• Professional cruise directors
• Outdoor sleeping facilities
• Complimentary snorkeling equipment and two sea canoes (add SUP)
• Free tea, soft drinks, juices, coffee and mineral water
• Excellent food and snacks (vegetarian and special menus on request)
• Dining in the spacious air-conditioned lounge
• Teak wooden furniture in the lounge, cabins, and on the deck
• Spacious sun and semi-covered decks
• Mooring fees
• Fuel surcharge

• Visits to restaurants, museums, galleries, etc during the trip
• A fine selection of wines, beer, and spirits for sale
• Travel to and from the vessel (including internal/domestic airfares)

What To Expect

While many of you are seasoned travelers, some of you may be unfamiliar with the ways and means of traveling in the remote regions where we journey. Cruising in eastern Indonesia on a traditional wooden pinisi ship can be an exciting new world for some.

Each cruise is led by professional, multilingual tour leaders who will escort guests in all activities both on land and at sea, answer any questions, provide in-depth daily briefings, and ultimately ensure the smooth running of every aspect of the cruise.

Life On Board

Life on board our ships is one of pure enjoyment, with good food, top-class service and fine company mixed with just the right balance of exploration and relaxation. Whilst on board, guests are immersed in a world of barefoot fun and adventure, with air-conditioned private en-suite cabins, indoor and outdoor social hubs and dining areas, sun decks, a wide selection of Indonesian, Western and Asian cuisine, a full bar, and highly attentive service from our crew, whose smiles and friendly personalities offer an even greater insight into the Indonesian way of life.

Food

Our galleys are staffed with talented individuals who pride themselves on being able to conjure up all manner of dishes and delicacies from across the world, using only the best quality meat, seafood and fresh produce available – with the latter often sourced from local markets and the fishermen we meet along the way. Vegetarian dishes and most special dietary requirements can be accommodated with minimal fuss. Our stewards are on hand all day to serve meals and make sure you have all you need; from cold towels and fresh juices to a full plate of food and an iced drink whenever you need it.

While all non-alcoholic drinks are inclusive, each boat has a full cash bar stocked with local and imported wines, imported spirits, and domestic beer, usually at local prices.

Accommodation

Our comfortable cabins are located below decks and offer all the necessary amenities, including double beds or twin bunks, private en-suite bathrooms, lots of natural light, individually controlled air-conditioning, ample storage space, and plenty of electrical and USB outlets.

Each boat also includes a salon, bar, sundeck and outdoor dining areas.

We Respect the Environment

We respect the environment in which we operate and are deeply committed to the integrity and preservation of the Indonesian Archipelago.

We show locals the value of protecting the species they have. For example, whale sharks are under constant threat due to the sky-high value of their fins, but thanks to our visits, local fishermen are paid a healthy fee for spotting the whale sharks and letting you in the water to be up close to them. As a result, the fishermen are very glad to protect these beautiful animals.

We also work with local NGOs on coral restoration projects in the area, and support centres like the Tasikoki Wildlife Rescue Centre which helps to rehabilitate animals back into the wild and put an end to animal trafficking.

We Support Local Communities

Our motto for these sailing adventures is “Seeing Indonesia through Indonesian eyes”. We hire locals and work with local communities to promote authentic cultural experiences and interactions between tourists and locals to foster mutual understanding and respect.

More than half of our tour guides are women. In Indonesia the workforce is extremely male-dominated, so this is a way for us to break down barriers and create a more inclusive workforce.

We partner with local NGOs working on community development projects. As well as make an effort to bring life-changing water filters, glasses, school books, and LED lights to the remote villages we visit. We buy from local fishermen, and vendors and always pay the locals when they treat us to a cultural performance.

We have created a series of three books which are available for sale on our boats. The money from each book sold is entirely invested back in creating new books to distribute to communities we visit. These are just some of the ways we work to offer a responsible and equitable sailing experience.

Fly to Mali Airport

Fly from Ende Airport

DAY 1

You will be collected from your hotel in Kupang and taken to the airport for the short flight to Alor, where you will be met and taken straight to the boat. After settling in and receiving a safety briefing and orientation, we will have lunch.

We will visit the very traditional village of Takpala, where we will be greeted by the head man and his warriors for a fascinating cultural performance. We will then travel by local boat out into the bay to look for the resident dugong named Mawar, who is looked after by a local man dedicated to Mawar’s well-being. Sightings are common, so hopefully we will be in luck.

Back on the boat we can relax and unwind, as we raise anchor head west to Pura Island, where we will spend a quiet night at anchor.

DAY 2

After breakfast, we will snorkel at a local reef called Clown Valley, home to many sea anemones and their resident guardian clownfish. It’s a fantastic spot to see a wide variety of marine life among the corals.

In the early afternoon, we will have a second snorkel at Buaya Island, a location with a beautiful wall drop-off and lots of fish.

We will then head to a local quiet bay to spend the night at anchor.

DAY 3

After breakfast, we will visit the old Muslim village of Uma Pura, which is renowned for their creation of ikat textiles using many local materials including sea sponges and natural plants for the dyeing of their textiles.

We will stroll around, meet the friendly local people witness the full production process, and have the chance to view many of their finished textiles.

In the afternoon we will go snorkeling on a local reef and during dinner, we will depart overnight to the uninhabited active volcanic island of Komba.

DAY 4

Waking up just off the active Komba Island, we will explore the (hopefully) belching volcano with our dinghies and then circumnavigate the island. We will then go for a snorkel on the island’s southern point. In the late morning, we will spend some time on a beautiful white-sandy shoal where we will get out the paddle boards and umbrellas and spend some time on the beach.

After lunch, we will go ashore and drive to a local village to see some prehistoric 500-year-old rock art and maybe get to try some of the locally brewed arak alcohol with the villagers.

We will snorkel again and then at dusk we will have cocktails on the back deck as we watch the sunset over the active Ile Apé volcano. After dark and if the mountain activity is strong, we will be able to see the lava erupting from the top against the night sky.

DAY 5

In the morning, we will explore the beautiful underwater reefs on the northeast of Adonara Island.

We will head to Solor Island as we have lunch, enjoying the beautiful views of the volcanos and islands as we head through the stunning inland passage between the islands. On Solor, we will visit the local village and the ruins of a 16th-century Portuguese fort that used to guard this vital waypoint of the ancient spice trade.

DAY 6

We wake up at anchor in Maumere Bay against the backdrop of an extinct volcano and enjoy a leisurely breakfast before the day’s activities begin.

We will take a short drive to the scenic Iwang Gete highlands to visit the small village of Watublapi, where we will be met with singing and dancing by the local people. Famed for their unique textiles, we will be shown first-hand their ancient techniques of spinning, dyeing, and weaving their famous fabrics. Here we will have the chance to view (and purchase) some of the local textiles, try their betel nut, and brave their locally produced liquor.

In the late afternoon, we will head off to the Riung conservation area.

DAY 7

Today we explore the beaches and the underwater world of the 17-island, Riung Conservation Area, home to many species of coral and abundant underwater life which we will snorkel through.

We will move between islands enjoying some great beach time along the way with the kayaks and paddle boards.

At around sunset, we will head east in the direction of the Komodo National Park.

DAY 8

Today we are in the Komodo National Park, and after breakfast, we will visit Hatamin Island for some snorkeling, where a local NGO is running a reef restoration program, and we will create our very own coral racks to place in the sea. The island is home to many fish and is a nursery ground for black-tipped reef sharks.

In the afternoon, we will look for manta rays and then visit the island of Gili Lawa Darat in the very north of the park. Here we can climb to the top of the island for majestic sweeping views of the park and all the surrounding islands. A spectacular drift snorkel in the narrow channel between the islands is not to be missed.

DAY 9

We enjoy an early breakfast and go ashore on Rinca Island for one of the main highlights of the trip – searching for the ancient and fearsome Komodo dragon. We will go for a ranger-led walk through the savannah and forest and will hopefully spot the dragons in the wild along with buffalo, deer, monkeys, and many different kinds of birds.

Cruising to the richly diverse reefs of Siaba Besar Island, we will snorkel with thousands of fish and sea turtles that congregate in the area.

At dusk, we will gather on the back deck at cocktail hour to witness a spectacular event: the evening departure of tens of thousands of fruit bats that fill the skies as they leave their forest homes to forage on the mainland.

DAY 10

After a leisurely breakfast, we will visit a nearby island for some beach time.

Later in the morning, we will head back to port, where we will say goodbye to the crew and your fellow shipmates. We will escort you to the airport where you will board a late morning flight to Ende in the centre of Flores, from where you will commence your overland trip the following day

DAY 11

After breakfast, you and your SeaTrek tour leader will visit a group of weavers in Ndona, an area famed for its natural dyeing process. You will meet the ‘Musalaki’, the lord of the land and be shown a wide array of their ikats as you take in the breathtaking views.

Tonight is spent at a hotel in Ende with dinner at a popular local restaurant.

DAY 12

Departing after an early breakfast, depart for Moni and visit Nggela village, a beautifully traditional village where we will meet with the weavers and see their beautiful yet very unique ikats.

Late morning, check in at the Kelimutu Ecolodge, have lunch, and relax. This will be followed by a trip to Waturajo village, a mixed Muslim & Christian village that produces a particularly rare motif in their ikat cloths.

DAY 13

Get ready for an early start to witness the stunning sunrise from the top of Kelimutu volcano and see the three-crater lakes changing colors throughout the day.

Driving back to Ende for lunch, stop on the blue pebble beach at Nanga Panda, and then head to Soa Hot Spring to unwind before driving to Bajawa for the night

DAY 14

Today we visit the ancient Ngada villages of Gurusina to learn about their traditions and see their ikat weaving process. We drive to Ruteng, stopping by Aimere village to see the local distillery where they produce ‘arak’, an alcoholic spirit brewed from rice or palm.

Before reaching Ruteng, enjoy the stunning view of Rana Mese Crater Lake and the waterfall. We will also visit the local market to see the colorful spices and vegetables and stay overnight.

DAY 15

We will start the day with a visit to the now legendary Liang Bua cave, where the remains of Homo floresiensis (the legendary ‘Hobbits”) were discovered in 2003, an extinct species of early humans that inhabited the island of Flores until the arrival of modern humans about 50,000 years ago.

As we continue on, we will see the spider web-shaped rice fields in Cancar village, then head to Todo village to meet the head of the village and learn about the history of the Manggarai people. Here, we will also see the Manggarai ikat weaving called Songket. After a stop for lunch in Lembor, it’s a short drive to Labuan Bajo where we will drop you at the airport for your flight back to Bali.

Everyone tends to dress very casually, so choose clothes that are comfortable for walking/trekking and suitable for wearing on the boat.

Clothing

The tropical climate means you can safely leave all of your warm weather gear at home. Bring cool cotton t-shirts and shorts. We cruise during the dry season in each of the regions that we visit but rain is always a possibility so bring a lightweight waterproof jacket. It can sometimes be a bit windy on the boat and this will also help keep you warm. Likewise, a lightweight fleece could be useful for pre-dawn trekking or if there is a cool wind on the boat – even if you don’t need it onboard, it will be useful for the plane.

We are respectful of the local cultures and customs – bring clothes that cover your shoulders and knees for village visits. Finally, you might want to bring at least one smart-casual outfit for sunset cocktails and evening meals on the boat.

Ladies: beach throw-overs, kaftans and sarongs are always useful; choose fabrics that dry easily. Also, bring a lightweight sundress or two – the boat offers a great setting for a photo shoot, live it up!

Sun Protection

You’ll be spending plenty of time out in the scorching tropical sun, so be sure to pack sunscreen with a high enough SPF to protect your skin from the sun’s damaging rays, which are stronger in the water, and some sun-protective clothing as well.

Cover-ups, sarongs, sun shirts, and other such clothing will ensure that you come back from your trip with just happy memories and photographs – and not sunburn. A good hat is essential; a wide-brimmed hat or cap will keep the strong equatorial sun off your face and neck. Sunglasses keep your eyes protected. A strap to hold your glasses can be a good idea for more active adventures. Just in case you fail to avoid getting sunburnt, bring an aloe-based lotion to soothe burned skin.

Footwear

Pack comfortable trainers, trekking sandals, sturdy walking shoes or hiking boots for hikes and walks. Bring socks to wear inside your walking shoes to avoid getting blisters. Many travellers appreciate the added stability of a walking stick or hiking pole; lightweight telescopic poles are easy to pack. You might also want waterproof sandals or reef shoes for wet landings and water activities. Flip-flops are great for the beach but it is standard practice to go barefoot on the boat.

Bags

A day backpack is essential on day hikes to carry things such as your water bottle, camera, binoculars, and rain jacket. We will provide you with a metal water bottle, which can be refilled as often as required. A waterproof wet/dry bag is a good idea for gadgets like your phone or camera.

Swimwear

Don’t forget your swimsuit/bikini/shorts/trunks/Speedos —and preferably more than just one swimsuit, so that one or two can be drying while you are wearing another. Luckily, swimsuits and/or swim trunks don’t take up too much space in your luggage. The water is warm but a rash guard (or a wetsuit) will protect you from the sun, abrasions and stings.

Skin and Hair Protection

Ladies, it’s important that you take good care of your skin and hair. The sun, seawater and salty air may be beautiful to experience but it can be tough on your body and will wreak havoc on your locks. Bring moisturising lotion to soothe skin parched by the sun and the saltwater; bring a leave-in conditioner to detangle your hair with ease because the water, mask, and hair ties will leave it in knots. Also consider bringing a scarf or headband to hold back unruly hair, or hair ties/pins to keep your hair off your face and therefore prevent water seeping into your mask.

Note: Your cabin is outfitted with towels, shampoo, conditioner and body wash.

Camera Equipment

If you are a photo enthusiast bring all of the camera and video equipment that you will use as you can expect exceptional opportunities for photography. If you prefer the ease of a point & shoot, bring that. If you want to take underwater photos you might want to invest in a waterproof camera or waterproof housing to capture photos of the incredible marine life.

It’s a good idea to bring a spare memory card; our cruises explore remote regions where memory cards cannot be purchased.

Electronics

The voltage on board is 220 volts. There are several electric sockets and USB charging ports in each cabin suitable for European-type plugs, but we do have a selection of adaptors for non-European-type plugs. Additional sockets are located in the saloon, where we have a dedicated area for the charging of electronic devices and cameras.

Miscellaneous Items

Snorkels, masks & fins in all sizes are provided onboard. If you are an avid snorkeller, you may prefer to bring your own mask & snorkel. If you’re new to snorkeling, you might want to consider purchasing a full-face snorkel mask to bring with you, it’s an easier option for beginners.

Even if you think that your stomach is rock-solid, a squall could turn up and make you feel sick. Sea-sickness tablets are provided on board but you may have a preferred brand, in which case bring your own.

You’ll find reference books and paperback novels on board. However, books of your choice or an e-reader will come in handy for down hours.

There is a comprehensive wilderness first aid kit on board but remember to bring any personal medications.

Essential items should be packed in your carry-on luggage. Medications, corrective lenses, spare underwear, cameras, and documents should not be checked in case your bag does not arrive with you.