Until recently the magical islands of Indonesia were only visited by a few intrepid travellers and even today not too many visitors penetrate beyond Java and Bali. The very inaccessibility of much of Indonesia has led to the country being largely neglected by birdwatchers, yet Indonesia provides the adventurous bird photographer with some of the richest ornithological photographic experiences to be found anywhere in the world, as Wallacea is one of the most biologically diverse and endemic-rich areas on our planet. Bird-Photo-Tours Asia's Wallacea journey commences on the island of Sulawesi, where we will explore its wonderful coastal forests where Ochre-bellied Boobook, Great-billed, Green-backed, Sulawesi Lilac and Sulawesi Dwarf Kingfishers, Sulawesi Nightjar plus the splendid Red-backed Thrush will be high on our list for close photographic encounters. The second half of our Bird-Photo-Tour will be on Halmahera, the largest island of the Moluccas. Situated between Sulawesi and West Papua, Halmahera has a much greater Australasian element in its avifauna than Sulawesi and an equally rich selection of endemics, and here we will focus on obtaining photographic portraits of Wallace’s Standardwing, one of the most exotic of The Birds of Paradise. We will also photograph a host of other special birds, including the stunning Ivory-breasted Pitta, the Moluccan Owlet-Nightjar, Sombre Kingfisher plus a colourful collection of parrots including Moluccan Hanging Parrot as well as the Umbrella Cockatoo.
Guiding Fees / Ground Transportation / Accommodation / Meals / Entrance Fees / Tipping for Drivers, Boatsmen, Hotel and Restaurant Staff.
International Flights / VISA Fees / Travel Insurance / Tips for Local Guide / Alcohol / Laundry / Items of a Personal Nature
Nick has been living in Asia for over 15-years and in this time has conducted over 125 bird photography trips across the whole of the Asian continent ranging from Kazakhstan in the west, through India and China to Japan in the east, and from the Kamchatka coastline in the north to as far south as Indonesia. In China alone Nick has photographed to portrait-quality standard over 1,200 of China's bird species taking him to all of China's provinces as well as most of those nations bordering China. These bird photography trips have ranged in length from a few days to many months, including a three-month bird photography expedition to China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region, becoming quite possibly the most travelled foreigner in this region over the past decade. Nick has also conducted a four-month bird photography trek across the Himalayas, ranging from the Indian States of Ladakh and Kashmir in the west, into the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, then onto the Indian States of West Bengal and Sikkim, ending in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in the eastern Himalayas. Nick has had his images published across numerous media channels including the BBC and Chinese state-owned media outlets, various bird magazines and journals including the Oriental Bird Club's BirdingASIA. He has his own website on the Birds of China at www.BirdingInChina.com and his book 'Portraits of the Birds of China' is due for publication in 2025. Furthermore, Nick has presented films on photographing birds both in Asia and Europe, has his bird images published across many social media platforms within and outside Asia, and has led a number of bird photography lectures and walks, particularly targeted at children.
Consequently, Nick has accumulated significant experience of photographing birds within the Asian continent and this expertise has formed the backdrop to setting up Bird-Photo-Tours Asia, trips designed by bird photographers for bird photographers.
(i) The guesthouses are all in close proximity to the bird photography locations (ii) Walking is at a light pace (iii) There is no requirement to hike nor climb. (iv) None of the locations are at altitude (v) There is no camping.
: Halmahera
