You haven’t lived until you’ve experienced Indonesia by boat
Trace pink beaches and underwater coral gardens across an arc of volcanic islands, from Flores to the island of Sumba, aboard a luxury yacht. By CATHERINE FAIRWEATHER
The backstory
The Rascal may have been built to age-old traditional Indonesian phinisi techniques, but in style and design it is nothing like the piratical schooners that have plied these waters for centuries carrying spices and sandalwood. This 100-foot ironwood and teak yacht instead allows plenty of room to play and relax: the five large, light-filled cabins have picture-book windows and huge bathrooms, while the high rattan ceilings, directors’ chairs and creamy textiles conjure a Hampton’s beach house. The vacation vibe continues with a large games room and bar, different deck levels for shaded dinners and for lounging on bean bags, and a flat roof space that doubles as a cinema and a star-gazing platform for balmy nights of free-spirited adventure and fun, which is what this boat charter is all about.
The route
In order to get a handle on a nation still in the process of counting all its many thousand islands – stretching across 5000km, from Arab Aceh in the north to Papuan Melanesia near Australia – it is good to get afloat. Take a 10-day sea-bound voyage from Bali to Flores, the islands on the other side of the so-called Wallace line and all the way to the island of Sumba, one of the last megalithic cultures on earth, where the species, flora and fauna are much closer aligned to Aboriginal Australasia than the western Orient.
Need to know
Forming part of a volcanic arc called the Ring of Fire, these islands sit where the Pacific and the Indian Ocean meet, the colliding currents and nutrient-rich water attracting a unique biodiversity with over 1,000 fish species, a dozen dolphin types, turtles and manta rays, as well as most of the world’s coral. Here, the reefs, as bright as flower beds, earned the islands their name – Flores. There are endless legendary dive sites like Batu Balong and Lighthouse attracting great shoals of fish and feeding sharks, and tiny critters like pygmy seahorses as big as your thumb sheltering in the coral. Manta Point, where manta rays with their vast 5 meter wingspans gather, is shallow enough to snorkel.
Insider travel tip
If Rascal offers the free-spirited thrill that only being the master of your own boat, destiny and destination can bring, then a stay at Nihi Sumba, in all its abundant, wild 567 acres on the coastal plains and forests of western Sumba, continues the sense of unbridled freedom. Here, horseback ride down to beaches, swim in waterfalls and trek stunning butterfly trails to be served an incredible breakfast beside a pounding surf. This is where a massage from coconut and cocoa beans can continue as long as you like, and where you have privileged access to one of the best left-hand surf breaks in the world. This place redefines the meaning of luxury.
Ampersand Travel can arrange trips on the Rascal, which is available to hire in its entirety for 5 nights for up to 10 guests in 5 cabins. This includes all meals, snacks, non-alcoholic beverages, services of the Indonesian crew members including a dive master, executive chef and expedition leader, and all activities and watersports, including diving.