WILD SULAWESI PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR

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25 May 2025

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Price: £2095/person – $2500/person

Date: 1 - 10 November 2025

Your Local Guides: Irawan Halir & Max Benito Smeele

Macro and Nature Photography Opportunities with Max Benito Smeele

Looking for the rare Sulawesi pit viper (Tropidolaemus laticinctus)

Observe and photograph Spectral tarsiers

Photograph Celebes crested macaques

Great Bird, Mammal and Reptile sighting opportunities

Excellent photography opportunities

Day 1: Arrive at Manado

Today is an arrival day and a day for leisure. Meet the other participants and the guides in the evening and get ready for this adventurous wildlife photo tour.

Overnight in Manado.

Meals included: None

Tangkoko National Park in Sulawesi

Day 2: Travel to Tangkoko National Park

After breakfast, we will drive to our first location, Tangkoko National Park (2 hours). Check in at Birdhouse Homestay Tangkoko. After settling in we will have the chance to photograph some bird such as: Green-backed Kingfisher, Lilac-cheek Kingfisher, Sulawesi-dwarf Kingfisher, etc.

Overnight near Tangkoko National Park.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Red-bellied Pitta in Tangkoko

Day 3 – 5: Discover Tangkoko National Park

On the next 3 days we will discover the National park in depth.

Rise early for breakfast (6am) and then we will photograph the Celebes crested macaques. We will return to our homestay for lunch.
In the afternoon we will go back to the jungle to spotted some more birds such as the Red-knobbed Hornbill, Ochre-bellied Boobook, Ashy Woodpecker, etc and we might have the chance of encountering the Bear Cuscus too.
Before dusk we will photograph the resident Tarsiers and will search for nocturnal reptiles too.

Overnight near Tangkoko National Park.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Spectral Tarsier in Sulawesi

Day 6: Visit the Mangrove Forest

Depending on weather conditions we pan to take a boat trip to the coastal mangrove forest. We will be looking for sea snakes and some coastal birds with good chances to photograph the Great-billed Kingfisher.

Overnight near Tangkoko National Park.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Celebes crested macaque from Tangkoko

Day 7: Travel to Tomohon

Today we will travel to our second location, Tomohon (2,5h). We will check in to our accommodation.  After lunch we will photograph some bird species like, the Scaly-breasted Kingfisher, the Sulawesi myzomela, and the Sulawesi Pitta, etc.

Overnight near Tomohon.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Sulawesi myzomela photo tour

Day 8-9: Herping in Tomohon

We will have two full days to try to find our main herpetological target, the beautiful and rare Sulawesi pit viper (Tropidolaemus laticinctus). There will be good macro and bird photography opportunities.

Overnight in Tomohon

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Snake in Sulawesi

Day 10: Departure Day

After breakfast we will leave our accommodation in Tomohon and will drive back to Manado Airport to your departure flight.

Meals included: Breakfast

Knobbed Hornbill in Sulawesi

Manado

Novotel Manado Golf Resort & Convention Center, or similar (premium)

The Novotel Mando Golf Resort is a nice, 4-star hotel on the outskirts of Manado, close to the International Airport.  It has an outdoor pool and an onsite restaurant.

Tangkoko National Park

Birdhouse Homestay Tangkoko, or similar (basic)

The Birdhouse Homestay is a simple, yet comfortable accommodation near Tangkoko National Park in the North of Sulawesi. it will be a perfect place to do excursions to the National Park.

Tomohon

Hotel Villa Emitta, or similar (standard)

The Hotel Villa Emitta is a comfortable 3-star hotel near Tomohon. It will be a good bae to do our daily excursion in search of the rare reptiles and birds of the region.

Prices & Inclusions

Date: 1st – 10th November 2025

Holiday Price:

£2095/person

min. 4 participants

$2500/person
Single Supplement £200/person
$300/person

Inclusions

  • Accommodation in simple hotels/homestays for 10 nights on a twin share basis
  • Full Board
  • Transportation as per the itinerary
  • Local Naturalist Guide on the Spot: Irawan Halir
  • Professional Nature Photographer-Guide: Max Benito Smeele
  • Guided daily walks as per the itinerary
  • Full financial protection by Protected Trust Services

 

Exclusions

  • International flights
  • Airport transfers
  • Indonesia Visa Fee
  • Meals not mentioned in the program
  • Tips
  • Travel Insurance

Your Expedition Guide

Max Benito Smeele

Max is a biologist from the Universidad de Salamanca in Spain. His main interests are around amphibian and reptile conservation, as well as in nature photography as a way to spread knowledge and awareness about these animals. He has worked as a researcher in Spain and Costa Rica, to which he travelled 5 times, with the aim to explore its overwhelming biodiversity. Currently he resides in Spain were he works as photographer for the Exsitu Project, tour leader, teaches courses about Iberian herpetofauna and studies a masters in tropical biodiversity. Moreover he speaks Spanish, Dutch and English fluently.

Max Benito Smeele Costa Rican guide

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