Moluccas: West Halmahera Jungle Trekking

Day 1: Arrival Ternate - Halmahera

• Upon your arrival at Ternate's Sultan Babullah Airport in the morning, your personal English-speaking guide will welcome you and accompany you on your adventure tour to West Halmahera.
• The journey will take you by water and then by land to the western part of Halmahera Island. En route by boat and car, you will have the opportunity to absorb some of the atmosphere of your destination.
• A very simple lunch in a local restaurant on the way will be served. (not included).
• You will reach your accommodation, a small local resort, in the early afternoon.
• Once at your destination, you will have the opportunity to have a look around. You will also visit the local market to buy the food you need for the trek (not included) together with your tour guide, in order to be prepared for the tour.
• Before dinner, you will also have the opportunity to see and try the hot spring not too far from your accommodation - so wear your swimsuit!
• Simple local dinner at your accommodation or nearby (not included)

Day 2: Start of the trekking; Todoke Waterfall & Lake 

• After a simple local breakfast (included), your trekking will begin, with your tour guide providing advice and assistance as you navigate through rough terrain.
• First, you will take a 2-hour drive, stopping along the way to take some photos, e.g. of a traditional house of the Sahu tribe, a dragon fruit plantation or - visibility permitting - a picture-perfect photo of the distant Gunung Gamkonora.
• Lunch will be served in a small simple local restaurant along the way (not included).
• Afterwards you will pick up your porters just before your destination and then you will arrive at the starting point of your journey. In the meantime, it is now afternoon and you start setting up your tent camp directly at Lake Todoke.
• Before dinner you have the opportunity to wash away the stresses and strains of your journey in the clear lake water.  
• Now it's time to prepare dinner.
• In front of a picture-book backdrop and campfire you will end the evening.
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner according to the food you have brought with you.

Day 3: Todoke  Lake - Tokuoko Forest

• After your breakfast at the camp, it's time to pack.
• Today you will go to Tokuoko Forest, a vast jungle area. To get there, your path leads you through coconut groves and you also have to cross a river. Don't worry: it has a shallow riverbed.
• In the meantime, at a distance from civilian life and in the middle of an extensive jungle area, your guide will now equip you with some survival know-how during your trek. Be curious!
• After a 2 1/2-3 hour walk you have reached the Tokuoko Primary Forest.
• Now it's time for a fortifying lunch.
• Now it's time to set up camp for the night. Together with your guide you will set up your tent camp.
• Afterwards you will go stalking. Your trek will take you under the canopy of the surrounding jungle through an enchanting forest landscape, past exotic plants and along the path of extraordinary endemic bird species. Look out for parrots, hornbills, kingfishers & co. and have your camera ready!
• After about 2 hours in the jungle, you will return to your base camp.
• There is a washing facility at the nearby narrow river, where you will collect water for washing, as there will not be enough for swimming :-)
• You will end the day with a simple, rustic local dinner around the campfire.
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner according to the food you bring with you.

Day 4: Tokuoko Forest - Wailamoko River Canyon

• After breakfast, it's time to pack again.
• You will continue your trekking and will also cross a river gorge in the morning. Depending on the weather conditions (and your own height), the water may reach up to your waist as you cross the river. 
• By now it is noon and you stop and rest after setting up your tent camp.
• Then it's back to exploring. Look out for endemic animal and bird species such as the Halmahera Bird of Paradise or the Moluccan Cuscus, or even snakes native to the area!
• You will have plenty of time to get involved in this unique experience.
• Washing facilities are provided by the river right next to the camp.
• You will end the day with a simple local dinner at the tented camp.
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner according to the food you bring with you.

Day 5: Wailamoko River Canyon - Taro Garden

• You start your day with a simple local breakfast and then pack your things, because ...
• ... now it's time to continue your trekking. You will cross the gorge of the Wailamoko River again and then hike a short, but quite steep way uphill, which will certainly be a bit strenuous. Your trek will take you about 2 hours and you will cross another river. The trail otherwise leads through generally flat terrain under the canopy of the surrounding rainforest.
• Once in the primary forest, you will set up camp there and then explore your surroundings. The terrain is quite rough with no 'trodden' paths.
• For lunch you will return to the tent camp.
• After a short rest, you will go exploring again in the afternoon. For about 2 more hours you have the opportunity to observe the surrounding flora and fauna more intensively and to take a closer look at birds and other forest inhabitants.
• A nearby river offers another opportunity to wash.
• Dinner will again be served in the tented camp, the night camp of your station. 
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner according to the food you brought with you..

Day 6: Taro Garden - Gogama Forest

• A leisurely breakfast in your tented camp starts your day.
• On your tour this morning, you will explore the surroundings ahead of you.
• At lunchtime, you will return to the tented camp and take a rest before you start packing again.  
• You will go deeper into the jungle and have the opportunity to see more unusual species of flora and fauna. 
• Under the canopy of the surrounding rainforest, you and your guide will follow in the footsteps of Alfred Russel Wallace and have the opportunity to take a closer look at the local flora and fauna. Your path leads you through flat, sometimes steeply descending terrain to Gogama Forest, where you will set up camp. 
• Now it's time to end the intense day. 
• Equipped with plenty to talk about from the day's experiences, you will end it with a simple local dinner.
• Overnight in tent.
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner according to the food you bring with you..

Day 7: Gogama Forest - Kaleru Forest 

• After your breakfast today, you can continue to follow in the footsteps of Alfred R. Wallace and marvel at the local flora and fauna with your guide.
• Lunch is served at the tented camp.
• Then it's time to pack and you will move on again.
• Your trekking will take you further through the jungle. Again you will cross a shallow river, the Gogama River, until you reach the Kaleru Forest after about 4 hours. Here you will pitch your tent.
• This stop of your trip will lead you to a 'Hot River', a river with hot water. There you will have the opportunity to wash away the exertions of the last few days with a nice hot shower under the nearby waterfall and a sitz bath in the water pond. Let this interesting experience sink in :-)
• You will be back at the tented camp for dinner and a simple meal to watch the night displace the day.
• Overnight stay in the tented camp.
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner according to the food you bring with you.

Day 8: Kaleru Forest

• After a leisurely, but not too late breakfast, you will explore the Primary Forest of the surrounding area and get to know a wide variety of animal and bird species. If you haven't caught one or the other of them on camera yet, today would be a good opportunity to do so, as you will now head back into the jungle to explore the local endemic species. 
• A special highlight of this morning, however, are the hot springs that you will reach during your jungle hike and which you should marvel at with a respectful distance. They are really hot!
• After lunch and dinner today, you will also head back out into the green thicket to discover more endemic animal and bird species. The barking owl, the Moluccan red-eyed owl and the Moluccan cuscus are among the species on the programme.
• Lunch and dinner at the camp.
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner according to the food you bring with you.

Day 9: Kaleru Forest - Diai Forest

• After breakfast today, it's time to 'pull up the tents' and move on.
• Your morning trek takes you further through the primary rainforest. You walk attentively through the green jungle thicket as you look out for more native bird species.
• You will stop for lunch in the jungle.
• In the afternoon you will reach Diai Forest, where you will pitch your next tent camp.
• Here you will also have the opportunity to take a cooling bath in the nearby river to wash away the exertions of the day and end the evening with a cosy campfire dinner in the tent camp.
• Overnight stay in tent.
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner according to the food you bring with you.

Day 10: Diai Forest - Wangongira - Tobelo 

• After a final jungle breakfast, you will dismantle your tent camp and set off on a trek through the Primary Forest.
• Here you have the opportunity to get to know the surrounding jungle from a different perspective and to explore the green thicket in its enormous diversity even further. 
• Your path will also lead you through extensive coconut plantations until you reach the village of Wangongira.
• There you will have lunch (not included).
• Afterwards you will be transferred by car to Tobelo, where you will spend the night in a local town or beach resort (depending on your preference).
• Dinner at the restaurant (not included).
• Overnight stay at your accommodation in Tobelo.

Day 11: Tobelo Island Hopping

• Your day today is all about pure relaxation.
• After a leisurely breakfast (included), your guide will take you island hopping around the islands of Kakara and Pawole.
• Here you can swim, snorkel and relax while gaining an impression of the island world surrounding Halmahera. Enjoy the moment in the here and now. You will spend the day here.
• For lunch, a lunch box you bring with you will keep hunger at bay (not included; will be purchased beforehand).
• Dinner is at the local restaurant back in Tobelo (not included).
• Overnight in your accommodation in Tobelo.

Day 12: Tobelo - Ternate

• After breakfast at your accommodation (included), your guide will take you to another 'hot river' so you have the opportunity to dive in and take a hot bath. Enjoy the atmosphere; you have time.
  Afterwards you will return to your accommodation for check-out.
  You will have lunch (not included) at a restaurant on the way, before continuing to the speedboat harbour for your return journey to Ternate.
  Once back at your accommodation, Villa Ma'Rasai, you can relax a little more until dinner is served (not included).
  Overnight stay at Villa Ma'Rasai or comparable.

Day 13: Departure from Ternate/ Connecting programme

• After breakfast, your guide will accompany you to Ternate's airport or one of the island's harbours, from where you can start your return journey or your follow-up programme for the next discovery tour. Either way, we wish you an exciting journey :-)