30th Aug 2026: Belitung Island and North to Malaysia

The sail to the next destination at Karimunjawa National Park was uneventful.  We sailed from Bawean on the morning of the 17^th August and arrived the following morning off Palau Karimunjawa.  The main island is very low lying and there was little protection from the wind in the primary anchorage which was pretty restricted and a fair hike from the town.  Given the prevailing conditions we decided to push on to Belitung Island a further 2 days sail away.  We stayed at anchor for a few hours to get some rest and then at 1530 started the passage.

The whole time we have been coming from Lombok we have had the prevailing South Easterly trades blowing.  This makes for really enjoyable sailing most of the time however as we progress north the Java Sea becomes shallower and there can be an uncomfortable chop build up on the swell which produces a jerky roll.  For the most time we sail with a reefed main and the jib poled out to the opposite side and there is little in the way of sail handling apart from when we have to gybe and reset the pole on the other side.

Abi Helming Sea Otter en route to Belitung

The night watches are interesting coming from Bawean as there are lines and lines of squid fishing boats stretched out along the horizon.  Some have AIS but some don’t so an active look out is an imperative.  They fish at night using high powered lights to attract the squid into nets.  You see the lights for miles so it is pretty easy to see them but difficult to anticipate which way they are going to move.

Having Abi onboard is great as I can get some rest during the nights, there is an extra pair of hands for the onboard chores, and she is really good company.  Initially I was going to just sail as fast as possible to Malaysia but am now stopping at the islands to make it a bit more interesting for both of us.

We sighted Belitung Island early on the 20^th and spent the rest of the day working our way around the southern end of the island and up the west coast to the recommended anchorage.  Belitung Island is another destination that I had never heard of before starting this trip.  Belitung is about the same size as Lombok but with only a tenth of the population.  It is also quite low lying with a max elevation of around 500m.  The northwest coastal area is a UNESCO recognized Geopark for its beaches and granite boulder landscape.

We anchored off a pristine white sand beach in about 5m of water after a very near miss in some shallows entering the anchorage.  There are numerous small islands with clusters of boulders on them and huge isolated boulders surrounding the bay.  It’s very picturesque and reminiscent of a place called the Baths in Virgin Gorda which we visited on Dulcinea many years ago.

Apart from the stunning scenery there is not too much else.  Ashore there are a number of Warongs and there are a couple of very low-key resorts on the beaches.  Further down in the next bay there is a Sheraton resort but that is also very low key.  The main town Tanjung Pandan is about a 40min drive south.  The plan was to check out here so we could then sail direct to Malaysia without a stop off in Batam.  Check out would be done on Monday and we would depart Tuesday so we had the Friday and all weekend to look around.

Beach at Belitung Island

We spent the first day walking on the beaches and ended up at the Sheraton for a couple of drinks on the beach before dinner at a local Warong closer to the boat.  The next day we had organized to hire a local boat and they took us out to a number of nearby islands and snorkeling spots.  We finished up on one island closer to shore with amazing walk/swim through caves and had dinner on the beach again.  The final day we took a scooter ride along the coast to check out some other beaches.  All in all it’s a really pretty spot and a great place to spend a few days.  It was also very quiet in tourist numbers and this is the high season so you can have the beaches to yourself.  Needless to say the locals were all very friendly and helpful.  Not sure there is much else to see on the island.

Exploring the Boulders

Most of Monday was taken up clearing the vessel out of Indonesia and getting ourselves cleared through immigration.  There was some kind of mix up with the vessel papers which delayed us but overall it was relatively painless.  The offices for all the various departments (customs, immigration, etc) were all in Tanjung Pandan and we used the slack time to top up our fresh food for the transit to Malaysia.

Local Dinner

Tuesday morning (25^th Aug) we waved goodbye to Belitung and headed northwest towards the approaches to Singapore.  This was a three-day sail and again was pretty comfortable sailing with following winds.  We anchored in the islands just south of Singapore on Thursday so we could cross the Singapore Strait in daylight. 

The Singapore Straits is one of the busiest if not the busiest shipping areas in the world.  Thousands of merchant ships, tugboats and barges, tankers, ferries and other craft ply the straits daily.  There are strict traffic separation zones to organize the vessels and prevent accidents.  Simply put there is one north bound traffic lane and one Southbound traffic lane.  These lanes start all the way from Port Klang in Malaysia and run south the east until open water is reached on the other side of Singapore.  We were heading to a marina about 13Nm up the Straits of Johor (the narrow body of water separating Malaysia from Singapore).  To get to the Johor Strait we.had to cross both of the traffic seperation lanes a transit of 8 to 9 Nm. 

Sea Otter at Anchor

The crossing required absolute attention to the navigation screens and radio and a constant visual lookout.  Apart from the massive cargo vessels and tankers running end to end of the separation zones there were smaller craft who do not need to abide by the TSZ rules zipping about.  Also some of the large cargo ships were exiting the lanes to dock in Jurong, Singapore or entering the lanes from the port.  Some of the ferries were doing over 20kts so they come upon you extremely quickly especially when visibility is limited to around 5NM.  To make things interesting as we were entering the first lane a squall came through and reduced visibility to a few hundred yards.  Obviously we got through OK but there were some anxious moments.  Once through there are another throng of vessels anchored which you make your way through.

Once across we entered the Johor Strait and motored to Pinetree Marina and secured ourselves in a berth.  We can clear into Malaysia here and the plan is to complete these formalities and then head to Lumut, our final destination.  Unfortunately for me Abi had some pressing personal issues at home and has decided to leave Sea Otter here.  It’s a shame and I will miss her company for the final leg.

So whats left now is a solo sail from Pinetree up the Malacca Straits to Lumut.  Am not really looking forward to this as we have a lot of traffic on the route which makes night sailing particularly challenging.  Much of the traffic is fishing boats with their own set of rules.  In addition given the full moon there are strong tidal current just now.  I have a plan though. 

18th Aug 2026: Back Onboard / Bawean Island

Looking back its been a while since the last post.  Most of that time has been spent ashore finishing our time in Lombok and then moving across to Bali for a week.  It was great to be onshore enjoying the comforts of hotel life with NIk, having everything on tap and not having to worry about boat things for a while.  Our schedule was very relaxed and our only commitment was a yoga class every morning which we had done on Lombok and continued in Bali and watching the sunset.  Nik flew home on the 8^th August and I moved back onto the boat the next day.

I had not been to Bali for 10years.  The last time I was here it was so busy that I was put off returning anytime.  This time I was surprised that whilst it is still busy it did not seem as bad.  In addition, it seems much cleaner that it was.  Even though its not my scene there is no doubt that it is a magical place and even with all the tourist development and associated ills, sitting on Kuta beach with a beer watching the sunset over the Bali Sea and a relentless wave breaking on the beach is special – and it happens every night.

Enjoying Bali and being off the boat

Sea Otter was just as we had left her and she was essentially ready to depart.  I just had to stock up on food and welcome onboard Abi, who will be crewing from Lombok to Malaysia.  I took a car into Mataram on the Monday 10^th Aug and completed a whirlwind of a shopping trip and picked up Abi who had travelled down from her home on the Gilli’s. 

The next day we slipped our mooring and headed away from the marina.  The first day we just motored across to Gilli Asahan and anchored.  I did not feel ready to start the sail across to Bawean Island and this gave us a chance to settle down and make sure we were ready to go to sea. I think my unease is in no small measure due to Nik’s absence as she helps me get ready for sea and acts as a secondary check for me. It also gave Abi a chance to get used to the boat and for us to get to know each other.  Abi is English and works as a freelance travel blogger but lives in the Gilli’s.  She will be blogging the trip aswell but more diligently and professionally I suspect. (this is the link to her Instagram Account AbigailCarolina.Dalton)  Abi has brought a drone with her so am looking at getting some spectacular pictures of the boat. 

The plan is to head towards Malaysia stopping at a few of the islands in the Java Sea on the way before a final sail up the Malacca Straits to Lumut just north of KL.  The islands are typically out of the way stops that would generally be off the popular tourist trail such as Baewan Island, the Karimunjawa National Park and Biliton Island. 

The final leg for this year - Lombok to Lumut

On the 12^th August at a decent time in the morning we headed out into the Lombok Strait.  Almost immediately we picked up radio traffic from a vessel responding to a Mayday call south of Bali and about three hrs south of our position.  They were assisting at a ferry fire where many people were in the water.  My VHF would not get past the land so we motored west to get a clear line of sight and called the vessel.  By that time more rescue vessels had arrived on the scene and recovery of personnel was well underway.  Since it was going to take us three hrs to get there it was deemed not necessary to attend.   First time I have had a Mayday call.

We turned north and headed towards the Bali Sea.  Once we cleared Bali the wind picked up and we spent the next two days sailing with a following wind all the way to Bawean Island about 270NM away off the coast of Java.  The sailing was great but the wind was directly astern so a bit rolly.  In hindsight I should have put in two big gybes instead but am always worried if I pick one side the wind will swing in the wrong direction and end up slowing us down.

We managed to get into our anchorage at Teluk Jati, Dedwang on the north coast of Baewan just before sunset on the 15^th August.  It’s a beautiful big protected bay although we are a bit far out as there is coral reef stretching from the shore quite a way out.  We spent the first day relaxing on the boat, catching up on various admin tasks and organizing a tour of the island for the following day.  A trip in to look around the village was undertaken later in the day and where we beached the dingy there was a small warung where the ladies and kids made us so welcome we stayed for dinner.

Teluk Jati Warung and Colourful Chanel Marks

The next day Abi and I met up with DJ and An our tour guides for the day.  They had organized two scooters and together we came up with an itinerary.  First stop was a lake in the hills about an hours ride away followed by a 20min walk.  After a quick freshwater swim we pushed onto a small port on the east coast and took a local fishing boat across to a place called Noko Island.  This is a tiny sand cay covered in pine trees.  Very picturesque apart from the garbage washed up on the shores.  We had a few hours here swimming, snorkeling and flying the drone before heading back into the main island.  On the way back DJ and An stopped at a friend of theirs house so we could shower and then we had a meal with them.  It was really special.  Finally we sped back to Tanjung Jali. 

At the Lake

Rice Terraces

Mosque Behind Rice Fileds

Abi DJ and An and our scooters

Noko Island

Bawean Island is really beautiful and best seen from a scooter.  The terrain is very lush and hilly and the roads provide endless scenic views over rice fields, hills and the coast.  The island is called the island of women because most of the males leave to find work abroad or on the other major islands like Java and Sumatra and there are certainly a noticeable excess of women.  The island looks quite wealthy as the houses are all brick and tile and in good repair, the roads are good and you see very little in the way of poverty.  The people who we met and passed were all super friendly and everyone smiled and wanted pictures taken with us. This is such a cool spot to visit.  It kind of feels like the real Indonesia.  We could easily have spent a few more days here exploring and enjoying the extraordinary hospitality of the people.

We push on tomorrow for Karimunjawa National park about 130Nm to the west.  

29th July 2026 - The Whale Shark Tour

The boat is squared away and swinging on a mooring off Marina del Ray on Gili Gede.  Nik and I have traded in the small spaces of Sea Otter for a beautiful spacious villa in Kuta Mandalika on the south coast of Lombok.  Before we decamped from the boat however we had one last excursion that Nik wanted to do, which was to see the whale sharks in Saleh Bay in Sumbawa.

We had sailed across the top Sumbawa last month on the transit from Komodo to Lombok and passed by the head of Saleh Bay.  Nik had read about the whale shark tours but we decided not to do the tour as it involved a round trip detour of around 60NM which may not sound like much but would be about 10 to 12 hrs of motoring.  However having since talked to some other cruisers who did the tour and hearing their experiences Nik decided we should would try again but not on the boat.

On Thursday 16^th July we drove to Lombok Airport and then flew to Sumbawa where we were collected for another 2hr drive across the island to Labuan Jambu on the southern shores of Saleh Bay.  The whale shark tours commence really early morning and so we checked into our accommodation, had a bite to eat with a warm beer and went to bed.  At 3:30 am we were up and had time for a coffee before being whisked off to the jetty meeting point.  At around 4:00 am we boarded an open boat with around a dozen others and motored out into the bay.  The boat was set up with blankets and pillows so you could lie on the deck and sleep some as the transit was about two hrs.  We had to motor out to the spots where the whale sharks are enticed to the surface.  The way this is done is that the squid fishing boats – those ones with the massive outriggers and lights – which are moored, attract the whale sharks by chumming with krill. Supposedly this is only a small amount of the whale sharks daily intake.  The sharks come to the surface to feed and will usually stay around for a couple of hours.

We reached the first squid boat around dawn and it was mayhem.  There were about four tour boats around the squid boat including a massive phinisi and a plethora of fins and snorkels crowded around the chumming station on the squid boat and a whale shark trying to get a feed – I was ready to call it quits at that stage.  Luckily after a quick look around our boat pushed on for another 20mins to a second squid boat where there were initially no other boats and even when a couple more turned up they were relatively small with few passengers.

Tour Boats tied up to the Squid Boat - (Photo from internet)

We moored up off the back of the squid boat.  There were already two whale sharks around the boat. They hang vertical in the water with their huge mouths just breaking the surface taking in the krill being thrown into the water by the crew on the squid boat.  They hang like that for a few minutes then sink down, swim around and come back to the feeding station.  The sharks can remain around the squid boat for a couple of hours so there is enough time to swim, have a break and a cup of coffee onboard and go back in again.  As an extra, the tour used a see-through kayak and drone to get some visually stunning photos.  Nik had organized to do this and whilst she could not see the sharks lying in the kayak the photos are pretty impressive.

Nik swimming with the whale Sharks

Being in the water close to the sharks is pretty amazing.  They do not even seem to notice you are there.  As they are feeding they remain relatively still so you get a good look at them.  

Nik and Whale Sharks - Enhanced Picture 

After a couple of hours we motored back into port and Nik and I reversed our journey back to Lombok and Sea Otter.  All in all it is a memorable tour however having now experienced it I am not so sure of the ethics.  Whilst they say the feeding of the sharks is not detrimental to them as the amounts are only a fraction of what they eat I tend to believe other reports I have read which says it is detrimental as it alters their feeding habits.  Nik and I were lucky enough to swim with the whale sharks in Ningaloo a few years ago and that was completely different and a completely wild experience.   In addition, the numbers of people in the water at the same time with no real management can turn the whole experience into a bit of a tourist circus. 

Once back onboard we had a couple of days to clean the boat and I installed a new AIS unit as the one which I had shut down when I was troubleshooting it earlier this month.  I also have been lucky to find crew for the sail up to Malaysia.  There was a notice at Marina del Ray from a young woman which I followed up on.  Abi is a travel blogger living in Gili Meno with some sailing experience and a heap of enthusiasm and has a few weeks to kill.  We met up in Kuta for dinner and she will be great.

Kuta Lombok from the hills

On the 20^th July we left the boat again and headed to Kuta.  Kuta is on the south coast of Lombok and is the centre of the surf scene on the island as it is the south coast that is exposed to the trades, especially this time of year.  The villa we hired is beautiful and we met up with Graeme, a friend of ours who has flown up from Perth to spend 10 days with us.  After being on the boat for the best part of five months it is very nice to move ashore for a few days and have all the amenities we take for granted normally such as a big bed, a front opening fridge, fresh water showers, convenient shops and services.  We are spending our time relaxing, relaxing some more, eating and doing yoga.  Graeme is an avid yoga practitioner and he has inspired Nik and I.  We hired scooters to have a look around for a few days also. 

Kuta Lombok Street Scene

Kuta is quite busy as it’s the high season but still no where near the level of Bali.  The town is on a large bay and built around a main street which runs up from the jetty to the hills that surround the town.  It is a bustling place full of holidaymakers and surfers mainly from Europe it seems.  There are many low rise villa’s, hotels and guest houses and lots of restaurants both local and international. It has the same Bali feel but less developed with no nightclubs or sports bars and, for me anyway, more enjoyable.  There is also a motor racing track here which hosts an annual international GP event.  We will have a look around Kuta and then move across to Bali for a week before I re-join the boat for the sail to Malaysia and Nik flies home.

14th July 2026 - Lombok and the Gili's

Hard to believe that over half of the year has gone by already most of which,,, for me has been spent on the boat. 

The last couple of weeks has been having a look around the west coast of Lombok which has been high on my to do list ever since I was turned off Bali due to the fact that it had become so busy.  Nik still enjoys Bali and usually goes once a year but with her sister, not me.  I had briefly visited Lombok about 10 years ago when myself and two friends hiked Mount Rinjani - great trip - and always wanted to return.

First order of business as always was fuel, water, trash and provisioning.  I also had to get my visa renewed at the immigration office in Mataram.  We hired a driver – Sahar - for the better part of a day to take us shopping in the capital Mataram and points in-between.  It was a good day out and we stocked up on all the essentials and some not so essential items.  Although we did not spend a lot of time in Mataram, the city looks reasonably clean and orderly.  It was busy but nowhere near the level experienced in Bali.  Driving from the marina to Mataram and back took us through the hills one way and then via the coast for the return.  Scenery is spectacular along the drive.  We managed to find almost all of what we were after in the supermarkets and shops we visited and we can now start using electronic payment again for most things.

On the road with Sahar

The Medana Bay Marina is a fairly low-key facility with only moorings but with haul out and hard stand capability and, as such, there is a bit of a cruiser community there and you get to meet different people just in passing or at the bar/restaurant.  More than likely you will bump into the same people further on the journey.  There were a few boats getting ready for the southern run to Cape Town.  I was going to haul Sea Otter here but have reconsidered and will now do it in Malaysia.  That gives us a few more days to have a look around.

We left Medana Bay after three days having completed our chores and headed across to the northern Gili Islands which are very close offshore.  The Gili’s as they are referred to comprise three separate low lying islands Gili Trewangan (the Ibiza of Indonesia) is the biggest, Gili Meno (the quiet island) and Gili Air (the laid back option).   They are all supposed to be really charming in their own way.  We picked up a mooring off the waterfront of Gili T.  It was pretty chaotic with small boats and large ferries moving in, out and through the mooring field.  There is no such thing as reducing your speed to reduce wake effects which makes for a lively anchorage.  We got ashore and managed to confirm a mooring for the next three nights which left us free to explore all three islands.

Gili T waterfront road

The waterfront area where the ferries come in on Gili T is pretty built up with shops, restaurants, bars and tour operators.  There are no cars on any of the Gili’s but lots of electric scooters and push bikes or walking is the way you get around.  There are also small carts pulled by ponies used for tourists and to carry any cargo or baggage around the island.  They are fitted with lots of small bells and so you can hear them jingling around the island.  It’s pretty busy but once out of this harbour front area it calms down.  Behind the waterfront is a myriad of small streets with homes, homestays, small resorts, AirBnBs etc and more restaurants and shops.  The island coast is ringed by bigger hotels and resorts. 

We hired an electric scooter on Gili T and spent the day slowly touring around exploring the island and enjoying the access to good food and drink. 

Taking in the sunset on Gili T

The next day we took Wee Otter across to Gili Meno to snorkel the reefs and visit a turtle sanctuary.  The snorkeling was disappointing partly because we have come from some spectacular snorkeling in Raja Ampat and Komodo so our bar is set quite high.  We beached the dingy and then walked around the island to the turtle sanctuary which was very basic but nice to see the conservation work going on.  Gili Meno is definitely very much the quiet alternative -  there are still resorts and homestays but just low key.

Tiny Turtles at the Hatchery

For the final day we used a fast boat to cross to Gili Air and hired a couple of push bikes to get around.  Gili Air has a really laid back feel to it but it is still quite busy.  There are lots of beach bars and restaurants but they seem to be a bit more personal than those on Gili T.  Again the interior of the island is a maze of narrow lanes lined with various interesting shops and restaurants.

Gili Air Street

Ponies on Gili Air

It was great to see the Gili’s after hearing about them.  The islands are small but would certainly be a nice spot for a few days if you need to get away from everything and slow down.  Gili T was a bit full on for us but certainly Gili Air was really appealing.  The lack of motor vehicles on all three of the islands is a real positive.  We would have stayed longer but the anchorages are limited and not that appealing.  Instead we headed 20NM to the Gilli’s in the south west.  During the transit we ran across some kind of local boat regatta - there were over one hundred local boats on the water crossing from Bali to Lombok.

Traditional sailing vessel - Jukung

The southern gili’s are a group of islands off the southwest coast.  The main ones being Gili Gede and Gili Asahan.  These islands are no where near as developed as the northern three but still have a few low key resorts dotted about them.  There are numerous protected anchorages around the islands all within a short distance of each other.  We anchored in a couple of different spots and spent nine days relaxing, exploring, snorkeling, walking and utilizing the onshore facilities for sunset drinks and meals.  It was like being on holiday.  

Nik seeding an oyster off Gili Asahan

The anchorage at beautiful Gili Asahan

We also visited a famous surf spot called Desert Point – not to surf but to watch the surfers and take in a spectacular wave and the sunset.  There is something about sunrise and sunset here in this part of the world and we rarely miss one now.  The light is surreal and in west Lombok you have a sunrise which frames Mt Rinjani and then the sunset silhouettes Mt Agung on Bali.  Its sensational and made more special with a drink (at sunset only of course).

Sunset off Gili Gede

We are now back in the marina – although a different one.  Marina Del Ray is on Gili Gede.  We have taken a mooring here and the boat will stay here for the next 4 weeks while Nik and I spend some time onshore in Lombok and Bali.

28th June 2026 - The final leg to Lombok

Sea Otter is swinging gently on a mooring in Medana Bay, Lombok, under the shadow of Mount Rinjani after nearly four months of cruising in Indonesia. There is a green beard of seaweed along the waterline, but apart from that she is looking in remarkably good condition. A few other vessels are moored around us, mainly catamarans, along with a low-key marina facility ashore. The black sand shoreline is ringed by palm trees and local boats. The whole place has a very relaxed vibe, which is very welcome.

We arrived this morning after spending the last week moving from the Komodo area. The more time we spend in this part of the world, the more we like it. Since the last post, we have spent the best part of two weeks exploring the Komodo region and another week making our way across the north of Sumbawa and then to Lombok.

As we already mentioned, Komodo is fantastic — and probably all the more special when you get to experience it in your own vessel. You can avoid the crowds, explore further afield, and spend more time at the spots you like. We found a beach called Long Beach, off Padar Island, and anchored there for five or six days. It was a beautiful spot that could get busy during the day but cleared out by late afternoon, leaving us alone. We could go ashore, buy a beer from one of the local vendors’ shacks, and enjoy the sunset once everyone had left. On our final day there, the Elrora Phinisi turned up and we were happily reunited with the crew.

At Padar we also managed to complete the small trek to the high point with no one else in sight. This was the trek I had flagged during the Phinisi tour because there were simply too many people.  We also saw deer on the beach?  Who knew?

Nik at the top of Padar

The ranger station on Rinca Island was our next stop. We checked in and organised a tour to see the dragons the following day. At 0700 we were assigned a guide, Ridwan, and set off on a four-hour walk through the forests. This was such a great tour — far better than our previous trip on Komodo. Some dragons were hanging around the visitor centre, giving us close and personal encounters. During the walk we also came across buffalo, deer, and monkeys. From Rinca we moved slowly through the park, stopping to snorkel and hike at interesting spots. At one snorkelling site Nik was lucky enough to see a dugong. We also enjoyed a spectacular drift snorkel at the top of Komodo.

Nik at the Rinca Island Ranger Station

Spectacular Anchorage at Gilli Lawa Darat

From Komodo we pushed on to Sumbawa, stopping briefly at a remote island called Gili Banda. Within a couple of days we reached the eastern end of Sumbawa. We probably should have lingered longer on the journey across the top of Sumbawa, but we were both keen to reach Lombok. We did stop at Pulau Moyo to visit the Mata Jitu Waterfall — a great side trip. We had seen very few other yachts on the whole journey, but after we dropped anchor another yacht arrived: Miss Juniper. The next day, as we prepared for the walk to the waterfall, her crew had the same idea and joined us. Steve, Kylie, and their daughter Zoe are Australians from Melbourne. We hit it off immediately and spent the day together. Zoe reminded us of Calley when she was on Dulcinea — very confident and entertaining.

The Mata Jitu Waterfall

The waterfall was really pretty, with the main falls feeding a series of swimming pools. Being able to swim in fresh water was a real treat after so long on the boat, especially with our watermaker down and water being used sparingly. When we got back we had a good look around each other’s boats. Miss Juniper is a Hallberg-Rassy 46 — very comfortable and beautifully finished. I could see Nik being tempted to jump ship! We all ended up having dinner together with a few beers.

Steve had heard about a small island on the way to Lombok called Pulau Bedil, home to a rudimentary resort with a bar. He had been contacted by the manager via a sailing social media app and decided to stop in. It sounded perfect, so the next morning we sailed the 20 NM with Miss Juniper.

Pulau Bedil is tiny — about the size of a big football oval — and they are building a basic resort on it. The restaurant, bar, and infinity pool are finished, along with critical services, and accommodation has started. We went ashore for drinks and dinner to watch the sunset. A phinisi arrived and disgorged a crowd of backpackers, so it got quite busy. The sunset was spectacular, and we all had a really enjoyable evening. Also moored off the island was a $500 million superyacht called Nord — apparently owned by a sanctioned Russian oligarch and kept in out-of-the-way places to avoid impoundment. Very impressive, if a bit over-the-top.

Palau Bedil......

.....and the Super Yacht Nord

The next day we made an overnight stop on the north coast of Lombok before arriving in Medana Bay the following morning. Miss Juniper has continued on to Bali but will be back next week, and we hope to catch up with them in the Gili Islands.

10th June 2026 - Dragons, Mantas and Bats

Best week yet for the trip I think.  We both absolutely love it here around Komodo.  I had not heard much about it before arriving  - an article every now and then - but it really is a fantastic destination with quite a bit to offer especially if aquatic activities are your bag.

Nik and I joined our Phinisi called Elrora on Friday morning.  Elrora is 32m long and about 2years old.  The range of phinisis which can be chartered runs from older and/or simpler vessels with fewer comforts and amenities to super yacht type luxury phinisi.  As we figured we were due a bit of comfort Nik had booked Elrora which was towards the later end of the spectrum.

The vessel tender came and picked us up from Sea Otter, took us to the port for registration and check in and then onto Elrora.  There are berths for 16 onboard however for this trip there were only five passengers including us. Nik had booked us a lux cabin on the top deck at the stern – it was great and a real change from Sea Otter i.e. full size double bed, aircon, bath, balcony etc.

Our other passengers were a lady from Malaysia called Ayisha travelling on her own and an expat couple living in Thailand, Meghan from Minnesota and Gareth from the UK.  We all got on almost immediately which resulted in a really amiable trip.  There were around ten staff onboard taking care of us who were exceptional from start to finish.

The Elrora Gang

The climate in this area is just about as perfect as it can get – a temperature range of 22 to 26 degrees, constant 5 to 15kt winds from the SE and little rain.  So we set off mid morning on a beautiful day with a slight breeze and headed into the national park.  First stop was a snorkelling spot called manta point.  Although no mantas were spotted the coral gardens were spectacular and full of fish and turtles.  There was a noticeable current so you could just drift and the tender from Elrora would follow and pick you up.  Next we headed to Makassar island which is really just a huge sandbank in the middle of nowhere – probably quite interesting to anybody not living on a boat.  We ended the day off with a trip to a pink sand beach for a beer on one of the main islands called Padar and then anchored for the night in another bay.

View of Padar Island and Pink Beach

One of the only negatives to the trip was that many of the phinisi follow the same itinerary so the popular spots become very crowded.  Next morning was a prime example.  We had an early start to go onshore and walk a short way to a viewpoint to watch the sunrise.  Unfortunately the large number of other Phinisi with the same idea meant that there were a huge number of passengers crowding the trail.  Given our solitude for the last three months this was a bit overwhelming and I did not even make it off the boat.  Nik got part way up with the others.  I stayed and watched the sunrise from Elrora.

Sunrise at Padar Island

Next we visited the island of Komodo and spent a couple of hours with a guide who led us on a trail out of the village to see the famous dragons.  The village itself is nothing much to see – just a typical Indonesian village with rudimentary housing and trash lying around however this quickly gives way to scrub land and forest areas where the dragons live. We saw four or five of them all quite inactive given the time of day.  Very impressive and powerful animals though.

Nik Bravely Poses with a Dragon

Komodo Dragon

The terrain throughout the park is similar – the islands are volcanic so very rugged and imposing with high steep hills covered to a large extent with trees and scrub.  The hills fall straight into the water or end in narrow coastal strip with a fringing beach.  It is very spectacular and has a certain Jurrasic Park feel to it.  The park consists of the three main islands of Rinca, Komodo and Padar plus a host of smaller islands, islets and cays.  The dragons are found on about four of the islands so you need to understand which and get a guide where necessary.

After seeing the dragons, we departed Komodo and headed for another manta spot and this time were lucky enough to see a huge manta ray.  The water was quite shallow – maybe 5m and the visibility was perfect.  The manta came along and at first we thought it was just passing through but it turned around and played underneath us for 20mins and you could dive down and get right up close.  A  truly memorable experience. 

Day Three - Views from Palau Kelor

Sundown found us anchored off the North side of Rinca Island near mangrove island called Kaba famous for the flying foxes or fruit bats.  At sunset we sat on the roof of the boat and watched thousands of the bats depart the mangroves headed for the main land presumably to feed.  There are a few sea eagles also and they hang around and try and pick off an easy meal.  It’s a fantastic show.

Relaxing on Elrora

For our final day we visited a couple of snorkelling spots and then motored back into the harbour in Labuan Bajo.  We left Elrora on their tender and were relieved to find Sea Otter on the mooring where we had left her three days earlier.  We gave the Elrora crew a quick look at Sea Otter which they found amazing and then said our goodbyes.  The whole trip was three days and two nights but it was packed with things to do.  I had two books with me envisaging relaxing on deck and reading but we were always busy with activities or eating or chatting with the other guests. 

Elrora Crew on Sea Otter

One reason for doing the Phinisi trip was to get an overview of the park to give us some ideas when we headed out in Sea Otter. We wanted to hit some of the more remote places not covered by the commercial trips and even revisit a couple of the places we had been to when they will not be so crowded.  So a couple of days later on Monday after getting the provisions onboard and having a final sunset beer followed by a seafood market dinner we sailed out of the anchorage and back into the park area which was only a mater of 10Nm.  

First stop was overnight at Palau Kaba to see the sunset bat migration again.  The following day we moved down to the south of Rinca island to a very quiet spot where we anchored of a beach and where we are still.  There is only one other private yacht about a mile away and yesterday we had a superyacht called Sharlou anchor just near us for the day.  Its a great spot - there are three dragons here that wander along the beach and were swimming after the Sharlou tender when it got too close to shore.  

Dragon Chasing the Tender

There are also wild pigs, monkeys and dear wandering around and magnificent sea eagles patrolling the skies.  This has been home for the past three days and we will probably head off tomorrow towards Padar and Komodo.