A land of water and dragons

Indonesia’s islands: a primal seascape by superyacht

Indonesia’s islands provide a sweep of seascapes primal in their appeal. Deep ocean blues vie with lush green islands for your attention while below the waves, a tumult of life awaits adventurous divers.

The cruising grounds of Raja Ampat and Komodo distill these qualities into their most intense forms. Komodo National Park is ruled by the mighty Komodo dragon, stalking its prey with a jurassic single mindedness against a backdrop of pink sand beaches and savannah-like islands. Move through Indonesia to Raja Ampat and the grassy islands give way to dense jungle clad islets which carry their own sense of the ancient.

Realm of water

You don’t need to hear the local name for the islands of Raja Ampat – Four Kings – to get the sense there’s something regal about this pocket of the world.

Rising from the sea to the west of the Papuan mainland, the four stately islands are attended by myriad islets and a string of coral reefs. Above water, cloaks of dense virgin forest create a sharp contrast to the fluorescent aquamarine of the sea below.

Under the waves, it’s a world where azure is the reigning monarch and manta rays cruise past in homage.

Marine life and jungle wonders

Visitors to the area love the abundance of marine species, diving with manta rays along exquisite coral reefs, exploring enormous limestone caves, kayaking through azure coral lagoons, or heading to the surface for a trek through the spectacular Papuan jungles.

This isn’t a part of the world thronged with people, but local culture is a vibrant mix of indigenous history, flavoured with the cultures of waves of migrants throughout the ages who now call the region home. The main occupation in the region for local people is fishing, and although local culture is thriving, people in the area are known for their welcoming nature.

Into the cave at Tolomol

Tolomol cave is an enormous cavern crowned with colossal stalactites where guests can swim through to the furthest recesses of the passage, before it opens into a stunning, jungle-green sunlit expanse.

Emerging from the water, guests wind through a short rocky trail to a pristine inner lake, where they can swim or snorkel ensconced in towering limestone cliffs and overshadowed at the entrance by shady trees.

Diving at Misool

A Raja Ampat experience will see yacht charter guests spend much of their days in the water observing the thronging bustle of its underwater inhabitants.

Misool’s renown dive sites follow stretches of reef where divers can glide across steep coral and rock slopes, flanked by colossal shoals of anchovies. Deep surrounding waters and moderate currents make this a mecca for pelagic marine life, which pierce the jostling throngs of reef fish.

On top, sheltered bays invite paddle boarding, kayaking and sailing, exploring private white sand beaches, or experiencing one of the rarest natural phenomena in the world. For guests with an interest in creatures which soar on air rather than currents, the island of Batanta offers up a feast of birdwatching and jungle scenery.

Trek to the local waterfall, enjoy a swim in the pool below or underneath the falls’ cave, and observe a colourful spread of birds and butterflies on the walk back to the vessel. Blythes hornbills, palm cockatoos, egrets and various sea eagles provide the soundtrack for dinner onboard as they return to roost for the evening.