Sailing Indonesia: The Undiscovered Frontier

Start the adventure with a tour of Ternate’s historical highlights before boarding the ship, meeting the crew and settling into your new home for the next two weeks. Over lunch, the ship sets sail for the short journey to Halmahera Island’s Dojinga Village, a pivotal place in scientific history, where the naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace first came up with the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection. Later in the afternoon, enter the water for the first time and snorkel or swim over the first coral reef of the trip. Then head south as the sun sets behind the perfectly conical volcanic islands peaks of the northern Moluccas.

Birds of paradise, snorkeling and a very special maritime ritual are on today’s menu, with visits to both the tropical forest and the coral reefs, and a crossing of the Equator. Waking in the early morning, go ashore on Halmahera for a car journey to an eco-resort famed for its natural forest and bird life. Here, hope to witness the early morning mating rituals of the Wallace Standardwing Bird of Paradise, and enjoy the full dawn chorus of the forest’s many different species of birds. Head back across the island to the ship in time for lunch while setting sail to the south. Once the ship reaches the Equator, be welcomed by the crew with some fun and games and a most unique ocean swim. Late in the afternoon, snorkel once more before heading to the island of Bacan.

Today brings a search for some very special species of butterfly, some unique birds and some quirky mammals. Explore the deep forest and rivers of Bacan Island, where Wallace first saw what he called the most beautiful butterfly in the world, the Golden Birdwing. While trekking, be on the lookout for other species that might present themselves, including cuscus, the black-crested macaque and some hornbills. After lunch, spend the afternoon snorkeling and swimming on the nearby reef and beaches.

Culture and spice will fill today which is spent off the coast of the white sand island of Obi Laut, a place filled with clove and nutmeg plantations. Obi Laut’s steep hillsides are covered in clove and nutmeg forests, reaching back to the rich and heady days of the spice trade, which saw many a European power vying for control of the East Indies. While the spice trade might not be what it once was, the growers can still make a good living on this remote island in the Banda Sea. Go ashore; walk through the villages and plantations; and see the fruits and spices growing on the trees and drying in the sun, ready for market. Appreciate viewing the process just as it has been for centuries.

Today will be a day for snorkeling, culture and history in the middle of the Banda Sea, in the remote and breathtaking Sulu Archipelago. Spend the morning exploring the beaches and reefs of Mangoli Island, where the reefs are teeming with fish and other marine life. True to the desert island locale, enjoy a kayak, paddle or swim, and explore and relax on the white-sand beaches. Later, feast on some history and culture while visiting the local village market and the ruins of a 17th century Dutch fort which once protected the spice trade along these routes.

The cultural experiences ratchet up a notch today with a war dance performed in our honor, while the nighttime will be filled with Indonesian music. Go ashore on Talibau Island and be treated to a traditional dance known as the “cakalale,” by local warriors. Also enjoy exploring the local village and meeting the people of this remote isle. The afternoon is set aside for snorkeling on a reef teeming with fish, before moving to another deserted island for swimming, kayaking and relaxing. This evening the crew will prepare a beach BBQ and perform traditional Indonesian folk songs and sea shanties.

The Bokan Islands are an area of unsurpassed beauty and today is a day of marine exploration and relaxation. Snorkel, swim, paddle and kayak around the glorious reefs, beaches and islands that offer many caves and snorkeling spots. Enjoy the rare privilege to swim in a small marine lake filled with stingless jellyfish, the exotically named Danau Piasu Botangan, one of only 20 lakes of its kind in the world.

A trio of unique experiences are in store today, involving culture, conservation and wildlife. Visit the bustling Indonesian island port town of Bangaii, a place filled with activity and commerce. Visit the local market and explore the neighborhoods, the sultan’s palace and the maleo bird egg museum, all from brightly-colored motor rickshaws.

Visit LINI, an NGO doing great work with coral restoration on the surrounding reefs and working with local fishermen to find sustainable solutions for supplying fish to overseas markets and the live aquarium fishing trade. Finish the day with a snorkel on a local reef that features the most elegant, but very threatened, Banggai Cardinal Fish–a darling of saltwater aquarium lovers worldwide.

Today brings the chance to see possibly one of the strangest and most unique flightless birds found in the world–the Maleo. After a morning snorkel, sail north to visit the endemic Maleo in their beachside environment, the symbol of the province within which it lives. Visit a conservation project on the mainland where scores of Maleo live and breed. Watch them at their sandy nesting sites from a camouflaged hide as they go about their business. Later in the afternoon, set sail for the Togean Islands National Park for some island hopping and spectacular snorkeling, wildlife and culture.

The Bajau sea gypsies of southeast have a very unique way of life, living in harmony with the water. Go ashore to Kabalutan Village, where a population of about 2,500 Bajau call home, and be welcomed into their world to meet and talk with them about their lives. In the afternoon, snorkel and swim on some pristine coral reefs before moving farther into the park.

Some great wildlife experiences await today, both in the water and the air, with birds, fish and invertebrates as the main features. Enjoy a snorkel on the lush reefs near the island of Malenge before taking snorkel and mask for a rare second swim with stingless jellyfish in nearby Lake Mariona, the second jellyfish lake on the cruise route. Visit a local village, meet the people and enjoy a late afternoon walk in the local forest before being witness to a most amazing show of nature as flocks of hornbills come flying in to roost in the trees–a once-in-a-lifetime sight.

Waking up in the east of the park, go snorkeling and visit a local village before setting sail on a long crossing towards the Sulawesi mainland. Relax, watch the world go by and take in the beauty of the sea from the ship. In the afternoon, the chef will offer a cooking class for those interested in learning how to prepare some traditional Indonesian dishes. For everyone else, it’s sunbathing, reading, relaxing and reflection. Finish the day with cocktails served on the back deck before a specially prepared dinner is served, followed by a party with the crew’s band providing the music and entertainment.

This morning, awake on the outside elbow of North Sulawesi and opt for some more cultural exchanges and some impressive snorkeling. After breakfast, go ashore to a remote village and meet the local people who will share in their way of life. Also go for a walk in the nearby forest on the lookout for birds. Snorkel a local reef before the ship heads north, stopping off en route for another snorkel and a swim towards the end of the day before the crew throws a final beach BBQ with opportunities to dance and sing into the night under the stars, next to a roaring bonfire.

Wake up just off the coast near the Tasikoki Rescue Center and go ashore for a short tour of the impressive facilities at this NGO. Hear all about their conservation program and enjoy the chance to see orangutan, tarsiers, hornbills, monkeys and other endangered wildlife. After a final swim and snorkel on the beach, take a short sail into Bitung Harbor. Say a fond farewell to the crew and tour leaders and head to Manado City for onward flights.