Our Trips » Indonesia
Indonesia
THE ULTIMATE IN DIVERSITY
Blessed with 17,000 islands, stunning volcanic geography, fascinating cultures, natural diversity above and below water, and more than its fair share of remote and unexplored lands, there is no yacht charter destination in the world that can compare with Indonesia.
Bali & Lombok
Most flights into Indonesia will arrive in Bali, an internationally served holiday island, and gateway to travelers in the vast archipelago of Indonesia. Bali, regularly voted the world’s best island by Travel & Leisure magazine is a convenient port of embarkation for your yacht charter vacation.
Starting from Bali you can sail across the imaginary Wallace line to the Komodo National Park and beyond, where the flora and fauna of subtropical Asia make a sudden and dramatic change into those typical of Australasia. Here a fantastic diversity of activities await the adventurous: climbing mountains, peering into volcanoes, trekking up to beautiful waterfalls, visiting rural villages, enjoying world-class surfing or scuba diving, exploring pristine beaches, or simply relaxing aboard the yacht while anchored in idyllic bays.
Indonesia’s cultural diversity is as varied as its natural diversity. Bali itself is a Hindu island with 1000’s of temples, and offers luscious green landscapes, terraced fields of Padi, and mountainous retreats that serve as a relaxing alternative to the buzzing parties found in and around Kuta, Legian & Seminyak.
The neighbouring island of Lombok, on the other hand, is a muslim island with 1000's of mosques and where shades of green turn to shades of brown and vast landscapes open up.
Komodo National Park
Further east again, the UNESCO World Heritage island Komodo is home to giant, carnivorous lizards known as the “Komodo Dragon”, as well as buffalo, and deer. From the park headquarters guides can lead you along the many hiking trails to safely spot the komodo dragon and also wild horses, water buffalo, wild boar and monkeys, set in a spectacular scenery of rolling savannah and emerald coves. The protected waters surrounding the island offer world class diving.
Moluccas and Banda
Located several days sail to the northeast of Bali, the Moluccas and Banda islands were once highly prized spiceries (especially for nutmeg), fought over by the Dutch, English and Portugese in the 16th & 17th Centuries. It is no exaggeration to say that the Great Age of Exploration was launched simply to search for these spices, as at one time nutmeg was so valuable in London’s markets that it was worth its weight in gold. For a fascinating historical account of the battle for the Banda islands read Nathaniels Nutmeg by Giles Milton.
Today the Banda Sea is a highly prized scuba diving destination, but only handful of yachts operate private charters in what is now considered one of the most varied tropical diving destinations in the world. In the Banda Sea one can find large pelagics, WWII wrecks, macro life, caves, sea mounts, and reefs that compare with the best in the world.
A Raja Laut yacht charter in Banda must be planned well in advance. For more details please Contact Us.
Raja Ampat & Irian Jaya
Further north still, Raja Ampat is a new yacht charter frontier. The Raja Ampat islands, much of which are still unexplored, offer the highest recorded marine diversity of anywhere in the entire world with over 1070 fish species, 537 coral species, and 699 mollusc species.
Clear water mangroves and extraordinary underwater landscapes make much of the Raja Ampat unique, whilst the area still holds every other type of tropical diving. Some sites boast enormous schools of fish and regular sightings of rare sharks species such as wobbegongs. Suffice to say the variety of marine life is staggering and dozens of new species being discovered each year. For the keen scuba diver, Raja Ampat has it all.
In nearby Irian Jaya (West Papua) a whole new experience awaits. Here the dense, mountainous forests are inhabited by some 300 ethnic Papuan tribes once infamous for head hunting and cannabalism. Today you can visit the Azmats quite safely and watch their fascinating ceremonies and cultures
A Raja Laut yacht charter in Raja Ampat & Irian Jaya must be planned well in advance. For more details please Contact Us.
SCUBA DIVING IN INDONESIA
Komodo, the Banda Islands and Raja Ampat, off West Papau (formerly Irian Jaya) hold the highest marine diversity in the world. The reefs here are extremely healthy, having been largely exempt from the destructive practices that have devastated so many of the world’s reefs. However, these beautiful ecosystems are just the tip of the iceberg in an area that could arguably be described as the best diving in the world.
Komodo – Holds an incredible variety of coral reef diving, from calm shallow reefs to sea mounts with ripping currents. As well as being able to find all your mega fauna, manta rays, a large variety of sharks, sun fish and dolphins Komodo is also a Macro photographers paradise. Komodo is a regular Raja Laut yacht charter and diving destination.
The Banda Islands – Until recently the little known Banda Islands were not easily accessible to the average diver. Now a few boats operate in one of the most varied tropical diving destinations. WWII wrecks, macro life that makes Lembeh look only OK, caves, reefs that compare with the best in the world, and sea mounts that have so much life sometimes you loose sight of sunlight. And all on one liveaboard expedition, truly amazing diving! Make sure you book well in advance for a yacht charter and diving holiday in Banda.
The Raja Ampat – Slightly less accessible than the Banda but no less famous the Raja Ampat is THE frontier of world diving. This large area, much of which is still unexplored, offers the highest recorded diversity of anywhere in the entire world, for fish coral and invertebrates. Clear water mangroves and extraordinary underwater landscapes make much of the Raja Ampat unique, whilst the area still holds every other type of tropical diving - Raja Ampat has it all! Make sure you book well in advance for a yacht charter and diving holiday in the Raja Ampat.
Between March and October Raja Laut is available for scuba diving charters in Indonesia, she can accommodate 8-10 divers.
For more information on particular destinations in Indonesia please visit our maps page.
BALI DAY & SUNSET CRUISES
Bali Day Cruise
Departing at 9am this day charter sets sail for the peaceful Lembongan Bay. En route guests can fish, relax with a drink or help Raja Laut’s crew to raise our sails by traditional methods rarely used today. Before lunch guests are free to explore the beaches and coral reefs. On board we have 2 kayaks, water skis and a wakeboard as well as a small banana boat for the children. A buffet lunch is served onboard, or indulge in a BBQ on a beautiful private beach. After a buffet lunch served on board guests can enjoy a drink whilst sun bathing on our sundeck, swim and test your bravery by diving from many of the diving spots on our boat, or explore the bay. As we up our anchor relax with a drink before returning before sunset.
Day Cruise Additional Options:
* Air-conditioned hotel transfers
* Welcome cocktail and floral lei
* Live Musical Entertainment
Bali Sunset Cruise
There are few better ways to spend an evening in a tropical paradise than aboard Raja Laut. As we depart at 5.30pm a sumptuous buffet and drinks awaits. As the sun goes down take in the beauty of the harbour, the refreshing night air and relax and enjoy the sunset and scenery into the evening before returning at 9.30pm.
Sunset Cruise Additional Options:
* Air-conditioned hotel transfers
* Welcome cocktail and floral lei
* Live Musical Entertainment