East Indies Seatrek
16 days Hotels/Schooner -A Voyage of Discovery
Life aboard the Schooner
A short flight takes us from Bali to Lombok where we board our elegant
two-masted Pinisi schooner for a romantic sea voyage through the beautiful
and untouched isles of Eastern Indonesia. Used for centuries as cargo-carriers
by the Bugis people of South Sulawesi, Pinisi are still hand-built by
native craftsmen from tropical hardwoods with traditional riggings,
although they now have engines and are adapted for comfortable modern
living. Our voyage of discovery follows the ancient trade routes between
the paradise islands of the Archipelago.
Volcanoes, Hikes and Beaches
The turbulent geological history of the islands becomes apparent at
Sangean, an active volcano towering 2000 meters above the surrounding
waters, whilst at Mount Kelimutu we'll discover three mysteriously coloured
crater lakes. On Bima we'll hike through the Donggo villages, on Riung
we hope to spot wild boar and horses, monkeys and numerous colourful
bird species. Surrounded by warm azure seas the islands play host to
thousands of beaches; we'll chose a few during our sojourn for a spot
of beachcombing, pure relaxation or even the odd barbeque!
Komodo Dragons and Flying Foxes
On the tiny and desolate island of Komodo we'll mount a "Dragon
hunt" to catch a glimpse of these magnificent 3 metre, 135 kilo
lizards. Renowned for both their swimming and running prowess (as fast
as a small dog!), they are only found on just a few small islands in
the archipelago. On Satonda, near the vast lake that dominates the island's
centre, we'll make a trip to the mangrove forests to search for flying
foxes. Finally, we lunch with a local family in the Gili isles before
sailing back to Lombok and on to Bali.
Dates and Prices:
02 March 08 - 17 March 08 : £2,094
16 March 08 - 31 March 08 : £2,094
30 March 08 - 14 April 08 : £2,094
13 April 08 - 28 April 08 : £2,094
27 April 08 - 12 May 08 : £2,094
11 May 08 - 26 May 08 : £2,094
25 May 08 - 09 June 08 : £2,094
08 June 08 - 23 June 08 : £2,094
22 June 08 - 07 July 08 : £2,136
06 July 08 - 21 July 08 : £2,344
20 July 08 - 04 Aug 08 : £2,344
03 Aug 08 - 18 Aug 08 : £2,344
17 Aug 08 - 01 Sept 08 : £2,344
31 Aug 08 - 15 Sept 08 : £2,194
14 Sept 08 - 29 Sept 08 : £2,136
21 Dec 08 - 05 Jan 09 : £2,245
BEYOND BALI BY BOAT
A relaxing boat trip through superb tropical scenery and varied cultures
with a visit to the famous Komodo dragons
Our trip commences in Bali, a tropical paradise that needs no introduction.
Eschewing the more popular areas, we hike through beautiful ricefields
and visit the Batur volcano caldera. The Lesser Sunda Islands beyond
Bali are still an untouched string of bright green jewels in a deep
blue sea. Each island is different - Lombok, dominated by the huge bulk
of Mt Rinjani, Sumbawa, with its predominantly Muslim culture, and tiny
Komodo, home to the Komodo dragon, the largest monitor lizard in the
world. Flores, a patchwork of different cultures set in stunning scenery,
is possibly the most fascinating of all and the starting point of our
boat trip. If you enjoy travel by boat through uninhabited and remote
areas of enormous natural beauty then this is the trip for you.