Bali to Flores aboard the Ombak Putih |
The Ombak Putih is a 24 berth (12 cabins) beautiful traditional schooner that sails through the Indonesian Archipelago East of Bali. Sixteen staff and one European tour leader accompany you on your journey through stunning azure waters, past smouldering volcano islands, white sand atolls and onto islands where time stands still. The boat does different routes at different times of year and you can look into this on their website but we took their Bali ‐ Flores voyage in September 2009.
We boarded the boat in Bali at Tanjungbenoa harbour and we were given a very warm welcome by all the staff and crew already onboard. The 12 cabins on the lower deck are ingenious in design allowing for each to have an ensuite shower and toilet. |
We sailed out of Tanjung Benoa harbour and cruised (the engine rather than the sails is used all the time as the boat is too heavy, due to the generator on board that provides lights, hot water etc, for wind power alone) up the east coast of Bali where we anchored in a small bay. From here we went in a few small mini buses to a local village where they make woven fabrics to experience a little slice of traditional life and crafts in Eastern Bali. After setting sail (figuratively speaking) again we showered, changed for pre-dinner drinks (drinks are an additional charge but the prices are reasonable) and we watched the sun set while enjoying stunning views of the East Bali coastline and Gunung (Mount) Agung which when it appeared from behind the clouds took us all by surprise! |
Dinner was served around 7 pm each evening and every meal we had throughout our journey was superb, there was always a choice of a few dishes at both lunch and dinner with something the children enjoyed too. We needed to feed our 2-year-old earlier on some evenings but the chef was always happy to prepare a small bowl of pasta or rice for her.
On day two, Gunung Rinjani towered above us as we sailed around the north coast of Lombok and dropped anchor in a harbour on the north east coast. We boarded a bus, which was to take us to various villages in Eastern Lombok visiting villages specialising in pottery and weaving and we were honoured guests at a cultural dance show. |
On day three we woke up at Moyo Island and we were soon jumping off the boat into the crystal clear water and snorkelling with a myriad of different fish. We all went ashore after breakfast and trekked up to a waterfall where the brave ones could jump into the icy water. Over lunch time the boat sailed onto Satonda Island where we walked to the inland salt water lake there, no one is quite sure how the water is salt water as the lake is completely sealed off from the sea and is at least a kilometre inland! We stayed anchored off Satonda for the afternoon and then watched thousands of fruit bats blacken the sky as they left their caves at sunset.
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Sumbawa was our destination for Day 4. What a sight to behold ‐ boats everywhere, packed in like sardines, trucks arriving and departing, loading and unloading onions, garlic, peanuts and other locally produced goods. After another day of cultural delights, we were back on board for lunch and our departure to Sangeang Island where the original residents have been forced to leave because of the activity of the volcano. Stepping onto the sand soon made us realise how active the volcano really is as the sand is hot and not just because of the sun! |
Day five ‐ Komodo Island. I can’t deny that I had reservations about going onto Komodo Island with our children but the rangers on the island made sure that the children know to stick together and pay attention! Our ranger worked hard to find other wildlife to look at too ‐ deer, boar, massive spiders in their webs, flying lizards, beautiful orchids. We didn’t see any of the dragons on our thirty‐minute walk, which isn’t unusual. We did see six full size dragons hanging out at the visitor area at the end of the walk and that was plenty for us!
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After lunch on board the boat we travelled to Pantai Merah (Red Beach), which is stunning! The sand is tinged red by the red coral in the sea here. We had time to play on the beach and appreciate the variety of sea life while snorkelling. A few crewmembers did come ashore with us to keep watch for dragons just in case! From Komodo we sailed (the sails did go up again) towards Rincca Island during the afternoon. We were afforded a view of the boat in full sail when a crew member took us out in the dingy to take photos ‐ they really have thought of everything! That evening we were treated to a very special dinner on a sand atoll en route to Rincca Island. The crew not only transported everything required to provide us with a barbeque dinner on the beach but also their musical instruments so that they could serenade us as well ‐ they really are an incredibly dedicated group of men who make the Ombak Putih what it is.
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Day six dawned peacefully beside Rincca Island with a few dolphins tricking us with their antics as we furiously tried to capture a fin on camera. We were welcomed to Rincca by a huge dragon sitting to one side of the jetty! The islands in this area are very barren but provided a feast of dragons to marvel at from a distance and stunning views of the surrounding islands as we climbed.
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Our last day began as usual on this trip with a superb breakfast, you can choose from cereal to full English. We had our last swim and then headed into Labuhanbajo Harbour, on Flores Island. We still had one trip left to do on Flores and this was another cultural experience involving homemade alcohol (a bit much at 10 in the morning!) and whip fighting. As with each of the islands we visited, the people of Flores have a different culture with different beliefs, each one was fascinating to experience even if only briefly. With all the sight seeing over we were taken to Labuhanbajo airport where we awaited our Indonesian Airways Fokka flight back to Bali. Although not a cheap holiday we honestly found it to be incredibly good value for money based on the service and care we received from Caroline and the crew.
Additional tips/information:
We took a bottle of spirits with us so that we could just buy cans of soft drinks to make up our own cocktails as alcohol on the boat is limited to beer and wine. Having our drink of choice as the sun set each evening finished the day off perfectly for us!
We would not have wanted to go onto Komodo or Rincca Islands without our 2-year-old in a backpack! If you are taking very young children and don’t have a backpack borrow one or you will be forced to carry them all the way.
The schedule for the 7 day trip is tight in so much as you will be doing a lot and most of the mornings you need to be up and ready for action early! This is not a holiday for lazy mornings but the early starts are worth it. You will need plentyof changes of clothes, you won’t spend the 7 days in just swimmers as you might imagine, and ladies you will need long trousers and long sleeves for at least one of the onshore excursions. It is possible to do laundry on the boat though should you need to, yes they even have that covered!
It seems that to take between 750-1000 photos is the norm on this voyage so pack a spare memory card just in case! On your return go to Adorama and have a photo book printed, this is a fantastic way to preserve your photos and tell your story, and you will want to, to your friends and family.
To find out more about the Ombak Putih please contact;
PT Ombak Putih
Jl. Bypass Ngurah Rai 245
Sanur 80228
Bali ‐ Indonesia
Tel: +62 361 283358
Fax: +62 361 283357
contact@anasia‐cruise.com
http://www.ombakputih.com/ |
