Indonesia yacht charter
Indonesia's yacht areas are Komodo, with dragons and strong-current reefs, and Raja Ampat, with jungle islands and coral. Komodo in the dry months, Raja Ampat outside its April-to-August wet season. It suits divers and adventurous families.
Indonesia has thousands of islands, and two parts of it have become destinations for a yacht. Komodo, east of Bali, has dragons on its islands, bare hills and strong currents full of fish. Raja Ampat, off the western tip of New Guinea, has hundreds of jungle islands and the coral reefs around them. Both are far from anywhere, and that is the point.
Why go, and whom it suits
Families with older children who swim and snorkel well will remember it all their lives. There are ranger walks to see the dragons, beaches you have to yourselves, and mantas. It is less suited to small children: the flights are long, the currents are strong in places, and in remote areas medical help for anything serious can be out of reach.
Couples and honeymoons
It works for couples who want adventure more than restaurants. Nights at anchor are very quiet, and an evening ashore usually means a beach the crew has set up, not a town.
Friends and celebrations
It suits a group of divers or keen snorkellers best. The diving is the reason most groups come.
Less suited to anyone who wants harbour towns, shopping or nightlife between swims. There is almost none.
The areas
Komodo and Raja Ampat are the wilder, further side of South-East and East Asia.
Komodo
(page to follow). The national park between Sumbawa and Flores, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. It has the dragons of Komodo and Rinca, Padar's ridges, the pink-sand beaches, and manta cleaning stations. Charters start from Labuan Bajo on Flores, which has its own airport, Komodo International.
Raja Ampat
(page to follow). Misool in the south and Wayag in the north: limestone islands, lagoons, and reefs that divers travel across the world for. Charters start from Sorong.
Elsewhere
Bali and Lombok, the Banda Islands and the Forgotten Islands of the Moluccas can be part of a longer voyage. Ask us about them.
When to go
The two areas have different seasons, so the month often decides which one you go to.
Komodo is cruised mostly in the dry months. Across most of Indonesia the rainy season usually runs from October to March.
Raja Ampat, in the far east, works differently: parts of eastern Indonesia have their wet season from about April to August, so Raja Ampat is mostly cruised outside those months.
What it costs
The charter fee is each yacht's own weekly rate. Her page shows it "from", which is her lowest season. Each yacht's rate is in its own currency, often US dollars outside Europe. Our guide sets out what a crewed charter costs, line by line.
- Tax is added where it applies to the charter. Ask us how it applies to the yacht you are considering.
- National park and permit fees for Komodo and Raja Ampat, where they apply, are set out in the quote at the current rates.
- APA, the Advance Provisioning Allowance, is paid with the balance. It is money held by the captain for fuel, food, drinks, park fees and similar costs, spent on your instructions and accounted for at the end; anything unspent is returned. Budget up to 40% of the charter fee; long or remote passages can need more.
- Diving. Ask us whether the dive guide, tanks and equipment are in the fee on the yacht you are considering.
The weekly rate on each yacht’s page. "From" is her lowest season.
An advance for fuel, food, drinks and berths, spent on your instructions and settled at the end.
Set by the country the charter starts in, added to the fee.
Komodo from Labuan Bajo
This is a round trip from Labuan Bajo. The yacht, the currents and the tides decide the real order, and in Komodo they matter more than almost anywhere.
Board in the afternoon, and make a short passage to a nearby island, such as Kanawa or Kelor, for a sunset swim.
A morning ranger walk to see the dragons, before the heat. The afternoon is for snorkelling in a sheltered bay.
A dawn climb to the ridge for the view over three bays. Then one of the pink-sand beaches.
The ranger walk at Loh Liang. In the afternoon, a reef where manta rays feed, if the tide and the current are right.
A sandbar at low tide, and a slow afternoon of snorkelling in the shallows.
Reefs such as those around Gili Lawa, for those who dive or snorkel with a guide. The park's strong currents are what feed its marine life.
A last swim and disembarkation.
The yachts that cruise here
We arrange crewed yachts in Indonesia. Much of Indonesia's charter fleet is local, and many of its yachts are phinisi: traditional wooden sailing ships, from South Sulawesi, whose boatbuilding craft is on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage, fitted out for guests. We look across the market for every enquiry, among those and among the larger yachts that come to the region for a season. The yachts on this site are a selection, not the limit of what we arrange: ask about any yacht, of any size.
Practical questions
Rene GaspersicYour broker
Can we really see Komodo dragons safely?
Yes, with the park rangers, on set walks on Komodo and Rinca. Meeting the dragons on Komodo and Rinca is always under a ranger's supervision.
Is the water rough?
Inside the islands it is usually calm. The channels have strong tidal currents. That is why the diving is so good, and why the crew plans swims around the tides.
Do we need to be divers?
No. The snorkelling is excellent in Komodo and Raja Ampat. Divers get more; ask us which yachts carry dive equipment and a dive guide.
How do we get there?
To Komodo, fly to Labuan Bajo's Komodo International Airport. To Raja Ampat, fly to Sorong. Both are long journeys from Europe, so allow a night either side for connections.
What is a phinisi?
A traditional wooden sailing ship of South Sulawesi; the art of building them is on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage. Many have been fitted out as charter yachts, with cabins and crew. Some are simple and some are very comfortable. We tell you honestly which is which.
Which is better, Komodo or Raja Ampat?
They are different. Komodo has the dragons, dry hills and big currents. Raja Ampat has jungle islands, calm lagoons and coral. Your month often decides it.
Is it safe for children?
For children who swim confidently, yes, with care around currents and the sun. In remote areas, treatment for anything serious may be out of reach, so we ask about health and ages before proposing a trip, and your travel insurance should cover medical evacuation.
Do we need a visa?
Many passports can get a visa on arrival, and it can be applied for online before you travel as an e-VOA. Check the rules for your passport.
What should we bring?
Reef-safe sunscreen, light long sleeves against the sun, and any medicine you need. The yacht provides snorkelling gear. Ask about dive equipment.
If you are also weighing Thailand
Thailand is easier to reach, with more hotels and towns ashore, and gentler, shorter routes. Indonesia is wilder and further away, with the better reefs and wildlife. See Thailand.
Komodo | Raja Ampat | Thailand's Andaman coast | |
|---|---|---|---|
When | The dry months; the rainy season across most of Indonesia usually runs from October to March | Outside eastern Indonesia's wet season, about April to August | November to April, outside the rainy season |
Fly to | Labuan Bajo (Komodo International) | Sorong | Phuket |
Known for | Dragons, strong currents, manta rays | Jungle islands, lagoons, coral | Limestone islands and sea caves |
Ashore | Ranger walks and beaches; almost no towns | Beaches the crew sets up; almost no towns | Towns, hotels and food ashore |
Talk to a broker
Tell us roughly when, how many of you there are, and what the trip is for: a family adventure, a honeymoon, a dive trip with friends. Dates and budget can stay loose. We come back with a short list of yachts that fit, say plainly what each one is like, and stay your contact from the first email to the last day on board.
Rene Gaspersic
charter broker
Email info@soretoyachting.com · Phone +44 7342 933198 · WhatsApp +44 7342 933198
Plan
Indonesia.
Two short steps. Dates and budget can stay loose. We reply personally, by email, phone or WhatsApp.