We’re Yacht People Now.
We’ve only been guests on the Aqua Blu for less than 2 full days and already we can say that this is more our jam. This boat is seriously NICE. We’ve done a ton of fun stuff already AND we are not the youngest here!! In fact, there are actually children onboard! (gasp!) There are 29 guests (and 24 crew) spread over only 15 cabins, so there is plenty of space on the boat and more than enough people to take care of your every whim!
Perhaps to give you some overall context first. We are on a 7 day cruise in the Indonesian archipelago, specifically those islands in and around Komodo National Park – here’s the link to the trip we are on: https://www.aquaexpeditions.com/destinations/indonesia-cruise/bali-komodo-national-park As you’d expect, its a mix of cultural activities, as we explore different islands, and wildlife/natural experiences – so lots of snorkeling, kayaking, hiking and the like. We started our journey at the Benoa Bali jetty (which took a bit of finding!) and, after managing to find the Aqua Blu, got onboard around 2pm, ready for a 3pm departure time. Things were a little delayed due to a logistical issue (problems with the AC!) but we were well taken care of by Dean, the cruise director (a Brit whose lived in SE Asia for the last 15yrs) and soon got chatting to some of the other guests who were steadily arriving. After a little while (and when it had cooled down enough!), we were shown our cabin – a very nice and spacious suite, with a walk-in wardrobe and a decent-sized bathroom. Yet another reason (if any were needed by now) to make the switch from train to boat! After a while, we had to meet in the Salon (a nice lounge area on the lower deck of the ship) for the mandatory safety briefing/welcome presentation (I’ll take you on a tour of the ship later – once I’ve figured out how to navigate between decks without getting lost!). Included in the welcome presentation was a description of what we’d be doing the following day – lots of fun stuff planned!! After the briefing, we retired up to the top deck for welcome drinks before then dinner was served out on the back deck at 7pm.
Oh my. Are we in for a treat. The food was outstanding. Simple, healthy, fresh ingredients packed with flavor that is beautifully balanced and just delicious. No flabby skinned weirdness here – just super tasty, well executed dishes. Kudos to the kitchen team already – and such a welcome relief from all the crazy rich food we’d been eating over the last few days. After dinner, we headed straight to bed – it was a little bit bouncy (due to the mixing of the Indian and Pacific oceans as we headed out from Bali), but nothing too crazy and the rocking movement of the boat made for a very restful night’s sleep!
The next day was our first full day onboard. Breakfast was served from 6.30am onwards so we were up reasonably early at around 7am to grab some coffee and feed. Today’s route was to take us to Moyo Island, where we would disembark the boat and head inland to visit some beautiful waterfalls. In the morning, there was some chill time followed by a short presentation on Indonesia, the region, geographic, culture, history etc. The physical expanse of this country is vast – 17,000 islands spanning a distance of 5,000km and with a total population of 283m! The fourth most populous nation on Earth – I had no idea!! Dean also taught us a few key phrases in the common language of Indonesia – Bahasa Indonesian (although there are over 700 local languages!) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesia
After lunch, we took our first excursion to Moyo Island https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moyo_Island, so all piled into one of the two tenders. After a short 15 min ride, we arrived at the jetty and were escorted to a covered area where the locals had prepared to welcome us. As most of Indonesia is Muslim (Bali is more of an exception, being mainly Hindu and Buddhist), we had been asked to dress appropriately to respect their cultural sensitivities (no bare shoulders or cleavage or short shorts). We were treated to some fresh coconut water (served straight from the nut!) and then two dances – one featuring 4 young girls (9yrs and up) throwing flower petals and making delicate hand movements (and securing audience participation – ahem) and the second, a form of martial art with 2 elderly chaps engaged in a beautifully graceful, stylized dance of combat. It was mesmerizing to watch. There are about 2,000 permanent inhabitants on the island and the economy here is mainly based on cashew farming. There are no hospitals or doctors on the island (just a clinic and a nurse) so if you need specialist medical care, you have a 2-3hr boat ride to one of the larger islands, followed by a 2hr jeep ride. Tourism is becoming a larger source of revenue for the island – Aqua Blu is obviously contributing to this in a meaningful way, and recently the coastline surrounding Moyo was designated a marine conservation area, so its encouraging they are looking to increase tourism while preserving the natural beauty and wildlife.
After the welcome festivities, we took a short walk through the village, stopping by the local soccer pitch where a tournament was in full swing, to get on our Aqua Buggy for a bouncy 20 min drive through the forest to the waterfall. En route through the forest, we caught sight of one lone monkey, just sitting on the ground, looking for all the world like he was waiting for a bus! We heard several squawky birds – but no idea what they were as Merlin (my birding app) was stumped. After the ride, it was only a short walk to get to the waterfalls – and they were very lovely, as promised. While the falls themselves were nice (unfortunately Iguazu Falls in Brazil has kinda ruined waterfalls for us now), it was the series of cascading pools leading away from the falls that were more memorable, set against the lush backdrop of the forest. It was quite lovely. ManpanionTM went in and had a splash around, but I was content simply to stay on the river bank and take photos.
After about half an hour, we all piled back into the Buggy for the equally bouncy ride back and got back on the boat. It was almost dark by the time we’d returned, so just enough time to change and head to dinner. Tomorrow is a full – and exciting – day – starting super early at 5am! Our verdict after just one full day on board – LOVE IT!
1 Comment
Gorgeous photos! It’s achingly beautiful, and love the fact you are Yacht people now, was wondering how do you fit so many onto a boat that doesn’t feel claustrophobic. Love the blurry art shots, and ManpanionTM having a swim, idyllic! Love the old woman and cat, boob’s have been cat cushions for millennia!