
   Hemmings

9. Lore Lindu Sulawesi Culture
   Trekking Period : July 13 - 17, 2014
   Participants : Mr. Sulev Kuuse, Mr. Sulev Ingerpuu, Mr. Uku Laur/Tali,
   Ms. Enna Elismae, Ms. Riin Viigipuu, Mr. Siim Kurvits, Mr.
   Uku Kaspar/Uustalu, Mrs. Nele Ingerpuu

10. Sulawesi Birding Tours
    Birding Period : July 15 - 25, 2014
    Participants : Rockjumper Group Chinese Birders:
    Mrs. Lyu Zhanxia, Mr. Liu Zi’ang, Mr. Li Boyang , Mr. Li
    Wei , Mrs. Zhang Jingwei

11. Sulawesi Birding and Culture Toraja Tours
    Tour Period : August 1 - 13, 2014
    Participant : Carol Materson

12. Sulawesi and Halmahera
    Birding Period : August 9 - 26, 2014
    Participants : Rockjumper Birding Group 8 Pax + 1 Tour Leader
    Mr. Richard Peter Lindie (Tour Leader) Mrs. Marylin Milek, Mrs Mary M.
    Boswell, Mr David William Menzies, Mrs Victoria Marie Menzies,
    Mr Bruce Freeman Lavender , Mr Neil Gordon Robertson,
    Mrs.Nilsa Bosque Perez, Mrs. Donna Sarver Coates

13. Lore Lindu (Sulawesi) Birding Tours
    Birding Period : September 7 - 15, 2014
    Partcipant : John Charles Day

14. Sulawesi and Halmahera
    Birding Period : Sept 10 - 27, 2014
    Participants : Rockjumper Birding Group 8 Pax + 1 Tour Leader
    Mr  David Hoddinott (Tour Leadr) Mr Kenneth Lee Lowder,
    Mr Dale Reuben Herter, Mr William Carl Heady ,
    Mr Dougald James Frederick, Mr  Richard Warren Smith,
    Mrs Valerie Dee Phillips, Mr Herbert James Sigsbee,
    Mrs Phyllis A  Wilburn

Birding Period : September 6^th - 23^th , 2012

The Vacation Indonesia Tours organised and guided a  4 pax from the USA for birding and wildlife tours, Ali Munthaha is a tour leader who meet the group in Palangkaraya, central kalimantan on Sept 6^th, 2012. The group flew from Denpasar Bali on Sept 6^th to Palangkaraya. After meeting Ali then proceed to Madara and Mangkatip. After some days here included Loksado and the Lamin (traditional houses of Dayak tribe) and the dances. So many impressions to take this trip included the Klotok, house boat, during the trip. This tours combine the culture, wildlife and birding. After some days here then fly from banjarmasin to Balikpapan then drive to Kutai National park.  After a few days here then the group fly from Balikpapan to Palu then direct to Lore Lindu NP. Overnight sendy Lodge in Wuasa. This trip is not totally birding but combine to cultures attraction in the Wuasa village. Mr parher is a keen birder but his wife and children make a dirrerent visit to the local house, seen megalith, the pre-historical megalith statues in Tamadue village.

Participants:

1. Laurie Allen
2. Mr Parker
3. David Parker
4. Allen Parker

Birding Period : July 26^th - August 12^th , 2012

 The Vacation Indonesia Tours organise and guided a  Rockjumper Senior Tour Leader, David Hoddinott this year lead a bitding tours to Sulawesi and Halmahera starting ponit in Makassar and Ending Point in Manado. The group coming to Makassar as the starting pont for this tour. Nurlin Djuni also coming with group  as long as the trip. After 8 pax arrived  then overnight in Pantai Gapura Hotel Makassar on night of 26^th, Dinner together with David Hoddinott. The early morning of July 27 all participants drive to Karaenta forest for seeing the black-ring white eye only seen on Karaenta forest. Here they saw sulawesi-dwarf hornbill and the other birds of Sulawesi. After visiting Karaenta then fly to Palu then drive about 3 hours to Lore Lindu National park. On the way to Lore Lindu they birded on Dongi-dongi for the purple winged rollers, white neck myna, lesser coucal, sulawesi drongo, red-knobbed hornbill, yellow-billed malkoha  Arround 7 PM  they arrived in Shendy Lodge. Birding here in Lore Lindu they saw scally-breasted king fisher, olive flanked whistler, sombre pigeon, malia, purple-bearded bee eater, etc. After a few days in Lore Lindu then return to Palu. The next day fly to Manado via Makassar then directly drive to Bogani Nani Wartabone NP about 5 hours and overnight in Senator Hotel and Resort. The highlight of birds here are maleo, red-back thrush, red-bellied pitta

After few days here then return to Manado and proceed to go to Tangkoko Nature Reserve for the lorekeets, Sulawesi large hanging parrot, lilac cheeked kingfisher,great-billed kingfisher on the mangrove, Sulawesi nightjar, great eared nightjar. After visiting Tangkoko then fly to Ternate for about 7 days on Halmahera for the wallacean-standardwings, purple-dollar bird, moustache-tree swift, paradise king fisher, molucan-owletnightjar, sombre kingfisher, etc.

After  doing birding here then fly to Manado then directly visiting the Gunung Mahawu near the crater.

The Participants :

1. David Hoddinott  (Tour Leader)
2. John Hanna
3. Garry Starr
4. Kathlene Starr
5. Anthon Menart
6. Frank O’Connor
7. Thomas Heatley
8. Dalle Manor
9. Stefan Williams

Tana Toraja Culture Tours
Birding Holiday Period : July 27^th - August  25^th , 2012

The Vacation Indonesia Tours organise and guided the trip for Robin J. Wissing from South Africa, the long period almost 1 month start from July 27^th meet by Ali Munthaha in the airport of Cengkareng in Jakarta and then fly to Makassar on July 29^th for the Toraja Culture experiences. Arrived in Makassar then drive to Rantepao and seen the local culture of Toraja. Mr Robin visit Londa, Ke’te Kesuk, and Batutumonga. After a few days in Toraja the Ali and Rob return to Makassar then fly to Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan, transit in Surabaya for 1 hour then continue flight to Palangkaraya. Arrive in Palangkaraya then they went to visit Madara, Mangkatip, Loksado. Few days in Central Kalimantan then fly again to Banjarmasin, A few days here then fly to Balikpapan for the Kutai National Park. After some days here then fly to Manado, North of Sulawesi on August 8^th then overnight at Santika Resort and Hotel The next day they visited Bogani Nani National Park, drive about 5 hours to Kotamobagu. They doing birding in the afternoon around Gunung Ambang before overnight at Senator Hotel in Kotamobagu. The next day visited Tambun Reserve for the Maleo and they success to see Maleo with the help of the rangers Max and Om Karamoy. After Dumoga then return to Manado direct to Tangkoko Nature Reserve for a 3 days birding before flight to Lore Lindu National Park via Palu. Birding about 5 days in Lore Lindu then they fly to Bali direct to Bali Barat National Park until 22 August. The next day they spend a few days in Kuta, August 25^th they fly to Jakarta. This trip is too tired if you are not good health.

Birding Period : July 20^th - July 26^th , 2012

The Vacation Indonesia Tours organise and guided a  Rockjumper Senior Tour Leader, David Hoddinott to Lore Lindu National Park from July 20 - 26 before the Rockjumper Group coming to visit Sulawesi and Halmahera. Darwin Sumang met him in the airport in Palu then direct to Lore Lindu in the afternoon, arrive in Lore Lindu in the evening and overnight at Shendy Lodge. The next day to visit Tambing Lake site and seen a very important bird, scally-breasted king fisher was sitting very close about 4 meter from us. The other important birds; sombre pigeon, purple-bearded bee eater, little sparrow hawk, piping crow, malia, Satanic-night jar, Sulawesi-Hawk eagle, Sulawesi serpent eagle, olive-flanked whistler, and the most important bird we have seen is geomalia.

Birding Period I : June 12^th - 16^th , 2012
Birding Period II : June 24^th - July 4^th, 2012

The Vacation Indonesia Tours organise and guided the trip to West Java  started  June 12-16 included Carita forest, Muara Angke and Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park for David Morrison  and  Daniel Mirecki for birdwatching on those areas for searching the java bird species such as Javan Tesia, Sunda Blue Robin, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Mountain white eye, orange spotted bulbul, pigmy wren babbler, Sunda minivet, White - flanked sunbird, javan kingfisher, etc

After birding west java then they return to Jakarta. On June 24^th then they flew to Manado by Lion Air for Sulawesi Birdwatching and they meet to Nurlin for Bogani Nani National Park known as Dumoga Bone in the past time. The highlight of this trip is Maleo on Tambun Reserve. After Dumoga Bone then drive to Tangkoko Reserve for birding here to see green-back king fisher, lilac-cheeked king fisher included to see the tarsiers. After Tangkoko then they flew to Makassar for visit Karaenta Forest in Maros then the next day they flew to Palu by Lion Air to visit Lore Lindu National park for seeng the purple-bearded bee eater, white-belly imperial pigeon, piping crow, malia, great-short wing, fiery-browed myna, etc.