How to Sail Through Indonesia's Most Remote Corners on a 16th-Century Wooden Ship

A week and a half offline initially seemed daunting, but something remarkable happened around the third day of the cruise: the itch to check social media and emails melted away like ice under the tropical sun. The sensory feast I was experiencing — fresh espresso with sunrise views, gin-and-tonics set against pink sunsets, and sweeping views of verdant islands, sea-borne volcanoes, and crystalline water — banished any desires to stare into a handheld screen.

Without buzzes and beeps from my pocket, I was fully present for SeaTrek’s daily parade of travel delights. After breakfast spreads of fresh dragon fruit, mangos, bacon, toast, and eggs, I donned snorkeling gear to marvel at fish and coral as vividly colored as a tie-dyed tapestry. Midday most days found me reading in the sun or chatting with crew members and fellow passengers. After lunch, I’d set out on the ship’s tender to explore beaches and villages. And in the evenings, deep sleep washed over me after lively communal dinners and riotously beautiful sunsets. When Katharina finally returned to Labuan Bajo, I was half-tempted to throw my phone on airplane mode and extended my OOO notification.

After checking off most experiences on Indonesia’s well-trodden backpacker trail, including Bali’s paradisiacal beaches, Gili Trawangan‘s all-night parties, and Java’s UNESCO-protected temples, I yearned for more remote reaches in the world’s largest archipelago. In the islands east of the Wallace Line (the imaginary line that divides Southeast Asia from Oceania) like Flores and Komodo, flora and fauna more closely resemble the species of Australia than mainland Asia. Indonesian provinces we’d visit, like East Nusa Tenggara, are nearly untouched by tourism and as culturally distinct from Bali as Ireland is from Russia. This uniqueness led me to prioritize the region, as Indonesia is a nation of more than seventeen thousand islands, and would require lifetimes to fully explore.

SeaTrek voyages, plying the seas around the Spice Islands, Raja Ampat, Borneo, and Flores, were particularly appealing to me for their bugis pisini: traditional wooden watercraft recognized by UNESCO and constructed by hand on the island of Sulawesi. The ships are made from teak and mahogany and have been used for centuries to ferry cargo and people across Southeast Asia’s island-speckled seas. In the “Age of Exploration” of the 16th and 17th centuries, bugis pisini were the engines of Southeast Asia’s wealthy spice trade. Their spacious holds ferried nutmeg, more valuable than gold by weight, as well as cinnamon and clove to ports on the Asian mainland. From there, camel caravans would port the spices across the Central Asian steppe to Europe.

SeaTrek has two bugis pisinis: the 24-passenger Ombak Putih and the 12-passenger Katharina. Exploring remote regions of Indonesia on a sailboat resembling those used in the medieval-era Majapahit Empire made my trip both poetic and memorable in a way that would have been impossible aboard a generic steel-and-fiberglass cruise ship.

Today, UNESCO recognizes bugis pisinis as part of Indonesia’s intangible cultural heritage. In accordance with ancient custom, a Makassar imam blessed both ships after construction was completed.

The route I chose, The Remote Ring of Fire, showcased Komodo National Park, home to the world’s largest lizards, and the lush, sun-soaked islands of Flores and Alor.

Ship accommodations and crew

Indonesia’s islands are ringed with far-reaching swaths of pristine and thriving coral reefs, and most Indonesian cruise lines lean heavily on scuba diving offerings. SeaTrek doesn’t cater to divers, but stunning snorkeling excursions are a daily activity on the Indonesia sailing trips. While offering guests access to marvelous reefs and impressive marine life of the Banda Sea is a significant focus, SeaTrek also highlights the culture, cuisine, and above-water splendor of the archipelago.

There are even hints of animistic religions from Sulawesi throughout the ship. When you’re on board, look closely at the prow to find a pair of dried goat feet, a custom long believed to bring good luck to sailors.

While SeaTrek’s bugis pisini designs pay homage to centuries past, both ships have luxury accommodations and first-in-class safety and navigation equipment. As with all boats, cabin space is tight, but I was pleasantly surprised to find plenty of space for my clothing and toiletries, plus the extra camera gear I’d brought along.

Reflecting Katherina‘s aesthetics writ large, my cabin was simple but pleasing, with polished teak walls, tasteful nautical artwork, and comfortable beds. Every cabin has a private bathroom, with surprisingly hot and forceful showers, as well as air conditioning to keep temperatures comfortable in the evenings. The crew tidied up my room and bathroom daily while I was off exploring a village, snorkeling, or relaxing on the beach.

If you’re like me, the only time you’ll spend in your cabin will be the nocturnal hours adrift in the Land of Nod. The ship’s gentle lulling knocked me out within minutes of my head hitting the pillow each night, but the engine’s hum could be irritating for light sleepers. Bring earplugs if you’re sensitive to noise.

The shaded couches on the main deck served a sunny and breezy reading nook during the days and the go-to corner for cocktails and conversation after dinners. When I needed a break from the sun, I’d head to the ship’s common room, adorned with a well-stocked bar, an excellent espresso machine, and plush couches. After dinner, I’d occasionally grab a chess set from the common room and test my mettle against the crew members. Be forewarned: a few of those boys are bona fide aces, so think twice before putting any rupiah down on matches.

I spent at least an hour per day soaking in the sunshine and admiring the views from the ship’s “weather deck” — the breezy upper tier facing the ship’s bow. Occasionally, I borrowed one of SeaTrek’s yoga mats and squeezed in an al fresco workout on the deck, using an overhead bar by the ship’s helm for pull-ups.

For some camaraderie over a cigarette or Bintang beer, sneak past the kitchen to the ship’s stern, where the deckhands maintain an unofficial clubhouse. Crew members hail from across the country, from big cities like Jakarta and Medan to villages on islands I had never heard of. I spent several fascinating evenings chatting with them about the nation’s mind-bending variety of religions, cuisines, and languages.

Dining and drinking

I used to imagine cruise-ship food as close kin to airline food – bland and uninspiring. But, boy, did SeaTrek’s cuisine surprise me. The cooks were magicians, whipping up varied and complex meals in a kitchen as tight as a mobile diner’s. At the crack of dawn, they bought fruit, produce, and seafood from local villages, ensuring each meal was fresh and novel.

The fare was a mix of Indonesian staples like nasi goreng and other spicy stews paired with Western comfort chow like fried chicken, steak, and grilled fish. The morning buffet included fried eggs, sausages, porridge, assorted jams for toast and bagels, and Southeast Asian delicacies like dragon fruit and lychee. Guests can also request a traditional Indonesian breakfast like babur ayam, or rice porridge with chicken.

Australians are heavily represented among SeaTrek’s guests, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned from traveling with Aussies, it’s that they don’t easily suffer bad coffee. Fortunately, the complimentary espresso machine in the common room was as sleek as the La Marzocco machine in my local hipster coffee shop in Brooklyn. Coffee is freshly ground daily and sourced from Sumatra, Java, and Bali farms.

When the hour called for alcohol rather than caffeine, the on-board bar had a small but thoughtful selection of spirits, beers, and wine. Guests were also welcome to bring their own bottles to store at the bar. Though Franz, the barman, had never tasted alcohol, he nonetheless invented impromptu tiki cocktails to impress even the most veteran of Trader Vic mixologists. If you’ve a penchant for gin, make time to try Balinese gin, infused with rare jungle botanicals.

Daily activities

What I adored most about cruising with SeaTrek was that I could pack my day with activities if I so pleased, or limit my daytime activities to lounging in the sun, sipping espresso, and reading on my Kindle. And both schedules were equally heavenly. Each day, the SeaTrek team organized an itinerary of snorkeling, on-shore village excursions, and meals, all included in the cruise price.

Every evening after dinner, the tour leader, Arie, gave PowerPoint lectures on the islands’ history. He’s spent more than 20 years at sea and was able to tailor the daily seminars to topics requested by the guests, such as the history of bugis pisinis, the region’s endemic flora and fauna, or the local culinary history of the islands.

Eastern Indonesia is home to underwater metropolises populated by more species of fish, crustaceans, and coral than marine biologists could ever hope to catalog. Snorkeling was like immersing myself in a gargantuan, carefully curated aquarium, with a seemingly endless array of clownfish, parrotfish, blue starfish, and sea turtles. We usually snorkeled after lunch, and the crews’ years of collective experience allowed them to find pockets of sea teeming with marine life. While they’re quite rare, visitors are sometimes lucky enough to see dugongs, similar to manatees, grazing on kelp beds around the reefs.

The ship anchored near Komodo National Park for the first few days of the cruise, and hiking through Komodo’s forests offered up-close encounters with not only Komodo dragons, but a menagerie of rare birds, Timor deer, and giant rats. A few days later, after sailing further east around Flores, we trekked to highlands villages where locals speak endangered languages and live much the same way their ancestors did millennia ago. In the village of Watublapi, about an hour by car from the coast, the community leader ceremonially blessed our group and threw a welcome party, complete with locally made palm wine, betel nuts, and a Florense dance troupe.

Other afternoons found our small group taking quick boat rides to remote beaches on cays devoid of inhabitants, save for birds, crabs, and lizards. I spent blissful hours on empty beaches sunbathing, flying my drone, and strolling the sand in search of sea glass and cowrie shells, feeling light-years removed from the frenzy of civilization.

On the last night of the cruise, crew and guests celebrated with a farewell beach party, complete with coolers of Bintang beers, Christmas lights on palm trees, and enough barbecued lobster, whole fish, and shrimp to supply Bubba Gumps’ franchises for an entire year. The guitars, tambourines, and ukuleles came out after supper, and crew and passengers alike launched into Bintang-fueled jam sessions of Bob Marley and John Denver ballads remixed with Indonesian pop standards. Arie sang so soulfully that I encouraged him to forsake his life at sea and take a shot at The Voice Indonesia.

Pro tips for SeaTrek cruises

All SeaTrek Indonesia sailing trips leave from Labuan Bajo, just a 90-minute flight from Bali, and I’d recommend staying in Bali for a few days before the cruise to adjust to the time change. Flights are easy to book online, but the SeaTrek team is on-hand to assist if needed.

The SeaTrek team emails a packing list to guests in the weeks before departure, but make sure to pack reef-safe sunscreen, polarized sunglasses, several bathing suits, and attire suitable for the tropical heat. That may include long-sleeved shirts or hoodies to protect your skin from the sun. A rash guard or water shirt may be good so your back doesn’t get sunburned while snorkeling. Bring plenty of books, as nothing is more glorious than a good read paired with a lazy tropical breeze. Be sure to download books in advance since you’ll be without Wi-Fi. That said, while most people use the trip as a digital detox, 4G service is intermittently available on some cruise routes.

Withdraw cash before departure, as good manners call for tipping the captain and crew before parting ways. You can show your appreciation in either US dollars or Indonesian rupiah. Envelopes for anonymous tipping are distributed on the last day, and the amount you give is discretionary. Cash is also helpful for buying crafts, souvenirs, water, and snacks in the villages, so bring rupiah with you during shore excursions.

Pack your best camera. Every day brings views worthy of an Apple screensaver, and you’ll want photographic evidence to make your friends at home envious. I packed my drone and shot some of the best aerial photography of my career.

SeaTrek costs

Ten days of Indonesia sailing on the remote Ring of Fire trip cost $6,150 and included all meals and activities. SeaTrek also offers 12-day and eight-day cruises, such as the “SeaTrek with Whale Sharks, Corals, & Dragons” route around Komodo, or the longer “SeaTrek with Orangutans and Dragons” route through Komodo and Borneo. Prices vary depending on the route, but all are under $10,000 per person.

The trip was a splurge for me and the type of vacation I can only afford every few years, but the adventure was worth months of saving and cutting costs. For three gourmet meals per day, the novelty of sailing through remote islands on a bugis pisini, and a full schedule of adventures paired with the crews’ local insight and guidance, I considered the deal a bargain, especially given the prices of luxury cruises elsewhere.

My parents recently spent 10 days in the Mediterranean with Silversea Cruises, spending almost twice as much per person as I did on my Indonesia sailing trip with SeaTrek. And after trading notes with them, I can confidently say that I had far more fun than they did.