Peleng Trip Plan

Peleng Island - Sula Pitta Tour

Day 1 : 20th June 2023

1645 : Arrive at Terminal 3, GA837, SIN - JKT

1845 : Flight to Jakarta

1945 : Arrive in Jakarta

Free Time until Departure for Makassar

21.50 : Check in, GA654, JKT - Makassar (UPG)

22.50 : Flight to Makassar

Day 2 : 21st June, Makassar

02.20 : Arrive in Makassar International Airport

03.00 : Pick up by Hendra, Makassar Bird Guide, Breakfast, 

05.30 : onwards

Birding whole day, targets are black headed Kingfisher, Sulawesi Pitta, Red Backed Thrush, Black ringed White eye, piping crow, pale bellied myna, Sulawesi Dwarf KF

1800 Dinner, Check in Hotel

Hotel - Ibis Budget, Makassar Airport

Day 3 : 22nd June 2023

0630 : Check out hotel

0700 : Transfer to Airport

10.00 : ID 6294, flight to Luwuk

11.15 : Arrive at Luwuk

11.45 Transfer to Ferry Terminal - Luwuk People's Port, by airport taxi

14.00 Ferry to Tabata, Peleng Island

17.00 Arrive at Tabata

17.30 Meet up with Alpian. Move to Alpian Homestay at Kotolomboy

Night activity - Owling

Day 4 : 23rd June 2023

Birding in Peleng Island

Day 5 : 24th Jun 2023

Birding in Peleng Island

Day 6 : 25th Jun 2023

09:00 :  Ferry to Luwuk

12.00 :  Arrive at Luwuk

12:15 : Taxi to Airport, lunch at airport ?

14:30 : ID 6293 , Luwuk to Makassar

15:45 : Arrive in Makassar

16.30 : Check-in hotel ?

Day 7 : 26th Jun 2023

15.45 : Pickup by Hendra, breakfast, few hours birding

12.20 : Arrive at Makassar airport (UPG)

14.20 : GA0655, UPG to CGK

16.00 : Arrive in CGK

18.40 : GA0822 Flight to SIN

21.25 : Arrive in SIN

Updated 2023.04.23 17.16

Reference:

Wong Lee Hong's account

Sula Pitta @ Peleng Island, Indonesia

A long but satisfying story. My earlier intention was to try for this together with Mahroji Akejawe in July/August this year. I was, however, getting restless while waiting out this period. Coincidentally, Boas Emmanuel and Khaleb were both in Singapore and Boas asked if he could accompany me for this trip. I said sure and a few weeks later, the itch was scratched.

Getting to his Pitta was not a simple walk. The shooting locations located at about 570m elevation just slightly beyond Kokolomboi village. We went up pillioned on motorbike but there were more than 5 occasions when I had to disembark and walk the steepest/slippery sections. Gosh, did I need the exercise.

The hardworking local guide Jo Ibo Lausala set up this new site in readiness for my trip a couple of weeks back. The hide was constructed out of twigs and shrubs. A cosy hideout barely enough for 2 lens to poke out.

Fortunately, this Pitta was relatively fearless and very comfortable with this environment. In the end, I spend 4 hours in the hide and 1k pix to show for my effort. This was an immaculate male. Perhaps the higher elevation had helped to maintain its plumage and grooming?

This was also a fun and relax 3 day trip. We ate groundnuts freshly pulled from the earth where it grew, foraging nuts dropped from a big tree, water melons/cucumber from the driver's (Ali) farm up in the mountain, stole some wild tomatoes from Alpian's relative fields, saw 38yo Alpain climbed the coconut tree like someone half his age, rode pillion and traversed the mountain range on a motorbike.

I would recommend this trip to anyone who seek this Pitta and any of the individuals mentioned above would be able to help organize and advise the way to get there. Getting there is easy. Fly from Makassar or Mandado to Luwuk, catch a daily 2.5hr ferry departing 2pm at Luwuk Ferry to Tataba. Good luck my fellow Pitta lovers