Tour Itinerary: On day one you will arrive in Labuhanbajo, by air from Denpasar. We transfer you from the airport to the harbour and board the Katharina. After embarkation the vessel leaves the harbour and sets a Northeasterly course into the Flores Sea. On day two you will arrive at the island of Bonerate, half way between Flores and Sulawesi. We go ashore to visit the main village. In typical Makassar style the houses are built on stilts, lining sandy streets. On the beach carpenters are busy building elegant Lambo boats. After our inspection of the village, we move to the beaches on the northwest side of the island for swimming and snorkeling. In the course of the afternoon we set sail again for the overnight passage to Batuata Island. On day three we arrive at Pulau Batuata, a small speck on the chart about a 100 miles south of the Sulawesi mainland. After going ashore, we pay respect to the local Chief, ask for permission to go around and see his island. We visit the local school, hear the children sing the latest local hits, drink tea in the ‘city hall’ and experience the general isolation of a community that is in all respects unaware of our own habits or the comforts of modern life in the rest of the world. In the evening we sail onward to the Tukang Besi archipelago, southeast Sulawesi. On day four we reach the Tukang Besi archipelago, rightly famous for its pristine coral reefs which belong to the most diverse in Indonesia. For two days we will wander about in this unique geographical area that is inhabited by a tribe of daring seafarers, shipbuilders and maritime traders. On day five we continue to look for small coves and inlets, the best soft corals, meeting fishermen, local blacksmiths (tukang besi means blacksmith) and visiting local markets. We just may come across the perfect location for a barbecue. In the afternoon Katharina departs on a Southeasterly course for the 200 mile passage to Gunung Api. On day six, In the course of the day we reach Gunung Api, which literally means the fire mountain. On this volcano in the middle of the Banda Sea we are likely to encounter a large colony of seabirds, predominantly Frigate Birds and John-of-Gaunts. These birds may carry out raids on the Katharina if they feel threatened in their habitat. In the evening we will be heading North East again towards to the Lucipari archipelago. On day seven we arrive at the Lucipara archipelago, a volcanic outcrop in the northeastern sector of the Banda Sea. As is the case with Gunung Api, no reports have come in from the Lucipari since the late nineties when ornithologists mentioned colonies of migrating birds and groups of migrating fishermen. Our cruise is a voyage of discovery in the true sense of the word! Day eight is a day during which we continue our passage to Banda. We experience to the fullest how far away these islands are…. On day nine we finally reach the Spice Islands. The Banda Archipelago is famous for its natural beauty and its cultural heritage from the time these islands were the target of the European colonizers. We will tie the bow to a palm-tree in the garden of a waterfront hotel in Bandanaira, the only town of Banda. We will stroll through the city, visit old fortresses and admire the planters’ mansions from the old days. On day ten 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. Day eleven is in principle a leisure day. We know from experience that more often than not, we all want to extend our stay in Banda - to attend one of the frequent ceremonies or to visit Run Island. An amazing historical footnote is the fact that in 1667, under the Treaty of Breda, this small island was ceded by the English to the Dutch in exchange for Manhattan. In the late afternoon we hoist the anchor for the crossing to the island of Saparua, east Of Ambon. On day twelve we reach Saparua, one of the former strongholds of the Dutch in colonial times. A famous story in Indonesian history is how, one day in the early 19th century, Fort Duurstede located in the heart of Saparua, was conquered by Pattimura, one of the heroes of Indonesia. This story is told in the museum inside the fort in a realistic diorama. We take our time to visit the interior of the island with its tall clove trees and many sago palms. Sago used to be the staple food on Saparua. On day thirteen we first sail on to Haruku, an island squeezed in between Saparua and Ambon. Here we visit several fishing villages. In the evening we proceed toward the bay of Ambon. On day fourteen Katharina sails into Ambon Bay early in the morning. After a short sightseeing tour of the city of Ambon and a visit of Fort Victoria, we say farewell to the crew of the Katharina and catch our flight from Ambon to Makassar at 15:30. After changing planes in Makassar we will depart for Bali at 18.05. Arrival in Bali approx. 19.20. Notes: Price Includes: 
Supplier Information
Vacation Poll
Also see tour packages in: Asia Indonesia Outdoor: Water Drifter Boating and Sailing Cultural Journey Email it to a friend: Click here to email this vacation to a friend |
|
||||||||||||||||||
