MYSTICAL VOYAGE
Exploring the Indonesian archipelago is all the more enchanting from beneath the sales of a tall ship, writes
The thirst for Chinese tea was at an all-time high in the mid 1800s, but those transporting it to Europe and the US faced many perils: pirates, typhoons and disease, to name but a few. Enter the clipper, a narrow ship with large sails capable of travelling up to 30km per hour. Now traders could deliver the freshest tea possible, make more trips and outpace any attackers. The golden era of clippers was short-lived, however, as advances in steamship technology soon consigned these majestic ships to the annals of history.
Then, in the 1980s, Swedish businessman Mikael Krafft realised a childhood dream to reproduce and sail tall ships. Krafft built the world’s only four-masted barquentines, launching the Star Flyer in Belgium in 1991 and its sister ship, Star Clipper, soon afterwards. Royal Clipper, a five-masted full-rigger, joined the Star Clipper fleet in 2000. [Krafft’s latest vessel, Flying Clipper, designed to sail in all oceans, enters service this year.]
Until recently, the three ships only plied the Mediterranean and Caribbean seas. Now, however, one of these beauties is based permanently in the Southern Hemisphere. Star Clipper is sailing South-East Asian waters, with voyages through Indonesia as well as itineraries between Singapore, Phuket (Thailand), Penang and Langkawi (both Malaysia). Star Clipper’s smaller size (115m in length) enables visits to more intimate ports than regular cruise liners can manage. The routes are spiced with enticing stops, such as Komodo Island (famous for its ‘dragons’) and the 9th-century Borobudur Temple in Central Java. Excursions range from trekking to waterfalls to downtime on idyllic white-sand beaches.
Stepping onto Star Clipper, with its mahogany rails and brass trim, the first impression is of something special. On one side of the main deck is an Edwardian-style library, resplendent in red velvet. On the other, past the alfresco Tropical Bar, are swinging doors opening to an elegant old-world lounge with grand piano, the domain of Antonio, the ship’s resident entertainer.
Cruise director Peter Kissner addresses the subject of being aboard Star Clipper at our first passenger briefing. “Forget everything you know from your experiences on cruise ships,” he says during his welcome speech. “We don’t have shopping arcades, a casino or fancy stage shows – this is a voyage.”
That said, you won’t find any of the hardships sailors of the 1800s would have faced. Instead of salt cod, ship’s biscuits and a tot of rum, we have bounteous breakfast and lunch buffets, six-course dinners and the well-stocked Tropical Bar at our disposal.
The main activities on offer – guided dive and snorkelling trips, aerobics classes, massages and lazing on sunloungers beside either of the two pools – are a far cry from swabbing the decks and all-night watches from the crow’s nest. But those wanting to embrace the nautical can join a knot-tying class or have a go at climbing the 70m mast (to the first yardarm).
Star Clipper holds a maximum of 170 people so there’s plenty of room to mingle or retreat. The cabins are spacious and very well appointed. Each has a sumptuous queen-size bed (except Inside Staterooms, which have fold-away bunks), a TV/DVD player, comfortable sitting area and ensuite bathroom.
Our cruise is the inaugural westbound round-trip beginning and ending in Benoa (Bali). There are stops on Java, Lombok and its islets, including Gili Genting and Gili Sudak. Major attractions en route include Mount Bromo, an active volcano near Probolinggo in East Java, and the magnificent Ulun Danu Beratan Temple in Bali, represented on Indonesia’s 50,000 rupiah note. All of them sound enticing.
By far the most popular onshore trip proves to be Mount Bromo, which I was smart enough to sign up for. After coach and jeep rides into the highlands, we catch our first glimpse of the volcano belching smoke; it’s a scene not unlike that in a film. Descending into the valley, we hop onto ponies and are led to the base of the volcano, where we dismount and climb a stairway to the rim. Staring into the crater as the gases swirl and hiss all around us is an unforgettable experience.
At our next port of call, Lovina Beach in northern Bali, my shore excursion is a gentle hike through the rainforest and villages surrounded by paddy fields. In Lombok the following day, I opt for a similar trek to a hill village, where our guide tells us about the local Sasak people and their traditions. A nearby waterfall is the ideal place to cool off before lunch, then it’s back to the ship.
The eight-day journey had a mystical feel and was indeed more of a voyage than a cruise. Watching the Star Clipper’s sails hoisted every night at dusk to the sounds of Vangelis almost brought a tear to my eye, and when we return to Bali’s Benoa Harbour, I find myself wishing the voyage was just a few days longer. # Seven-night sail, from $2940pp; starclippers.com.