Boat Charter Komodo: Re-defining “Hidden Paradise”
I honestly thought that “hidden paradise” was old and worn out marketing jargon to sugarcoat any holiday destination—islands, villas, resorts, you name it. Until I come to Komodo National Park, one of the New 7 Wonder of Nature that has long been sitting on my wish list. A remote string of islets stretched on Flores Sea, deep on Indonesian’ frontier. It’s not easy to reach the Komodo. You need to sail on boat charter Komodo or embark one of their liveaboard boats to see what the Komodo has to offer.
As how its name reflect, Komodo National Park is mainly famous for its residence, the last colony of Komodo dragons (Varanus Komodoensis). A blood lust reptile left from the prehistoric era, the Komodo dragon is mainly the dream of adventurers and kids who grew up with encyclopaedia of dinosaurs on their bedrooms. But the dragons are not the only star on this national park. This group of nearly thirty volcanic island in Indonesia’s “Lesser Sunda Islands” archipelago is packed with adventure. Both around the jagged landscape and under the blue sea—as Komodo’s water is part of the coral triangle and home to one of the richest marine life on the world.
What A Holiday in Komodo Look Like
The Komodo was honest. It was probably the purest destination I’ve ever been. The landscape was totally barren—no electricity, no mass development, no towering hotels—not even beach clubs and their colourful umbrella beaches lining on the pristine shore, thanks to Indonesian government’s strict regulations. The Komodo promise us nothing, yet it translates the best definition of “hidden paradise”. This national park is as natural it is; scaly dragons resting in the sun, array of undulating hills covered with brownish savannah grasses, and vast bodies of crystalline turquoise water. This far-flung frontier is stunning in its simplicity—no promises, no polished beachfront resorts, only the raw nature to bemuse your wanderlust.
Sailing with Boat Charter Komodo
Because there’ more than 25 islands to explore and more than 15 major dive sites to explore, taking a sailing trip with boat charter Komodo is the best way to get around the national park. A little secret: you won’t get to see all the islands and dive sites on a single trip anyway, so you need to choose. The best Komodo boat for this sailing adventure is the Phinisi-styled boat, Indonesian’s traditional two-masted sailing ship made almost entirely of wood. It’s a little more expensive than the low-cost fisherman-style boats, but I find it totally worth it.
Why?
Budget boat and phinisi boat both offers the same basic service; a lodge doubled as transportation to venture around Komodo, three meals a day for the entire duration of the sailing trip, and exploration to the lands and the waters. I choose the Komodo boat charters because; one, phinisi boat is larger than common budget boats, hence higher stability on the sea. Second, boat charter is perfect for travelling in group—you can charter the whole boat, pick up only the best sites that you really interested in, and set itineraries on your own pace.
(Note: this is not recommended for single travelers.)
Also, boat charters generally have better facilities and better services. They have wider decks for sunbathing separated from dining deck, spacious indoor lounge, hotel-standard cabins, and some even provides free-of-charge diving/ snorkel equipments. Boat charters tends to keep guests : crews ratio low, resulting on more focused services than general budget liveaboard. And for those reasons, I think boat charter Komodo totally worth the price.
