SeaTrek the Remote Ring of Fire: East of Komodo (Alor-Komodo)

Cruise Highlights

This cruise has been designed for people wanting to get further off the beaten track and explore the culturally rich region of southeastern Indonesia, where you can sail with us through the Komodo National Park, world-renowned for its rich marine biodiversity and dragons, and through an undisturbed realm of white-sand beaches, volcanic landscapes, and rich, authentic ancient cultures.

– Take an early morning walk across Komodo Island in search of the famed and ancient dragons in their natural savanna habitat.

– Visit a highly successful coral restoration project on Hatamin Island to learn, where you can get ands on in creating and placing coral racks into the sea.

– Be warmly welcomed into ancient villages to experience ritual dance performances and witness the weaving process of traditional ikat cloth, spun by hand and dyed using traditional plant and animal products.

– Snorkel in kaleidoscopic underwater seascapes specially chosen for their rich and abundant marine life.

– Visit Mawar, a local dugong who lives among the seagrass beds of Alor and is protected by “local hero”, Pak One.

Textiles & Weaving

This part of Indonesia is famed for its traditional tribal groups where ikat textile production still lies at the heart of their cultures. On this journey, we have the pleasure of visiting three different villages; Uma Pura & Watublapi, and Tapkala, each with very distinct practices and beliefs, to gain a glimpse of how textiles play an important part in their daily lives and to witness the ancient spinning, binding, weaving and dyeing techniques that they have practiced for generations. Using all natural fibres and colours, including around 200 different natural dyes, using ingredients such as sea sponges, sea anemones and the ink of sea hares, these finished items are a wonder to behold, and we will have the opportunity to meet and talk with the weavers and purchase some of the beautifully crafted textiles to add to your collections as a memento of your journey.

Snorkelling with SeaTrek

Whether it’s swimming with whale sharks & mantas rays, or leisurely gliding along a stunning tropical reef surrounded by myriad fish and corals, snorkelling lies at the very heart of what we do at SeaTrek. We do it well and we do it often – usually twice a day for an hour or more at a time. No matter if you are a novice or a seasoned pro, our tour leaders will ensure that you have everything you need to have some of the best underwater experiences of your life.

Be Prepared to be Flexible

Our mission is to provide the best experience possible for our guests given the current conditions and when unexpected opportunities for adventure may present themselves along our cruise routes. Sometimes weather conditions, tides or other local factors dictate that we need to vary from the published route, and at times there are special opportunities to explore and discover new locations, events and activities. These explorations will always be a definite enhancement to the published itinerary and will be undertaken after discussion and agreement among guests. Ultimately, the boat captains and your tour leader will make decisions to maximize trip safety and your overall enjoyment, so please come prepared to be flexible!

The more You Know the more You See

Our tour leaders are a wealth of information on the regions we visit and will prepare you for each activity with on board talks and presentations to give you a greater understanding of the different experiences you will have each day. They will also act as your cross-cultural bridges to all the people we meet along the way, so feel free to ask them to translate when talking to local Indonesian people on your travels.

Want to add on a Wildlife or
Cultural Excursion to Your Trip?

Our four-day orangutan cruise that features in our Orangutans & Dragons itinerary can be worked into any of our SeaTrek cruises throughout the year, regardless of length or location, so just let us know if this is something you would like to do when visiting Indonesia and we will happily arrange it for you.

We are also a wealth of information on other great destinations and wildlife and cultural excursions in Indonesia that can be added on to your SeaTrek cruise. The possibilities are endless so all you have to do is ask.

Important Note

Because of the flight schedules to Alor from Bali, guests must fly to Alor the day before the journey and stay in a local resort for one night. This overnight stay is included in the ticket price and will be booked by SeaTrek on your behalf.

Cruise Itinerary

Day 1 & 2

SeaTrek both boats Katharina and Ombak Putih

an underwater picture of a dugong named Mawar in Alor

You will arrive in Alor and be met at the airport by your crew and tour leaders and taken straight to the boat, which will be waiting in the harbour.

Travel by local boat a short distance to see Mawar, the dugong in the wild. Mawar is very inquisitive and will very likely come and check out our boats and spend a long time frolicking and playing in the waters nearby, providing plenty of opportunity for photos and eye contact.

Visit the traditional village of Takpala, where we will be greeted by traditional dancing, where you will be welcomed as honoured guests and invited to participate.

Day 3 & 4

Coral and Fish underwater of Buaya Island Alor

Snorkel the rich reef head east in the direction of Buaya Island, a stunning location with a beautiful drop off and lots of fish. Visit a local village and see an example of ancient Stone Age rock art.

Visit the Muslim village of Uma Pura, where we will stroll around, meet the people, and see their way of life. The village is well known for using sea sponges for the dying of their textile, and we will get a chance to see the process in action.

Watch the sunset over Ile Apé, an active volcano that we can see erupt with its fiery glow as it spews lava into the night sky – from a safe distance, of course.

Day 5 & 6

The remains of the Portuguese Fort in Solor.

Take a short drive to the scenic highlands to visit a 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 firsthand their ancient techniques of spinning, dyeing, and weaving of 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.

Cruise through the beautiful passage between the islands and volcanoes as we head northeast of Adonara, where we will go snorkelling. Visit the ruins of a 16^th-century Portuguese fort on Solor, a reminder of the ancient spice trade.

Day 7 & 8

SeaTrek guests kayaking and paddleboarding

Coral planting with the Coral Guardian at Hatamin Island.

Explore the beaches and the underwater world of the 17-Island, Riung Conservation Area, home to myriad species of land animals and rich coral reefs, as the Ombak Putih moves from island to island throughout the day, where we will explore, paddle board, and snorkel.

We will be snorkeling at Hatamin Island — the site of a very successful coral restoration project in the Komodo National Park, where you will create your own coral rack and see how the corals and fish populations have grown since they were first transplanted in 2014.

Day 9 & 10

Go ashore in search of the fearsome Komodo dragons, found only in the Komodo National Park. This is the world’s largest lizard, growing up to a length of three metres and weighing up to approximately 70 kilograms.

Snorkel at a favourite hangout of sea turtles, where we will have a chance to swim with these gentle reptiles as they cruise along the shallow water of the reef. Hopefully, we can swim with manta rays as they feed on the current and circle the so-called cleaning stations, where small fish remove parasites from their skin.

Watch from the top deck at sunset as tens of thousands of giant flying foxes emerge from their mangrove hangouts and head to the mainland to forage on fruits, filling the skies as they go. A most majestic sight.

10 Days/9 Nights

Alor to Komodo