The boat itself was an impressive vessel. It’s 32 metres long and is built entirely by hand from Ironbark and Teak timber in the style of a traditional phinisi ship. The ship has two masts, but we never saw a single sail installed while we were on board. Instead, we sailed from location to location by motor.
Andalusia 3 has a maximum capacity of 28 guests, accommodated in ten cabins equipped with private bathrooms. However, only 15 were on our cruise, so we never felt cramped. The boat’s advertising campaign seems to have targeted a specific demographic. 11 guests were Chinese, leaving just four native English speakers, including Garry and me.
Our itinerary was full but never hectic, delivering a well-established short-list of popular sights. The crew did their best to visit each location during an off-peak time, thus avoiding the swarms of day-trippers doing our itinerary in a single day. However, even then, we were never alone. We always encountered a small crowd on shore, and often dropped anchor among dozens of boats offshore.
On our first day, we sailed to Pulau Siaba Besar, an island east of Komodo Island. Here we donned our snorkel gear and spent several hours floating with the current along the rim of a stunning coral reef. As we drifted, giant manta rays silently glided across the sea floor. We saw at least six of these majestic creatures. It was truly breathtaking. Elsewhere, others spotted a couple of turtles enjoying themselves.
From here we headed to the Instagram-famous Pink Beach on Pandar Island. The sand here is flecked with grains formed by ruby red coral. Its stunning colour is rather subtle at first glance. However, as the late afternoon sun dipped towards the horizon, its colour really started to come alive. While on shore, we also scored a bonus visit from a juvenile Komodo Dragon. It ventured out of the coastal scrub and wandered through the grassy dunes behind the beach before quickly disappearing.
We finished our first day on board by sailing around Pandar Island to a sheltered bay. Here we joined dozens of boats that, like us, had positioned themselves for a trek at dawn the following day. Shortly before 5:00am we made our way ashore, ready to join hundreds of others in climbing Pandar to witness the sun rise over the Flores Sea. The trek to the final viewpoint about 230 metres above sea level involved at least 815 steps. Fortunately, they’re either wooden stairways or sturdy paved stone steps.
The view from the top was well worth the effort. Honestly, I’ll let my photos do the talking. It really was one of those Instagram-worthy destinations that genuinely delivered in real life. Sadly, Garry slept in and missed the entire experience.
Our first stop of the day was truly jaw-dropping. A last-minute decision saw the boat divert to Komodo Island for our much-anticipated Komodo Dragon encounter. Most boats go to nearby Rinca Island to see these giant reptiles, so I was delighted we were going to see Komodo Dragons on their namesake island. Our encounter was a true bucket list moment worthy of its own post, which you can read here.
We finished our day with a leisurely stop on a tiny white-sand cay. I walked out to a tidal spit at one end of the mini island where I encountered a baby shark trawling through the shallow waters. We then spent much of our time sitting in the sea watching the sun go down.
The following morning, we rose early for a short sail to Kelo Island. The island was promoted as an ideal for spotting more baby sharks. However, Garry and I only encountered one little guy. Instead, the highlight of our swim was a series of aggressive little fish that kept biting us. Garry decided they must be protecting their offspring. Some cruise guests climbed the island’s modest peak for a scenic view. Garry and I decided to give it a miss, and spent time sitting in the sun.
Shortly after 11:30 a.m., we docked back at Labuan Bajo, where the cruise company transferred us to the airport for our flight to Bali. The flight was delayed. We eventually landed more than an hour behind schedule. However, the flight itself was a handy lesson in Indonesian geography. As we flew west, I was astonished by the sheer number of volcanoes we passed. I counted at least ten prominent peaks before losing count.
We’re now comfortably settled in a spacious room at the Sofitel Nusa Dua, on Bali’s southeast coast. More about that in another post.
Andalusia 3 has a maximum capacity of 28 guests, accommodated in ten cabins equipped with private bathrooms. However, only 15 were on our cruise, so we never felt cramped. The boat’s advertising campaign seems to have targeted a specific demographic. 11 guests were Chinese, leaving just four native English speakers, including Garry and me.
On our first day, we sailed to Pulau Siaba Besar, an island east of Komodo Island. Here we donned our snorkel gear and spent several hours floating with the current along the rim of a stunning coral reef. As we drifted, giant manta rays silently glided across the sea floor. We saw at least six of these majestic creatures. It was truly breathtaking. Elsewhere, others spotted a couple of turtles enjoying themselves.
From here we headed to the Instagram-famous Pink Beach on Pandar Island. The sand here is flecked with grains formed by ruby red coral. Its stunning colour is rather subtle at first glance. However, as the late afternoon sun dipped towards the horizon, its colour really started to come alive. While on shore, we also scored a bonus visit from a juvenile Komodo Dragon. It ventured out of the coastal scrub and wandered through the grassy dunes behind the beach before quickly disappearing.
Our first stop of the day was truly jaw-dropping. A last-minute decision saw the boat divert to Komodo Island for our much-anticipated Komodo Dragon encounter. Most boats go to nearby Rinca Island to see these giant reptiles, so I was delighted we were going to see Komodo Dragons on their namesake island. Our encounter was a true bucket list moment worthy of its own post, which you can read here.
With dragons ticked off the list, it was time to head to Taka Makassar, a series of reefs and sand cays off the northeast coast of Komodo Island. Here we spent the rest of the afternoon snorkelling along some of the most diverse and pristine coral reefs I’ve ever seen. As we drifted, Garry and I spotted giant gropers, stone fish, clown fish, sea anemones, starfish and more. It was truly mesmerising stuff.
The following morning, we rose early for a short sail to Kelo Island. The island was promoted as an ideal for spotting more baby sharks. However, Garry and I only encountered one little guy. Instead, the highlight of our swim was a series of aggressive little fish that kept biting us. Garry decided they must be protecting their offspring. Some cruise guests climbed the island’s modest peak for a scenic view. Garry and I decided to give it a miss, and spent time sitting in the sun.
We’re now comfortably settled in a spacious room at the Sofitel Nusa Dua, on Bali’s southeast coast. More about that in another post.
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