ch Laun Ve OFFER - SA £300 PER PERSON

Indonesian Island Odyssey An expedition from AUSTRALIA to Sulawesi aboard the MS Caledonian Sky 7 th to 26th September 2017 Bunaken

Rice terraces, Flores Zamboanga Davao Litchfield National Park

ade up of over seventeen thousand islands, the world’s Tangkoko Nature Reserve Bunaken fourth most populous country is a land of diverse Pulau Bira Birahan M Toli Toli Bitung cultures, histories and languages, unique flora and fauna and Samboja breathtaking scenery. During this exploration we will visit Balikpapan places of deep spiritual significance, explore volcanoes and lush INDONESIA Pare Pare jungle, experience an underwater world teeming with life and areas of outstanding natural beauty. With our perfectly suited Sabalana Islands small ship, we can access islands and bays that the big ships Lembata Rinca Island Dili Flores simply cannot get close to and with our fleet of Zodiac landing EAST TIMOR craft, a friendly crew and excellent onboard team we will truly AUSTRALIA make the most of our time in this unique part of the world. Darwin

the beach offered welcome shade. We were all back on the ship on time at What To Expect… 1700 and a few minutes later Captain Mike (with a bit of help from his friends) Flexibility is the key to expedition cruising, sometimes the whole day’s schedule was raising the anchor and we began our 300 nautical mile sail to Pare Pare, on will be changed to maximise your experience. Each day holds something the southwest coast of Sulawesi. At our first recap of the trip, Jane reviewed new and below are some extracts from the ship’s log from last season which our wonderful day and discussed plans for our two-day trip to Torajaland, will provide you with an idea of what you can expect if you choose to join our Lea showed slides of some of our encounters with fish, Ian provided details adventure in Indonesia. on the natural history of the Komodo Dragons, and Damon presented some information on many of the animal species we have encountered so far.

Torajaland – March 2015: We began our day with a traditional Torajan breakfast at the hotel and were on our buses by 0730 for a visit to the market in Rantepao, where one can buy anything from a buffalo to a fountain pen. From the market we moved out a few miles and walked in from the road, turned left and suddenly found ourselves in old Sulawesi: a traditional homestead with the high-prowed tongkonan house, looking out over rice paddies, and set under a towering limestone cliff. A fig tree high on the cliff and dropped roots to anchor itself on top of a giant limestone boulder at the base. The limestone was being Rinca Island and Pink Beach – March 2015: broken up for building materials to construct new graves along the foot of We had an early morning wakeup so that we could get ashore ahead of the the cliff. Our way back to the road was lined with school children keen to offer day’s heat and crowds at the small Indonesian island of Rinca in the Komodo themselves for selfies with these mad foreigners! The final stop before lunch group. Here we were greeted by guides/guards who escorted us, armed at the hotel was Kété Késu, one of the oldest villages with the traditional with forked poles as we sought out the distant cousins of the dinosaurs, the tongkonan, boat-shaped houses opposite rice storage houses. Our guides Komodo dragons at the feeding station. These rare huge lizards grow up to informed us that the mythology surrounding these wood and bamboo twelve feet (3.5 m) in length and only became known to the western world in structures suggests either that people arriving in Sulawesi from the Mekong 1910 when a Dutch lieutenant first laid eyes on them. We saw quite a few of Delta continued up the Sa’dan River and settled here, or that there had been the smaller Komodos which come to the station for the easy pickings; most a terrible flood which forced people into boats and when the waters started of them no more than twenty years old, so only eight feet (2.5 m) long or so... to recede, they settled here at a place now far from the sea, setting their these looked dangerous enough that we had no desire to see their daddies! upturned boats on stilts. Some of the houses have been in use for 500 years During the forest walk we were lucky enough to spot wild buffalo and a wild apparently, and it was fascinating both to climb into one of them, and to pig, which quickly scampered off -it pays to be alert on this island, and a cobra observe the repair of two roofs, using notched split bamboo in overlapping which displayed its hood before disappearing down a hole in search of mice. layers, no doubt the traditional precursor of pantiles, to keep out the high During our Zodiac runs to and from the ship, we were entertained by white- rainfall typical of these highlands. Behind the village is an old burial ground, bellied sea eagles and exquisitely coloured Brahminy kites soaring overhead, with wooden coffins set up on poles driven into the cliff, and with rows of and a few of us saw a green turtle surfacing for a quick gulp of air. After lunch displays alongside the steps that climb up high above the forest of giant the Zodiacs brought us ashore at Pink Beach for some great snorkelling and bamboos. An unusual feature of this village is the limestone megaliths erected swimming on this most beautiful of the Komodos, a beach which really is pink, in memory of those buried here. After lunch and check-out at the hotel, we due to the red coral in the sugary sand. The fish and corals here, we agreed, retraced our 4-hour journey back down to the coast past rice paddies being were the most beautiful and diverse we had seen on the trip so far, and the bay ploughed and planted for the next rice crop, then onion and garlic fields lower was full of flipping fins for hours as we dove through the crystal clear waters down, through pine forests that give way to rainforest, then finally past maize in search of fishy photos and memories to store. Some entrepreneurial local and banana groves to the flatlands of the coast, one of the great rice bowls folks were on hand to sell us strings of cultured pearls and carved wooden of Indonesia. Sunshine greeted our arrival at the ship, and within minutes we Komodos, both on the beach and at the ship. The weather co-operated, with had cast off, leaving us to reflect on two extraordinary days in one of the most warm temperatures, a light breeze and occasional clouds, and some trees on exotic cultures in South-east Asia. www.noble-caledonia.co.uk Pink beach

Litchfield National Park Clownfish Long tailed monkey

The Itinerary Day 1 London to Darwin, Australia. in the lounge or find a spot in the and manta rays to provide food Day 10 Sabalana Islands. Enjoy a Fly by scheduled flight via Singapore. Panorama Lounge or on deck. and a living for the entire village. day in the remote Sabalana Islands, Using simple sailboats and following a group of 20 atolls covering an area Day 2 Darwin. Arrive this afternoon Day 6 Dili, East Timor. Today we ancient beliefs and traditions of over 2500 kilometres in the Flores and transfer to the Hilton Hotel (or arrive on East Timor and have a they are exempt from the ban on Sea. We will use the Zodiacs to find a similar) for a two night stay. The day to explore the city of Dili and whaling due to the small numbers suitable landing where we will enjoy remainder of the day and evening is surrounding areas. A morning of whales taken and the traditional nature walks with members of our at leisure. drive will take us through coffee hunting methods they use. We will expedition team and swim or snorkel plantations, white eucalypts have the chance to walk around the from the white sandy beaches. Day 3 Darwin. After breakfast in the and fertile valleys to Laulara, a fascinating village. Return to the hotel join a full day tour to Litchfield peaceful little village perched on vessel for lunch and this afternoon Days 11 & 12 Pare Pare for National Park which is famous for its hilltops surrounded by tropical we will find a suitable location to Torajaland. Arrive this morning at magnificent waterfalls. See Florence secondary forest and offering a snorkel and swim. Pare Pare in the south of Sulawesi. Falls and enjoy an interpretive bush magnificent view looking down This will be the starting point for and monsoon vine forest walk. Bird to Dili city and its bay. Here we Day 8 Flores. Arriving in Flores an exciting overnight trip inland species and wildlife abound. Visit will enjoy a cultural experience at dawn we embark on a full to Tana Toraja, a spectacular the Buley Rock Hole and then travel before meeting the villagers and day excursion to the remarkable mountainous region rich in culture on to Tolmer Falls for a magnificent seeing their way of life. Afterwards Kelimutu National Park with its and known for its unusually shaped view of the water cascading down continue to Taibessi traditional unique three coloured crater lakes. houses. After breakfast onboard, we to the deep waterhole at the base market where we find a range of These three lakes change colours will we will take the four hour drive of the falls. Return via Wangi Falls, local products from its main crops from time to time and nobody can through an enchanting landscape with its large crystal clear pool and around the island to the famous explain why, but stories vary from of rice fields, local villages and maybe take a dip in the cool waters Ikat fabrics. Our excursion ends at a changing mineral content of the unique architecture and climb into before we see Litchfield’s amazing the Timorese Resistance Archive water to angry ancestor spirits. the highlands of Tana Toraja. The stand of termite mounds. Return and Museum which showcases the Kelimutu is sacred to the local fascinating, indigenous culture here to Darwin in the late afternoon and 24 year struggle for independence population and they believe the has long been a subject of great enjoy an evening at leisure. against the Indonesians. souls of the dead go to the lakes. interest for western anthropologists We will make our way to ‘Inspiration who travel here to study it. In the Day 4 Darwin. After a morning at Day 7 Lamalera, Lembata, Point’ with views over all three lakes evening we will enjoy a special leisure we will transfer to the Indonesia. Well off the tourist and enjoy lunch in the picturesque dinner in our comfortable hotel MS Caledonian Sky, moored in path, the island of Lembata village of Moni which is ringed by accompanied by regional music Darwin this afternoon. Enjoy a is a perfect destination for us volcanoes and dotted with rice and dance. On our second morning welcome drink and dinner as we sail to explore with our small ship. fields before our scenic drive back we will enjoy breakfast in the tonight. Here we find traditional whaling to the vessel. hotel before journeying into the villages, mentioned in Portuguese heart of Torajaland where we visit Day 5 At sea. Relax onboard as documents dating back to 1643 who Day 9 Rinca Island, Komodo. One the fascinating grave sites where we sail north. Maybe join a lecture hunt large sea animals, like whales of the highlights of our expedition replicas of the Toraja ancestors, for many will be our visit to Komodo called Tau Taus, look down over to see the distant cousins of the the village and rice fields. Learn Crater lake, Mount Kelimutu dinosaurs, the Komodo dragons. all about the elaborate funeral These rare, huge lizards grow up rituals that the Toraja people are to twelve feet in length and were so famous for. Hear how age-old only known to the western world traditions have been preserved in 1910 when a Dutch lieutenant here. Later we will continue through first laid eyes on them. Escorted by traditional, craft-rich villages and the island’s wardens in the national beautiful countryside, watching park we will walk to the dragon’s rice being planted and locals old feeding station, seeing dragons doing their laundry in the rushing in the wild. Today fewer than 300 rivers. We also see the Tongkongan of this protected species remains houses which are distinguished by and its continuing existence hangs their oversized boat shaped roofs in the balance. During our walk we traditionally habituated by the also hope to see frigate birds, white nobles of the village. This afternoon, buffalo and long tailed monkeys. return to the MS Caledonian Sky Over lunch we will sail to Pink Beach and set sail tonight. where we can relax, enjoy a nature walk or swim or snorkel from the Day 13 At sea. Enjoy a relaxing beach. day as we cross the Makassar Strait Komodo Dragon

With our perfectly suited small ship, we can access islands Torajaland and bays that the big ships simply cannot towards the island of Borneo. visits. We will be collected by ashore. Day 14 Samboja. From our berth local becaks to explore the town Day 18 Bitung. From our berth get close. in Balikpapan we enjoy a full day including the local cathedral and at Bitung we travel inland for a excursion to Samboja Lestari, an the small market before enjoying morning at the Tangkoko Nature Whilst with area of restored tropical jungle. a welcome ceremony at the Reserve. This 8800 hectare park This once barren area has seen ‘traditional house’, the cultural ranges from beaches at sea level to our Zodiacs a remarkable regeneration with centre for the town. Return to the the top of Tangkoko Mountain and the planting of over one million vessel for lunch and an afternoon at is a haven for endemic flora and we will land trees. Wildlife has returned and the sea as we cruise along the Sulawesi fauna. On a guided walk we will density of the forest has increased coastline. search for black macaque monkey on otherwise cloud cover, lowered temperatures and the tarsiers, the smallest inaccessible and increased rainfall. The great Day 17 Bunaken Marine Park. primates in the world and for whom work by the Borneo Orangutan Arrive over breakfast at the the Tangkoko Reserve is their last beaches, Survival Foundation, led by Dr Bunaken National Park, which is refuge, whilst for the birders we will Smits has profoundly changed a treasure trove of biodiversity hope to see hornbills and cuscus. explore marine life for the local people and situated near the centre of the Return to the ship for lunch and this the wildlife. We will have the Coral Triangle. The park was afternoon we will discover more parks and opportunity to see the great established in 1991 as one of the about the Minahasa people of the work being carried out by the first of Indonesia’s growing system region. On a village tour we will see encounter foundation where 200 orangutans of marine parks. Here we will the traditional fishing boats, visit some beautiful live in its protected environments find nearly 400 species of coral, the local markets of seafood, fruits as do over 50 Malayan sun bears. over 90 species of fish including and spices and see the ‘waruga’ tropical We will enjoy lunch at the lodge bluestripe snapper and Emperor traditional tombs which are unique overlooking the jungle before angelfish, whilst seven of the eight to this part of Sulawesi. scenery. returning to the vessel this species of giant clams are also afternoon and sailing this evening. found here. Meanwhile on land we Day 19 Bitung to London. can find macaque and deer whilst Disembark this morning and Day 15 Menumbar River & Pulau mangrove forests are home to transfer to Manado airport for our Bira Birahan. Today we enjoy the crabs. We will use our Zodiacs to scheduled flight to London via benefits of our small ship as we land on a local beach and set up Singapore. spend a day of exploration well off snorkelling platforms to explore the usual cruise ship and tourist the remarkable underwater world Day 20 London. Arrive this morning. routes. Spend the morning on whilst our naturalists lead walks the small island of Birah Birahan where our onboard naturalists will lead a series of nature walks in the rainforest. We will keep an eye out Prices per person for Kingfishers, sunbirds and Pacific Based on double occupancy swallows and learn about the flora. Alternatively a snorkel platform LAUNCH OFFER – SAVE £300 PER PERSON FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY will offer the chance to explore Deck Suite Category Brochure Price Launch Offer Price the reef with its colourful fish and Castle Standard Forward £8295 £7995 turtles. Over lunch we position to Castle Standard £8595 £8295 the Menumbar River where we will Caledonian Superior £8895 £8595 launch the Zodiacs for an afternoon Promenade Premium £9195 £8895 of exploration. This remote river, Bridge Deluxe Balcony £9295 £8995 flanked with pristine mangrove Promenade Premium Balcony £9595 £9295 forest is a haven for birds and Promenade Owners Corner Suite with balcony £9995 £9695 crocodiles and is a real opportunity Castle Standard for sole use £9995 £9695 to see an unexplored part of Caledonian Superior for sole use £10995 £10695 Borneo. Price Includes: Economy class scheduled air travel, two nights hotel accommodation in Darwin on a bed and breakfast basis, 15 nights aboard the Day 16 Toli Toli. This morning we MS Caledonian Sky on a full board basis including wine, beer and soft drinks with return to Sulawesi and the remote lunch and dinner onboard, shore excursions, Noble Caledonia Expedition Team, town of Toli Toli. Few tourists and transfers, port taxes, gratuities. even fewer cruise ships visit here Not Included: Travel Insurance, visas. and the locals have always given us N.B. Flight schedules are yet to be released at time of going to print and dates a warm welcome on our previous and timings may change on their release.

+44 (0)20 7752 0000 MS Caledonian Sky Formerly known as Hebridean Spirit, this 114-passenger vessel began her new life with Noble Caledonia in May 2012 following an extensive refurbishment. Built in the same ship yard as the MS Island Sky, the MS Caledonian Sky shares the same attributes as her sister vessel, joining her as one of the finest small ships in the world.

Your Suite Your Space consistent superior quality. Where Onboard there are 57 exceptionally shower and/or bath tub. Facilities The spacious and finely decorated possible and when it meets his spacious and well designed suites. in the suites also include walk-in or public rooms include a large lounge high standards, our accomplished The passenger accommodation is spacious wardrobes, dressing table where daily briefings and talks will chef will obtain local produce in arranged over four decks and all with large mirror and stool or desk, be provided throughout the voyage markets. Such purchases enhance suites have outside views. All feature mini-fridge, flat screen television, and an elegant bar where a pianist the well stocked larders and bring a a sitting room area and some have telephone, programmable plays periodically throughout the local touch to the varied menus. In private balconies. Each affords electronic safe, hairdryer, assorted day. The bar also features a 24-hour the main elegant dining room, considerable comfort with en-suite toiletries, air-conditioning and tea and coffee station. In addition breakfast is served buffet-style, with bathroom featuring a country style heating. Bottled water, towelling there is the Club Lounge on the certain items cooked to order and wash basin, hot towel rack and dressing gowns and slippers are also Panorama Deck which features a lunch and dinner is à la carte. To vanity unit with sink and walk-in provided for your comfort. bar. The onboard travel library is the enhance your dining experience perfect place to relax with a book even further a selection of wines and is stocked with reference books are included with lunch and dinner. Premium Balcony Suite pertaining to the places the vessel is visiting along with a selection of games and two computers with internet access. Outside there is a rear Lido deck where meals are served in warm weather under shade. On the top deck there is a further observation and sun deck with bar service and comfortable deck furniture for sun bathing or relaxing with a book. There is also a small gymnasium onboard and hairdressers with appointments made on request.

Your Dining With only one sitting and a maximum of just over 100 passengers, the cuisine will be of a Restaurant Standard Suite ch Sun deck Laun Ve OFFER - SA £300 PER PERSON

Panorama Lounge

Your Day to Day Life Onboard MS Caledonian Sky a memorable Deck Plan Onboard the MS Caledonian and joyful experience. Dress on Sky, you will not find endless board is casual and relaxed and entertainment, round the there will be no ‘black tie’ evenings. clock buffets and the people management which is so much Exploring Ashore a part of today’s big ship style. One of the joys of expedition Instead the atmosphere onboard cruising aboard a small vessel is is warm and peaceful and more the flexibility it allows. Although akin to a private yacht or country we set sail with a set itinerary it Panorama Deck hotel in which you can learn more is the unscheduled events that Panorama Lounge about the wonders of nature, culture often become the highlight of the and ancient civilisations in the journey and with our fleet of Zodiac company of like-minded people. landing craft, we can explore inlets, A little music in the lounge or bar fjords, bird sanctuaries, land in Bridge Deck after dinner, guest speakers and otherwise inaccessible places and Hotel Buffet Pantry Manager’s 511 509 507 505 informative port briefings from our be footloose in a way that would Office

Chief Captain expedition leader, all contribute to be totally impractical for larger 512 510 508 506 Engineer make any voyage aboard the groups of passengers.

Promenade Deck Dining on deck Your Comfort, Safety & Security Our vessel is equipped with Hairdresser 433 431 427 425 423 421 419 417 415 the latest safety, navigation and WC communications equipment along Gym 434 432 428 426 424 422 420 418 416 414

with roll stabilisers to minimise the ship’s motion. During your voyage Caledonian Deck

you will have the opportunity to 347 345 343 341 339 335 333 331 329 visit the Captain and Officers on Reception the Bridge to check the vessel’s 348 346 344 342 340 338 336 334 332 330 progress by charts and learn more about your journey. Onboard you Castle Deck will also find a clinic and doctor and 261 259 257 255 Doctor a lift that serves all decks.

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This cruise visits out of the way destinations. You will be accompanied by an expedition team and some Standard Suites (Forward) Premium Suites Premium Balcony Suites landings ashore will be made by Zodiac landing craft. Standard Suites Deluxe Balcony Suites Owner’s Corner Suites with Balcony

Cruises such as this will appeal to the more adventurous Superior Suites and those who enjoy the natural world. NB. All Suites on Castle Deck feature a minimum of two portholes.

2 Chester Close, Belgravia, London, SW1X 7BE +44 (0)20 7752 0000 | [email protected] | noble-caledonia.co.uk 151015_S

All special offers are subject to availability. Our current booking conditions apply to all reservations and are available on request. Cover image: Orangutan