DAY 1
ARRIVAL BALI
After quick breakfast in the morning, we will visit Amed in Karangasem — an exotic royal Balinese kingdom of forests adorned with mighty mountains, mystical water palaces, and pretty beaches. Then, stop by at Tenganan Village, an ethical place with local ‘Bali Aga’ culture. There you can see ceremonies and rules of ancient Bali along with its unique architecture. Afterward, we are going to the royal water palace, Tirta Gangga where you could get into a spine-tingling fabled maze and enjoy its lush garden with tiered pagoda fountains. Later on, your trip will end up in a charming beachside hotel with traditional architecture that ready to serve you with warm Balinese hospitality. Unwind yourself with a breathtaking view of Bali including the magnificent scenery of the mighty volcano, Gunung Agung. You may want to swim in a clear and calm pool or walk to the surrounding village and hillsides. In the evening, there will be sunset drinks in the seaside bar and Balinese-style welcome dinner. Meals Included : breakfast, lunch & dinner
DAY 2
BALI - GILI ISLANDS
Wake up at the resort and have a leisurely breakfast. You may even swim or snorkel before heading by a boat to Lombok Strait — a deep trench of water between Bali and Lombok which is a mark of a very significant ecological boundary called the Wallace Line. In the afternoon, we will make our first stop at one of the three Gili Islands, a popular holiday destination just off Lombok’s northwest coast. We will 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. Meals Included : breakfast, lunch & dinner
HARI 3
GILI ISLANDS - LOMBOK
On Moored off the coast of North Lombok, we will enjoy a hearty breakfast before boarding a private bus for a trip to the traditional village of Senaru. Here, we will be taken on a tour which will give us an insight into the culture of the indigenous Sasak people. Our adventure then continues to a well-trodden flight of step through tropical forest to Sindang Gila where you can take a dip under the full force of the intense flow of a roaring 40-meter tiered waterfall. Next, we are going to visit Senaru and Bayan through an old irrigation canal that offers panoramic vistas of rice fields. If we have time, we will come to Bayan Beleq, the oldest mosque in Lombok established in the 16th century. Also, see how some weavers and spinners demonstrating their age-old skills. After getting back to the boat and having lunch, we will explore one of the coral reefs near Gili Sulat, which is a marine conservation area. Meals Included : breakfast, lunch & dinner
DAY 4
LOMBOK - SUMBAWA
This morning we will 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. Our next stop will be the magical 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. Local people believe Satonda to be magical, and with this in mind, we will walk to the lip of the caldera to view the mysterious lake where alongside, there are trees believed to be ‘wishing trees'. In Satonda, you will also watch the rare sight of thousands of flying foxes that commute at dusk. The seas surrounding the island are rich with soft and hard corals, and colorful tropical fish, so we will spend the afternoon swimming and snorkeling. Immediately after sunset, we leave for an overnight passage on a course due east. Meals Included : breakfast, lunch & dinner
DAY 5
SUMBAWA - BIMA
We will wake up off the coast of Pulau Sangean, an active volcano that towers 1,800 meters above sea level. After breakfast, we will go ashore to a small hamlet that is only inhabited for short periods of years due to the active nature of the volcano. We will 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. We will then proceed to the island of Banta and its pristine white sand beach, for an afternoon of swimming, snorkeling and hill climbing for the fit. Later that evening, we proceed on to Komodo dragon country. Meals Included : breakfast, lunch, dinner
DAY 6
KOMODO ARCHIPELAGO
This morning, the boat will be anchored off the famous Komodo Island, one of approximately 80 islands that make up the Komodo National Park. We will go ashore at the ranger station in Loh Liang, searching for the giant lizards—Komodo dragons—Indonesia’s living dinosaurs. We may spot deer, wild boar, sulfur-crested cockatoos, rare orchids, and jungle chickens. After returning to the onboard, we will cruise around the coast and visit Komodo village where we can buy some local handicrafts. Later, we head to Pink Beach — one of the richest reefs in Eastern Indonesia that have red corals. You may snorkel there! Satisfy yourself by snorkeling more in Makassar Reef and Gili Lawa Darat, spot the manta rays, and climb the hill to watch a magical sunset. Meals Included : breakfast, lunch & dinner
HARI 7
KOMODO ARCHIPELAGO
Today, we will visit the ranger station of Loh Buaya on Rinca Island, have another ranger-led nature trek in search of more Komodo dragons as well as other creatures like monkeys, wild buffaloes, and deer. In the afternoon, we can go snorkeling on the beautiful Siaba Island before perhaps visiting the lovely Kelor Island. We will also have the option of visiting the adjacent Island of Kukusan where we will meet a settlement of ‘sea-gypsies,’ the Bajo people who build their homes on stilts over the sea. That evening we will go ashore to an uninhabited island and make a barbeque for final night’s beach along with a raging bonfire, dance, and song—an end-of-cruise celebration under the stars. Meals Included : breakfast, lunch & dinner
HARI 8
DEPARTURE
For those early risers, we will have time for one last swim and snorkel before cruising into Labuan Bajo harbor. At about 9am, we will leave the boat for a trip to the Village of Melo. Here, local ‘strongmen’ will perform the ‘Caci,’ a ritual whip-fight between two rivals that will try to hit each other while dancing to the rhythm of traditional acoustic instruments. Besides this, the cultural group will also showcase other traditional dances. After the performance, we will have lunch on the boat before transferring you to the airport for your flight back to Bali or your next destination. Meals Included : breakfast & lunch