Ancient Villages, Textiles, Dragons, and Vibrant Coral Reefs - From Alor to Ende

Description

This 15-day odyssey combines a 10-day sea cruise from Alor to Komodo with 5-days of overland travel by private air-conditioned car across Flores Island in the company of your very own expert SeaTrek tour leader.
Together, we take you on an adventure through the wonders of Indonesia’s forgotten islands of East Nusa Tenggara, volcanoes, savannas, lush rice terraces, coral reefs, and remote island landscapes are home to the region’s rich and ancient cultures, and where traditional ikat production lies at the very heart of the wide and varied tribes’ ways of life.
You will awaken to volcanic peaks jutting dramatically from the landscape, seek out the famed Komodo dragon in the wild, snorkel in kaleidoscopic underwater seascapes specially chosen for their marine life, see a dugong in its natural habitat, and explore multiple ancient villages to learn about their traditional weaving and dying techniques used for their famous ikat cloths as we are entertained and invited to participate in their songs, dances and rituals as honoured guests.

Trip Name

Ancient Villages, Textiles, Dragons, and Vibrant Coral Reefs - From Alor to Ende

Days

Overview

Vessel Type: Yacht Length overall: 38 metres Passanger Capacity: 14 Led by Captain Ferdi and operated by a crew of 12, the 38-metre Katharina sits low in the water, making her a most beautiful looking boat. Built in 1995 in Kalimantan, her slim hull was originally planned for use as a commercial freighter before she caught our eye with her simple lines and sleek structure. After her 2014 interior refit, her transformation is a conservation exercise back to authenticity of a mighty seafaring tradition. Not only is the Katharina very elegant on the water, she is also fast becoming a classic yacht, as very few of these original designs remain. Accommodating just 12 guests in six cabins, with a salon & bar, two sun decks, and an outdoor dining area, she offers a more intimate experience.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Day 1: Arrival in Alor & Traditional Village Visit

- You will be collected from your hotel in Kupang and taken to the airport for the short flight to Alor, where you will be met and taken straight to the boat. After settling in and receiving a safety briefing and orientation, we will have lunch.- We will visit the very traditional village of Takpala, where we will be greeted by the head man and his warriors for a fascinating cultural performance. We will then travel by local boat out into the bay to look for the resident dugong named Mawar, who is looked after by a local man dedicated to Mawar’s well-being. Sightings are common, so hopefully we will be in luck.- Back on the boat we can relax and unwind, as we raise anchor head west to Pura Island, where we will spend a quiet night at anchor.

Day 2 - Day 2: Clown Valley & Buaya Island Snorkeling

- After breakfast we will snorkel at a local reef called Clown Valley, home to many sea anemones and their resident guardian clown fish. It’s a fantastic spot to see a wide variety of marine life among the corals.- In the early afternoon we will have a second snorkel at Buaya Island, a location with a beautiful wall drop-off and lots of fish.- We will then head to a local quiet bay to spend the night at anchor.

Day 3 - Day 3: Ikat Weaving in Uma Pura

- After breakfast we will visit the old Muslim village of Uma Pura, which is renowned for their creation of ikat textiles using many local materials including sea sponges and natural plants for the dyeing of their textiles.- We will stroll around, meet the friendly local people and witness the full production process and have the chance to view many of their finished textiles.- In the afternoon we will go snorkelling on a local reef and during dinner, we will depart overnight to the uninhabited active volcanic island of Komba.

Day 4 - Day 4: Volcanic Wonders of Komba Island

- Waking up just off the active Komba Island, we will explore the (hopefully) belching volcano with our dinghies and then circumnavigate the island. We will then go for a snorkel on the island’s southern point. In the late morning, we will spend some time on a beautiful white-sandy shoal where we will get out the paddle boards and umbrellas and spend some time on the beach.- After lunch, we will go ashore and drive to a local village to see some prehistoric 500-year-old rock art and maybe get to try some of the locally brewed arak alcohol with the villagers.- We will snorkel again and then at dusk we will have cocktails on the back deck as we watch the sunset over the active Ile Apé volcano. After dark and if the mountain activity is strong, we will be able to see the lava erupting from the top against the night sky.

Day 5 - Day 5: Solor’s Portuguese Fort & Scenic Passage

- In the morning, we will explore the beautiful underwater reefs on the northeast of Adonara island.- We will head to Solor Island as we have lunch, enjoying the beautiful views of the volcanos and islands as we head through the stunning inland passage between the islands. On Solor, we will visit the local village and the ruins of a 16th-century Portuguese fort which used to guard this vital waypoint of the ancient spice trade.

Day 6 - Day 6: Textiles & Highlands of Maumere Bay

- We wake up at anchor in Maumere Bay against the backdrop of an extinct volcano and enjoy a leisurely breakfast before the day’s activities begin.- We will take a short drive to the scenic Iwang Gete highlands to visit the small village of Watublapi, where we will be met with singing and dancing by the local people. Famed for their unique textiles, we will be shown first-hand their ancient techniques of spinning, dyeing, and weaving their famous fabrics. Here we will have the chance to view (and purchase) some of the local textiles, try their betel nut, and brave their locally produced liquor.- In the late afternoon we will head off to Riung conservation area.

Day 7 - Day 7: Riung Conservation Area Beaches

- Today we explore the beaches and the underwater world of the 17-island, Riung Conservation Area, home to many species of coral and abundant underwater life which we will snorkel through.- We will move between islands enjoying some great beach time along the way with the kayaks and paddle boards.- At around sunset, we will head east in the direction of the Komodo National Park.

Day 8 - Day 8: Komodo National Park & Coral Restoration

- Today we are in the Komodo National Park, and after breakfast we will visit Hatamin Island for some snorkelling, where a local NGO is running a reef restoration programme, and we will create our very own coral racks to place in the sea. The island is home to many fish and is a nursery ground for black-tipped reef sharks.- In the afternoon, we will look for manta rays and then visit the island of Gili Lawa Darat in the very north of the park. Here we can climb to the top of the island for majestic sweeping views of the park and all the surrounding islands. A spectacular drift snorkel in the narrow channel between the islands is not to be missed.

Day 9 - Day 9: Komodo Dragons & Sunset Bat Spectacle

- We enjoy an early breakfast and go ashore on Rinca Island for one of the main highlights of trip – searching for the ancient and fearsome Komodo dragon. We will go for a ranger-led walk through the savannah and forest and will hopefully spot the dragons in the wild along with buffalo, deer, monkeys and many different kinds of birds.- Cruising to the richly diverse reefs of Siaba Besar Island, we will snorkel with thousands of fish and sea turtles that congregate in the area.- At dusk we will gather on the back deck at cocktail hour to witness a spectacular event: the evening departure of tens of thousands of fruit bats that fill the skies as they leave their forest homes to forage on the mainland.

Day 10 - Day 10: Final Beach Time & Return to Port

- After a leisurely breakfast, we will visit a nearby island for some beach time.- Later in the morning, we will head back to port, where we will say goodbye to the crew and your fellow shipmates. We will escort you to the airport where you will board a late morning flight to Ende in the centre of Flores, from where you will commence your overland trip the following day

Day 11 - Day 11: Natural Dyes & Ikat Weaving in Ndona

- After breakfast, you and your SeaTrek tour leader will visit a group of weavers in Ndona, an area famed for its natural dyeing process. You will meet the ‘Musalaki’, the lord of the land and be shown a wide array of their ikats as you take in the breathtaking views.- Tonight is spent at a hotel in Ende with dinner at in a popular local restaurant.

Day 12 - Day 12: Nggela Village & Kelimutu Ecolodge

- Departing after an early breakfast, depart for Moni and visit Nggela village, a beautifully traditional village where we will meet with the weavers and see their beautiful yet very unique ikats.- Late morning, check in at the Kelimutu Ecolodge, have lunch and relax. This will be followed by a trip to Waturajo village, a mixed Muslim & Christian village that produce a particularly rare motif in their ikat cloths.

Day 13 - Day 13: Sunrise Over Kelimutu & Soa Hot Springs

- Get ready for an early start to witness the stunning sunrise from the top of Kelimutu volcano and see the three-crater lakes changing colors throughout the day.- Driving back to Ende for lunch, stop on the blue pebble beach at Nanga Panda, and then head to Soa hot spring to unwind before driving to Bajawa for the night

Day 14 - Day 14: Ancient Ngada Villages & Ruteng Market

- Today we visit the ancient Ngada villages Gurusina to learn about their traditions and see their ikat weaving process. We drive to Ruteng, stopping by Aimere village to see the local distillery where they produce 'arak’, an alcoholic spirit brewed from rice or palm.- Before reaching Ruteng, enjoy the stunning view of Rana Mese crater lake and waterfall. We will also visit the local market to see the colorful spices and vegetables and stay overnight.

Day 15 - Day 15: Liang Bua Cave & Spider Web Fields

- We will start the day with a visit to the now legendary Liang Bua cave, where the remains of Homo floresiensis (the legendary ‘Hobbits”) were discovered in 2003, an extinct species of early humans that inhabited the island of Flores until the arrival of modern humans about 50,000 years ago.- As we continue on, we will see the spider web-shaped rice fields in Cancar village, then head to Todo village to meet the head of the village and learn about the history of the Manggarai people. Here, we will also see the Manggarai ikat weaving called Songket. After a stop for lunch in Lembor, it’s a short drive to Labuan Bajo where we will drop you at theb airport for your flight back to Bali.

Day 16 - Please note:

Itineraries are subject to change.

Trip Dates

Start	End	Price From	Room Type

Inclusions

Explore Traditional Villages: Meet local communities, experience ikat weaving, and witness cultural performances in Takpala, Uma Pura, and Watublapi villages.
Snorkeling and Marine Adventures: Swim among vibrant coral reefs, encounter manta rays, sea turtles, and the famed Komodo dragon in their natural habitats.
Volcano and Scenic Wonders: Admire the stunning views of Kelimutu’s colored lakes, volcanic landscapes, and unique formations like the spider web rice fields.