BALI–FLORES–BALI
Cruise 10 Days/9 Nights

Day 1
08.30 a.m. transfer from Sanur, south-Bali to Amed, north-east Bali (2 hrs). Upon arrival in Amed we board the ‘Katharina’, settle in and sail to Gili Trawangan for swimming, snorkeling, diving (optional)* and beach-combing. Late afternoon onward sailing to Sumbawa.
Day 2
Arrive at Pulau Bungin a tiny island, populated by ‘sea-gypsies’ (bajao). We stroll through narrow streets lined up by houses on stilts to outsmart the incoming tide. Performance of traditional music and dance. Onward sailing to Pulau Bedil. Here we spend a few hours relaxing, swimming and snorkeling. Night sailing to east-Sumbawa.
Day 3
Arrive in the morning at Sangean island, an active volcano towering 1800 meters above the surrounding waters. We will visit the tiny settlement on the island and make a short hike testing the steepness of the volcano
Midday sail toward Wera on the east coast of the island of Sumbawa. Wera is a Buginese settlement and famous for its boatbuilding. We will see all kinds of craft in various stages of construction, much the way the Katharina was built in 1998. Afternoon sail to Gili Banta, a perfect place for some excellent swimming and snorkeling. Night-sailing to Rinca.
Day 4
Rinca island, the second biggest in the Komodo archipelago, is also the richest in terms of fauna. We will go trekking and looking for wild horses, water buffalo, wild boar, monkeys, and of course the famous ‘Komodo dragons’ in spectacular scenery of savannah and emerald coves. Around noon sail to ‘Sabolon’, a famous reef with a huge variety of live coral and beautiful fish. Snorkeling, diving (optional)* and beach-exploration. In the afternoon proceed to the Riung archipelago, north of Flores.
Day 5
In the morning arrival at Riung, a small archipelago of 17 islets, just north of the coast of Flores. Snorkeling, relaxing, beach-combing, climbing one of the summits for enjoying the panorama over the sea and Flores. Barbecue at desert beach In the afternoon sailing to Ropa, a small harbour at the coast of Flores.
Day 6
At dawn arrival in Ropa from where we go by bus to the Kelimutu volcano, famous for its three coloured lakes. Experience the spooky atmosphere surrounding this natural phenomenon, quite unique in the world. Upon returning aboard the Katharina we set sail for the town of Labuhanbajo at the westernmost point of Flores.
Day 7
If winds allow, the crew of the Katharina will hoist the sails and show their skills in traditional Pinisi-sailing, a.o. by using the two side-rudders by turns.
Late morning arrival in Labuhanbajo. Here we will tour to a nearby village to attend the so-called caci (whip-) dance for which the Manggarai district of Flores enjoys national fame. Midday sail to Bidadari island, swimming, snorkeling, exploring the interior.
Afternoon sail to Komodo; spend a quiet night in the bay of Komodo island.
Day 8
Morning arrival in Komodo Island. Another opportunity to catch a glimpse of, or even stumble over the last representative of the Jurassic Park on earth, the infamous Komodo Dragon. Midday sail to Red Beach, another breathtaking desert island where the beaches are red-coloured by pulverized red coral. In the afternoon visit of Gili Lawa to hike the local summit and enjoy a splendid panorama over the moonscape islands of the Komodo Archipelago and the mainland of Flores. Late afternoon setting sail, headed west.
Day 9
Morning arrive in Satonda, the top of an extinct volcano. We will visit the crater lake in the centre of the island, where we may meet colonies of flying foxes after a short walk. An afternoon of relaxation on the beautifully wild beach of Satonda and of lazy floating on the gentle currents over a stunning reef drop just off the coastline. Afternoon sailing to Pulau Kromo. Here we will have our farewell party with the crew, possibly witnessed by thousands of fruit bats crossing to the mainland looking for night shelter. Night sailing to
Lembar, southwest Lombok
Day 10
Early morning arrive at Lembar harbour..
On the last dayof our cruise we will tour west-Lombok and visit a few original Sasak villages where we will admire the local arts of pottery and hand weaving. Before noon we re-embark the Katharina to set sail to Benoa harbour, southeast Bali.
Arrival in Benoa before sunset. End of the cruise, individual transfer to hotel or airport.
* Opportunity for optional diving; to be booked in advance.

- Back to Top

FLORES SEA – BANDA - KEI
Cruise 14 Days / 13 Nights

Day 1
10:15 hrs Flight Denpasar-Labuhanbajo Arrrival in Labuhanbajo at 11:30 hrs. Transfer
from airport to the harbour, embarkation aboard the Katharina. Set sail to Bonerate.
Day 2
Arrival at Bonerate in the middle of the Flores Sea. Visit of the main village. Sandy streets, houses built on stilts in typical Makasserese style. On the beach construction of the elegant Lambo boats. After inspection of the village, swimming, snorkeling and lounging on the beaches at the northwest side of the island. Night sailing to Batuata Island, southwest Sulawesi.
Day 3
Arrival at Pulau Batuata, southwest Sulawesi. After setting foot ashore, we pay respect to the local Chief, ask for permission to go around and see the island. We visit the local school, hear the children singing the latest local hits, drink tea in the ‘cityhall’ and experience the remoteness of this place destitute from the comforts of modern life. In the evening we sail onward to the Tukang Besi archipelago, southeast Sulawesi.
Day 4
Arrival in the Tukang Besi archipelago, world famous for its pristine coral reefs which
belong to the most diverse in Indonesia. For two days we will wander about this unique
geographical area inhabited by a tribe of daring seafarers, shipbuilders and maritime traders We will look for small coves and inlets, the best soft corals, meet fishermen, local blacksmith (tukang besi = blacksmith), visit local markets and may come across the perfect location for a barbecue.
Day 5
Extension of Day 4. Late afternoon departure headed for Gunung Api.
Day 6
In the course of the day arrival at Gunung Api (fire mountain/volcano) in the middle of the Banda Sea. Here we hope to meet a mixed colony of seabirds, predominantly Frigate Birds and John-of-Gaunts. The Birds may carry out raids on the Katharina if they feel threatened in their habitat. In the evening onward sailing to the Lipari archipelago.
Day 7
Arrival at the Lipari archipelago, a volcanic outcrop in the north eastern part of the Banda Sea. As is the case with Gunung Api, no reports have come in from the Lipari since the late nineties when ornithologists mentioned colonies of migrating birds and groups of migrating fishermen. A destination of discovery in the true sense of the word! Day 8
Spare day. Night sail to Banda.
Day 8
Arrival in the Banda Archipelago, famous for its natural beauty and its cultural heritage
from the time the Spice Islands were the target of the European colonizers. We will tie the bow to a palm-tree in the garden of a hacienda style hotel in Bandanaira the only (small) city of Banda. We will stroll through the city, visit old fortresses and admire the planters’ mansions from the old days.
Day 9
Today we will visit a few of the other islands of the archipelago, Ai, Revenge and Hatta
and will see what remains of the ancient plantations, churches and cemeteries. We will
breathe the atmosphere of the time that the Banda youth was sent to the most expensive
boarding schools of Europe and dream about the splendid, but short-lived glory during this remarkable episode in world history. Proceed from Banda northeast.
Day 10
Today we’ll stop at the northern side of the Tanimbars, at the islands of Fordate and
Larat. Village exploration, nature hike and snorkelling will be the substance of the day.
With the assistance of local teachers we will try to attend to a performance of local music and dance. Late afternoon onward sailing to the Kei Archipelago.
Day 11 Leisure day
Day 12
Arrival in Manawoka, one of the Gorong islands, southeast of Ceram. After a short walk
through and old nutmeg grove and a visit to the raja of the island we move to the eastern
tip of the island. There we find two lakes connected with the sea by a small tunnel.
Swimming in these lakes evokes the feeling of discovering an unknown planet.
Day 13
Today we will arrive at the Kei Archipelago. We will visit on the last day of our cruise Kei
Besar. Here we will make a short trek into the forest where Sir Alfred Wallace 160 years
ago was collecting his bird and insect species. We may come across a small village where nice pottery is made. Night alongside the pier in Tual, Kei Kecil.
Day 14
Early morning transfer to the airport of Langgur for your flight at 06:30 hrs. to Ambon,
from where the onward flight to Makassar will depart at 14:05 hrs. End of the cruise.

- Back to Top

TIMOR – ROTI – SAVU – KOMODO - BALI
Cruise 10 Days /9 Nights

Day 1
Arrival by air in Kupang, West Timor. After our transfer from the airport to the harbour and embarkation aboard Katharina, we will set sail to the nearby island of Semau. Here we will have a stroll on the long white sandy beaches, do some snorkeling or hike to an inland village. Night sailing to the island of Roti.
Day 2
Arrive in Baa, the capital of Roti Island. Roti has been long under the influence of
Portugal, which is demonstrated by the local handicraft. Here is your chance to buy silver ornaments, distinctive Rotinese ikats, and pinnacled hats plaited from lontar leaves. We may be entertained by music and dances produced by the sasando, a 12-string lontar-leaf harp originating from this tiny island. The music is reminiscent of the Fado music and the Saudade sentiments of Portugal. Evening sail to the island of Savu. If time allow we will attend a music and dance performance.
Day 3
Arrive in Sepa, Savu. Here we may be greeted by ikat-clad tribesmen on horseback who
might escort us to the sacred gathering place of the elders of Savu, which only a few
outsiders are allowed to visit. We’ll ask for permission from the local elders to visit this
place. The impressive circle of stones commands respect to the wise men which ensure the continuance of timeless adat traditions. The ikat of Savu are some of Nusa Tenggara’s finest and there will be opportunities to shop for them. Admire the female of Savu who are reputed in the whole archipelago for their beauty. We wander by foot or on horseback about the interior of Savu, breathing the timeless atmosphere of the island, visited and admired by Captain Cook and his crew. Late afternoon we sail onward to either the island of Raijua or to Sumba.
If sea conditions allow, we make a stop in Raijua island; as everywhere in the Savu
area, it is, for the casual visitor, a return to a strictly rural, animistic society, with all
villages built and organised in a strictly traditional way, giving everyone a sense of
being back in a sort of garden of Eden; expect Midday sail to uninhabited Dana island for a Robinson Crusoe experience and an beach BBQ in splendid isolation . If conditions do not permit we will sail onward straight to the island of Sumba.
Day 4
If Raijua was skipped we will arrive today in Waingapu, the capital of Sumba. After a
short inspection of the bustling centre, we will make a bus ride (non-AC) to the traditional villages of Rende and Prailiu, where we will admire the intricate and long-winded art of ikat weaving. The local population is stark and dark and inspires a strong sensation of being half way Asia and Polynesia. Upon re-embarkation night sail along the north coast of Sumba to from Waingapu to Waikelo. West-Sumba.
Day 5
Arrival at Waikelo, West Sumba. Today we will visit by local bus (non-AC) some of the
traditional villages of West Sumba, where time seems to have lost direction and life appears not to have changed for ages. We will admire the megaliths erected on ancestral tombs and will have time to shop for ikat weavings, the distinctive Sumba motifs stunning the modern visitor. Along the way we will find a place to picnic and eat our lunchbox prepared by the crew. Late afternoon re-embarkation aboard Katharina and departure heading north for the Komodo Archipelago. Where our first stop will be on Rinca Island.
Day 6
Early morning we will trek on Rinca Island, the second largest island of the Park, offering
a wider variety of wildlife than Komodo Island: wild horses & water buffalo, feral deer &
boars, rare megapode birds, and of course the famous Komodo dragons. Rinca’s
unsurpassed savannah scenery is accentuated by deep blue coves and inlets. At midday
we’ll sail to Padar Island for an afternoon swim and snorkelling or a short trek up to the
summit of the grassy hill for superb panoramas of the surrounding islands. In the evening, we’ll barbecue on a deserted beach under the blinking gaze of a million stars.
Day 7
Early morning another opportunity to spot the giant Komodo Lizard. After a short trek into the interior (45 min.) of Komodo island proper, we will almost stumble over the
bloodthirsty creatures, who likely will cross our path. After this meeting we will do
swimming and snorkeling over one of the best reefs of the area at the so-called ‘red beach’. Night sailing to Wera, east-Sumbawa.
Day 8
Arrival in Wera, a traditional east-Sumbawanese village famous for their boat-building We will see all kinds of craft in various stages of construction under the palm trees on the beach. The same way the Katharina was built in 1998. Around noon sailing to Sangeang Island, a volcano towering 1600 meter over the sea. After a short visit of the local village, where we will wonder how people manage to survive, we will head west to islands north of Sumbawa.
Day 9
Arrival at Satonda island, the tip of an ancient volcano; here we see the huge crater-lake
just a few minutes from the beach. Reefs around the island are spectacular and mostly in
pristine conditions, excellent for snorkelers. Before noon sailing to Moyo. Upon arrival at
Moyo, we will hike through the monsoon forest to a lovely three-tiered waterfall for a dip or a swim in complete wilderness. Later afternoon onward to Lombok.
Day 10
Early morning arrival at the harbour of Lembar, southwest Lombok.
From here we will make a tour over west-Lombok, visiting a few original Sasak villages
where we will admire the local arts of pottery and hand weaving. Before noon we re-embark the Katharina to set sail to Serangan (turtle island). Serangan is connected with the mainland of Bali.
Arrival in Serangan before sunset. End of the cruise and individual transfer to your hotel.

- Back to Top

KEI – TANIMBAR - TIMOR
Cruise 12 Days /11 Nights

Although Indonesia encompasses 18.000 odd islands, offering a stunning variety of culture, flora, fauna and marine biology, voyages overseas, hopping from one island to the next, are virtually unheard of.
Indonesia boasts the largest wooden fleet still in active operation: the Bugis Schooners or Phinisi. These flat bottomed vessels need little maritime infrastructure as their construction allows them to approach even the tiniest islet at close range.
Sea Trek has used these time honoured craft since 1985 to visit islands unknown to the world. This voyage to the eastern Lesser Sunda’s and the Southest Moluccas will bring you to the most remote parts of the archipelago, to places over and below the sea level you haven’t dreamt of existing.
Gradually passing from Asia to the Pacific you will set foot ashore on a string of islands stretched out along the Ring of Fire, in our time a backwater but for centuries the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow where the weight of nutmeg and clove was measured in gold bars.

Prior to the cruise flight Denpasar-Ambon (via Makassar).
Transfer to hotel Ambon Manise where we will spend one night. After check in visit of Siwa Lima Museum in the hills outside Ambon City where we can study the history and culture of the Mollucas.
Day 1
After spent the night in Ambon, flight Ambon-Kei, dep.07:00 arr.09:05*. Upon arrival at
Langgur airport, Tual transfer to the harbour of Tual and embark aboard Katharina. We
settle in and after dinner we will explore Tual, the capital of Kei. Late evening departure to Kei-Tanimbar.
Day 2
Early morning arrival at Kei-Tanimbar, the southernmost island of the Kei archipelago and allegedly cradle of the regional culture. Here we will explore coastal villages, search for cultural artefacts such as weaving and pottery or make a trekking into the local forest. Late afternoon onward sailing to the Tanimbar Archipelago. Long night sailing.
Day 3
We’ll stop at the northern part of the Tanimbars, at the islands of Fordate and Larat.
Village exploration, nature hike, beach-combing and snorkelling will be the substance of the day. With the assistance of local teachers we will try to attend to a performance of local music and dance.
Day 4
Following the northern coastline of Yamdena, the main island of the Tanimbar archipelago, we will meet along the western coast islands of quiet beauty with untouched forest teeming with birds, wild orchids and cuscus. This will be another day of nature exploration, coastal raids with our zodiac, and some relaxing time on remote beaches. Night sailing to Dai, Babar.
Day 5
The island of Dai – in the Babar archipelago – is a spectacular limestone mountain
towering 650 meters above the sea. The beaches and the reefs are exceptional. We can
also trek across the whole island to enjoy incredible scenery from the summit. Local folk still go hunting with bows and arrows in these parts. Night sailing to the island of Damar.
Day 6
The island of Damar has an active volcano that can be ascended in about three hours, best in the early hours after dawn. Alternatively, we can have an easier hike through spice plantations, coconut groves and pristine rain forest, ending at the local village.
Midday sail for a couple of hours to uninhabited Pulau Terbang Utara to enjoy pristine
beaches, coral reefs (snorkelling) and a lagoon full of birds, including – occasionally – large flocks of pelicans. In the evening barbecue at the desert beach at this Bounty island. Night sailing heading for Romang.
Day 7
Morning on uninhabited Moapora island, in the Romang archipelago: beach combing,
snorkelling, diving and short hikes inland. Afternoon, we’ll be on Romang island proper for a three hour hike (if we wish) from the eastern village to the beautiful western bay passing through orange and pomelo groves with great scenery on surrounding islands. Night sailing to the island of Wetar.
Day 8
Wetar is possibly one of the least known of the south-eastern Maluku islands; totally
isolated tribal folk is still said to inhabit its jungle-clad interior. We’ll have a nature stop in the morning along the northern coast: hike inland following a river of crystal clear water. Midday sail to the western tip of Wetar for spectacular snorkelling close to a small offshore island. Night sailing, heading for Alor.
Day 9
Our day in Alor will be spent exploring the main island: the old tribal villages there are
defensively located on hilltops and have a particular architecture. We’ll attend traditional
dances in the village of Takpala and will be surprised by the redoubt appearance of the local women, the size of pygmees. Return to vessel at midday and sail to nearby Pura island: you can enjoy spectacular snorkelling right off the beach, and also walks to coastal villages where locals produce ikat cloth as well as some wine made from palm sap. Short night sailing to Pantar.
Day 10
On Pantar island we will visit some of the fortified villages typical for this area once feared for its belligerent population. We will be peacefully guided by one of our crew who hails from Pantar. Be prepared for some interesting expressions of local culture!
Upon re-embarkation Katharina, we will be swimming in crystal clear waters around the
boat. Midday sail to uninhabited Rusa island: the beaches are truly fantastic, the corals
exquisite and the island – as its name implies – is full of deer that are easily seen,
sometimes even from the beach. Night sailing.
Day 11
Exploration of the coast of west-Timor, moving south for Kupang. We will search for local
fishing communities and vestiges of Portuguese occupation, making one or two snorkelling stops on the way. Night sailing to Kupang.
Day 12
After arrival this morning in Temau, the traditional harbour of Kupang, we will take our
breakfast on board and say goodbye to the crew and the Katharina. Time allowing we will
pay a visit to the Museum of Timor on the way to the airport. From Kupang airport we will
have our return flight to Denpasar, Bali.
*Due to the early departure of this flight, one night overstay in Ambon.

PLEASE NOTE
Participants are informed that itinerary and program of our sea voyages occasionally may be modified due to factors beyond our control: unfavorable weather conditions, delay in processing harbor clearances, modified schedules of domestic flights.
The cruise director and captain of the Katharina will adjust the program accordingly to the best interest of all.