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Cruise Indonesia: The Greatest Archipelago on Earth
With more than 17,000 islands and cultures diversity, Indonesia offers a wide spectrum of experiences and destinations to explore. From smoldering mountains and ancient temples of Java to the charm of Bali, to the scenic beaches of Lombok, to the majestic giant lizard in Komodo Island, and to the underwater beauty of Raja Ampat — there’s so much more you can discover.
One of the beauties of Indonesia is that you can cruise here all year round due to the weather at opposing ends of the archipelago. The best time of year for a luxury cruise around Komodo and Alor is during the summer season from April/May through to September/October. The magnificent cruising region of Banda Sea, Halmahera and Raja Ampat is best visited over the winter season, between November through to April.
At LDS Voyages, we are passionate about helping travellers have incredible Indonesia experiences, and our travel specialists are ready to help you to experience this amazing country to the fullest!
Komodo
Known for its famous dragons, the Komodo National Park comprises 29 islands including the most magical ones of Komodo, Padar and Rinca.
A source of inspiration for many fantasy movies, the wild Jurassic landscapes will take your breath away. The scenery is spine-tingling, with unbelievably beautiful contours and colors on both land and sea, and an extraordinary variety of flora and fauna.
Diving lovers, you will be enchanted by the rich underwater sea-life, with colorful corals and fish, gentle sea turtles and groups of giant manta rays that weave and turn gracefully through the water.
Expect the sun to shine non-stop from May to October when the seas are particularly bright and transparent, producing white sandbanks surrounded by shimmering turquoise blue waters.
A pure delight for the eyes.
Raja Ampat
Located at the tip of Indonesian West Papua, Raja Ampat is currently called the last paradise on earth.
It is a feast for the eyes and the soul, with its spectacular scenery both above and below water. The archipelago counts over 1,500 tiny limestone islands. Nature is at its best here, with thick jungle growing on these rocks, which sprout out of the deep blue sea.
Raja Ampat is without any doubt one of the shining jewels in the crown of Indonesia. Diving enthusiasts are captivated by the incredible diversity of the marine life here, an area that is almost totally protected.
Feast your eyes on the corals, sea turtles, manta rays, barracudas, tunas, and sharks.
Giant sea clams can be found in only a meter of water just offshore from the beautiful villages of the gracious local inhabitants.
Banda Sea
Located in the Maluku region, the Banda Sea is the deepest part of the Indonesian seas, falling away to a depth of 8000m. A circle of volcanoes emerging from the sea gave it the famous name of The Ring of Fire.
At its heart are the famous Banda Islands, also called the Spice Islands, where countless battles were fought over the centuries to gain control of the trade in nutmeg and mace. Visits round the fortress, the perfect natural harbor and the plantations are a must. A tropical paradise for divers and snorkelers, the Banda Sea is the home to giant sponges, elusive hammerhead sharks, large pelagics and rainbow-colored reefs.
Best explored in October-November or April. Each of these remote islands has a unique bio-environment with large sea bird colonies, rumbling active volcanoes and concentrations of sea snakes. You will also have time to visit the remote villages of the local fishermen and find out more about the centuries’ old spice-growing on the island.
Wakatobi
Wakatobi is widely recognized as having the highest number of reef and fish species in the world. The islands are also famous as the largest barrier reef in Indonesia, second only to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
Here can be found fringing, atolls and barrier reefs and offer more than 50 spectacular dive sites easily accessible from the major islands. This is the habitat of large and small fish species, the playground of dolphins, turtles and even whales.
Wakatobi alone is said to have 942 fish species and 750 coral reef species from a total of 850 of world's collection, which comparing with the two world's famous diving centers, the Caribbean Sea owns only 50 species with 300 coral reef species in the Red Sea, in Egypt.
Alor & Maumere
Alor is of volcanic origin and has very rugged terrain. The region near Kalabahi is the only flat area. With its smoldering Volcanoes reaching down into crystal clear waters fringed with pristine coral reefs, coconut fringed pure white sandy beaches and traditional villages built half way up mountains, the scenery is as spectacular above as it is below the waterline.
Discover the world’s most colorful, beautiful and densely covered coral reef dive sites on Pura and Pantar. Some sites are known for their beautiful panoramas of dense coral, anemone, and sponge coverage mixed with smaller reef fish. Each site here is diverse with its own topography and vibrant colors scheme including walls, slopes and seamounts. Spend an extra day to travel to Sikka in search for the walrus type mammal, called a Dugong.
Bira
One of the beautiful and exotic beaches in Indonesia is Tanjung Bira Beach, located in Bonto Bahari sub-District, Bulukumba District, South Sulawesi Province. The beach area is quite clean with pretty good arrangement. Unlike the other white sand beaches which usually have a slightly rough texture of sand, white sand on the beach has a very soft texture like flour. Light blue seawater is also quite clear combined with the captivating panorama.
There are many tourists both foreign and domestic visit this beach. This coastal area is already managed quite well and divided into two sides of the coast, the west and east side. However, most travelers prefer to enjoy the west coast than the east side. There are many things you can do here, one of which is snorkeling and diving while enjoying the underwater beauty in a few spots in this beach. One of the best spots is around Liukang Loe Island, which is a small island located on the west side of Tanjung Bira Beach.
