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Cruising Adventures!

Dances, Dragons and Magical Lakes

Example 8 Day Cruise aboard Ombak Putih
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Immerse yourself in the Komodo National Park and Indonesia’s Lesser Sunda Islands from an intimate perspective, cruising through a panorama of islands and encountering new wonders on a daily basis. This adventurous, 8-day inclusive voyage of discovery aboard the 24-passenger Ombak Putih offers a cross-section of remote beaches, quiet coastal villages, jungle-clad mountain ranges, towering volcanoes, rivers, waterfalls, tribal rituals, a mysterious lake, and the legendary Komodo dragons. As always, there is ample opportunity to snorkel and view the kaleidoscopic beauty of the underwater world. Unlimited use of the stand-up paddleboards and sea kayaks onboard add yet another dimension to your nature explorations.
Dances, Dragons, & Magical Lakes cruiseDances, Dragons, & Magical Lakes cruiseCruising Adventures! Komodo Dragon trekCruising Adventures!
Highlights
  • Discover North Lombok's authentic beauty and landscapes
  • Visit Labuan Aji village and then walk to Diwu Mba’i waterfall at Moyo
  • Trek through Loh Liang park searching for the unique Komodo dragons
  • Enjoy the rhythm of traditional instruments & a local performance in Melo
Places Visited
  • Asia
  • Bali
  • Indonesia
  • Komodo Island
  • Lombok
  • Melo Village
  • Moyo Island
  • North Lombok
  • Pulau Sangeang
  • Rinca Island
Activity Level: Relaxed
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
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Full Itinerary

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Day 1: Bali

Arrive at your leisure in the afternoon at the resort in the delightful and quiet East Bali coastal village of Amed, where you can relax and unwind with a swim or a snorkel or even a walk in the surrounding rice fields. In the evening enjoy sunset drinks on the beach before dinner with your fellow guests to get better acquainted for the voyage ahead.

Day 2: Lombok Strait | Embark

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Wake in the morning at the resort, have a leisurely breakfast and maybe an early morning swim or snorkel before being transported the short distance to the boat, which can be waiting at anchor in the bay. After you board the vessel have a chance to settle in before the captain gives the orders for the anchor to be lifted prior to crossing the Lombok Strait. This deep trench of water between Bali and Lombok marks part of a very important ecological boundary, which was first described by Sir Alfred Russel Wallace, the British naturalist. Wallace noticed that the flora and fauna of the islands to the west are home to Asiatic animal and plant species, whereas the islands to the east of the invisible ‘Wallace Line’ have a greater similarity to species found in Australia. In the afternoon make your first stop at one of the three Gili Islands, a popular holiday destination just off Lombok’s northwest coast. Spend a few hours here, during which time you can choose from a number of water activities: swimming, snorkeling, paddle boarding, kayaking, or simply enjoying the beautiful white-sand beach.

Day 3: North Lombok

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Moored off the coast of North Lombok, enjoy a hearty breakfast before going ashore and boarding a private bus for a trip into the interior of the northern side of the island and the traditional village of Senaru. Here be taken on a tour by one of the local women-guides of the simple thatched houses and gardens of fruits and spices, which gives an insight into the culture of the indigenous Sasak people. Your mellow adventure then leads you down a well-trodden flight of steps through the tropical forest to Sindang Gila, a roaring 40-meter tiered waterfall. The small gravel beach and flat rocks at the base of the falls are a meeting place for the local people, and if you want you can take a dip under the full force of the intense flow. Your walk continues alongside an old irrigation canal offering panoramic vistas of rice fields stretching towards the sea. The area around Senaru and Bayan was the birthplace of Lombok’s unique Wektu Telu belief system in which ancient animist practices are combined with Islam. If you have time, visit Bayan Beleq, a grass-roofed mosque with woven bamboo walls. Said to have been founded in the 16th century, this is the oldest mosque in Lombok. Also see some weavers and spinners demonstrating their age-old skills. After re-embarkation, explore one of the coral reefs near Gili Sulat, which is a marine conservation area.

Day 4: Moyo

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
This morning moor off Labuan Aji village on the island of Moyo, visit the village, and then walk to Diwu Mba’i waterfall, where you can swing on a rope and jump into the deep clear river pool below, or simply bathe in the refreshing cool water. Next stop is Satonda, a strange and mystical volcanic island with a sunken crater lake in its center that was filled with saltwater when the nearby Mt. Tambora erupted in 1815, causing a tsunami that flowed into the crater. The eruption was the biggest volcanic explosion in the collective memory of mankind; it had roughly four times the energy of the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa, and gave rise to the ‘year without a summer’ because of the effect on North American and European weather. Local people believe Satonda to be magical, and with this in mind, walk to the lip of the caldera to view the mysterious lake, alongside which are trees believed to be ‘wishing trees.’ Visitors to the island tie a small stone to a tree and make a wish. If your wish comes true, you are bound to return to the island to offer thanks. The seas surrounding the island are rich with soft and hard corals and colorful tropical fish, so you can spend the afternoon swimming and snorkeling. Another highlight of your visit to Satonda is the sight of thousands of flying foxes that commute at dusk from the island to feed on the mainland, returning before first light the next day. Immediately after sunset, leave for an overnight passage on a course due east.

Day 5: Pulau Sangean

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Wake up off the coast of Pulau Sangean, an active volcano that towers 1,800 meters above sea level. After breakfast, go ashore to a small village, which, because of the active nature of the volcano, is only inhabited for short periods during the year when the local people come to tend their crops and small herds of buffaloes, which you can see swimming in the sea. Then snorkel on both a nearby reef and a location on the north of the island where volcanic gasses escape in the form of bubbles from the sea floor among the corals, a most interesting sight. Then proceed to the island of Banta and its pure white-sand beach for an afternoon of swimming, snorkeling and hill climbing for the fit. Later that evening proceed on to Komodo.

Day 6: Komodo Island

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Wake up off the famous Komodo Island, one of approximately 80 islands that make up Komodo National Park. Go ashore at the ranger station in Loh Liang for an early morning ranger-led trek through the park searching for Komodo dragons. In this savannah-like setting of dry, rugged landscape, encounter, at a safe distance, these awe-inspiring, giant lizards – Indonesia’s living dinosaurs. Spot deer, wild boar, sulphur-crested cockatoos, butterflies, rare orchids, and jungle chickens among the strangle-fig trees and the distinctive lontar palms. After returning onboard cruise around the coast and visit Komodo village, where you can buy some local handicrafts. Later head to the gorgeous Pantai Merah ‘red-beach,’ which takes its name from the particles of red coral mingled with the sand. Here swim and snorkel over one of the richest reefs in Eastern Indonesia, relishing the unforgettable spectacle of the region’s many varieties of coral and marine life.

Day 7: Rinca

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Today visit the ranger station of Loh Buaya on Rinca Island where you have another ranger-led nature trek in search of more Komodo dragons, which are indigenous to this small group of islands. Rinca is also well known for its diverse wildlife, so you may spot monkeys, wild buffaloes, and deer as well. From the top of the hills, the scenery is breathtaking. In the afternoon you can go snorkeling. With over 1000 species of fish in the waters of the national park, there is much more to this wildlife reserve than just dragons. In the evening go ashore to an island where you can enjoy a quintessential SeaTrek experience and a highlight for many guests. With your feet in the sand and the stars rising in the vast Indonesian sky, the crew builds a bonfire and prepares a beach barbecue as a final celebration of your memorable voyage.

Day 8: Melo | Disembark | Bali, Indonesia

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch
Wake up off the white sand beaches of Bidadari Island, have breakfast, and then head off for a very short cruise to Labuan Bajo. At about 9am leave the boat for a trip to the village of Melo. Here, local ‘strongmen’ perform the ‘Caci,’ a ritual whip-fight between two rivals in which the players, each armed with a rattan shield and a whip, try to hit each other while dancing to the rhythm of traditional acoustic instruments. The men of Western Flores are famous for this test of daring and skill, requiring lightning quick moves to dodge the infliction of a wound. The winner is loudly applauded and cheered by the village. Besides this, the cultural group showcases other traditional dances. After the performance, have lunch on the boat before transferring to the airport for your flight back to Bali.

Ship/Hotel

Ombak Putih

Interior of the ship
Interior

Bali - Hotels

Dates & Prices

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Per person starting at
$3,280
Cabin, Ombak Putih
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Cabin Deck
Cabin Deck. Spacious, air-conditioned twin-share cabins with twin bunks or double beds and private bathroom with toilet and hot shower.

Notes

- All rates are quoted in USD and represent cost per person, based on double occupancy.
- Cabins are available for single occupancy at 1.75 times the published rate.
Included
  • 7 Breakfasts, 7 Lunches, 7 Dinners
  • 7 Nights Accommodations
  • Accommodations as listed
  • Ground transportation as listed
  • Activities as listed
  • Meals as listed
  • Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
  • First aid kit containing all major medicines.
  • Use of sleeping bags for sleeping on deck.
  • Complimentary cotton backpack, luggage tag, fan, and stainless steel water bottle, which guests are encouraged to take home and keep.
  • Two pieces of laundry each day.
  • Beach BBQ with complimentary wine, beer, and selected cocktails
  • English-speaking SeaTrek tour leaders
  • Full board including all meals and soft drinks, tea, coffee, snacks. Starting and ending with lunch on first and last days.
  • All port fees
  • Welcome drink and cold towel upon boarding the boat on the first day and each time guests return from all off-boat excursions
  • Daily room cleaning
  • Towels and linens
  • Sunscreen lotion but do bring your own
  • Soaps, shampoo and conditioner
  • Selected wines with special farewell dinner
  • Use of on-board TV and multimedia facilities
  • Library of books, kids’ games and TV documentaries
  • Unlimited use of espresso machine
  • All park fees, cultural performances, local guides, and off-boat activities
  • Use of all facilities on board, including snorkeling gear, paddle boards, kayaks, board games
  • All transfers to and from the boats in ports
Excluded
  • Gratuities
  • Travel Insurance
  • Personal Expenses
  • Additional excursions during free time
  • Domestic Flights
  • Alcoholic drinks outside of special dinners and beach BBQ.
  • Fuel Surcharge - to be invoiced separately
  • Transit hotels

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Our guide and driver were very good with their knowledge and were very helpful with our questions. It was a very pleasant visit that would have been impossible to do on our own. Hotels and restaurants were fantastic. The special places we got to go to, like the kitchens, were great. Enjoyed the entire trip!
Meyer Smolen
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