, 55 m
Earlier this year in June, I went to probably the most beautiful place on Earth! It was underwater, in the Komodo islands, Indonesia. This is a unique cruising destination I have had on my ‘must see’ list for a while and it exceeded my wildest dreams. It’s an ideal place for spending some good quality time with your family and friends – it’s a remote location where the spectacle and entertainment is nature. This is not a destination for city loving, party goers. The Komodo islands are all about getting in touch with nature.
We, a small group of brokers (whom I consider friends as well as colleagues), spent a week on a traditionally built Indonesian Phinisi yacht, the most iconic local old trading vessel. These Phinisi yachts are wooden vessels originally built to sail the historic spice routes. It reminded me of the gulets that we see in Croatia and Turkey, but a slightly different style – the midship area offers a beautifully set outdoor dining space, the flybridge is large and set as a lounging / entertainment area and the front is high and beautify curved, making a perfect lookout while sailing.
SAMSARA SAMUDRA was our Phinisi for a few days and we loved every minute of it. It had a lovely homely feel to it and had been authentically styled with traditional decorations and locally sourced art work and materials. She was beautiful. The crew of nine welcomed us from the first moment we met with their ritual greeting that soon became ours too. They made sure that we understood the local area and how best to experience it. They were very attentive, warm and friendly.
HANIEFAN is the cruise director and a dive instructor. He created our itinerary and went through it with us daily. His perfect English, excellent local knowledge and a background in tourism and events, allowed him to be a perfect host to us.
ERAS, also a dive instructor, was his right hand. His knowledge of the sea and his devotion to ecology was both impressive and heartwarming. Always with a smile, Eras made us all feel safe and curious.
Haniefan and Eras were our snorkelling / diving expert guides and tour guides on land.
CHEF BRIDA was a great artist. Taking into consideration our preferences, he prepared a great variety of meals for the week – starting with some beautiful Indonesian classics such as soy-glazed pork and cap cay vegetables to a variety of Western meals. His puddings were delicious too! But our favourite was the BBQ on the beach, under the stars.
ARBI, GEDA & HELMI were the interior crew who looked after us on board, anticipating our every need and often well before we thought of it ourselves!
The whole crew made sure we were comfortable at all times and really made us feel at home.
Our trip was early June, which is the beginning of the season in the Komodo Islands.
We flew to Labuan Bajo and were met there with Haniefan and Eras. We travelled by car to the port where we were met by the yacht’s tender for a short ride to the yacht. The whole team was there to greet us. Freshly made exotic drink, hand towels, smiles of warm welcome all around.
We sailed out to the Bats Island / Pulau Kalong and watched the daily migration of hundreds of flying foxes at sunset. It was a spectacle like I have never seen in my life. They flew right above us, their wings span over a meter. This set the scene for a marvellous few days filled with jaw dropping experiences.
In the following days, we dived and snorkelled every day, at least once. This is really what the Komodo Islands are about. It is a peaceful area, with a barren and beautiful landscape, incredible sandy beaches and turquoise colours. Some days we didn’t come across a human being apart from ourselves. But underneath the sea, it is bustling with colours and life. There are hundreds of different corals, entangled, creating the most beautiful art. Fish come in all sizes, shapes and colours. They fly around you, curious and confident. One feels welcome in their home and respectful of all that is there to see. We were in awe of its breathtaking beauty.
We sailed to Siaba Besar for Scuba Diving. We also scuba-dived and snorkelled in Batu Bolong & Siaba Kecil. The first dive revealed the incredibly vibrant life beneath Komodo’s surface—reef sharks, turtles, barracudas, and colourful fish among dramatic coral formations of all shapes and colours – it was like the most beautiful exhibition below the sea. Between dives, we were greeted with fresh mango juice, towels, and smiles. The day ended with a sunset on the beach, surrounded by curious monkeys and a dinner of creamy soup, perfectly grilled beef, and a chocolate lava cake.
Haniefan and Eras created daily maps for both divers and snorkellers. Both groups had so much to do and see.
We sailed to Manta Alley where Manta fish gather and feed. The sea was a little bit rough, but this didn’t prevent the divers from getting a spectacular view of big manta rays. The snorkellers were lucky, too, to see a manta ray and a small shark.
After breakfast, we change the location for another spectacular dive, followed by a stop at the most beautiful sandy beach to enjoy rich turquoise colours and some beach combing.
In the afternoon, we sailed to Padar island (Secret Garden) and went for a beautiful hike to the most spectacular View Point and sunset! I would recommend this to everyone visiting the Komodo islands, it is one of the highlights.
Drift diving and snorkelling was another big excitement of this trip. Golden Passage, between Komodo and Gili Lawa Darat was one such dive. We glided past rocky terraces and colourful corals, each of a different shape. The current carried us effortlessly through flocks of fish and turtles.
Back onboard, we were welcomed with chicken samosas and sweet chili sauce for lunch.
This day was particularly exciting for all of us, as we visited the island of Rinca (Loh Buaya) in the hope of meeting some Komodo dragons. We were in for a real surprise, up close and personal!
In the afternoon, we headed to Shot Gun a fast-moving channel dive known for its intensity. We spotted grey reef sharks, trumpetfish, and a spectacular array of butterfly and pennant coral fish. For me, this was one of the most beautiful snorkelling and diving spots in the area. In places, the currents are strong, but Haniefan knew exactly where we should be and at what time to either float with the current or to exploit the period between the change of currents. He had such an impressive, detailed knowledge of the area that meant we always felt we were in safe hands and got the most from the experience.
Sailing to Crystal Rock for Scuba Diving and to Light House for snorkelling. Then onto Gili Banta (Roller Coaster) for scuba diving and snorkelling. This was an action pack dive and we saw schools of trevallies, batfish, fusiliers, and even the elusive whitetip reef shark.
In the afternoon, the divers took off for Gili Banta ( K2 ) for scuba diving. The non-divers took the opportunity to relax and enjoy themselves on board. This was the perfect time for a massage on board. Once we had everyone back, it was time for wakeboarding for some and those more daring, jumped off the bow!
Snacks and sunset led into a sophisticated dinner: tuna ceviche with young papaya salad, grilled fish with quinoa, sautéed green beans, and a delicious tiramisu.
On the last day, we were in for several surprises – in the morning, we snorkelled and dived at the Sanggeang Volcano (Bubble Rock). It was incredible to see dark sand and bubbles of air coming out of it. The sea was warmer. And around one of the large coral reefs, we met some incredible families of fish. They all seem to live together happily, mingling amongst each other in a beautiful sea dance. We felt welcome in their world.
In the afternoon, the crew took us to Pink Beach North Sape, where they had set up a beautiful scene with cushions, parasols, music, and a bar for preparing sunset cocktails. Just as we were revelling in our incredible day, we were asked to get ready for a dinner out—up until that moment, all our meals had been on board.
We changed into our evening clothes and boarded the tender that took us back to the far end of Pink Beach. There, in a well-protected corner of the sandy shore, the crew had created the most beautiful setting for a BBQ dinner under the stars. The table was fully set with candlelight, string lights framed the area, a bottle of bubbly chilled in the cooler, and the BBQ lights were on—signalling the start of a real feast. Later, we all gathered around the beach bonfire, appreciating how lucky we were to be there and to experience this very special part of the world: Indonesia.
With the sails up, we arrived back to Labuan Bajo for disembarkation. Leaving the boat was hard. We realised how brilliantly we had been looked after, and in such an easy and stress-free way. Samsara Samudra offered us an unforgettable experience and the crew delivered.
With over 17,000 islands spread across the largest archipelago on earth, Indonesia is blessed with spectacular, remote destinations. Exploring them by yacht makes for a truly out-of-the-ordinary trip. A yacht charter is an independent way to travel without compromising on service or luxury. And the best boats provide a privacy that’s hard to replicate elsewhere.
With so many places to discover, Indonesia is a destination to explore like no other—its beauty has to be seen to be believed. We work with an extraordinary team of local experts and guides and with some of the best yachts in the area. Each yacht is categorised based on the quality of its accommodation, service and attention to detail.
Indonesia is a year-round cruising destination. The yachts are all based around two main areas, Komodo and Raja Ampat. However, there are other cruising regions between these two that are amazing to visit during the shoulder season when the winds change.
Raja Ampat – November to April
West Papua – November to April
Bali – May to October
Komodo – May to October
Spice Islands and Alor archipelago – October to November or March to April
Charters can range in length, from 7 days to a few weeks. We recommend at least a 10 night charter as this allows guests to access the slightly more remote regions as well.
Some examples of possible itineraries:
Raja Ampat Itinerary – 7 nights
Raja Ampat Itinerary – 11 nights
All the yachts we offer run on an all-inclusive rate meaning the yacht takes care of everything: all your meals, snacks, non-alcoholic drinks, use of water sports equipment, all excursions, National Park fees, local airport transfers, fuel and diving for certified divers.
Things not included in the rate are: alcohol, scuba diving courses, personal travel insurance (this is mandatory), VAT of 11% and the crew gratuity (industry standard is around 5%-10% of the charter rate). Alcohol is expensive in this part of the world; however, the guests can bring their own alcohol on board and we recommend purchasing some at duty free too.
We have a small selection of these yachts on display on our website, however there are more in the fleet.
Mostly, this kind of trip is booked a year or so ahead. Some of our favourite Phinisi yachts (each name is a link to the boat):
Yacht SAMSARA SAMUDRA – 6 cabins
There are more yachts out there and they vary in size, number of cabins and price.
For more information, contact me any time.
