Indonesia Yacht Charter
About Indonesia
Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world, made up of around 17,000 islands spread across 5,000 kilometres of ocean between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. Of those, only about 6,000 have names, and only Java, Sumatra, Borneo (in part), Sulawesi and Bali are populated at any density. A yacht charter in Indonesia operates almost entirely outside those well-known islands, in two regions in particular: Komodo and Raja Ampat.
The Komodo region, around Flores in the east, is the only place in the world where Komodo dragons live in the wild, and the broader marine national park there has some of the most dramatic dive sites in southeast Asia: the manta cleaning stations at Mawan, the famous pink beach on Komodo Island, and the lookout on Padar where the three crescent bays line up for the photograph. Raja Ampat, off the western tip of West Papua, is widely accepted by marine biologists as the most biodiverse marine ecosystem on Earth, with around 1,500 small islands rising out of the water as karst limestone cones, and reefs that hold a large share of the world's known coral species.
Most Indonesia charters use a phinisi, the traditional two-masted wooden yacht built by the Bugis people of South Sulawesi for centuries of regional trade and now adapted as a luxury charter platform. Phinisis are slow but spacious, and they suit the Indonesian charter pattern of long crossings and unhurried evenings. The Komodo charter season runs April to October, while Raja Ampat is best from October to April, which is why the better phinisi fleets reposition between the two regions in the spring and autumn.
Highlights
Destination Info
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Where to go
Komodo National Park
Around Flores in the east, the only place in the world where Komodo dragons live in the wild, and one of the great dive and snorkel grounds of southeast Asia. The park holds the manta cleaning stations at Mawan, the pink beach on Komodo Island, and the lookout on Padar where three crescent bays line up below. Most eastern charters pick up at Labuan Bajo.
Raja Ampat
Off the western tip of West Papua, widely accepted as the most biodiverse marine ecosystem on Earth: around 1,500 small islands rising from the water as karst-limestone cones, over reefs that hold a large share of the world's known coral species. Remote and hard to reach, which is exactly why a yacht is the way to see it.
Wayag and Piaynemo
The set-piece island clusters of northern Raja Ampat, where the karst cones crowd together in shallow turquoise lagoons and the classic viewpoints look down over them. Reached only by boat, they are the images most people carry of Raja Ampat, and a yacht anchors among them.
Triton Bay and the east
South and east of Raja Ampat, Triton Bay adds soft-coral walls, whale sharks that gather under the fishing platforms, and rock-art sites on the cliffs. It is a longer-range extension for charters with the time, quieter again than the main Raja Ampat sites.
The Banda and Spice Islands
Between the two main grounds, the Banda Sea and the historic Spice Islands offer deep-water crossings, volcanic islands and clear open-ocean diving. They are a passage cruising area for longer charters linking Komodo and Raja Ampat, rather than a week on their own.
What it costs
- From
- From about EUR 30,000 / week for a crewed yacht
- Included
- The weekly fee covers the yacht and all its equipment, including the tenders and dive gear, the full crew, and the yacht's insurance.
- Extras
- Your running costs are paid separately, through an advance provisioning allowance (APA): in Indonesia this runs around 25 to 30 percent of the fee, and here it also carries the mandatory marine-park permits for Komodo and Raja Ampat and the harbour fees. The captain uses it to pay for fuel, berthing, provisioning, the food and drink for your party, and the park permits and clearances, then gives you a full account at the end and refunds whatever is left. Local taxes are on top of the fee, along with a customary crew gratuity. The permits and clearances are arranged for you before you sail.
Prices rise with the size of the yacht and the time of year.
We explain the money side properly: What is included under MYBA, How the APA works, VAT and charter tax, and What to tip the crew.
Before you go
When to go
Indonesia has two charter grounds in opposite seasons. Komodo, in the east around Flores, runs April to October, the dry season, with the driest and calmest weather from June to September. Raja Ampat, in the west, is best October to April. The better phinisi fleets reposition between the two in spring and autumn, so which region you can charter depends on when you travel. We match the yacht and the route to the season.
Getting there
Komodo charters pick up at Labuan Bajo on Flores, which has flights from Bali; Raja Ampat charters start from Sorong in West Papua, reached via Jakarta or Makassar. Both are a connection or two beyond a long-haul flight into Indonesia, so these are trips to plan with time. A week covers one region well; longer charters can link the two across the Banda Sea. We set the route and the logistics before you book.
Diving and snorkelling
Komodo and Raja Ampat are among the best diving and snorkelling in the world, and a phinisi is built for it: it carries the dive gear and the guides, reaches the manta stations, the reefs and the remote sites on its own schedule, and puts you in the water straight off the boat. Raja Ampat in particular holds a large share of the world's coral species, and the sites are far beyond the range of a day boat. The crew plan the dives around the current and the tides.
Choosing the yacht
Most Indonesia charters are aboard a phinisi, the traditional two-masted wooden sailing yacht of the archipelago, now fitted out as a crewed luxury platform with a captain, a chef and dive guides. They are spacious and characterful, built for long crossings and unhurried evenings. The good boats book up a year ahead for the peak weeks, so plan well in advance. If you are weighing crewed against bareboat, our guide on bareboat versus crewed sets out the difference. Browse the current fleet on our yachts page.
Explore Indonesia
Interactive map view of Indonesia • Click and drag to explore • Open in full screen
