Hey, Adventurer,
Ready for a trip to the Moluccas, the original Spice Islands, for an unforgettable experience in one of Indonesia's last untouched paradises? ? Our travel services open the door to the amazing Moluccas, the legendary Spice Islands. Are you adventurous? Then active volcanoes, deep green and dense jungle, untouched beaches, crystal clear water, friendly people and a fascinating culture await you on the Spice Islands. Dive into the colorful underwater world, explore secret bays or let yourself be seduced by the aromas of Spice Islands' cuisine. Are you an enthusiastic birder and watching exotic birds makes your heart beat faster? Then follow in the footsteps of Alfred Russel Wallace and find the Halmahera Bird of Paradise. However, your holidays in the Moluccas will become an extraordinary journey through a tropical archipelago that has preserved its authentic beauty to this day.
Our tailor-made travel packages are designed to make your dreams of the ultimate Spice Islands adventure come true. So, let's plan your individual Moluccas Islands trip for you! If our example travel tours don't quite fit the bill or if you still have questions, just let us know. Contact us and we will create your individual offer for you.
Moluccas travel offers
Moluccas: Obi Island Birds Watching Tour
Individual Obi Island Birding Tour: You are drawn to explore rare and impressive endemic bird species in their natural habitat. And if you have to undertake a long journey into unknown parts of the world and their jungle areas, all the more interesting for you! Certain bird species are only at home here. Can be combined with our Moluccas: Halmahera Birding Tour.
- Duration:
7 days / 6 nights - Start I End:
Ternate - Departure:
Daily - min. # Travelers:
1 person - Best visit Period:
May to October - Rainy season:
November to February
Moluccas: Obi Island Birding Tour
You are a true animal lover and hobby photographer and you are particularly fond of rare, exotic birds, which you would like to observe and photograph in their natural habitat. For this, you are willing to make some effort and give up the comforts of your everyday life for a few days. If this is the case, then this trip is interesting for you, as the journey alone is a small adventure in itself.
Are you an ornithologist, journalist or zoologist/biologist or are you travelling to this remote region of the world for other reasons, e.g. for a research project? We can arrange a project-specific tour for you. Just get in touch with us!
Go on a discovery tour: Our 'Moluccas: Obi Island Bird Watching Tour' takes you to one of the most remote Moluccan islands, which is truly off the beaten track. Smaller than Halmahera Island, but significantly larger than Ternate or Tidore Islands, Obi Island boasts its own island-specific birdlife. So you can expect unfamiliar terrain with bird species that are exclusively native to this island. The remoteness of the location and the associated longer journey is part of your travel experience, which you enjoy and for sure makes you quickly leave any thoughts about your western world behind.
Your fitness level: For this tour, you should be in good physical condition. Birdwatching also means that sometimes you have to wait a long time at a certain spot until the eagerly awaited species finally appears in front of your camera, but there will also be one or two stretches on foot and through rough terrain. It can also be exhausting to carry camera and other equipment in tow in tropical temperatures.
- 7 days individual round trip according to the description.
- All activities take place individually for you and are organised by your ...
- ... personal guide.
- 3 nights with breakfast in simple local accommodation/ guesthouse/ lodge on Obi Island, no western sanitary facilities, furnished with Indonesian Mandi.
- 2 nights on overnight ferry in single cabin (local 1st class) with double bunk bed, outside common toilet
- 1 night with breakfast in upscale authentic accommodation in Ternate with hot water shower and toilet.
- Meals as per description.
- All transfers (accompanied) from/to Ternate airport.
- Your personal English-speaking guide/guide will accompany you on your entire trip and will be your contact person if you have any questions or requests.
- Travel insurance certificate.
We recommend taking out travel insurance (travel health insurance, travel cancellation insurance).
Book now!
Day 1
- Arrival at Ternate's Sultan Babullah Airport and pick-up by your English-speaking tour guide.
- If you believe, you may feel fresh enough - despite the long journey - you can of course start your first bird watching tour directly after your arrival in Ternate. If this is just a connecting programme in cotext with a preceding tour, you anyway will be fine. Your tour guide will be happy to accompany you to the first two interesting sites to observe, among others, the North Moluccan Pitta, Blue Capped Fruit Dove, Torresion Crow, Brush Cuckoo, Tricolour Grebe, Blue-and-White Kingfisher. In this context, a simple Lunch & Dinner will be served in a small local restaurant and are included in the price.
- However, if you prefer to rest after your long journey to Maluku and before continuing the trip to Pulau Obi in the evening, we can arrange accommodation for the day (extra charge applies for day accommodation, lunch & dinner), where you can freshen up and prepare for the tour and receive helpful information from your guide about the upcoming tour programme.The rest of the day would be free for you.
- You can either spend it at the hotel's pool or simply enjoy the enchanting ambience of your accommodation.
- Depending on the time of arrival, you can also enjoy lunch and/or dinner on site.
- In the evening, after dinner, your guide will take you to Ternate's harbour, from where you will take the night ferry for a journey of about 8 hours, which will bring you a great piece closer to the starting point of your birdwatching activities.
- Overnight stay on ferry
Day 2
- After your early morning stopover in Bacan, you will have the opportunity to have a simple local breakfast (included) near the harbour before your onwards journey.
- As there is a little bit of time to bridge, you will have the opportunity to observe the local birdlife along the shore.
- You will then take the next ferry to the actual starting point of your birdwatching tour - the Moluccan island of Obi, which you will reach around midday.
- You will be ready to start birding in the afternoon and the main goal for your today's Obi Island birdwatching trip is to get the Moluccan Woodcock (Scolopax rochussenii), also known as Obi Woodcock, in front of your camera. But if other bird species cross your path (and they will), you will have the opportunity to catch them on camera as well :-)
- A late Lunch will be served upon arrival in a nearby resaurat at the Obi harbour (included).
- And Dinner will be served nearby your accommodation (included).
- Overnight stay (included) in simple local accommodation/ guesthouse.
Day 3
- After your simple, local breakfast at your accommodation (included?), it's up and out. You will spend most of the day outdoors and will have the opportunity to see the following bird species during your stay on the island: Obi Whistler (also: Cinnamon-breasted Whistler), Obi Fantail, Obi Paradise Crow, Obi Common Paradise Kingfisher, White Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, Blue-and-White Kingfisher, Beach Kingfisher, Halmahera Golden Bulbul and Carunculated Fruit Dove and others, if they cross your path.
- A simple local lunch will be served en-route (included).
- And for dinner, there will be a place for you reserved in a local warung near your accommodation (included).
- Overnight in simple local guesthouse on Obi island.
Day 4
- After breakfast (included) you will go on another birdwatching tour in the morning to get those feathered representatives in front of the camera, which might not have been so photogenic the day before. Look out for them again this morning.
- Lunch on your way (included).
- Dinner near accommodation (included).
- Overnight stay in your guesthouse on Obi.
Day 5
- A little bit dependant on your achieved targets so far, the weather and not last your mood, there is a chance to be out before breakfast and go 'hunting' once again. By 'delving‘ again into the jungle, you will find some further bird photo opportunities on the remote island of Obi.
- After a final local breakfast (included), you will head to the harbour for your return journey to Ternate.
- Lunch will be on the ferryboat, based on the food shopping before departure from Obi Island (included).
- Dinner will be in a small local restaurant around the harbour after arrival in Bacan and before continuing the journey back to Ternate (Included).
- Overnight stay on ferryboat, while transferred to the island of Ternate.
Day 6
- You will arrive in Ternate in the early morning around 5 am.
- Depending on your plan for the day, you will either have breakfast (included) at a nearby restaurant before continuing your journey, e.g. with the trip combination Moluccas: Halmahera Birding Tour, or you will finish your ornithological Moluccas trip at your accommodation, a small boutique hotel, where you can relax for the rest of the day and spend time e.g. at the pool.
- If you finish your tour by staying in your Ternate accommodation, breakfast is in a restaurant nearby the harbour and included, while lunch and dinner will be available in the hotel and are not included.
- Overnight at your hotel in Ternate.
Day 7
- You will finish your Obi Island Birdwatching Tour with a last breakfast at the Ternate hotel (included).
- Your tour guide will accompany you for your transfer to the airport or port for your trip home or connecting programme.
- We hope, you enjoyed and got some ideas for your next endeavour :-)
- 1.349 EUR per person (based on 2 persons sharing accommodation)
- 1.849 EUR single traveller as per request
This tour is not so suitable for children.
The prices are from/to the starting point of the tour. They include all services according to the respective tour description. Higher prices may apply especially during Indonesian holidays like Ramadan or Idul Fitri. All prices are in Euro and per person based on 2 persons traveling together in a double room. Our terms and conditions apply.
Extend your Trip
...and explore destinations beyond the undiscovered Moluccan island of Halmahera. Extending a trip creates even more unique experiences and breathtaking moments for you and your travel companion. Combine your Moluccas: Obi Island Birding Trip with further experiences in Eastern Indonesia. Your focus is currently on birdwatching. But besides birdwatching, you're also interested in other things. Make your trip a unique experience and expand it to fully experience Indonesia east of the Wallace Line.
Expand your Options
- You've traveled far and wide for your passion for seeing rare endemic birds like the Obi Snipe in their natural habitat. Combine your trip with a Halmahera Birdwatching Tour or our Sulawesi Birdwatching Tour, which is currently in development.
- Discover more of the Moluccas and be inspired by their historically significant sites and their enchanting island history and nature.
- Come and discover the local endemic bird species and combine your tour of the region with elements of our Spices & Species Tour or our Halmahera Discovery Tour. All of our birdwatching tours can be combined.
- Birds are your focus—okay, but you're also interested in other things. If you'd also like to learn more about the land and its people, our Culture & Nature Experience Tours are the perfect choice for you. In addition to the Moluccas, we also accompany you to Sulawesi, the Lesser Sunda Islands, and the enchanting Raja Ampat. We can also organize birdwatching tours for you here - we'd be happy to :-)
- For further exploration of the local flora and fauna in Indonesia east of the Wallace Line, we recommend our Discovery Tours Endemic Species.
- Moreover, visit active and extinct volcanoes with one of our Trekking Adventure Tours.
- And since you're already in the region: take a look at the truly breathtaking underwater world. Welcome to the Coral Triangle; time for a Diving or Beach Holiday...
- ...or see what it's like to have your room close at hand. Join us on a Sailing Cruise Tour :-)
Design your Trip
The above tour description is intended as a suggestion. The tour can be split or extended according to your wishes. We will be happy to customize your tour to your individual wishes and ideas.
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Obi Woodcock (Scolopax rochussenii)
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Superb Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus superbus)
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Obi Fantail (Rhipidura obiensis)
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Moluccan Great-billed Parrot (Tanygnathus megalorynchos)
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Blue Capped Fruit Dove I Blaukappen Fruchttaube (Ptilinopus monacha)
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North Moluccan Red.bellied Pitta (Erythropitta rufiventris)
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Obi Whistler, also Cinnamon-breasted Whistler (Pachycephala johni)
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Moluccan Whistler (Pachycephala macrorhyncha)
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White-naped Monarch (Carterornis pileatus)
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EAST OF WALLACE TOURS: Birdwatching in action
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Moluccas: Night ferry Ternate-Bacan
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Moluccas: Night ferry, 1. class sleeping cabin
Travel to the Moluccas – Untouched Nature and Paradisiacal Beaches
A Moluccas tour takes you to the most beautiful beaches and pristine coral reefs of Southeast Asia. A Moluccas island holiday typically begins in Ambon or Ternate – small but central islands that, thanks to their respective airports, serve as the perfect starting point for discovery tours. After the long journey, the exploration tours start either after a restful night in a comfortable hotel or immediately, as soon as you've picked up your suitcase from the baggage carousel. Either way: We're ready when you are to explore the diverse facets of this unique archipelago on your tour.
Landscape, Culture and Authentic Encounters
The Spice Islands offer ideal conditions for diving and snorkeling in crystal-clear waters, where colourful coral reefs and a species-rich underwater world await your discovery. While traveling across the various islands, you'll experience an impressive variety of exotic landscapes - from white and also dark sandy beaches, through tranquil clove and nutmeg groves along the cone-shaped volcanic mountains, to dense jungle and repeatedly spectacular views of the sea with a picture-perfect island backdrop. Also keep your eyes open for the unique wildlife with its endemic species. Your Moluccas holidays will be enriched by visiting traditional villages and local markets, where you can experience the warm hospitality of the locals. By boat, you'll reach hidden bays and remote islands that few tourists ever get to see. Come and discover this exciting island archipelago!
Experience Indonesia's Spice Islands Up Close: Round Trips in the Moluccas
A Moluccas round trip enables you to experience the historic Spice Islands of Indonesia in all their wonderful facets. Islands such as Ternate, Tidore, Banda Neira and Ambon tell the fascinating story of the spice trade, which once shaped world empires. Even today, you can explore historic fortresses and experience firsthand the colonial past of these once so significant islands. Today, the eastern Indonesian archipelago forms an absolute highlight of any round trip east of the Wallace Line, not least due to its breathtaking landscape as well as its fascinating history and enchanting underwater world.
Off the Beaten Path
While traveling between the islands of this exciting archipelago, you'll be overwhelmed by the attraction and beauty of the Spice Islands. However, be aware: you're visiting a very remote island world. Your familiar comforts such as hotels and regulated transportation are not part of the daily routine here. Therefore, be prepared for spontaneous adjustments to given circumstances. However, we're certain that the unplanned events will also contribute to unforgettable vacation impressions.
Our Moluccas tours not only take you to historically significant sites; they also lead you to hidden lagoons and secluded beaches, where you can explore the pristine underwater world while diving and snorkeling, through remote villages with people who sometimes haven't yet seen a stranger, and even more remote jungle regions where you can observe unique endemic animal and bird species or be very close to active volcanoes. Each visit to the different islands reveals new facets of this tropical paradise that has preserved its authentic culture and nature over centuries.
Book Individual Tours to the Moluccas
For your perfect holidays in the Moluccas, we offer tailor-made Moluccas tours based on your ideas. Whether you want to…
- dive or snorkel in pristine reefs, e.g. around Halmahera or Morotai,
- explore historic sites such as Ternate, Tidore, Ambon or Banda Neira,
- discover the endemic biodiversity of the region,
- experience impressive volcanic mountains and jungle areas,
- or enjoy the paradisiacal tranquility of the Spice Islands
we design your individual Moluccas trip entirely according to your wishes.
Your Moluccas vacation is enriched by carefully selected hotels and accommodations as well as professional guides who introduce you to the secrets of this incomparable archipelago. For your exploration tours of the Spice Islands of Indonesia, you'll use – depending on the travel arrangement – a mix of local flights, inter-island connections via boat, and private vehicle.
Each visit becomes an unforgettable experience when you discover the authentic culture and untouched nature of the Moluccas along the way. Contact us for your personal Moluccas round trip or let yourself be inspired by our range of individual tours in Indonesia East of the Wallace Line!