Setting Sail

There’s a certain intrinsic sense to exploring Indonesia and its 17,500 islands — the most of any nation in Asia — by sea. Seafaring is in the country’s DNA — maritime trading with Chinese dynasties and Indian kingdoms dates back to the seventh century, and boats remain a ubiquitous sight along the country’s shoreline. What’s more, from Benggala Island in the west to Papua in the East, this disparate, multitextured, multilingual archipelago is home to some of the most deliriously beguiling seascapes on the planet populated with turtles, dugongs, whale sharks, mantas and more, and served by a range of cruising options.

A common vision on the seas is the pinisi, a traditional two-masted ship with rippling sails typically built by the Konjo tribe in South Sulawesi. These boats have a cultural legacy so deep that UNESCO inscribed pinisi building on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017. One archetypal example is the Alila Purnama, launched in 2012 and plying the silky waters of Komodo, West Papua and the Malukus. The 46-metre Purnama — meaning ‘full moon’ — bears the classic hallmarks of a pinisi: dramatic tea-coloured sails, a sweeping ironwood prow, and strong equatorial usage of teak and rattan, its five suites all featuring woven rattan ceilings. The Sriwijaya master suite, in particular, stands out for its 180-degree views through wraparound windows.

‘Each room — Sriwijaya, Cirebon, Madura, Jawa and Bali — is themed and pays homage to the history of royal Indonesia,’ explains Hidajat Endramukti, the boat’s interior designer. ‘There are individual batiks representative of the respective cultures, as well as paintings depicting the history and significance of the region.’ The five-cabin Rascal, meanwhile, is a contemporary take on the pinisi. Launched in late 2016, the vessel can voyage anywhere in Indonesia, though tends to concentrate seasonally around the Komodo National Park and the Raja Ampat Islands. Where traditional pinisi are characterised by a sultry high-seas look, the Rascal opts for a lighter, more playful tone. Gone are the twin masts, leaving an open roof deck that can be used as a sunbathing space or diving platform. The rooms are also a departure from the norm, all being above deck and featuring high ceilings and bright interiors.

‘As well as drawing inspiration from the design of traditional pinisi yachts, we wanted to evoke a laid-back luxe vibe reminiscent of the Hamptons,’ says Chloe Duffell of Bali-based firm iBalDesigns, which supplied the boat’s decor. ‘We used different prints in each room, allowing them their own personality while maintaining a consistent aesthetic. The bright but neutral colour schemes complement the traditional teak yacht framework with a more contemporary design edge.’

Interiors are informed and inspired by Rascal’s surroundings, making use of Indonesian textiles sourced from Sulawesi, Lombok and Sumatra; natural, locally sourced stone mosaics in the showers; and mother-ofpearl and coral inlay mirrors. ‘ We wanted the boat to have the feeling of a floating villa and for the rooms to be bright, spacious and comfortable,’ says Duffell. ‘The cabins on pinisi can feel dark and cramped, but we’ve tried to make you feel as if you’ve woken up in a luxe beach house in the Hamptons.’

The newest entrant to Indonesia’s cruise scene is the Kudanil Explorer, so named because the owner’s daughter thought the boat resembled a kudanil, or hippopotamus. This former standby supply vessel for oilfields embarked

on its maiden voyage in May 2018. Billed as an expedition yacht, it trails the monsoons, sailing on calm seas through the waters of East Nusa Tenggara, the Moluccas and on to West Papua, visiting terraced rice fields, crater lakes, remote waterfalls and small villages along the way.

Eight cabins fit up to 20 passengers, with interiors that marry the European origins of the owner to the richness of Indonesian culture, hence wallpaper and carpet from Pierre Frey paired with ikat and tribal art from Papua and Kalimantan. ‘I used wood to contrast with the mechanical and steel past of the ship,’ says its French designer Alix Thomsen. ‘Traditional textiles reflect the boat’s destinations, while the simplicity of form is in harmony with the environment of the tropics.’ The aim? ‘The trip should start as soon as the guest enters the ship.’