We Chartered Katharina for Our Dream Family Holiday Trip

By Rowland and Sue Hill 

In 2023 we realised our dream of a family holiday with a difference – with pirate ships, volcanoes, dragons, and snorkelling.

What more exciting adventure could we offer our grandchildren?

Then add ‘fully catered’, and entertained: What greater enticement could we offer their parents?

Long familiar with Indonesia, we knew of the traditional Bugis schooners (pirate ships), the string of volcanoes running from Krakatoa in the Sunda Strait east along Java, and on to Flores; the dragons of Komodo Island; and the coral reefs of the archipelago.

SeaTrek Converted Our Wild Dreams Family Holiday to Reality

On Day 1, we woke in Amed to the sight of one of SeaTrek’s traditional pinisi anchored in the bay – the two-masted gaff-rigged Katharina. A pirate’s ship if ever we’d seen one, stimulating visions of Captain Neptune Blood (rumoured to be a forebear), Blackbeard and others. For all of us the sight was a magical moment.

For the next week Katharina was home to our two children, their partners and their four children – aged 11 to 17. We were 10 with a crew of 12 – the captain and first mate, two guides, engineers, chefs (providing a continual supply of food, sufficient to satisfy teenagers), stewards and Zodiac crew. All were the happiest, most caring, and skilled professionals we’ve met anywhere.

We followed the line of volcanoes – from Gunung Agung, Kintamani and Batur on Bali; on to Rinjani on Lombok; Tambora and Sangeang on Sumbawa; and Wai Sano on Flores.

There was a trek with the dragons on Komodo.

Anastasia from Ambon and Tinae from Sumatra – both gifted free-divers and eagle-eyed and knowledgeable marine observers – took us to the best snorkelling sites.

The Greatest Family Holiday Ever

And then there was the greatest adventure of the whole trip – swimming with the Whale Sharks at Saleh Bay, Sumbawa. Initially the sight of big pectoral fins breaking the surface was intimidating (to say the least), but once in the water with face masks and snorkels it was apparent these 5m plankton feeders were not interested in us, but in the fish feed being chummed to attract them.

Over 90 minutes five individual whale sharks circulated around the back of the fish trap while we swam and were photographed with them.

Culturally there were visits to villages, including Bali’s oldest, and one that still builds traditional Pinisi, like the Katharina.

Our family adventure ended with an unforgettable beach BBQ. Not grouches, but comfortable with our shipboard life, we queried the need for an on-shore dinner. We were overruled and told to go snorkelling off a tiny and idyllic atoll.

While in the water, the atoll’s beach was raked clean of coral rubble, a BBQ pit dug, lights set up, and a boom box fired up. With the whole crew, we ate sang and danced for several hours to end our adventure.

There were smiles all round – from first sighting of the Katharina off Amed, until we reluctantly disembarked at Labuan Bajo.

This was a family holiday none of us will ever forget. Thank you SeaTrek.