D a y 1
- You will take an early morning flight from Bali to Labuan Bajo, the gateway to the Komodo National Park. Once on the ground, we will be met by your tour leaders an escorted to the boat.
- After settling in and receiving a safety briefing and orientation, we will head out to sea in the direction of Kalong Island for our first snorkel of the trip.
- 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.
D a y 2
- We enjoy an early breakfast and go ashore to Rinca Island for one of the main highlights of trip – searching for the ancient and fearsome Komodo dragon. We will go fora ranger-led walk through the savannah and will hopefully spot them in the wild along with buffalo, deer, monkeys and many different kinds of birds.
- We will then cruise to the richly diverse reefs of Siaba Besar Island, where we will snorkel with thousands of fish and sea turtles that congregate in the area.
D a y 3
- We will 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.
- After lunch we will go in search of manta rays and then visit Hatamin Island, where a local NGO is running a reef restoration programme, 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.
D a y 4
- Today we explore the beaches and the underwater world of the 17-island, Riung Conservation Area, home to many species of coral and lots of underwater life which we will snorkel through. We will move from between islands enjoying some great beach time along the way with the kayaks and paddle boards.
- We will visit a local village and meet some of the locals and see how they live their lives, and around sunset we will weigh anchor and head east in the direction of Maumere.
D a y 5
- 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 a 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 have a chance to take a dip on a nearby island before head off for an overnight cruise to Solor Island.
D a y 6
- On Solor, we will visit the local village and the ruins of a 16th-century Portuguese fort which used to guard this vital waypoint of the ancient spice trade. As we have lunch, we will sail through the Adonara channel enjoying the beautiful views of the volcanos and islands as we head through this a stunning inland passage between islands.
- We will go for a snorkel on the island’s southern point then we 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.
- We will then raise anchor and head north in the direction of the uninhabited, active volcanic island of Komba.
D a y 7
- 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.
- Later that afternoon we will snorkel and then at dusk we will have cocktails on the back deck as we see the sunset over the active Ile Apé. 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.
D a y 8
- We will start the day with a splendid snorkel on Buaya island, a location with a beautiful drop off and lots of fish.
- We will visit the Muslim village of Uma Pura, which well known for their creation of ikat textiles using many local materials including sea sponges for the dyeing of their textiles. We will stroll around, meet the friendly local people, and witness the full production process and have the chance to view many of their finished textiles.
D a y 9
- We will depart the boat and 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.
- After 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 spend a quiet night at anchor and have a celebratory dinner with the captain and crew and then have some live music and dancing with the ship’s band.
D a y 1 0
- On our final morning, we will wake up early and have a final breakfast before saying farewell to our crew and fellow shipmates and drive to the airport for our flights back to Bali.
