Description
From Bali to Singapore, set sail aboard Le Soléal for a 13-day expedition cruise to the heart of fascinating Indonesia. Take a unique trip to discover the world’s largest archipelagic state, featuring ancient temples and modern cities, impenetrable jungle and majestic volcanoes, historic towns and chains of idyllic islands. And of course, there will be precious encounters with a diverse population.
Your journey will begin in the mysterious Komodo, a small, wild island whose national park is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among other things, it is home to the famous Komodo dragons, gigantic monitor lizards that can grow more than three metres long. Here you will be able to see them in their natural environment.
In Badas, on the island of Sumbawa, you will be welcomed by the inhabitants of Pamulung village, where you will be able to witness a traditional ceremony.
You will then set sail to Probolinggo, one of the access points to Mount Bromo. This active volcano in the Tengger mountains stands 2,329 metres tall in the middle of a protected nature reserve.
During your call at Semarang, a cosmopolitan city with Chinese, Indo-Arab and European influences, you will visit the incredible site of Borobudur. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this monumental Buddhist temple compounds from the 8th and 9th centuries is an artistic marvel with over 500 Buddha statues.
Le Soléal will then set course for the south-western tip of Java. On the edge of the Sunda Strait, you will discover Ujung Kulon National Park. In addition to being a place of great natural beauty and of geological interest, notably for the study of island volcanoes, the park contains the largest remaining area of lowland rainforest on the island. It also includes the Krakatau Nature Reserve, and you will have the chance to observe the volcano during a unique sailing experience.
Your next port of call will be the Belitung islands, to the east of Sumatra. This archipelago made up of many islands, the two largest being Bangka and Belitung, will delight you with its long beaches with their giant granite rock formations, similar to those found in the Seychelles, coming out of the water.
Your journey will end in Singapore, city-State on the edges of the Orient, where you will be seduced by the unique multicultural atmosphere of this “garden city”, home to wonderful botanical tropical gardens, UNESCO World Heritage Sites.