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Join naturalist Mike Dilger on our new tour, taking in the very best of Indonesia’s wildlife. From the unique species found only on Sulawesi to the rare primates of northern Sumatra, and concluding with the dragons and marine life of Komodo.

This wonderful trip offers some truly unique wildlife experiences, all thanks to its exceptional diversity. From sitting on a Sulawesi beach surrounded by crested macaques to watching as an endangered Sumatran orangutan effortlessly swings from one tree to the next to an up-close encounter with the world’s largest lizard in Komodo. This itinerary provides the perfect overview to the fascinating natural history of Indonesia’s islands that’s sure to leave you inspired, like it did for Alfred Russel Wallace.

Indonesia is a land of contrasts, from dense rainforest to vivid coral gardens to rugged volcanoes. It’s an exotic place where ancient processes have sculpted the boundaries and given rise to the incredible variety of wildlife that can be seen there today. If you want to get up close and personal with the captivating wildlife of this region, then join expert naturalist Mike Dilger on this once in a lifetime tour of the country’s very best wildlife hotspots.

Our journey begins in Sulawesi, known for its fauna and flora that’s found nowhere else including one of the most expressive primates on the planet, the charismatic crested black macaque. From here we head to northern Sumatra and the Gunung Leuser National Park. This is a land of vast untouched rainforest and the last stronghold for the Sumatran orangutan and seven other species of primate. For our finale, we have four nights sailing through the azure waters of the Komodo National Park aboard a comfortable yet traditional Indonesian sailing yacht.

Typical Itinerary

  1. Day 1: Depart UK

    Depart the UK on an overnight flight to Dubai.

  2. Day 2: Arrive Jakarta

    Today, we arrive in Dubai, fly on to Jakarta and overnight at our hotel near the airport.

    Accommodation: FM7 Resort Hotel, 1-night

  3. Day 3: Arrive Tangkoko National Park

    This morning we depart Jakarta and fly to Sulawesi. Upon our arrival in Manado, we are transferred to our guest house in the village of Batu Putih. In the afternoon we enjoy our first excursion in Tangkoko National Park looking for its tiny spectral tarsiers, curious bear cuscus, knobbed hornbills, kingfishers, endemic reptiles and many other interesting species.

    Accommodation: Tangkoko Hill Cottages, 3-nights

  4. Days 4-5 : Explore Tangkoko National Park

    Over the next two days, we explore Tangkoko National Park with our local guides. We will often walk to the beach to hopefully watch the resident crested back macaques as they go about their daily foraging here. These endemic macaques are among the most expressive of all primates and are a joy to watch. We will also seek out other Sulawesi specialities such as the marsupial bear cuscus and endemic knobbed hornbill as well as a diversity of other birds, reptiles and insects. In the late afternoons we return to the park, this time to wait for tiny spectral tarsiers to emerge from their daylight slumbers as the light begin begins to fade.

  5. Day 6: Jakarta

    Today we transfer back to Manado airport in time to check in for a domestic flight to Jakarta. We then transfer to our hotel for the night.

    Accommodation: FM7 Resort Hotel, 1-night

  6. Day 7: Fly to Medan and transfer to Bukit Lawang

    Today we take a flight from Jakarta to Medan in northern Sumatra. Here we transfer to Bukit Lawang, arriving in the early afternoon. We then have time for our first walk in the local forest.

    Accommodation: Bukit Lawang Eco Lodge, 4-nights

  7. Days 8-10 : Gunung Leuser National Park

    Over the three full days, we have plenty of opportunities to experience the incredible biodiversity of this spectacular ancient rainforest. We take the easier trails to explore accessible tracts of the rainforest, with a particular focus on searching for the park’s eight species of primate. We hope to enjoy the thrill and emotion of an intimate sighting of the endearing Sumatran orangutan that still thrives in this remote, densely forested park. Other highlights could include the endemic Thomas’ leaf monkey, lar gibbon, rhinoceros’ hornbill and the sheer abundance of rainforest life.

  8. Day 11: Last morning in Bukit Lawang and fly to Jakarta

    After a final morning forest walk, we retrace our drive back past terraced rice fields to Medan in time to catch our flight back to Jakarta. We overnight at the hotel close to the airport again ready for our next leg of the journey.

    Accommodation: FM7 Resort Hotel, 1-night

  9. Day 12: Labuan Bajo

    Our third island stay is on the scenic and culturally rich western tip of Flores. We start today with a flight from Jakarta to Labuan Bajo from where we then stay a night at a hotel walking distance from a beautiful beach.

    Accommodation: Plataran Komodo Resort, 1-night

  10. Day 13: Komodo National Park & Sabayor Kecil

    This morning, after breakfast, we transfer to the jetty and board our traditional phinisi, settle into our cabin then sail for Sabayor Kecil and Komodo National Park. We keep watch for pods of dolphins and various seabirds as we travel. At Sabayor Kecil, we can enjoy our first snorkel over the coral reef where a plethora of colourful reef fish including Napoleon wrasse, groupers and stingrays can be seen. There are also some stunning white sand beaches to enjoy before we return to the boat to enjoy some downtime.

    Accommodation: Tiger Blue Liveaboard, 4-nights

  11. Day 14: Rinca Island; Manta Point & Batu Balong

    This morning we start by exploring the island of Rinca and will most likely encounter our first Komodo dragons at the ranger station on arrival. We can enjoy some short walks around the island to marvel at these impressive reptiles up close. After spending the morning exploring the island, we set sail for Karang Makassar stopping at manta point. This is a reliable feeding ground for manta rays and one of the best snorkelling locations in the Komodo National Park. We may also stop at another snorkelling site with an excellent coral reef. 

  12. Day 15: Mauan & Kode

    Today we visit one of the best coral reefs in the National Park, at the Mauan and Kode which support healthy populations of green and hawksbill turtles and a further possibility to find manta rays. There's also the option to take to sea kayaks, walk deserted beaches and find more Komodo dragons and yellow-crested cockatoos on walks on the islands today.

  13. Day 16: Komodo & Padar

    Today we have a flexible day to explore Komodo and Padar Islands. We could start early with a walk on Komodo to enjoy more close encounters with the dragons in different settings and also discover some of the different plant and insect life here. We can also enjoy some of the unusual birdlife of Komodo including yellow-crested cockatoo, Western (Asian) Koel, white-bellied sea eagle, Brahminy kite, blue-tailed bee-eater, Sunda pygmy woodpecker and black-naped oriole. We plan to also include another snorkelling site and finish with cocktails and dinner on a deserted beach on Padar Island.

  14. Day 17: Return to Jakarta

    Today is our final morning aboard Tiger Blue. We disembark after lunch and transfer to the Labuan Bajo airport to take our domestic flight back to Jakarta. On arrival in Jakarta, we have use of a room at the nearby hotel to rest and freshen up before our flight home.

  15. Day 18: Depart Jakarta

    Today we take our flight back to the UK via Dubai arriving in the UK around midday.

Please note: Komodo Marine Park and National Park fees are not included and will need to be paid locally.

Key info

  • Duration and price including flights from/to UK: 18 days from £9,995 pp
  • Duration and price excluding international flights: 16 days from £9,195 pp
  • Single supplement: From £600
  • Trip type:
    Voyage
  • Group size: 9
  • Group Departures:
    Make a booking request.
    1. , Limited spaces Book
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  • Included in the price/package:
    • All accommodation
    • Most meals, selected soft drinks and local beer on Tiger Blue
    • Transfers & transport
    • Most national park & conservation fees
    • All excursions in parks & reserves
    • Services from naturalist Mike Dilger
    • Services of local guides
  • Activities available:
    • Birdwatching
    • Nature drive
    • Snorkelling

Expert leader

Mike Dilger

Photo of Mike Dilger

Mike Dilger has been an obsessive naturalist since childhood, equally at home either identifying wild flowers in the British countryside, or surveying the Amazon for hummingbirds.

With degrees in Botany and Ecology, Mike’s obsession with the tropics began when studying moths in the South American Andes. This then led to over five years carrying out research work in the tropical forests of Ecuador, Vietnam, Tanzania and Peru.

Finally emerging out of the bush and returning to Britain to find a job in television, Mike is probably best known as the wildlife expert on the BBC’s The One Show. Pontificating about everything from bumblebees to basking sharks, Mike has racked up over 450 appearances during his 15 years on the show.

His main job now is as a professional plate spinner, which involves intermingling TV commitments, tour-leading, writing and giving talks. Mike leads trips for Wildlife Worldwide from the Somerset Levels to the Scottish Highlands in the UK, while abroad he takes guests to Ecuador and Madagascar.

A columnist for BBC Wildlife Magazine, Mike has also written eight nature-themed books, with his most recent being One Thousand Shades of Green - A Year in Search of Britain’s Wild Plants

View all tours led by Mike

Featured locations:

Tangkoko National Park

Located on the northern arm of Sulawesi, two hours from Manado, Tangkoko National Park covers 8,700 hectares of rolling hills and forested valleys. Tangkoko is the home of some of Indonesia’s most unique wildlife species, including the crested black macaque and spectral tarsier. Find Out More about {acc:title}

  • Where: Sulawesi
  • Ideal for viewing: crested black macaque, spectral tarsier, maleo, Sulawesi hornbill, Sulawesi bear cuscus
  • Excellent for: Photography tours With Nick Garbutt

Komodo National Park

Komodo National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986 due to the extraordinary lizards that live on its shores. Encompassing three main islands – Komodo, Rinca and Padar – and 26 smaller islands, this national park has roughly 2,500 Komodo dragons, as well as a plethora of marine life. Find Out More about {acc:title}

  • Where: Komodo
  • Ideal for viewing: Komodo dragon, manta ray, Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, lesser frigatebird, green turtle
  • Excellent for: Wildlife photography, Photography tours With Nick Garbutt

Gunung Leuser National Park

This huge National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site encompasses swamp forests to the west and vast tracts of lowland Dipterocarp Forest in its interior. Its biodiversity is outstanding and is best known for its primates including the Sumatran orangutan and excellent bird and reptile life. Find Out More about {acc:title}

  • Where: Northern Sumatra
  • Ideal for viewing: Sumatran orangutan, Thomas’s leaf monkey, lar gibbon, Siamang gibbon, rhinoceros hornbill
  • Excellent for: Birdwatching
This itinerary is available on the following cruise vessel:

Tiger Blue

The Tiger Blue is a superbly comfortably yet traditional Indonesian sailing yacht and the perfect base from which to sail the azure waters of the Komodo National Park. It blends comfortable cabins, excellent food and guides with the traditional wooden, two mastered design of a phinisi. Find Out More about Tiger Blue