Visiting Indonesia With A Twist: Underwater Adventure – 17 Days

Take part in a Melukat, a Balinese purification ritual at a sacred water spring, said to cleanse both mind and body. Join the temple prayers, present a pejati offering of flowers, rice and fruit, and receive a blessing from a pemangku, a local temple priest, or a pedanda, a high priest.

For a deeper spiritual experience, you can also choose a chakra awakening session and palm reading with a local priest.

End the day in the warm company of a local family, sharing a traditional dinner in their home.

Your private guide collects you in a vintage Volkswagen convertible for a stylish drive out of Ubud. First stop is Pura Taman Ayun, the 18th-century royal water temple of the Mengwi kingdom, with its tiered shrines set within a broad moat.

Climb into the cool highlands to Pura Ulun Danu Bratan, whose shrines seem to float on the surface of Lake Bratan against a backdrop of mountains.

Finish among the Jatiluwih rice terraces, which cascade down the hillsides in shades of green. Together with Taman Ayun, they were listed by UNESCO in 2012 as part of the Subak system, Bali’s centuries-old way of sharing water between temples and fields, before you return to Ubud.

Enjoy the day at leisure in Ubud, with time for a massage, a swim or one last walk through the rice fields.

Transfer to Denpasar Airport for the overnight flight to Sorong, resting on board as you travel.

On landing in Sorong, a private transfer takes you to the Swiss-Belhotel, where you can rest and refresh after the night flight.

Board the Aqua Blu, a converted explorer yacht, settle into your suite and set sail for Mioskon Island.

Your first dinner on board, as the ship heads into the islands.

Wake up off Mioskon Island and slip into the clear water: swim, snorkel among the coral or go scuba diving on the reefs around the island.

Take a tender or a kayak through The Passage, a narrow channel that winds between Waigeo and Gam islands, followed by the naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in 1860. Mangrove forests line the banks, and with luck you may spot saltwater crocodiles, hawksbill turtles or hornbills.

Back on board, enjoy sundowners on deck, then dinner.

Rise with the sounds of the jungle for an early tender ride through Kabui Bay, where mushroom-shaped karst islets rise from the glassy water.

Breakfast is served as the yacht cruises to the house reef at Cape Kri, a record-breaking site where a scientist once counted 374 species of fish on a single dive. Dive or snorkel among swirling schools of fish and gardens of coral.

Head to Yangeffo Island, where divers can explore the busy reef known as Mayhem, while others enjoy a sunset cocktail cruise among the mangroves.

Dinner is served on deck under a sky full of stars.

An early departure brings you to Aljui Bay to visit a pearl farm and learn the slow, delicate process of cultivating South Sea pearls.

Cruise on to Wofoh Island for an afternoon of diving, snorkelling and water sports.

As the sun goes down, the Aqua Blu’s crew set up their beach club on a secluded stretch of sand, with tailor-made cocktails and time to play and relax before dinner.

Watch the sun rise over the karst islets of Wayag, then take an early swim to the sound of birdsong. If you are lucky, you may glimpse one of the region’s elusive birds of paradise before breakfast on board.

Dive at Figure Eight Rock, or snorkel near the ranger station, where blacktip reef sharks patrol the shallows.

Spend a lazy afternoon paddling a kayak through hidden lagoons or lounging on the white sand of Castaway Beach.

Arrive at dawn at Dayang Island, rich in marine life and visited by both reef and oceanic manta rays.

Dive at the manta cleaning station, where these giant rays hover patiently while small fish pick off parasites and dead skin, an underwater ballet in the deep blue.

Sail on to Arborek Island to visit a traditional Papuan village and learn about life in this remote corner of Indonesia.

Return to the ship for dinner under the stars.

Explore by tender among dramatic karst islands, where ancient rock paintings decorate the cliffs, and visit a lake where harmless moon jellyfish pulse through the water.

The highlight of the day is Tomolol Cave, a vast cavern with a river running through its heart, which you glide through by boat.

Explore the secluded lagoons and sheer limestone walls of Wayil aboard the Aqua Blu’s tenders, stopping at quiet coves for snorkelling and swimming.

Relax on a peaceful beach, cocktail in hand, as the sun sets in shades of orange and purple.

Walk gently through sandy coves to secluded lakes hidden among the islands.

Snorkel, swim and kayak in the natural pools, where soft corals, sea fans and reef fish fill the crystal-clear water beneath you.

Dive or snorkel the coral-rich waters of Koon Island, known as the Marine Superhighway for its place on a migration route used by schools of fish, turtles and larger marine life.

Paddle a kayak through the narrow waterways of Manawoka, near Gorong Island, where shallow reefs fall away into dramatic drop-offs.

Set sail for the Banda Islands as the setting sun colours the sky.

As you approach the harbour, local kora-kora war canoes paddle out to greet you, a colourful and noisy welcome.

Explore Banda Neira, once the centre of the spice trade, and climb the walls of Fort Belgica, the star-shaped Dutch fortress that still watches over the town. Your guide brings to life the stories of the old spice trade, its riches and its cruelties.

Start with an ocean swim, followed by a dive or snorkel.

Visit the picturesque fishing villages of Ameth and Akon on the north side of Nusa Laut, keeping an eye out for the dugong, a gentle sea cow related to the manatee. Before lunch, join a cooking lesson on board.

Cruise to Molana Island, a forested islet ringed by excellent reefs, for a final afternoon underwater.

After breakfast, say goodbye to the crew and disembark.

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Jakarta, where you connect with your flight home.