Join the 10-day expedition on the Ombak Putih to visit tropical islands encircled by imposing volcanoes and sandy coasts. Experience the cultural performance at Watublapi Village and sail past breathtaking volcanic islands, with occasional stops for snorkeling to admire the vibrant local reefs. Explore Riung Island and witness thousands of fruit bats departing from their tree roosts to graze on the mainland.
Highlights
Embark on a cruise to witness the grandeur of Ile Api volcano
Explore Rinca Island and come face to face with Komodo Dragons during your trek
Explore Komodo Island on a ranger-led walk through
Discover Riung Island, which hosts an enormous community of fruit bats
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
You will take an early morning flight and arrive in Labuan Bajo. After settling, you will go ashore to see the traditional ‘caci’ whip dance, a test of daring and skill amongst the local people here. Back on the boat, you will head out into the National Park to Kalong Island for our first snorkel of the trip. At dusk you will gather on the back deck at cocktail hour to see the sunset and witness the evening departure of tens of thousands of fruit bats as they leave their forest homes to forage on the mainland.
You'll enjoy an early breakfast and go ashore to Rinca Island, home of the Komodo Dragon. You will have a choice of ranger-led walks of varying lengths to see the wildlife and exotic landscape. Cruise to the richly diverse reefs of Siaba Besar Island, where you will snorkel with thousands of fish and the many sea turtles that congregate in the area. After lunch, spend a leisurely afternoon at a beach swimming, snorkelling, paddle boarding and kayaking. Move to the main bay of Komodo Island and spend the night at anchor.
Day 3: Komodo Island | Manta Point | Gili Lawa Darat
Go ashore onto Komodo island for an early morning, ranger-led walk through the dry, rugged landscape of the island encountering wildlife along the way. After lunch, you will go in search of manta rays to snorkel with these mighty creatures. Have your day’s second snorkel in the north of the park, with the chance to watch the sunset from a hilltop vantage point, before heading off on your long overnight cruise to the east to the Riung Conservation Area.
Today you explore the beaches and the underwater world of the 17-Island, Riung Conservation Area, home to myriad species of land animals and rich coral reefs, as the Ombak Putih moves from island to island throughout the day. Enjoy swimming, paddle boarding, kayaking, snorkelling and relaxation. At around sunset, you will head east in the direction of Maumere.
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. Take a short drive to the scenic Iwang Gete highlands to visit a small village of Watublapi, where you will be met with singing and dancing by the local people. Famed for their unique textiles, you will be shown first hand their ancient techniques of spinning, dyeing and weaving of their famous fabrics. Here you 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, you will head off to Serbete Atoll.
Enjoy breakfast as you continue cruising towards Serbete atoll, where you will don your snorkels and masks and enjoy the beautiful underwater scenery. You will cruise to Adonara island to enjoy beautiful view of Ile Api and great snorkeling. Spend a quiet night at anchor before heading to Lembata in the early morning.
After breakfast, you will go snorkeling at the Lamawolo drop-off, a spectacular underwater spot. You will go ashore and drive Atawatung village to see some prehistoric rock art. Later that afternoon, you will cruise to a nearby bay that sits in the shadow of the active and smoking Ile Api volcano. After dinner, the boat will head east in the direction of Alor.
After breakfast, you will snorkel at Clown Valley, home to many sea anemones and their resident guardian clown fish. In the early afternoon, you will have a second snorkel at Buaya Island, a location with a beautiful drop off and lots of fish. You will then head to a local quiet bay to spend the night at anchor.
After breakfast, you will an ancient Muslim village of Uma Pura, where you will stroll around, meet the people and see their way of life. The village is well known for using sea sponges for the dying of their textile, and you will get a chance to see the process in action. After this, you will head to a local reef and go snorkeling. Later, you will depart to Kalabahi in Alor and go ashore for a visit to Takpala village and the Museum of Alor.
Day 10: Kalabahi | Disembark
1 Breakfast
You'll wake in a beautiful bay on the island of Alor where you will breakfast before saying goodbye to all crew and head back to Bali.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
$5,850
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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.
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
TrustScore 4.8 | 174 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 174 reviews on
1 day ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
